I have been flying ever since I was a baby. My father worked for the State Department and wherever he went, my family and I followed. Besides the U.S., I’ve lived in Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Greece, Russia and Romania, visiting most of the popular countries in Europe while we were over there as well as hopping over to Egypt for a few winter vacations.

A list of countries I’ve been to in no specific order:

1. Saudi Arabia
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Spain
5. Germany
6. Switzerland
7. Italy
8. Austria
9. Hungary
10. Romania
11. Greece
12. Canada
13. Mexico
14. Bahamas
15. The Netherlands
16. Russia
17. Egypt
18. Ecuador

A list of countries I still want to visit:

1. Australia
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
4. Thailand
5. India
6. Turkey

Having had my fair share of domestic and international flights, as short as 40 minutes and as long as 14 hours, I’ve compiled a list for you of things I’ve learned from flying that I hope will come in handy for when you travel next.

1. Be sure to double-check what day and time you are leaving. It doesn’t hurt to even triple-check.
2. Carry on all chargers you may need. None of the “I left it in my suitcase!” You might also want to think about carrying on a spare outfit and toiletries.
3. Pack lots of snacks. I recommend Cheese-Its and a nice Almond Joy. Anything and everything at airport stores is always ridiculously overpriced. Four dollars for one hard-boiled egg, yeah right!
4. Stay hydrated. Pack a reusable water bottle and fill up at water fountains. Five dollars for a Capri-Sun juice, no thank you! You should not only pack things for your vacation, but you pack things for your travel.
5. Meditation and crying babies is not a possible combination.
6. Pack a book, maybe even two. Something with more than 400 pages. You have to prepare for the worst and longest delays of your life. If you aren’t much of a reader, bring something else that can entertain you. Music is great too.
7. Make sure you have a travel buddy. This especially comes in handy in cases of layovers and delays. If you must travel alone, make some phone calls and try to stay sane.
8. The workers and agents of your airline are there to help you. Be nice to them and tell them they are doing a good job, particularly in moments of a crisis such as: the flight is delayed an hour and everyone is going to miss their connecting flight, and there’s that one lady with the big hair and smeared red lipstick that just doesn’t care about other people’s feelings and only wants her problem fixed and not yours.
9. Check a bag only if it’s necessary. Pack as light as you can because things get lost all the time. Small suitcases that can be carried on are definitely acceptable. Just remember to have wheels.
10. Watch any or all of the Hobbit movies. Time will fly!
11. If you are suffering through a layover or delay, pick a stall in the bathroom that you go to more than once. It’s like your personal toilet at home.
12. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor and feed yourself. This is a good time where your snacks will come in handy, and the only time that it is acceptable for you to purchase the overpriced airport food. No one wants your crankiness. Avoid being hangry at all costs.
13. Walk around the terminal a bit and get some exercise. Turn on a good song and do some butt squeezes.
14. If you’re of the talkative bunch, make some friends! Avoid children under the age of 21, people who talk too much (unless you’re on the same level or don’t mind listening), people who are nervous flyers, and people who are flying for the first time.
15. Wear a watch and take note of any time changes.
16. Try to avoid fixing things that you can’t. Example, your flight is delayed due to inclement weather. Say a little prayer and hope it clears up soon, but don’t stress over something that is out of your control -- and don’t pester the airline agents when there’s a foot of snow on the runway and you think it’s just a “dusting.”
17. Passports and photo ID’s belong in a bag or wallet with a zipper, velcro or snap.
18. Get a good night’s sleep before the big day and snooze on the trip whenever you can. However, don’t worry and don’t overthink it if you can’t sleep. Your body will rest if it needs it.
19. Allow yourself plenty of time to get places. It’s bad enough when your flight is delayed, but hey, at least you made it to the airport on time.
20. Try to stay positive. Don’t forget where you’re going and why you’re going when bad things interrupt your travel plans because you will get there.

Happy summer!