10 pro-travel tips from a pro-traveler

1. Be aware of your fellow travelers. I can't stress this enough- If you are taking up 3 seats in the boarding area I am judging you.
2. Put yourself together. If you put on an outfit and do your makeup, you will feel confident. If you feel confident, you will feel like you can concur the world. And- you never know who you will sit next to on your flight. Be it future employer, future best friend, or future husband...you don't want to strike up conversation with anyone if you look like a slob.
3. Download the mobile apps for your airlines OR if you fly a lot, download TripIt. This app actually changed my life. I never know when I am going anywhere and sometimes travel agent emails are hard to follow. Tripit takes the guessing out of where my next flight is and it is always easy to look up confirmation numbers. Besides that, having a mobile boarding pass saves trees and I feel extra cool when I scan it going through security. Learn more about Tripit here.
4. Being hysterical in the airport gets you NO WHERE. I have seen girls in airports cry hysterically about things they are ZERO control over and generally, people do not want to deal with you if you are hysterical. Yes, being stuck in the airport is no fun, but screaming/yelling/bashing your gate agent will not get you a seat on the oversold flight. Plus, you look ridiculous and no one is going to help you. 
5. Check out the closest map to find out where you should eat. Eating crap while traveling is easy, but I can still say I have never eaten at a McDonalds/Wendys/Insert fast food chain here during any of my travels. Look at a map to see if you are by anything that has healthy options. (Shout out to the Philly Airport for that Chipotle though...)
6. ALWAYS get to the airport early. Don't listen to the people that say "Well, it's a really small airport so you'll get through security in no time!" or "The shuttle comes at XYZ time, you'll be fine!" Trust your instinct and go when you feel comfortable. (Shoutout to Samantha for NOT missing her flight in New Orleans the other day)
7. Packing cubes will change your life. Just like cleaning your room, you want your suitcase to be orderly so you can find things. From the backpacker to the consultant, I FULLY ENDORSE PACKING CUBES. In my suitcase I use one for tops (with the rolling method, these cubes make your suitcase SO organized) and another for bottoms. I use these cubes from Eagle Creek. 
8. Pack your chargers and chords for everything in your carry on. You never know where your bag will end up or how long you could be in that airport. Many airports have USB charging stations for phones and I am guilty of purchasing Wi-Fi on airplanes- so you'll want to make sure your laptop is charged.
9. Don't automatically blame the airline if you're having issues. I have literally heard it ALL. Mechanical errors, bird flew into the engine, pilot is sick, we don't have any flight attendants, etc. So many of these factors are not in the airline's control, so calling an airline and berating them won't make you take off any faster.  
10. Go with the flow! It's no secret that travel can be stressful (like the time they made me throw out my yogurt AKA my breakfast going through security and I almost cried. Yogurt is not a liquid as far as I'm concerned. So. Stressful.), but there are worse things than getting stuck in O'Hare for 7 hours, on two different occasions. You WILL get to your destination eventually, it might just take a bus, 2 planes, and a 30 minute car ride before you get there! Might as well enjoy it! 

What's in my bag?

One of the number one questions I get while on the road is "How do you pack everything in one bag?" I have to say, my month-long backpacking trip in Europe prepared me for the packing that I was going to have to do for the next year (not as extreme as only bringing 4 pairs of underwear for a month, but you catch my drift.) So, for everyone who is curious about how I pack for weeks at a time...Here's a look into my luggage.

First, lets start with the bags themselves:

Lightweight, 4 wheels, with lots of secret compartments!

The big one is my main bag that I check on every flight. The biggest win is when I get to the airport to find my bag is 49 or 50 lbs EXACTLY. Because I collect and give away tshirts and random SDT gear, my bag can fluctuate in weight a little bit.

The little one is my lap top, enough clothes for about 2 days in case my bag gets lost, makeup bag, a pair of wedges, and my heavy jewelry. 

After my first 7 week leg of travel, I decided that the rolling bag was annoying to bring on planes and switched over to this amazing purse that can fit my laptop and all other flying necessities. I now fly through airport security and move so much faster through airports. 

Kate Spade Saturday A Satchel: BEST BAG EVER.

Now for the clothes, I am all about simple pieces that can be layered, worn in multiple ways, and washed easily. Here's what is in my bag:

Bottoms:

1 pair black jeans

1 pair regular jeans

1 black circle skirt 

1 pair white tailored shorts (a recruitment favorite in August/September!)

1 pair jean shorts

1 pencil skirt 

1 pair patterned "comfy" pants

1 Nike Shorts 

2 pair black leggings

2 pairs of workout pants 

Tops:

1 Colored "pop" top

1 Red peplum top 

1 Flowy colorful top

2-4 nice t-shirts

2-3 long sleeved shirts

1 chambray button down

5 SDT shirts

Dresses:

1 Black pref dress

1 White initiation/recruitment dress

1 Maxi dress

1 Casual sundress

1 Colorful recruitment dress

Misc:

1 black cardigan

1 Light jacket

2 patterned scarves 

1 SDT Sweater

Shoes:

(side note: This was the HARDEST for me to decide on. I love, love, love my shoes and felt horrible leaving them at home.)

White Converse high tops

Nude pump

Black heel

Tan flat

Black flat

Nice sandal 

Shower shoes

Now that it's getting into winter time, I replace t-shirts with sweaters and bring tights/socks/boots on the road with me. I hope that this look into my luggage will inspire you to pack consciously for your next trip! 

With love from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,

Ilana