Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what medicines people should keep on hand during travel. There are certainly some specific items that I have all the time, and those are due to issues that I deal with. My most common complaints are headaches and stomach aches, or not being able to sleep. The Home Warrior’s main issues are heartburn and allergies. So while there are definitely a couple of things that all travelers should have, what you should keep on hand may be different from this list. I recommend thinking about what ailments bother you the most often and then packing meds those items. But, since I’ve been asked, here is my list.

• Ibuprofen. I have found that Advil gets rid of travel headaches faster (for me) than any other painkiller. It’s also good to have on hand in case of other pains or cramps.
• Pepto. Eating strange foods in strange places can lead to upset stomach pretty darn quickly. As can that glorious plane food. If I take a couple Pepto Bismol pills I will feel better and be able to keep working.
• Tylenol PM. Time changes, late night flights, and random caffeine can all make getting to sleep hard. I can take half a Tylenol PM and be out like a light.

Readers, what medicines do you have to have with you during travel?

I’ve been feeling in a very “shoe” mood this week, enough so that I think I’m going to go shoe shopping here in a bit. Hooray holiday sales! I’m torn, honestly. In a couple of weeks I’m going up to Chicago for my sister’s baby shower, so I think possibly I should look for snow boots. But I’ll use those twice, maybe three times a year. Perhaps I should look for flats instead? I’ll use those a lot! Decisions, decisions.

DSW has a lot of stuff on sale, both online and in the stores. Looove these Bare Trap Emilise boots. They are brown suede, with faux fur trim to keep you nice and warm. It’s all water resistant, of course, so you stay dry.

Or maybe these Caroline boots from Totes? A quilted waterproof upper keeps you toasty even when it’s frigid and snowy outside.

But on the other hand, what about these fabulous flats from Yellow Box? The Sabrina Flat has a pink and brown animal print (although I’m not sure what animal) topped with a large jewel.

These Mojo Moxie Jackie flats feature an oversize houndstooth print, lending a sophisticated air to any outfit. Available in black houndstooth and grey houndstooth. Fun!

So Readers, what kind of shoes are you looking for these days? Any sales I should be checking out?

If you’re friends with a coworker, a driving trip can be super fun. You have time to visit, catch up, go over whatever work stuff you need to, and in general have a good time. However, if you don’t get along with a coworker, a two hour drive to see a customer can be like a trip to hell. Dreading the drive is certainly understandable, but there are ways to make it less hellish.

Plan talking topics ahead of time. I know this seems a little bit weird, but if you’re concerned about awkward silences plan some conversational topics ahead of time. Maybe ask her about herself—where is she from, where did she go to school, why did she major in what she did, what are her hobbies, etc. Or have specific items in mind regarding the work you’re about to do.

Turn on music. Maybe if you discover a shared love for the Beatles you won’t hate her as much. Or the music will drown out his ongoing chatter about his stamp collection. Talk radio can get controversial, although I’ll often put on NPR for the news.

Tune them out. Worst case, stop listening and just look at the scenery, or pull out some work to do. The old “I have to finish this report by today,” thing would work just fine.

Offer to let them drive. Unless you know he is a terrible driver, ask if he wants to drive. This lets him feel like he’s in control, regardless of whether he ends up driving or not, which some people really need.

Know your route. Before you go, look at a map and make sure you know where you’re going. The last thing you want is to get lost and have to spend more time with this person.

The Road Warrior suggested taking out your aggression with a rousing game of Slugbug. Funny, but maybe not the best idea. Traveling with difficult coworkers can be hard, and being stuck in a car with someone annoying for hours at a time can be really hard. Try to be patient, and know that at the end of the night at least you’ll have your own room to rest in.

Readers, what are your best tips for traveling with annoying coworkers?

On Christmas Day, the Home Warrior and I had dinner at my parents’ house. My stepbrother had just gotten into town, and was telling us about his flight. “I always get stuck next to the crazy people who want to talk!” he said. It made me think back on my early flying days when the same thing used to happen to me. I guess people could tell I was nice, or at least nice enough to listen, and would talk and talk and talk. Too polite to cut them off so I could read the book I had saved for my trip, or to work, I just sat there nodding and smiling. After a year or so, I got pretty good at deflecting conversation or nipping it in the bud.

First, appear busy. Whether you’re reading, working, knitting, or something else, if you appear busy you won’t look available for chatting. Headphones take it a step further. If you have headphones in, it’s another signal that you’re doing something else and not interested in talking.

If it’s too late and you’ve already been engaged, be direct. If someone has started talking to you, and you don’t want to continue, sometimes being direct is the best way to get out of it. “I’m so sorry, I’d love to visit, but I have to finish this report before we land,” or some variation thereof. If you don’t have work to do (or like my stepbrother, you’re obviously still in school), say you’re working on a school paper. Or you have to finish reading Pride and Prejudice. You don’t have to spend the rest of the trip reading, but it gives you a chance to put on your headphones and ease out of the conversation.

