Hit the Skies, Jack & Trying for Comfort
By Karen Fawcett
 As an increasing number of people are hitting the road,
they’re devising tricks and tips so traveling feels less akin to drudgery.
Unless you have a private jet, there’s little to no way to lessen the pain of
getting in and out of airports in these days of heightened security.
Unless you’re sitting in the front of the plane, (and even
then), you’re going to notice lots of cutbacks and occasional grumpy members of
the crew. Who can blame them? They resent senior management is banking bigger
bucks at the end of the year, while their salaries and pensions decrease.
I’m not referring to occasional tourists who are winging
their way to a week’s vacation at someplace wonderful and exotic or a spa stay.
Even though they may be impacted by bad weather, canceled flights and other
aggravations, it’s not a way of life that has a domino effect in impacting
personal finances at the end of the month. People who count on commissions have
been known to want to set their hair on fire and vow never to book a flight with
a layover in Chicago in the midst of winter.
 A vast number of visitors to France travel in order to
conduct business, and if they’re lucky and choose to do so, tack on a day or two
of vacation at each end of the trip. Food is food but there’s something special
about a dinner in a stellar Paris restaurant.
Many business people want to parachute in and out of
business destinations and get home as rapidly as possible. But, what a shame not
to see Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal if you’re in that part of the
world.
Travel warriors, whose careers depend on being on the go,
invariably have developed routines of their own. Many people wear essentially
the same clothes whenever they travel, add or subtract items depending on the
weather, social functions and what they have on their agendas. Frequently people
keep a bag packed in the event that they’re called upon to be on the next plane.
 Once, I spent 14 nights in different beds during a 21-day
period. The rooms were less than glamorous and I found myself awakening in the
middle of the night befuddled. Where was I and what was I doing there? I started
freaking out when I realized I didn’t know in which time zone my body was
existing.
Finally, I compiled a list of must-take items that helped
me feel a bit less disoriented as I jetted around the world.
It requires a bit of space in your suitcase but take your
own pillow. I even use it on longer flights when I’m trying to catch a few
winks. This pillow has become more essential to my travel comfort than an extra
outfit or a fourth pair of shoes. Besides, a woman can never go wrong if she
wears black accompanied by scarves and other accessories with a bit of color.
Men always look right at a business dinner if the wear a dark grey suit, a white
starched shirt and an appropriate ties. You can never go wrong in Paris if you
opt for Hermes. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a tie from this designer
even if you’re in London or in Rome.
 A picture of your children, family or even your dog or cat
to give your room more of a feeling of home. Cell phones are a boon. Just make
certain you’re not calling your children, (much less your spouse) at 2:00 a.m.
A facemask. Different rooms have different levels of
brightness and one will aid in giving you a uniform sleep. There are ones
scented with different smells to which many people become habituated. There’s
lavender scented one that reminds me of Provence and has a cooling and soothing
effect.
 Pack an alarm clock to which you’re accustomed and can
actually see. There’s nothing more disconcerting than awakening in the middle of
the night and having to look for a clock or, more often than you’d think, not
find one. Scrambling to locate your watch so you're able to ascertain the time
of day or night can throw off your biorhythms.
There is no one answer as to how to beat travel fatigue and
or displacement. A key secret I learned was to visibly prop a sheet of paper
that included the following information. The name of the hotel, the CITY in
which it’s located and the room’s telephone number. There are a lot of
cookie-cutter looking hotels, most especially ones that are targeted for the
business traveler.
The
Bonjour Paris mantra however, is to try to leave a few extra hours for a
mini-vacation. Go to an art exhibition, a concert or a walk in the park. They
are there for enjoying in every European city in the world.
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