I have had a lot of requests for updates on how I travel and what gets me through the long hours on the road, so I thought that as I wait to board my plane back to the US I’d give it some thought. Here’s my current list:
1.) A really great sweater coat. I recently invested in this one for the fall, and I have lived in it for the past 2 weeks (it was very cold in our courtroom this week, so I was particularly grateful to have it, since it dresses up well).
2.) ZzzQuil. I had been using Ambien, but quite frankly, this works for me and doesn’t require an RX. Also known as Benedryl with nicer packaging.
3.) I always have S’mores Luna Bars packed. I pretend they’re healthy for me (let’s face it—they’re basically candy), but they do tide me over when it’s unclear when my next meal will be (hello, courts martial, I’m talking to you). My wife prefers the coconut ones.
4.) I carry the Jackery Premium with me everywhere I go. It sucks to be stuck somewhere without a charge, and I have a very short attention span, so electronic entertainment is a must.
5.) Along the same lines, I keep a spare lightning cable with me, too. It’s incredibly useful having spares tucked in various bags just in case. I find the cloth jacketed ones visually pleasing, but any lightning cable will do the trick.
6.) I’ve talked about the Grid-It before—I had abandoned it for a while, but I don’t know why. I’m back to loving it and bringing it with me on my long haul trips. It’s pretty much the best way to organize all of my cords and attachments, like my VGA adaptor and such.
7.) Noise cancelling headphones. I received a pair of Beats for my birthday this year, and while I’m not sure it’s critical to spend that much money on a pair, I can say they’ve been pretty great. The young Brit sitting next to me from IAD-LHR chatting his buddy up about all of his American conquests? Yeah, it was a relief to plug in and tune that out.
8.) This hasn’t changed at all: a Moleskine notebook. My current journal is this one.
9.) Stabilo pens are a new thing for me—my kid turned me on to them and now I love them. Because sometimes I want to write in orange. Don’t judge.
10.) Food mags. I download them on my iPad. I only read them on planes, but when I do, I read all of them. I’m partial to Saveur, but any of them will satisfy. Cooking is how I decompress. And when I’m on the road, by the time I’m done, I’m usually anxious for a home-cooked meal.
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