There will always be a few people who just can’t take a hint. A few months ago I was on a flight and they guy next to me would not stop talking. I put in my headphones and he just kept going. I said, oh I have to read this for work, he just kept on telling his story. Finally I told him I was losing my voice and needed to save it for my very important presentation the next day. It worked, and he started harassing the flight attendant instead. Phew!

Some people will recommend avoiding eye contact and not smiling at people or saying hi. That may work for others, but I try to at least be polite with my seatmate. Saying “how’s it going” or “excuse me” isn’t inviting them to share their life story, it’s common courtesy. Besides, if it does open the floodgates, at least now you know how to get out of it!

Readers, what are your best tips for getting out of unwanted conversations on flights?

I hope everyone out there is having a GREAT holiday weekend! Wishing safe travel for all the travelers out there. Enjoy your time off (if you’ve got it!).

If you have any crazy holiday travel stories, let me know!! I’m always on the lookout for the funniest or most terrible travel situations. Look for a post about avoiding conversations with a seatmate in the next week.

Also, in the next week I’ll be talking about my New Years Travel Resolutions. Start thinking about yours so you can share!

The last time I asked this, I got a bunch of great recommendations, so here it goes again! I will be traveling a ton next quarter, so I will need some new books. In the last few months, I’ve been reading a lot of fiction, with a memoir thrown in here and there, and a few business books. Here are several recommendations.

The Princess Bride (William Goldman). My favorite movie of all time, recently found out there is a book, so of course I had to read it! I loved it. It’s written in a very interesting way, with the author interjecting stories about his “life”. Big blocks of the dialogue are taken directly from the book, so it was very easy to hear the voices of Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin in my head as I read. Highly entertaining!

The Help (Kathryn Stockett). Could. Not. Put. Down. I still haven’t seen the movie, but I looooved the book. You’ve probably heard the premise—in the fifties, a white woman writes a book about the African-American domestic help. Very well written.

Yoga Bitch (Suzanne Morrison). My sister slipped this in my bag as I was leaving Chicago the last time, and I’m glad she did. It was so good! I want the writer to come hang out with me and be my friend. It’s her story of going to Bali and going to yoga teacher training, and figuring out her relationship with her teachers. Fantastic!

American Wife (Curtis Sittenfeld). I’ve had this for a while, and recently re-read it. A fictional story based on the life of Laura Bush. Very well written, with a great story, and great sympathy for her characters.

Knitting Mystery Series (Maggie Sefton). Quick, light reads, but fun stories. If you’re a knitter, it’s fun to hear about the various projects and yarns the characters are working with. At the end of each book, the author gives a knitting pattern and a recipe.

Mom, Incorporated (Aliza Sherman and Danielle Smith). I haven’t finished it yet, but I am learning a ton from Aliza and Danielle. They give great advice for taking charge of the work-life balance and starting your own business. (And check out the interview I did with them!!)

Next up: My Stroke of Insight (Jill Bolte Taylor), about a brain scientist who had a stroke and recovered from it.

So what have you been reading? What do you recommend? I think I’m ready for some more nonfiction and memoirs, so bring on the suggestions!!

After my trip last week to Nashville, I was awarded A-list status from Southwest. What does this mean? I get to go through a special security line at some airports, 25% bonus on points earned, priority standby, a dedicated check-in and phone line, and most importantly….. priority boarding! So basically it’s just like being Gold with American Airlines. Which is great, especially as I don’t feel like I flew Southwest that much this year.

They recently changed their reward programs, so that now you can get status (and free flights) by either flights or points. The thing that’s cool (or at least, that I think is cool) is that you get points not based on length of flight, but how much the flights cost. Even though I only flew Southwest maybe 10-15 times this year, my travel isn’t determined until a week or two prior, so the flights were more expensive and I got more points.

Next step? Companion pass.  DealsWeLike wrote a post that got me all fired up about the Companion Pass, so I will definitely be looking for ways to get that next year. Basically, after 110,000 points you get one, and any flight that you buy one ticket on, you can have your companion fly with you for free. Doesn’t matter if the ticket was paid for or a reward ticket, or if you purchase it on their website or you go through your company travel agent. Chase has a regular 50k point bonus for card sign up, so I will be on the lookout for that in the new year. Another cool thing? You don’t redeem the 100k points for your pass—you still have them to use toward reward tickets. Awesome!

(As a bonus to A-list, Southwest sent me this nice luggage tag with my name and Rapid Rewards number on it. Nice!!)

Dear Hilton Garden Inn,

You know normally I love you. But my experience a few weeks ago was not that awesome, and I want to give you some constructive feedback.

I was staying at the location near the Raleigh airport. Initially, everything was great. The property is lovely, surrounded by trees (with fall colored-leaves! We don’t have those in Texas). The room was very comfortable, with a couch and a high-quality desk chair. All of the employees were very kind and gracious. So far so good, right? I worked for several hours after check in, went to dinner, came home, worked some more, got ready for bed, and realized….. my time of the month had started a few days early. Normally I am very prepared for this sort of thing, but with all the traveling I did in October and November my emergency stores were completely depleted. No problem! I thought. I will head down to the little store on the first floor and pick some up. The little store had everything I could imagine—every type of medication, contact cases, nail files, nail clippers, tweezers, etc. But you know what they did NOT have? Feminine supplies. Not one. Not one measly little two-pack case of tampons or single pad. Thinking I must surely be mistaken, I crouched down and looked behind the packets of tissues and band-aids. Nothing. Finally, I went and found someone to ask. The poor kid (who was maybe 19) was apologetic, and embarrassed, but told me no, they didn’t have any.

