5 Tips For Jet-setting (Nearly) Effortlessly
By Jean Aw (from NOTCOT) on November 12, 2009
I know I've been jet-setting too much when some of my closest friends at home haven't seen me for over a month. People are constantly asking me "Where were you? Have you recovered from Europing? Aren't you exhausted?" Honestly, there have been times when I have gotten sick from running my poor body ragged across time zones. But this last time, I felt amazing and came back ready to go! I figured out which new techniques and gadgets keep me sane, well rested, happy, energized, and on top of running my company.
Before I share some of the things that helped keep me sane and on top of my work while traveling, here's a rundown of the craziness that was my last few weeks of travel:
From LA, I drove up to San Francisco for a night before cruising up to wine country for a weekend retreat followed by a night in Petaluma for meetings. The next day I was off to San Francisco again for a day filled with more meetings (Meetings are fun of course ... especially if you pick the right people!). Then I caught a red-eye to New York for two nights for a Dyson launch. Then back to SF for one night before driving back to home to LA ... for about four days. After that, I was off to NY for a night before heading to London, where I hopped a bus to Oxford for four nights before making my way to Paris for dinner at Versailles and a one-night stay. Last but not least, I jetted to Stockholm for a few nights ... even adding on one extra day. I finally got home ... nearly a month later.
Being freshly back, I feel like I've finally figured out how to not only survive these insane schedules, but also to have fun, pack in more meetings and random adventures than expected, and just get that rush from popping between cities!
A few general tips and tricks that have come up:
1. Bring LOTS of travel adapters. I learned this one the hard way. A few trips ago, I nearly cried over a lack of power in the lobby of a five-star Parisian hotel as I fried my one "all countries to all countries" plug adapters. At 2 am, the concierge pulled out one adapter after another from a basket behind the desk. None of them fit ... and all the stores were closed. All I could think of was how much work I had left to do and how I couldn't even charge my cell phone or laptop. I hate to admit it was the last straw that nearly broke me, and I was only part way through my trip. So after that, I'm now back to carrying a few variations instead of one universal adapter. They may not multitask, but it's definitely a lot safer than trusting all your power conversion needs to just one plug adapter ... especially when we're tethered to gadgets the way we now are!
2. For all your digital goodness, have analog backups! Over plan your itinerary. Have it written on paper (hotels, flights, appointments ~ with names, flight numbers, phone numbers, addresses, etc.) because you never know when your tech might fail you. Whether you cell phone runs out of juice, you lack internet access, or Google Calendar messes up times as you switch time zones, analog backups are worth the peace of mind. (But definitely have those digital counterparts going as well!)
3. Watch that mobile roaming. Those roaming charges can add up, especially if you're going through data quickly ~ like loading lots of image-heavy sites on your iPhone, uploading to Facebook and Twitpic constantly, or using Google Maps. If you're on T-Mobile and only using email though, there's a nice plan that gives unlimited email usage in any country. But if you are either going to certain countries frequently or staying in one country long enough (over 4-5 days?) consider picking up SIM cards for each country and just telling people your local number. After all, every SMS to home can add up!
4. Bring powerstrips. They are a great way to make friends (with laptops and/or cell phones) at the airport. Also, you can plug your powerstrip into a plug converter (assuming you're smart enough to be careful about overloading it!).
5. Schedule in time to both SLEEP and WORK. After all, those stunning hotel rooms and room service are there for a reason. Don't just dock yourself between the sheets for 3-4 hours of shut eye a night. It's OK to take the time to curl up and let your body get what it needs. Just don't think about time zones. My philosophy is that "It is whatever time it is where you are" and that's all you can let your body worry about. If it's morning, wake up. If it's night, sleep. Mind over body. You can do it. It's the people who are constantly obsessing about how late or early it is at home and what time it should feel like that are asking for trouble. Getting that extra good sleep keeps you more rested and on top of things ~ ultimately cutting down on the stresses of being exhausted and behind on work. There's no reason to let that pile up and hit you like a truck when you get home.
Those are just a few of the seemingly simple little things that have made a world of difference in not only juggling, but also truly enjoying a hectic travel schedule!
