Business, bachelorettes, family and weddings have provided me the amazing opportunity to travel across the country over the past 2 months. I have had the honor of visiting and experiencing the culture, food and locals in NYC (twice over), LA, Philly and St. Augustine. After 8 weeks of being on the road, I am now best friends with JetBlue and can say I learned a lot about myself and the importance of embracing travel regardless of the challenges. Here are my top 10 tips for any workin’ travelin’ and cocktailin’ lady:

1. CHOOSE A GOOD HOME AWAY FROM HOME – Research and return to hotels you trust and love. They will make your trip more restful, efficient and simple. This goes hand and hand with #2

 

Photos of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills and the Palomar Hotel in Philadelphia

2. BE A GRACIOUS HOTEL GUEST – Do not underestimate the power of being a gracious guest. Between free car service, the best table at the restaurant for a business meeting, late night toothpaste deliveries and a much needed hot chocolate after walking through the polar vortex this winter, words can not express my thanks to the assistance I received from my temporary homes these past few months. Thank you Kimpton Hotels, the SLS in Beverly Hills and Casa Monica in St. Augustine.

 

Photos of the Casa Monica in St. Augustine and the Hot-chocolate station at Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia.

3. FOOTWEAR – Pack the right footwear for the city and weather patterns you are up against. For me this meant modeling serious water proof Sorel snow boots in New York, my gold, peep toe wedges in LA and my gladiator sandal’s in Florida. Choose footwear that is comfortable, versatile and chic. And remember your running sneakers for #5…

 

4. HYDRATE & PILLOW-UP – For the plane, train, bus or car ride remember to pack items to help fight dehydration, germs and exhaustion. Fight dehyrdration with chapstick, mosturizer and a bottle of water. For germs, pack hand and face wipes. And for rest, definitely invest in one of those neck pillows – seriously my neck pillow changed my life!

5. GET YOUR MOVE ON – Make time for exercise, even if it means walking to appointments in the city, taking an early morning run or hitting the hotel gym. It always keeps me calm and helps manage the inevitable stress that arrives when you realize your flight is delayed or you are lost in your rental car.

6. SNAG SOME ZZZZ’s –  Ok so staying up late is sometimes the fun and necessary part of bachelorettes and wedding festivities, but with any other days in between try to get your beauty sleep.

7. PACK UP UR POWER BAG – Similar to #3, excellent and durable bags and purses are imperative to successful travel. Make sure you have one chic, structured handbag for meetings and to serve as you carry on. It needs to be a big enough to carry your labtop and InStyle Magazine but cute enough to take to lunch meetings. You also need at least one multi-purpose, cluth for evening events. The right bag can add all the confidence you need for a night out on the town or a power lunch.

Photo of my power pink bag! Thank you Cole Haan 🙂 

8. COLLECT FOOD REC’s – Talk to locals about their choice of restaurants, bars and snack locations. This is how I came to love Laurel Hardware in West Hollywood, Nonna’s Pizza in lower east side and the Taco Shop on Saint George’s Avenue in St. Augustine – yum.

 9. EMBRACE THE HERE & NOW- Whether you are traveling for work, family or friends remember to embrace the moments that make you smile and dedicate time to taking a breath. Remember it is ok to take 5-10 mins to enjoy the view from your run along the beach or from your hotel room in NYC.

 

10. TOAST – There is always times to take a few minutes to toast to the good things in life. Toast to your friends, family or a job well done! It adds a little touch of celebration to any trip.