How to survive long-haul flights

Guess what? We've just made it to Europe! Three months exploring Central and South America was such a WILD ride: amazing experiences, incredible people, and memories that'll last a lifetime.

Believe it or not, even that last flight across the Atlantic Ocean was enjoyable! A far cry from my first-ever long-haul flight, which was a nightmare of sleep deprivation, dehydration, and enough boredom to drive anyone insane. Yikes!

After that terrible experience, I vowed never to repeat history and spent A LOT of hours testing out the best travel gear out there to be better prepared.

If you're prepping for a marathon flight yourself, here are my battle-tested tips:

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Dehydration makes long flights so much worse. I always bring with me my self-cleaning water bottle and fill it up after security.
• Get comfy. My cozy neck pillow always helps me avoid that annoying post-flight neck pain. I've also recently started using compression socks to help with my circulation, a major upgrade!
• Tune out. I never board a plane without my noise-canceling earplugs and eye mask. They've saved me countless times when I needed to find some peace and catch some rest.
• Freshen up. I always pack a travel-sized toiletry bag with essentials like a mini-toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizing cream, and some hand sanitizer. Trust me on this one – you'll disembark feeling a lot more human!
• Beat the boredom. I load up my devices with movies, podcasts, audiobooks, and anything to keep me entertained. My AirPods Pro have been a game-changer, especially on noisy flights.

Long-haul flights are a HUGE part of the nomadic lifestyle, but they don't have to break us! With a little prep and the right gadgets, we can turn them into manageable, even somewhat enjoyable, experiences.

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Written by Irene Wang

Digital nomad and co-founder of Freaking Nomads. She shares raw, unfiltered stories and helps nomads find resources to thrive while traveling and working remotely.

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