At this point, I was extremely frustrated. Partially with myself (why didn’t I remember to put more tampons in my bag??), and some of it was probably hormonal. But I was highly irritated that I had to go up to my room, get my keys and purse, and go find a convenience store. It just baffles me that a hotel store that is well equipped enough to have nail clippers and tweezers did not have feminine supplies. Hotel chains talk a good game about appealing to female business travelers, but all of the women-only floors and yoga mats seem inconsequential when you don’t have this basic necessity.

Thank you for your time,

Road Warriorette

(Sorry, male readers!)

We’ve all tried to do it. And we all know it will never be as good as eight straight at home. But sleeping on airplanes is a necessary thing for anyone who travels frequently, especially internationally. But how do you get the best quality sleep while sitting upright with no personal space? Here are some tips.

Find a good seat. Obviously first or business class is great, but that’s not always available. The next best seat is a window in a bulkhead, where you’ll be able to lean on a wall, control the window shade, and have extra legroom. After that, choose a regular window seat. At least there you will have access to the wall and window shade. An aisle is okay, but not optimal, and of course the middle seat is never ideal. An empty seat next to you helps a lot, and having a row to yourself is even better (although almost impossible to find these days).

Bonus: If you’re in a bulkhead, use your personal item as a footrest. It gives you more options for body positions, which helps keep any one part of your body from hurting a lot (ie, tailbone).

Do the same stuff you do at home. Avoid caffeine several hours before trying to sleep. Don’t eat crazy spicy or heavy food right before. Don’t drink tons of alcohol, since that can dehydrate you and ruin the quality of your sleep. Wash your face (or use a cleansing cloth), read for a few minutes, have some herbal tea. Doing your normal routine will help ease you to sleep.

Get cozy and comfy. The most important items are a travel blanket and pillow. Inflatable pillows don’t take up much room, but make sure they have a nice cover so you’re not laying your head on rubber. I love wrapping myself in my Cabin Cuddler for sleeping on long flights.

Isolate yourself. An eye mask will block out your neighbor’s offending reading light and make you feel like you’re all alone. Adding ear plugs or noise canceling headphones helps even more. I love noise canceling headphones and my White Noise app.

Sleep aids. Not everyone needs a sleep aid, but I’ve found that Tylenol PM really helps me sleep more comfortably on flights. Some people like something stronger, such as Ambien, and some people use natural options, such as Melatonin.

Short flights. If you’re only trying to catch an hour or so, some of the above suggestions still help. Avoid caffeine, look for a window seat, and use your pashmina to cover up. I will often use my headphones, although usually skip the eye mask for a short flight.

Readers, how do you get a good night’s sleep while flying?

This is an answer to a recent post from Australian Business Traveller. They had a very helpful post about what men should wear for a long flight during a business trip, but it wasn’t really any help at all for women. Balance can be tricky while flying 14 hours. If you want to look professional yet be incredibly comfortable, here is what I have found to be the best combination.

Jersey dress. The right jersey dress will feel like a long t-shirt. They are stretchy and soft, yet can be worn to work. My favorite is the Everyday Jersey Dress from Boden (currently on super discount, but available only in limited sizes. You won’t go wrong with any jersey dress from Boden though!).

Leggings. Leggings are my answer to pajama pants during travel. Same as the jersey dress—they are soft and stretchy. Also easy to take off once you land and are headed to the office. The ones I wear the most are from Old Navy and cost around $10.

Compression socks. A must-wear!! Keep your feet and ankles from swelling too much, and reduce your chances of DVT. Available all over, including online (Amazon and TravelSmith come to mind) or at a drug store. (Another option: Instead of leggings and compression socks, try compression tights.)

Comfy flats. Flats are great because they are easy to put on and take off. Pick ones that are a little too big, because your feet will inevitably swell a little bit.

A couple of other comfort tips:

• Wear minimal makeup. Wear as little makeup as you are comfortable with. For me, this is basically tinted moisturizer, mascara, and a little powder. The less you have on, the less you can get in your eyes while you sleep. When you’re about to land, wash your face (or use a face cleansing wipe) and apply your normal makeup.
• Pull your hair back. I wear a braid or low ponytail when flying for a long time. This way it won’t irritate my head when leaning back, but keeps it out of the way. A braid is better for me, just because I don’t get that annoying crease from the rubber band, but sometimes my hair is too short.
• Wear your glasses. If you normally wear contacts, I recommend wearing your glasses for long flights. This way your eyes won’t dry out from the arid airplane air, and your contacts won’t bother you while you sleep.

So there you are! Professional yet comfortable options for long flights exist for women too!