{Long-Haul Flight Essentials}

Greetings from Portland, lovely readers! I made it safe and sound and pretty much conquered jetlag like a champ, so no complaints here!

Over the last 14 or so months, I’ve made the trek home 5 times.  Writing that down just now I thought that couldn’t be true, that sounds like so much, but it is in fact true! Between work and weddings, Portland is constantly calling my name :) And not to brag, but I’ve become kind of a pro at this whole long-haul flight thing. Hopping on a plane for 10 hours and landing in Portland feels a little too normal nowadays.

I know that long of a trip can be intimidating if you don’t do it often, so I thought I’d share with you  a roundup of some of my favorite in-flight essentials. Hope this is helpful – and if you have any to add to the list, I’d love to hear!

1. First piece of advice -  layer up! The temperature fluctuates

throughout the flight and you want to stay comfortable. I bought this amazing wrap cardigan sweater from ASOS a few weeks back (mine's a different color) and I am not kidding, I pretty much live in it. It’s so warm and cosy and can be worn a couple different ways. It was the perfect layer on my flight over!

2. I invested in some wool socks from J.Crew last year and I am still singing their praises. On long flights I like to get rid of my shoes (stinky footers, please refrain!) and switch them out for a cozy pair of wool socks. They keep my feet warm and then I feel more comfortable throughout the flight.

3. This L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream is incredible. The cream feels so luxurious and hydrating and the lavender scent is extremely soothing. The soap and water on the plane dries out my hands so I like to have this lotion with me to counteract!

4. I never used an eyemask until I got one on my first business class flight over to Amsterdam a few years ago for work. Now, they are an in-flight essential for me! I have to sleep in complete pitch black, so my mask helps block out the tv screen lights coming from my seat mates next to me. You should try it!

5. I swear by this Kiehl’s lip balm. I carry it with me everywhere I go. And just like my hands, my lips feel super dehydrated after a few hours on a plane, so I keep this lip balm on hand to soothe them!

6. Noise cancelling headphones – such a luxury, I know. A couple years ago I had no idea what to get Corey for his birthday, so I decided to splurge and get him a pair of Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. After using his a couple times and loving them, he sweetly gifted me with a pair of my own (mine are Able Planet brand). I never fly without them!

7. The number one thing I do on flights to keep myself feeling good – especially when I land after 10 hours – is drink a ton of water. Sipping that free wine or beer on the long haul flight is so tempting, but after learning the hard way (landing totally dehydrated making my jetlag 10 times worse) I now sip on sparkling water with a lime the entire flight instead (Picture: Lifefactory Water Bottle).

8. Miss Sarah Tucker turned me on to the J.Crew Pixie Pant last year and I have to echo her love for them. They are sturdy enough to not look like scrubby leggings, but stretchy enough to be super comfortable. They are pretty much the perfect travel pant! 

So there they are - some of my favorite long-haul flight essentials. Do you have any you swear by?

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