How to Sanely and Smartly Travel to Your Overseas Love (while Getting Your Sexy On)
Those of us in long-distance relationships learn to enjoy traveling as often as possible. This is especially true when we’re going to see the one(s) we adore.
Admit it: you love this kind of action and adventure.
Being in love with a human on the other side of the planet is the best excuse to get away from day-to-day doldrums, teaming adventure with romance. Make the most of your travels by getting your sexy self ready for anything and everything your lover desires, using the tips below.
1. Kill it in the Grooming Department.
Four to six weeks before you fly, book salon, spa or barber appointments and organize whatever else you need to do to be your killer self when you arrive.
What to consider:
- A striking new hair color and cut to boost your confidence.
- Scheduling your mani-pedi and bikini wax.
- Fake eyelashes or artificial nails? Make sure you’ll have a fresh set just before you go.
- Guys: check your nose and ear hair. Your barber can help, along with providing a fine shave and great cut. If you’re conscious about body hair, have it removed.
- Don’t forget a facial, or an eyebrow wax/touchup if need be.
Be sure to have a backup plan in mind for appointments that are canceled at the last minute. Sometimes this works to your favor.
Only 24 hours before my recent halfway-round-the-world trip, the salon telephoned. My gal had called in sick…or something. I couldn’t comprehend or listen to the entire voice message because I was in a panic and had to find someone else… fast. Having anticipated the cut and color from my usual stylist for weeks — though not exactly overzealous about shelling out hundreds for her skills — I knew a new shade and style was worth the cost, for my sanity and self-esteem. Would I now have to buy a box of dye and trim my locks myself? I would certainly save money with that amateur plan, but I wanted a professional’s input and services.
Fortunately, right across the parking lot from the high-end boutique I normally visit was a Supercuts, and they had an opening! You may scoff at the thought of using a chain store salon, but the woman who did my hair was more personable and helpful than the other beautician that missed our time slot. I wished I’d found the new one sooner; I also got a cut that made my hair healthier and easy to manage while on vacation.
2. Be a Sharp-Dressed (Wo)Man
Go shopping! New clothes make you feel like a million bucks. And now that COVID is mostly over, you can actually try them on before you buy.
Make sure what you’re getting suits who you are and is versatile for the upcoming vacation ahead of you. Your clothes should be appropriate for the season: don’t pack sweaters and boots when you’re flying to the tropics, and don’t forget long sleeves and jeans if you’re going to cooler climes.
When you’re in transit, there’s no need to overdress or wear anything uncomfortable, like high heels or tight-fitting jeans. But don’t go overboard with comfort. Old-fashioned in a sense, I don’t wear sweats, baggy t-shirts or flip-flops to the airport, as many do. “Going traveling” for my older relatives was a special occasion and meant dressing up a bit, so I try to look respectable and attractive at the same time.
Because you may be doing plenty of walking through the airport from gate to gate, wear shoes that keep the dirt out and have some cushion, but that can also slip off and be replaced by socks when on the plane. I make it a point to wear clothes I can sleep in, like stretchy jeans, long-sleeved shirts (it gets chilly on planes), comfy shoes, and a wireless bra. A hoodie is a good idea if you want to cover your head and hide out from any unwanted light when getting some shuteye.
Most importantly, you’ll need an outfit that will be a honey-stunner when he or she picks you up at the airport. My policy is to change into heels and a sexy and striking ensemble. When my man sees me from afar at the airport for the first time in weeks or months, I feel myself emanating allure and confidence.
Of course, the heels — which can come off in the car as soon as we’re making the drive home — stay packed in my carry-on until I get a chance to change in the airport bathroom on the way to baggage claim.
This leads me to my next tip…
3. Start Packin’.
If you’ve got space, begin packing your suitcase(s) weeks before you go. When you buy new clothes chosen specifically for your trip, place them in the suitcases or nearby, as soon as you’ve given them a first wash.
