Dealing with Jet Lag

It is no secret that we love to travel, and do so often. Of course, with so much travel comes certain side effects - one of those being jet lag. What is jet lag? Well, according to medicine net,

“Jet lag, also called desynchronosis and flight fatigue, is a temporary disorder that causes fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms as a result of air travel across multiple time zones. It is considered a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, which is a disruption of the internal circadian clock.”

The flight fatigue is real, friends - especially when traveling East (there’s a saying, “West is best and East is beast” and it’s totally true since extending your day is usually easier than shortening it).

Here are a few ways we’ve dealt with jet lag that we have found help over the years.

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Prepare 

If you think of it, it’s a good idea to prepare for your trip. Going to bed an hour or two earlier or later (depending on which direction you’re going) to start prepping your body can help ease the symptoms of jet lag.

Get a good night’s sleep

Be sure to get a good night’s sleep the night before you leave. Trust me: it will work wonders. And if you have an early flight? Plan ahead so you can go to bed early! 

Try arriving during the day and jump into the new time zone

Arriving during the day is so so helpful with jet lag. Jump into the new time zone (kind of like jumping into a cold lake - a shock at first, but you’ll get used to it). If you can arrive during the day, and stay awake until bedtime, you’ll have a bit of an easier time getting up the next day - even if it’s a little wacky.

Avoid Caffeine

Especially if you don’t normally consume it. Caffeine will give you some energy initially, but the stimulation is followed by a drop in blood sugar, which can actually rob your body of energy reserves.

Drink lots of water

Instead of drinking caffeine or alcohol, keep hydrated by sipping on water during your flight. Packing a (light and empty) water bottle with you will help you with this! An insulated one (like this one) will keep your water fresh and cool. You should also eat light since food is harder to digest at higher altitudes.

Try Melatonin, if necessary

While melatonin does not decrease the amount of time you may suffer from jet lag, it can aid you in falling asleep if you need some extra help. You will not need a large amount. 

Use earplugs, headphones, and eye masks

If you have an overnight flight, and to avoid early sunlight, make sure you take a sleep eye mask with you. If noise bothers you, use earplugs or headphones. 

Take it easy the first few days 

Don’t plan too much the first few days of your trip. Take it easy and do some light sight-seeing rather than...I don’t know...climbing a mountain. 

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What are some of the ways you deal with jet lag? Let us know below in the comments!

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How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Traveling is an amazing thing. Seeing the world and experiencing different cultures and landscapes and places can be a good way to shake things up a little. Of course, when we shake things up a little too much, our body sometimes suffers as well. There is nothing worse for me than getting sick on a trip, or right after one. Here are a few things I do to keep myself as healthy as possible, even through the stress of traveling.

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Eat As Close to Your Normal Healthy Diet as Possible

Don’t go from eating smoothies and kale salads to cheese fondue for breakfast every day for a week. I mean, you could, but your body might try to rebel and the results may not be pretty. I may or may not be speaking from experience. ;-) It won’t always be possible to eat your exact normal diet, but try.

Get Enough Sleep

It is definitely hard to get enough sleep during the holiday season or traveling. Friends and family may be in town, and parties are happening left and right. Do your best to get as much sleep as you can. I find that even a weekend of too little sleep leaves me feeling pretty awful and makes for a very long week. If you are traveling to a different time zone, you can use a small amount melatonin to help get you out of jet lag quicker. Note that melatonin is not a long term fix for sleep problems.

Choose Healthy Alternatives

While packing your own snacks is a health and money saver, when traveling for longer periods of time, it is often necessary that you stop for sustenance. Try to plan ahead by creating a meal plan for your vacation. The best thing for your wallet is finding a local grocery store to stock up on healthy foods and even meals. Of course, not everyone stays in facilities that allow you to cook your own meals, so thankfully, many fast food places and restaurants (and even grocery stores!) have started offering healthy options on their menus that you can take advantage of as well.

Drink Water

Water is so important! Staying hydrated will help keep you healthy! I pack my own water bottle and fill it up whenever there is an opportunity to so that I don’t have to buy giant, heavy, and often expensive, packs of water. Seriously, having to pay $4+ for a bottle of water is not fun when you are thirsty. I have actually experienced not even getting free water on a 6+ hour plane ride, so don’t assume you’ll get some on flights sometimes. If you do take a water bottle on a flight in you carry on, be sure it’s empty before you go through security. Yikes. By the way, you will also want to keep your skin hydrated with all the stress of travel.

