I LOVE to travel, but I hate everything about airports. If you follow me on Instagram or on Twitter you'll know that over the weekend every travelers nightmare happened. My flight was cancelled and there weren't any other flights going out that day. Some people handle these situations with ease, a shrug of the shoulders and they're off to pick up their hotel vouchers. I am not one of these people. I wanted so badly to stay on schedule and make it to my destination that the thought of waiting overnight (and not getting my bag back until the next day) was terrible. Yes, I'm tightly wound and as much as I wanted to be carefree about the whole situation that's just not who I am.
So after the flight cancellation, a night in an airport hotel and a 5:30 AM shuttle ride back to the airport my new 7:00 flight was delayed for three hours. That's when the calm washed over me. There was nothing I could do, but sit and wait. It could have been that I was totally exhausted and didn't have the energy to care or it could have been that at that point I wasn't surprised, either way I came up with a list to share with you about how to survive any travel nightmare.
1. Be smart about packing!
If you're prepared to lose your luggage, have a cancelled flight or whatever the airlines throw your way it won't be as soul-crushing when it actually happens. I used to always pack my makeup and toothbrush in my carry-on, but after quite a few hiccup-free flights, I got more comfortable with throwing it all in my suitcase and picking it up in baggage claim.
So that's what I did and then I found out it would take 4 hours to get my bag back after we landed. I decided to leave it at the airport and make a Target run instead. However, from now on my carry-on packing list will look like this: Toothbrush/Toothpaste, extra shirt, clean undies, makeup (only the essentials), makeup wipes, deodorant, phone charger, and all my jewelry (something I already did, but it's a good reminder). This trip I remembered to pack my jewelry and makeup wipes, but everything else was somewhere in my little green suitcase in the belly of the Denver airport. Never again. If I have to leave a magazine or two out to fit it all, so be it!
2. Prepare for a Target run.
Once we received our hotel vouchers and $20 worth of food voucher each, we got the shuttle to our airport hotel. It took maybe two minutes before I was on GoogleMaps searching out the nearest Target. There was no way I was wearing the exact same outfit, undies and all, the next day. I was fine with re-wearing my jeans and cardigan, but a clean shirt was more than necessary. If you follow the packing list above, you'll be able to avoid this whole step and save the money not only on your Target purchases, but also on the Uber ride it takes to get there and back.
United airlines did provide us with an overnight kit that had the necessities like a toothbrush and deodorant wipes and the hotel had soap, shampoo, conditioner, so that saved some money. I don't recommend using the provided tooth paste though, I've never tasted something quite that bad.
So off to Target we went, I picked out two T's (one to sleep in), a pair of undies, under-eye concealer and mascara. The makeup wasn't necessary, but I was going to need to buy new soon anyway, so I just took care of it then. Plus, I was going to be exhausted the next morning and if a little concealer and mascara was going to make me feel better (it did) then it was totally worth the $10.
3. Treat yourself.
You've been put into a shitty situation. You're stuck in an airport, you had to buy pajamas, and you brushed your teeth with some really nasty toothpaste. So I promise you deserve to pamper yourself with whatever you can. I stopped by the Barnes and Noble next to the Target and picked up a new book to read because after all the extra time in the airport I finished mine earlier than expected. Plus, the airline gives you $20 of food vouchers to use in the airport. So don't think about the calories and eat a decadent breakfast (i.e. Cinnabon) and drown yourself in lattes. You're not paying and you'll need the caffeine by the time this is all over.
4. Wear something comfortable.
This might go as a given, but I am not the kind of person to wear pajamas on a plane, so I need to be reminded of this often. Sitting and waiting around an airport in a dress and heels would have made this situation sooo much worse. I was so glad that I chose to wear my favorite black jeans the day before. They're by Joe's and seriously feel like leggings!! Then instead of a huge cumbersome jacket, I just grabbed my favorite Banana Republic cardigan. I was also so glad that I wore neutrals because the $10 T-shirt I picked up from Target looked great. There wasn't any outfit coordinating necessary. So wear something comfy, but maybe still leave the pajamas in your suitcase.
Hope your travels are less bumpy than mine! But, if they are I hope this helps!
Love you lots,
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