Paradise awaits but oftentimes with an emphasis on the wait.  While layovers may not be the most convenient, you can use this time to your advantage.  And before you know it, you’ll be off to your exotic destination!  Here are 10 ways you can make the most of your layover:

1. Clean out your phone. You may have left your house a mess from last-minute packing, but clear the clutter off your phone.  Delete old photos (then delete them from Recently Deleted).  Delete old emails, old notes, old apps, old anything.  You’re headed for an adventure, and you’ll want to remember it—so create some space!
2. Charge up!  Make sure your gadgets have some juice so you can play Temple Run and listen to your Beyoncé on the plane ride.
3. Prep some jams.  Craft a playlist for the journey ahead.  I dowloaded Disappear Here by Bad Suns, the La La Land soundtrack, some French music and lots of Coldplay!  Spotify Premium the the bomb dot com because you can listen to all of it offline up in the sky.
4. Skype or FaceTime a friend or family member.  Catch up with a friend, sibling or parent you haven’t had time to chat with in the stress of packing and planning.
5. Budget your trip.  You’ve been daydreaming about your vacation for awhile but probably prefer to ignore the bottom line aka moolah.  Take a look at how much you have and where you’d like to spend it.
6. Make last minute plans.  Scroll through Pinterest and see if there’s anywhere you’d like to visit that you hadn’t planned on.  If you’re going for a longer period of time, research weekend trips to find the best prices.
7. Read.  No screens necessary!  Check out a book from the library (wow, it’s been a long time since you’ve been to one of these, right?!) or buy a magazine.  I enjoy reading, but I’m usually too busy (lame excuse, I know) or exhausted to focus.  But hours in an airport give you the time and space to do just that.
8. Organize your carryon.  Think about what you want access to during your flight.  You probably don’t need liquids so put those in your carryon.  But do grab your reading materials, headphones and snacks for your personal item.
9. Find your gate.  First things first!  Locate your gate, check your flight status and make that area your “home base.”  This will make life simpler and ensure you don’t miss your flight.
10. Eat something!  Yes, airport food is ridiculously expensive, but airplane food isn’t gourmet.  If you have a long flight, be sure to be pleasantly full before takeoff because nobody likes a rumbling tummy.

The journey may not be the most memorable part of your trip, but make good use of the time you have with these 10 tips!  Bon voyage!

Bises,

Kristin

{What do you like to do during your layovers?}