__________________________________________
JEAN AW Founder of NOTCOT: Concept, Content & Creative, Editor-In-Chief of the NotEmpire*. . . Design Addict + UX Designer + Shopaholic + Tech Connoisseur + Design Writer + World Traveler
*NotEmpire = not an empire, composed of NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, NotCouture.com, and Liqurious.com
Before I share some of the things that helped keep me sane and on top of my work while traveling, here's a rundown of the craziness that was my last few weeks of travel:
From LA, I drove up to San Francisco for a night before cruising up to wine country for a weekend retreat followed by a night in Petaluma for meetings. The next day I was off to San Francisco again for a day filled with more meetings (Meetings are fun of course ... especially if you pick the right people!). Then I caught a red-eye to New York for two nights for a Dyson launch. Then back to SF for one night before driving back to home to LA ... for about four days. After that, I was off to NY for a night before heading to London, where I hopped a bus to Oxford for four nights before making my way to Paris for dinner at Versailles and a one-night stay. Last but not least, I jetted to Stockholm for a few nights ... even adding on one extra day. I finally got home ... nearly a month later.
Being freshly back, I feel like I've finally figured out how to not only survive these insane schedules, but also to have fun, pack in more meetings and random adventures than expected, and just get that rush from popping between cities!
A few general tips and tricks that have come up:
1. Bring LOTS of travel adapters. I learned this one the hard way. A few trips ago, I nearly cried over a lack of power in the lobby of a five-star Parisian hotel as I fried my one "all countries to all countries" plug adapters. At 2 am, the concierge pulled out one adapter after another from a basket behind the desk. None of them fit ... and all the stores were closed. All I could think of was how much work I had left to do and how I couldn't even charge my cell phone or laptop. I hate to admit it was the last straw that nearly broke me, and I was only part way through my trip. So after that, I'm now back to carrying a few variations instead of one universal adapter. They may not multitask, but it's definitely a lot safer than trusting all your power conversion needs to just one plug adapter ... especially when we're tethered to gadgets the way we now are!
2. For all your digital goodness, have analog backups! Over plan your itinerary. Have it written on paper (hotels, flights, appointments ~ with names, flight numbers, phone numbers, addresses, etc.) because you never know when your tech might fail you. Whether you cell phone runs out of juice, you lack internet access, or Google Calendar messes up times as you switch time zones, analog backups are worth the peace of mind. (But definitely have those digital counterparts going as well!)
3. Watch that mobile roaming. Those roaming charges can add up, especially if you're going through data quickly ~ like loading lots of image-heavy sites on your iPhone, uploading to Facebook and Twitpic constantly, or using Google Maps. If you're on T-Mobile and only using email though, there's a nice plan that gives unlimited email usage in any country. But if you are either going to certain countries frequently or staying in one country long enough (over 4-5 days?) consider picking up SIM cards for each country and just telling people your local number. After all, every SMS to home can add up!
4. Bring powerstrips. They are a great way to make friends (with laptops and/or cell phones) at the airport. Also, you can plug your powerstrip into a plug converter (assuming you're smart enough to be careful about overloading it!).
5. Schedule in time to both SLEEP and WORK. After all, those stunning hotel rooms and room service are there for a reason. Don't just dock yourself between the sheets for 3-4 hours of shut eye a night. It's OK to take the time to curl up and let your body get what it needs. Just don't think about time zones. My philosophy is that "It is whatever time it is where you are" and that's all you can let your body worry about. If it's morning, wake up. If it's night, sleep. Mind over body. You can do it. It's the people who are constantly obsessing about how late or early it is at home and what time it should feel like that are asking for trouble. Getting that extra good sleep keeps you more rested and on top of things ~ ultimately cutting down on the stresses of being exhausted and behind on work. There's no reason to let that pile up and hit you like a truck when you get home.
Those are just a few of the seemingly simple little things that have made a world of difference in not only juggling, but also truly enjoying a hectic travel schedule!
__________________________________________
JEAN AW Founder of NOTCOT: Concept, Content & Creative, Editor-In-Chief of the NotEmpire*. . . Design Addict + UX Designer + Shopaholic + Tech Connoisseur + Design Writer + World Traveler
*NotEmpire = not an empire, composed of NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, NotCouture.com, and Liqurious.com
Comments