I love traveling.

Rushing to the boarding gate at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

My previous post as a Regional Brand Manager brought me around Asia Pacific. There were times when I would hop from one country to another four times a month. The business trips were short and sweet, say, I would:

• depart Manila on a Monday morning;
• report to the office abroad upon arrival in the afternoon;
• check in the hotel after work;
• report to the office the next day at 8 AM for meetings or fieldwork;
• attend a dinner meeting with the team;
• head to the airport for a flight back to the Philippines or to the next country the next day.

Hectic ba? Mejo. 

Whether traveling for business or leisure, it is vital that I arrive fresh and in tip-top shape.

At the Internet City Metro Station on my way to visit my sister in Dubai.

Visit http://www.billabong.com/asia/ 

 At the Nagoya International Airport, Nagoya, Japan

On top of the multivitamins in my checked luggage and the skin care essentials in my Billabong man-bag (contents of which I can share in my next posts), below are my top five travel buddies:

Headphones

Do not get me wrong, okay? I love kids! However, most of the time, kids especially toddlers on the plane are not accustomed to the stress of flying. Hence, they easily get irritated (perhaps bored?) and resort to endless rants and crying.

This situation calls for creativity and resourcefulness on the part of the parents and the surrounding passengers. For me, I just put on my Sony headphones, up the volume and shut out the sounds of the aircraft and everything that comes with it and in it. Note that all gadgets may only be turned on after take-off and before landing.

Visit http://www.sony.com.ph/

Waiting to board a flight departing Manila.

Sunglasses

Aside from making one maporma (translation: stylish), wearing sunglasses during flight may help protect the eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. It may also help fix jet lag by minimizing exposure to the bright ultraviolet light during travel and help adjust the biological clock.

Sources:

http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/uv-protection/sunglasses-shopping-guide?sso=y

http://blog.aclens.com/2012/04/16/benefits-of-wearing-sunglasses-the-benefits-you-dont-know-about/

By the way, wearing sunglasses at immigration counters or while queuing for immigration or customs is simply not allowed.

Further, sunglasses need to be taken off while boarding. I asked one of the ground staff why. She simply said, “for proper identification and to make sure all boarding passengers do not have sore and red eyes”.

I think this is the famous  The World Islands located in the waters of the Persian Gulf, 4.0 kilometers (2.5 mi) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Eye mask

Sleeping is one of my favorite hobbies. LOL. That is why I do not find any difficulty sleeping while flying with the help of an eye mask. Catching a few z’s can help regenerate the body and give that much-needed reoxygenation of the skin.

Eye mask provided by Etihad Airways http://www.etihad.com/en-ph/

On board the Dubai Metro.

Face mask

Wearing a face mask reduces the risk of contracting influenza. In this day and age when a new strain of virus can just emerge, it pays to be extra cautious especially when abroad. In my case, I wear it on and off the plane. Thanks for having a flight attendant for a brother, he keeps a box of face masks in his room!

Wearing a face mask may also prevent sniffing unfamiliar odors making one’s commute more pleasurable.

On board the cramped Dubai Metro.

Water

Frequent traveling can take its toll on the body. To combat this, I keep myself hydrated before, during and after the flight. I also drink room temperature water. I read somewhere that there are benefits in drinking room temp. Although some say cold water may be a better option to cool down the body’s temperature after work out or when having a fever, I have yet to do my own research to validate this. Perhaps, this can be a good topic next time.

This I know by heart that hydration is key to healthy skin.

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