As time goes by, you can begin to organize your outfits. When you sort your clothing into sets before you fly, you reduce the chance of overpacking. Pair tops with bottoms and roll them up together, so they fit better in your luggage and don’t get as wrinkled. Later, when you’re getting dressed, you can easily choose which outfit you want to don that day.
A lot of sorting goes on before I travel, because overpacking is definitely a thing. Take out the clothes you know you won’t wear, because they only take up space. Don’t forget to bring some sexy lingerie and dress-up apparel for special evenings, but choose only those you know you’ll use. Select these carefully depending on the length of your trip.
If your checked suitcase is very large (32 inches plus), you’ll tend to overpack. Save room for goodies your honey buys you when you’re together.
4. What to Keep in Your Carry-On
Cologne, jewelry, makeup, wet wipes, a change of underwear, socks, shoes, valuables — and most of all your meet-me-at-the-airport outfit — definitely go in your carry-on, just in case your checked bag doesn’t arrive on time. Don’t forget a travel toothbrush and toothpaste.
Another packing tip: Placing jeans, sweatshirts, jackets and other heavier clothing in your carry-on will lighten the weight of your checked bag, so you can bring more gifts to your baby and fill it up with souvenirs for the way back home.
Bookworms are desirable. Not that it needs mentioning, but in your carry-on bag you’ll also have a book. Intelligent people are sexy, and reading makes you moreso. Besides, you’ll need something to take your eyes off the small screen on the seatback in front of you and distract you from your cell phone, which you’ll look at often to check the time or reread racy messages from your lover.
Wet wipes work wonders. Keep moist towelettes or wipes (Burt’s Bees or some other earth-friendly product are my favorites) handy to clean and refresh your face — which gets dirty on long flights with all that recycled air. These can also be used to “wash your hands” and wipe moister spots under the arms, between the legs and even your feet, making you feel brand new.
Touching up with what’s in your bag. You can start getting ready for your lover in the lavatory on the plane, but it’s cramped. Keep travel-size toiletry items in a bag under your seat so you don’t have to reach into the overhead bin. Getting antsy at the end of 10 long hours of sitting, I take my toothbrush, wipes, comb and body spray to the nearest lavatory, after coffee is served, and freshen up.
Do it by baggage claim. A more comfortable location to make sure you look your best after a long, exhausting flight is in an airport restroom near baggage claim, before you exit the secured area. Here you can splash water on your face and check yourself in a well-lit mirror. Using the wet wipes, you can “wash” your intimate body parts in an empty handicapped stall, which is larger than the others. There you can also unzip and open your suitcases, grabbing what you need, putting your dirty clothes back inside.
Get rid of your panties. On my overseas journeys — which sometimes last as long as 24 hours with stops included — I wear underwear that I can throw away when I arrive at my destination. They’re usually an old pair I don’t want anyone to see, much less him. After being worn for a whole day and night, they get tossed when I change into my fresh clothes at the airport, just before I meet my man. I might put on lacy underwear — both bra and panties — in case his hand wanders on the way from the airport. He can feel the lace, which hopefully doesn’t distract his driving, but gives him ideas for what we can do when we get “home.”
Boom. You’re ready for your beloved, and you’ve gotten to move around a bit and breathe new air. Don’t forget to brush your teeth!
5. Stop jetlag in its tracks.
A colleague in Germany once told me that the way to avoid getting jetlag is by drinking a 1/2 liter of water (about 16 ounces) per every time zone you fly through. Traveling halfway around the world to see your sweetie? You’ll go through approximately 12 time zones. That’s six liters of water, which means you have to guzzle a lot on flights… and in airports during stopovers.
If you’re a seasoned traveler, you know to bring along an empty water bottle in your carry-on luggage. Once you’re past TSA or the airport’s security checkpoint, fill ‘er up. Most airports have fountains/refill stations where you can get good, clean water. Instead of paying for bottled water or making regular treks to the rear cabin to bug the flight attendant for another plastic cupful, you’ll be saving money and helping the environment by refilling your own.
You know that drinking lots of water is good for you, and by avoiding jetlag, you’ll feel much better once you arrive, without that feeling you’ll drop over for a nap anywhere you take a pause.
