1. Layers! Layers are a blessing, even if you are traveling across warm climates always bring long sleeve shirts/jackets or long pants that you could possibly put over your travel clothes. Airplanes and airports can get cold and it never hurts to have along an extra layer. If you don't have anything you can layer on bring a blanket or scarf that you can wrap around yourself for warmth.

2. Flip Flops (or sandals) for days! I swear by flip flops when I have to fly, especially with the new security regulations at airports where you have you take off your shoes. Flip flops are easy to take of, and in fact a lot of times you wont even be asked to remove your them when you go through security; no one could possibly sneak anything onto a plane with those suckers on their feet. In addition, foot sweat is very real for me and flips flops are a easy solution; there is nothing worse then having swampy stinky feet for a 20 hour plane trip. Additionally, if you are like me and like to let your lil toesies fly free once aboard the aircraft, removing your shoes is a breeze. If you tend to get cold feet refer to tip 1 and bring some socks. If you are flying in cold countries in the middle of winter, I gettit flip flops are highly impractical, at this point wear whatever keeps you warm.
3. Have a specific place for your passport and ticket and make it a habit of always putting them back in that place after you use them. I lose things constantly, I really am the hugest airhead when it comes to keeping track of my stuff but when it comes to my passport I will not lose it, I cannot. Losing your passport when you travel puts a damper on your whole trip and could actually end it. let me reiterate losing your passport or tickets is NO FUN. Believe me, its happened to my family before, leaving us stranded in a airport no less. To remedy this I have traveled with the same backpack for the last 6 years of my life and every time I travel, my passport lives in the front most pocket of it. Not the main compartment, not the slightly larger second compartment, not the side bottle holders, the front pocket, every time. For someone scatter brained like me (i have left passports in the bathroom several times) this is truly a life saver. Now I don't event think about it, whenever I use my passport the act is automatic.
4. Bring cash. This one is pretty self explanatory. In many countries plastic is not really a thing that is used, so, if you want to buy food or souvenirs at the airport, bring cash. Many countries also may require a entrance visa, which may cost anywhere from $5 to $50 (maybe more, maybe less), the usual entrance visa usually runs around $35 but bringing extra never hurt anyone. Also if you are concerned about getting money once you get to the country it is a lot easier to exchange money then to get it from and ATM. ATM machines are not around and when you do find one they usually charge you a couple dollars per transaction which is a pain in the butt. For me personally I will carry anywhere between $50 to $100 dollars when I have a long trip.

5. When traveling alone bring something to do. This may seem pretty common sensical but alas countless times I have found myself aboard a 10 hour flight with NOTHING to do. Nowadays this is not as important as a a lot of longer flights have little tv screens with a variety of entertainment options. However, if you are like me and 10 hours starting at a screen turns you into the not so jolly green giant, bringing other entertainment options is a must. Some examples of things I have brought with me on long flights are: books or a kindle (always a winner, I travel with at least 3 books), playing cards (these come in handy is you make new friends or just really enjoy playing solitaire), knitting stuff (one time I dedicated my trip to making Christmas scarves for all of my family members), a game console (pokemon silver on my DS has gotten me through many a boring plane ride), and many more. Don't be afraid to get creative, one time I had a 3 hour discussion with the guy at 26B about all the celebrities in the gossip magazine I brought along (we played a very silly game of fuck marry kill, it was a blast). Bring something to do, don't be the bored sloth!

6. Headphones. Bring a good pair of headphones for a long flight. The loud airplane noises can really get to you after a while and the gratuitous headphones that you get from the airlines are usually crap. By good I mean something that you are willing to wear for 10 hours strait. I had a hard time with that until recently I borrow/stole my dads Bose noise canceling headphones and they were amazing. Not only did they cut out the obnoxious our of the jet engines, they also delivered quality sound and the over ear design was significantly more comfortable then earbuds for extended wear. Now i'm not saying go out and buy a pair of these headphones, I mean I couldn't have afforded them for myself if I didn't borrow/steal them, but I do recommend finding maybe a cheaper pair of headphones that are over the ears and have a nice bit of cushioning and really most headphones you buy wherever are better than the shit they give you on the plane.

7. Pack your carry on very carefully. This is super important because what you have in that bag is all you are going to have for your trip, and maybe longer if you are unlucky enough to have baggage complications (believe me people this happens more often then I'm comfortable with). For a detailed list check my next post "What to pack in your carryon".

8. Double check. It never hurts to be overly careful when it comes to checking on your flights. Missing flights is actually the worst, its expensive and time consuming. When I have a long layover I check and double check my flight information several times, this includes flight time and boarding gate. It has happened to me before that a sudden last minute change in the boarding gate has sent me running like a headless chicken through the airport, don't let this be you.
9. Don't be scared to ask for directions, several times. In addition airports can be very confusing, there are different terminals and gates, sometimes things are in military time, sometimes you have to recheck bags, and a lot of times signs are in a different language and directions can be ambiguous, needless to say its no easy task staying on top of everything. My advice for this is don't be afraid to ask for directions, and when you do, remember the golden rule and double check. I have had one guy tell me to go to one place and minutes later when I double checked another man tell me to go somewhere else. Seriously I can't say it enough it doesn't hurt to double check.

10. Don't let traveling get you down; stay adventurous, stay excited, and stay happy. This is most definitely the most important rule on this list. Traveling is stressful, I've seen grown ass people break down on flights, families (including mine) completely lose it, and couples hit the breaking point. Making it through a 24 hour journey tests your mental, physical and emotional fortitude. It's a bootcamp located in shiny or decrepit buildings with neon signs saying welcome, beinvenue, sawadeekah over layed with the mind numbing repetition of an ambiguously accented woman saying "mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap". It's like being in jail in a giant metal object hurtling through the air at 600mph, surrounded by equally grumpy cell mates who by some freak coincidence want to use the bathroom at seemingly the exact same time. In short, traveling can suck which is why its so important to not let it. Traveling can also be amazing, you are seeing the world, meeting new people; every person in that airplane with you is a unique individual with hopes, dreams, and amazing stories. Traveling is an incredible glimpse into the multinational world. You would think that putting that many people with different cultural experiences and backgrounds into such a stressful situation would be volatile but somehow, amazingly, everything seems to work. Planes transport millions of people around the world everyday, this is a true testament to the beauty of humanity and this melting pot we call a home. Whenever I travel I make it a point to be excited, I mean there so much reason to be: I'm getting the opportunity to see an entirely different part of the world and that is beautiful. When I get down in the dumps, I put on some happy music and think about just how amazing it is that I'm even able to make this transcontinental trip across the planet in the first place. Also, airports are strait up cool, when choosing how to design the airport people actively chose the best parts of their societies and put them on display in this way every airport is like a representation of the country its in. Singapore's giant and shiny metropolitan building has numerous food courts, gardens, a church, a mosque, playgrounds, and hundreds of shops its basically a tiny Singapore. The vientiane airport has about 5 gates in a laid back structurally open building. People meander around the 2 shops and drink warm coffees or take naps on the benches in the waiting area. So my final advice to you is keep and open and positive mind when traveling and it won't be stressful and boring, it is beautiful and you are lucky :)

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