How to Not Be a Zombie on Travel

So a lot of us working girls these days have to travel, and as glamorous as it may sound to others, let's face it, it's rough. There's always that slightly unsettled feeling of being in an unfamiliar place, coupled with homesickness, that just leaves you feeling... well, yuck. I've had to travel a lot in the past few years (I'd guess in the last two years I've been away from home a total of 6 months). Don't get me wrong, it's always an adventure and I always learn something new every place I go, and sometimes it's a blast, but when the day finally rolls around when it's time to fly home, I can hardly contain my excitement. There's no joke in the saying that home is where the heart is.  :-)

Of course, one of the worst parts of traveling is the damage it wreaks on you physically!! The jet lag, the unfamiliar bed, the things in your hotel room that go bump in the night will undoubtedly result in little to no beauty sleep, at least for a few nights. This lack of sleep, in turn, wreaks havoc on your skin. The new climate does God knows what to your hair. Ahhhh!! It's a nightmare!! With all these things to fight against, it's easy to give in to the zombie that's trying to take over. But, over the last few years (and after some pretty rough experiences), I've learned a few tricks on how to battle the zombie apocalypse...

• Catch your Zzz's!! 
• I know it seems impossible, what with all the things I mentioned above, but there are always ways, my friends. My particular way of choice is melatonin. Fret not, it's not a sleeping pill. It's an herbal supplement that you can buy at any drugstore or even Costco over the counter. It doesn't actually knock you out, it just helps you relax. It's not strong at all either, in fact I've found that if I don't go to bed right after taking it, it won't even make me sleepy. I have to already be trying to sleep for it to work. But I will say, it's a lifesaver on the first few days of travel. There have been several times that it's been the only reason I'm alive and functional at a meeting early the next morning. I usually only have to take it the first two nights that I'm away from home, just until I get over the jet lag. Sometimes I'll take it on the plane too, if I need to go to work as soon as I land.
• Work out!! 
• One of the few perks of travel is that when you get back from work, you're generally not stuck doing the usual household chores, which means you have a little extra time on your hands. It's easy enough to just crash on the couch in front of the TV and zone out for the rest of the night, but if you can spare just a half hour doing something active, it's worth it. Most hotels have a fitness room of some sort, or you can always go walking/running outside and explore your surroundings (just make sure you have a buddy with you). It's a great method of stress relief, and it tires you out enough that you sleep better at night (better for your skin and those dark circles under your eyes!!)
• Go out!!
• One of the best parts of staying in a different place is exploring!! No matter how small or in-the-middle-of-nowhere of a place you may end up in, you'll always be surprised at the places and beauty it has to offer. Plus, it gets you out of the hotel and distracted from the homesickness.
• Have fun with it!!
• You're stuck in a hotel room for a little while, so might as well enjoy it, right? Turn up the heat to the temperature you want, take long hot showers until the hot water runs out, sleep diagonal on the bed, whatever floats your boat.  :-)
• Look hot!!
• I don't know about most people, but whenever I'm on travel my work tends to be crazy. The hours inevitably take their toll on you, and there are always days where you just don't want to get out of bed in the morning. But I've found that especially on those days, if I give myself an extra few minutes and really spend some time on my outfit and hair and makeup, I feel better and more energized. Just because you FEEL like junk doesn't mean you have to LOOK like junk, and if you spend some extra time on yourself you'll start feeling better too!

Speaking of looking hot... beauty essentials!! What to pack when going on a work trip?? Obviously you can't bring your whole makeup drawer(s?) with you, and with the airlines being crazy about charging for luggage these days, it's usually best to err on the side of minimalism. Also, that way, it leaves room in your bags to go SHOPPING!!! (You like the deviousness there??). So, these are the products and cosmetics that I consider essential to bring on any trip (apart from basic toiletries - soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc.):

The "bear" necessities!! :-)

• Black eyeliner (never try to separate an Indian chick from her kajal) - Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black
• Black mascara (not quite as hugely essential as eyeliner but definitely up there) - Too Faced Size Queen Mascara in Black
• Eyelash/eyebrow comb
• Face cream - Ponds
• Body lotion (something perfumey, so you don't have to bring perfume separately) - Bath and Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Japanese Cherry Blossom
• Lip gloss/balm (something to keep them from getting chapped, preferably with a stain so it doubles as a lipstick) - L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Balm in Heavenly Berry
• Anti-frizz serum of some sort (I tend to like BioSilk, but the last time I tried to decant it into a travel-sized bottle, it went funky on me after a couple of weeks. This time, I brought a small bottle of Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil by Organix instead (I had been meaning to try it for a little while anyway). So far it's been working pretty well.)
• Q-tips (they serve so many purposes and are so small, why would you NOT bring some??)
• Hair brush
• Hair ties 

I think that's pretty much it as far as essentials, at least for me. I can keep the zombie at bay if I just have those things. Of course, if I have a little extra space I will slip in an eyeshadow compact and some lipstick. :-) And, I am never opposed to going shopping!! It's always fun to see what's around and what kind of deals you can get. In fact, I think most of my latest and greatest beauty-related purchases have been when I've been traveling.

As far as jewelry goes, my aunt was awesome enough to give me this spiffy little (Indian, of course!) contraption:

Pretty neat huh?

This is the stuff I took with me on my last trip. I put each coordinated set in its own pouch, so in the morning I just have to grab everything out of one pouch and go. No need to spend precious AM moments digging through your jewelry and trying to find matching stuff.

Other essentials... my Kindle, and a coffee thermos! :-) (Coffee is, of course, the elixir of life... what better way to fight off the zombie??)