MOVE!

If you regularly exercise (which you should be!), don’t let your habits go completely out of the window when you travel. If you’re staying in a hotel, there is a chance they have a fitness area where you can set aside some time to exercise. If not, Youtube is full of at home workouts that require no equipment and that cane be done in 20 minutes or less! Phone apps too. Walking will also help keep you active - especially when you have to sit for hours during the traveling process in trains, planes, and other automobiles. Just make sure you pack some good sneakers and gear!

Be Prepared

Be prepared for whatever conditions you will be facing. If you’re going to be having fun in the sun, make sure you pack a water bottle and sunscreen and a hat! Pack warm clothing for chilly weather. Borrow from hosts if you need to, by the way. We went to Canada and couldn’t pack our snow gear in our suitcases, so we borrowed from some cousins! Bring some immunity boosting vitamins and stuff to keep you clean. Pack a small first aid kit with some basic needs. You get the idea. Being prepared will help you stay healthy - or help you when you aren’t as successful.

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What are some of the ways you stay healthy while traveling? Any other tips?

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Ten Things I've Learned from Travel

In case you haven't caught on yet, I love to travel. I started traveling when I was very young, so my parents installed that bug in me. I know I'm very privileged to have experienced so many different lands and cultures in my life, and each journey brings its own unique lesson - which I love. 

I've decided to share a few things I've learned from travel. Stay till the end and tell me something you've learned too! 

One.

Take the road less traveled, but find some time to see the touristy stuff as well (even if you don’t pay to go up a famous tower, you should at least catch a glimpse of it, or possibly pose in front of it for a cheesy picture).

Two.

Do your research before going to avoid unnecessary complications, but be open and flexible to doing last minute things that aren’t on your itinerary as well. Sometimes these situations make for the best memories.

Three.

Try and interact with locals as much as you can - you will gain insight and a rich experience from simple conversations and interactions - especially on a longer-term trip

Four.

Not knowing the language of a place should not under any circumstances hinder you from visiting!

Five.

Travel alone and travel with a friend. Both have rich rewards.

Six.

McDonald’s bathrooms (or WiFi) are not always as safe a haven as one might think, but each country’s McDonald’s definitely has a different flare. You should see the salads in Italy and the pies in China!

Seven.

Some places charge you to use the restroom, and in others? Well, it’s BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper). You might want to keep some change and TP in your pockets.

Eight.

Wear comfortable shoes, but bring cute ones too-you never know when you'll decide to pop by the opera after a day of walking the streets!

Nine.

Take lots of photos instead of buying useless souvenirs that will collect dust on your shelves (or take up space on your refridgerator). And on the topic of photos - choose only your favourites and ditch the rest. Try to be intentional about the shots you take, but at the same time, you can never take too many. Just choose the ones you decide to keep, frame, or put in a book wisely.

Ten.

Don’t stress too much about money. At the same time, be smart about it (save for your trip and don't spend it all on the first day!) and figure out your own priorities - don’t let someone make those priority lists for you because you may regret it.

ELEVEN.

I know I said I only had ten things I learned, but I think the most important thing that I’ve realized is that as much as it is thrilling to experience new things and explore new cultures, it’s so good to come home at the end of a trip.

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What are some things you've learned from travel? Do you love traveling as much as I do? I'd love to hear about it!

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Lake Michigan in the Fall

It is always nice to get out in the fresh air, and Fall colours make things even more beautiful! I love the Summer, but there is definitely a beauty in Autumn that cannot be surpassed.

We had the pleasure of having my in-laws in town for a few weeks and this was one of the amazing walks we were able to take while soaking in the gorgeous scenes. I snapped a few photos, of course.

Even though we’ve lived here for a couple years, I’m still not used to the contrast of the fall colours and the lake. It’s such a gorgeous thing to witness. I love to live in a world with different seasons!

Living close to water has always been a dream of mine, and I am so glad that we are able to now! I mean, I grew up near lakes, but we always had to drive there. Just being a few blocks away is amazing.

Water just has the ability to give an amazing calm and peace that I love. Listening to the waves crash against the shore and watching it shimmer in the sun is my absolute favourite.

The best part of any walk is enjoying it with those you care about. We had a great time talking, catching up, and laughing. So much laughing!

The crazy part is that just a few days later, snow is covering the ground. Just part of the excitement of living here!

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Don’t you just love the gorgeous scenes of fall?

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