A quick note – today marks the end of Google Reader (RIP), so it’s time to find yourself a new blog reader. Â I highly recommend Feedly, but Bloglovin’ is also good. Â Both offer easy syncing to your Google Reader. Â And please remember to add Hitha On The Go to your reader (if you want, of course – I’d really love it if you did).
Back to Monday business. Â We’re kicking off this week with the usual En Route With post, this time featuring Megan Collins of Style Girlfriend fame. Â In addition to being a men’s style expert and a fellow bacon/Pretty Little Liars/football/FNL/Willie Geist enthusiast, she graciously featured her Portavi Company experience on her site last week. Â Take it away Megan!
Megan Collins
Founder, Style Girlfriend
I consider myself a reformed overpacker. For such a long time, I was that traveler who thinks, “Well ma-a-a-a-ybe I’ll want to go ice skating while in Orlando?” Thankfully, I’ve gotten much better over the years, although there are still those times where I find myself sitting on top of my suitcase, breathless because no matter how hard I try, I just. can’t. zip it. Â Â Apart from Hitha’s invaluable advice, my travel salvation has come from Flight 001 and their awesome travel products. I have their Spacepak and their three-part zip toiletry bag. I love how they help me compress everything and not make me feel like I’ve packed my entire closet and the kitchen sink. My brother-in-law travels for work (in a “It’s a small world” twist, he and Hitha’s hubby work for the same consulting firm and both work frequently out of Philly!), and I just got him the clothing Spacepak for his birthday. I’m excited to hear about how he likes it. Unless he doesn’t like it, in which case he can keep his opinions to himself, thankyouverymuch.
As for the process of packing, I’m that weirdo that actually really enjoys it. I am very much a “place for everything, and everything in its place” kind of girl, so the idea of having to make my whole life fit into one box is kind of thrilling. At least, my life for a few days or a week. That structured minimalism appeals to me. I always tease my aunt because weeks before a trip, she’ll call me and say, “Well, the suitcase is out.” I don’t pack that far out, but I do start tossing things in at least a few days ahead of time, then wait until the day or night before to get everything in order. In the morning, I’ll get my makeup on and teeth brushed and all that, then add my dopp kit and toiletry bag to my suitcase and zip everything up. Â Right now I have a bright orange Swiss Army carry-on roller suitcase that goes with me everywhere. I love that I never am worried about finding my bag among a sea of black luggage if, for whatever reason, my bag gets gate checked
Sadly, I am an all-around nervous flyer. I get nervous I’m going to miss my flight. I get nervous the plane ride will be bumpy. I get nervous I’ll miss my connection, that my luggage won’t make it to my final destination…I’m the worst, really. So yes, I definitely am that girl that needs to get to the airport as ridiculously early as my travel companion will allow. In New York, I like to fly out of La Guardia, because it’s close to my apartment and I can get there in fifteen minutes, 25 with traffic. It’s not as big either, which I like. It’s the easiest for flying to Wisconsin, which is where my family lives, and where I travel to most often. Otherwise, I usually end up flying out of JFK, which is farther away, but a nicer airport experience, since its massive remodeling.
Once I’m to the airport in the security line, I tend to calm down a bit since I’m always checked in the night before, and like I said, I’m usually there well ahead of any “Excuse me excuse me you have to let me through my plane is BOARDING RIGHT NOW!” situations.
Maybe this sounds terrible, but I actually love looking around and doing a little people watching…or is it traveler watching? I like to see what people consider a carry-on – are they toting a backpack, or a briefcase? A roller or a duffel? How they’re dressed – more often than not, people see the airport as an extension of their bedroom, it seems. If I never see another girl wearing Uggs and sweatpants with JUICY on the butt in rhinestones, toting a full-sized pillow, it’ll be too soon. Last week, I captured this gem, a girl at LGA who couldn’t have been more than fifteen, pledging allegiance with her shirt to the Wu Tang Clan.  Personally, I like to look well put together, but still comfortable. On a recent flight to France, I went all out (for me anyway) and wore a dress with a navy blazer over it, and my favorite Tretorn sneakers. I was pretty proud of myself. Later that day, someone commented on my site, “I could have sworn I saw you at the Brussels airport this morning!” Crazy, right? Never been recognized once in NYC, but I get a shout out from my connection in Brussels. I was so glad I’d dressed up; I’d hate it if my readers spotted me in the wild and thought I looked like a slob.
For the first ten minutes I’m just trying not to clutch my seatmate’s arm and ask them to tell me a story to distract me from what’s sure to be our impending doom. Seriously. It’s funny, for whatever reason, as I fly more, I’ve gotten more nervous about flying, not less. It’s not the point that I need to be sedated or anything, but it’s a pretty loud internal lecture I give myself about how planes are able to stay up in the air despite seemingly great odds against this phenomenon. Â Â Of course, it doesn’t help that I read books almost exclusively on my iPad now and that I can’t just bury my nose in a book as we’re taking off. I usually remember to bring a magazine for the “all portable devices must be turned off” parts of the flight, but there’s really only so much that a Glamour article on how teal is the season’s hottest trend can do to distract me.
Once the plane has leveled off and I’m allowed my electronic reading materials, I bury myself in a book for awhile, then pull out my computer. I actually love getting work done on planes. Unless it’s a really long flight, I don’t generally purchase a wi-fi pass, and staying offline helps me be pretty productive. Â Â After my computer has run out of juice, I put it away feeling satisfied that I got as much done as I could then go back to reading, or watching a movie or tv if the plane has the monitors in the seat backs. Â Â When it comes to food, I am a sucker for whatever the flight attendants give me. I’m generally someone who can spend twenty minutes picking out toothpaste at Duane Reade, so being given the option between peanuts or pretzels makes the ultimate decision of a snack that much more satisfying.
– smartwater – NARS lip balm – notebook – backpack – scarf –
– iPad & case – wallet – GQ – Esquire – skinny jeans –
first image via
