Sensory travel plans

I'm in massive sensory overload today. I woke up feeling great, physically and mentally, because I didn't go out last night when I was going to. Not only did I not have a hangover, but I woke up without feeling guilty or avoiding my phone because of any messages I might have sent. I was incredibly proud of myself, which was an amazing way to start the day. 

This unfortunately didn't last forever, and I was feeling incredibly overwhelmed after my shower and not just because of my useless quick-drying towel. It's travel chores day, meaning it's time to wash my hair, do my laundry and review my bag in preparation for flying to London tomorrow. My hair gets incredibly knotty and so I hate having to wash and dry it, and the only clean bra I had was a sports bra. I don't know if you've ever worn a sports bra, but I'm pretty sure the person who invented them also invented the straitjacket. 

Eventually, I got changed again and took the thing off, but the sensory overload had already begun. Another factor that is contributing to my stress is that I have to go back to England tomorrow, and I just don't want to. Travel is very tiring, especially when you don't want to go somewhere, but certain occurrences have made me feel even more stressed when I travel. 

I had never, ever had a problem with travelling until I flew from Sydney to Darwin a few years ago and I was in a window seat. I was trying to get past the man next to me to get to the bathroom, and he was too large for me to move from my seat. I had to physically push against the seat above him to get past, and, since then, I've had terrible claustrophobia in my legs when I fly.

I know that's totally not a thing, but it's the best way of describing it. 

I felt this again on my flight from Fiji to LAX. My flight had free meals, but there was nowhere for me to put my rubbish, and so I had to leave my tray down, reducing how much space my legs had. Add to this the fact that my bag had to be stored in the seat in front of me, I was getting stressed and anxious because I didn't have room to move. From the waist up, I felt absolutely fine, but from the waist down, I felt like my legs were in casts. 

Another thing that affects my senses is carrying my bags around. I ordered a bag with a sleeve that can fit over my suitcase handle, which I'll be able to use on the second half of my trip. I'm looking forward to having this with me; I don't have to use my backpack. Travelling for two months means that my bags are cumbersome and heavy, but this is just an unavoidable part of being on the road.  

To help with these sensory issues, I've put together a list of things to help with my stress and anxiety when I fly. 

Putting my hair up 

I had very short hair for a long time, think Mia Farrow or Sinead O'Connor, but I'm finally on my way to growing the long princess hair I've wanted for so long. But, since I've been travelling, I've wanted to return to my pixie cut instead. I hate having my hair up, but I also hate my hair getting stuck in my bag or covering my entire face. Tomorrow I'm just going to have to suck it up and put my hair in a scrunchy. I'll look like I've got microcephaly, but at least I won't rip out half my hair every time I move my head. 

Paying for checked baggage

Admittedly, I've just found out that I don't have any checked luggage allowance for tomorrow, and I have absolutely no desire to pay over $200 to add any extra luggage to my ticket, but from now on, I'm going to do my best to check my baggage when I can. That way, I can put my backpack in the cabin above me and have maximum space under the seat in front of me. For tomorrow, I'm going to have to try and wedge everything in my backpack into my suitcase so I can at least be semi-comfortable on my way back to London, but I'm pretty sure I have checked baggage for the rest of my trip.

Comfort

My friend Jason likes to make sure he dresses smartly when he travels, and, as much as I would like to do the same, I will take comfort over class on each and every flight. I didn't have a specific outfit planned for tomorrow, but I had a vague idea of what I was going to wear; but now that's very much changed. I have no desire to sit in full-length leggings and a dress for 5 hours, and so tomorrow will be a repeat of today's look of shorts and a T-shirt. Fabric-free legs = frustration-free legs

I'm also going to make sure I have access to the snuggle rug I picked up on my way here throughout the flight. Planes get cold, and I don't want to be freezing my ass off on the journey I want to do least on this trip. Plus, playing with the soft texture calms me down, so it's a win-win. 

Flippy flops

I no longer have the trainers I started travelling in, and so I've been walking around in my heels for the past week and a half. I've managed to wear them in so they're a lot more comfortable now, but they're not exactly travel shoes.

Luckily, I packed my last pair of Primark flip flops to wear around the hostels I'm staying in, so my toes can be comfortable too. Moving my feet around helps with how tense my legs get when they are restricted, and being able to take my shoes off easily is going to be a lifesaver.

Side note, if you do the same, don't forget to put them back on when you walk around. Plane carpets and bathrooms can be nasty. 

Stay safe on the road

J