What’s in my In-flight Hand Bag?

This year has officially become ‘My Year Of Travel’. I have had to take so many long flights over the past few months, that I have realized what things I most need with me on board.

Passport

This is the single most important thing for obvious reasons. Along with my passport I also like to keep a few copies of the same, just to be safe. I have a case for my passport, like the one in the image above, to keep it safe & also have some money in it, as emergency cash.

Wallet

I have my money, Credit/Debit cards in my wallet. I prefer to have smaller wallets that don’t occupy much space and prefer the ones with a lot of card slots. My wallet is one thing that I generally don’t leave my house without.

iPhone

I think the iPhone is a multi-utility device. I use it listen to music, make notes, edit photos and even read books on.I make sure I charge it completely before leaving for a long flight, since I use it so extensively. I also carry a power bank in case I need to charge my phone if it runs out of battery.

Headphones

I always always have headphones on me, no matter if its a long flight or a 20 minutes journey. I normally use the ones that comes with iPhone but for flight I prefer to get better ones. It is especially useful if you have a noisy group of travelers with you, its helped me on several occasions.

Kindle

I am an avid reader & prefer e-books to Paperbacks on Board. So kindle travels with me almost every time I am travelling, in-flight or otherwise.

Socks

As soon as I get comfortably settled in the flight, I prefer taking my shoes off, so Socks some in pretty handy.

Neck Pillow

For long flights this is a life saver or should I say Neck saver! instead of leaning in every direction & finding a perfect spot to rest your head, a neck pillow is always a better option.

Scarf

It gets pretty chilly in the flight sometimes, so a scarf is a must have for me. It keeps me warm & I can use it to tie my hair up otherwise. It occupies lesser space as compared to a Jacket/Cardigan.

Facial Mist

The cool atmosphere at Airports & in the flight makes my skin really dry, so a facial mist is a must for me. It keeps my skin from drying out. Kiehl has a special In-flight refreshing facial mist. It is my personal favorite.

Lip balm

Again for because of the cool temperature inside the flight, for moisturizing my lips. I don’t really wear make up while travelling, I prefer letting my skin breathe. So its only lip balm that makes its way to my In-flight bag.

Shades

For blocking the sun-rays out, keeping my hair in place to shielding my tired eyes after a long flight. My shades do it all.

Camera

For capturing every beautiful moment, place forever.

These are my Travel essentials, I would love to hear about yours!

Happy travelling!

Love,

Arpita.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel can be such a marvelous thing in itself. Its all about you. You are free to plan your days as you please, without having to worry about other persons interests or preferences.

There are times when your spouse/ friends don’t enjoy the same things that you so love! May be its Sky diving in Australia, taking a yoga retreat in Bali, or a cooking class in Thailand! Why not do it on your own! Solo travel is an amazing way to strike some things off your bucket list!

Solo Travel has the potential to become a journey within yourself as much as around the world. It cleanses you, heals you and teaches you so much about your own self. Its a beautiful way to move beyond your comfort zone and view the world through your own unique perspective.Its a way to enjoy the simple things in life like a beautiful sunrise, a meaningful interaction with a stranger, a warm cup of tea after a long day. A gift of time to your own self. Your own little story to tell somebody someday.

Most of us are scared before embarking on our first solo trip and its a normal reaction. the unknown can be scary. There are so many choices to be made, so many things to be considered. The most important thing however is to have a little faith in yourself. Trust me you are very capable of taking care of it all.

There might be some challenges here and there. Choosing the perfect hotel, choosing the location to stay, your budget, taking a bus from one destination to other, language barrier, getting down at the wrong stop etc. However once you make these decisions and overcome these challenges, you will emerge more confident than ever at the end of it all.

A few things here and there if kept in mind will go a long way in making your solo trip a successful one.

Researching the place you are about to travel to is the first and most important one. So much information is available on Travel sites these days. It really helps to read experiences of other travelers who have traveled to the place you intend to visit. There are so many people who write travel blogs. in my personal experience it has helped me a lot with my travels. Getting a background information about the culture, places to visit, best hotels/hostels to live in can be very useful. And in my experience people are more than happy to help in most cases.

Your documents like Passport and Identification card are extremely important. So make sure you a couple of photocopies of them with you. Also keep a electronic copy of the same, in case you happen to loose the original and photocopies both.

It is also of great importance to have Contact information of your Home Country’s Embassy in the country that you are visiting. In case of emergency, this will be of great help.

Make sure your family or friends have an itinerary of your travel. So they know on any given day where you might tentatively be.

Dressing Appropriately. its best if you try and research in advance about the culture of a particular place so that you can pick what clothes to carry with you when you travel. This is important especially when travelling to Islamic countries and also Hindu temples and Buddhist Shrines in different countries. A certain manner of dressing is required and is expected. As they say, When in Rome…

When it comes to consumption of Alcohol, its best to be moderate. Alcohol dulls your senses and hence makes you vulnerable. In a place where you are on your own, its best to be safe than sorry.

The most important thing I believe is to trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. This is especially true when choosing a hotel and interacting with people. If a hotel looks creepy or gives you a weird vibe, leave! If a stranger acts/looks shady or gives you a bad vibe. Walk away! trust your intuition!

Just keep the above mentioned points in mind, and you will be good.

I find the most beautiful thing about solo travel, the potential of finding your own tribe! Others who love to wander on their own just like you! This is certainly the most pleasant of all the experiences, meeting like minded people. I have met some really fascinating and amazing people while travelling. some of whom have become life long friends and others who have given me beautiful memories that will last a life time.

Some of the best memories I find are the ones we make when we travel. When we are away from the clutches of everyday life and routine . You are the happiest version of yourself.

If you dream of traveling the world, just take the first step. it will take courage, but on the other side lies many joys, wonders and freedom. In the end, you will be happy you did.

Arpita xo

*Some Images are sourced from Google.