“Uh oh. I’m gonna hafta pee a lot.” It’s a hassle to have to empty your bladder often when traveling anywhere, but getting up to use the toilet more often is a positive. This will move your muscles, stretch your legs and help your circulation, so cramping and stiffness are lessened. Although windows are my preference, an aisle seat is ideal for flights over four hours, so you don’t have to bother the people sitting next to you.
If you can afford first or business class, seating isn’t as much of a worry, because you’ll have more room to move about the cabin. Along with those more expensive seats also come more complimentary cocktails, however… so take care. Alcohol will cause you to lose nutrients and fluids through dehydration, and on a plane in flight, there is less oxygen. These factors combined will make you feel intoxicated sooner than if you were standing on solid ground. And you’ll look and feel wiped out when you reach your destination.
6. Eating en Route
Sitting on a plane for many hours is hard on your body, but if you’re drinking lots of water and moving often, you’ll feel better. Another side effect of long-distance travel is constipation.
Airplane food isn’t always ideal. You may be offered things you wouldn’t normally consume. Seems like every flight I’m on, I get served bulghur salad, or some kind of dressed-up grain I can’t identify. Stay away from cheeses, large portions of meat, dairy products and rice, because these can stop you up.
Just before leaving the house for my most recent journey, I packed a half bag of kale and cabbage salad (Costco’s Sweet Kale Salad is da bomb!) that was only going to go bad in my fridge. During my stopover, I purchased a fresh boxed salad from an oriental restaurant in the airport and added my kale salad to it, making sure to eat as much as I could before I got on the plane, and more once I was seated. This was a healthy and light choice I was glad I made when we landed. It was then that my body told me it was time to use the restroom. Adios constipation.
Apples and prunes are also good traveling companions — if they’re not banned by the country to which you’re traveling due to agricultural reasons. Just be sure to eat them before you arrive. No matter what, get some kind of healthy fiber into your system along with lots of water, so you don’t feel bloated or worn out from a belly full when you get to your final destination. And most importantly so you can poop, eliminating waste and feeling better.
Junk food and heavy meals make for weariness during travel and fatigue once you’ve arrived. It’s a good idea to keep your body cleaned out, so you feel energized and ready for love, lovemaking — and anything else your partner wants to do.
Remember — you want to look and feel your best when you rush into your lover’s arms: don’t blow it by wiping out all the hard work you’ve put in preparing for the trip.
7. Get. Some. Rest.
You’ll be in a different time zone when you arrive. It may be daytime or the middle of the night.
No matter what time it is back home or where you’re headed, you’ve got to be rested up before you get there. Sleeping will help the time go more quickly, and you won’t be as tempted to want to fall into a coma-like nap when you arrive. You’ll have better things to do.
Bring along a small pillow or anything that will help you sleep, even for a couple of hours. Eye masks, blankets, and pillows are often available from a flight attendant on longer flights. Turn off your electronics and avoid looking at screens for too long, because this tends to keep you awake. The seatback display has a power-off button: use it.
Do you always end up sitting next to the person that refuses to pull down their window shade, letting bright light in when the rest of the plane is dark? Ask them kindly to close it, or talk to airline personnel about moving seats.
Listen to an audiobook read by a monotone narrator (I recommend the book Hawaiʻi by James Michener, published by Random House audio). Or plug your headphones into some relaxing music provided by the plane’s entertainment system. Close your eyes and let yourself drift off.
You’ve arrived!
The planning and preparation you do while traveling will make your journey so much better, and you’ll be ready for your lover, or whoever you’re going to see.
Remember to:
- travel in appropriate and relaxed clothing but be ready to change into something stunning;
- drink lots of water and avoid too much alcohol;
- eat light, nutritious and fiber-rich foods;
- get up and move when you can; and
- make yourself as comfortable as possible — whatever that takes.
When you arrive, you’ll glow, and you’ll light up the world of the person that has been waiting weeks or months to see you.
