How to travel without hating your life (updated grown woman edition)

I have traveled for work my entire adult life. Let's be honest, airline travel sucks. It used to be fun and exciting, but that was roughtly 400 flights ago, and the enshittification of airlines is real. We should share what we've gleaned to make it more bearable.

I have my travel hacks, and I've written about them before on my old blog (remember blogs?) which is here if you fancy a read: https://madamerex.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-to-travel-without-hating-your-life.html​

I wrote that post in 2014. I thought it was high time I revisit the subject. Some of my old laws still apply, like #7 and #8, but the rest are new.

Rachel's Laws of Travel (for grownups):

1. Airlines do not GAF about you. Once we accept this fact, we can adjust our expectations and advocate for ourselves appropriately.
2. Have a water bottle, and/or drink at least 2 quarts before you even go to the airport.
3. Wear a mask the whole time.
4. All your meds go in your carry on, not in your checked bag.
5. Try not to have a checked bag (usually impossible for me since I tend to fly for 2+ weeks at a time).
6. Wear natural fabrics only. Cotton, cashmere, silk, bamboo. NON NEGOTIABLE. Wear only 100% silk knickers. They are expensive and they look like granny panties but your crotch will thank me. Don't believe me? Try it.
7. No red eye flights unless it is absolutely necessary (which it generally is for flying to Europe, but it's worth the ick)
8. If you have to take a red eye, I'm sorry. Fly with earplugs and an eye mask (this should also be natural fabric, preferably silk).
9. Your only job on travel day is to survive. No work, no deadlines, definitely no application writing. Just survive, and try your best to enjoy this weird human experience of flying through the sky in a tin can with 150+ other humans.
10. Give yourself whatever TF you want. Pastries, snacks, that book that looks trashy. Do it.
11. I'd much rather have a 4 hour layover than a 45 minute layover. Direct flights are amazing, but rarely possible since I live in Charleston, SC. Always pay more for direct if you can, because of law #1.
12. Getting through security in the knick of time? Absolutely not. I'm there 2 hours early MINIMUM and any less than that and I'll be grumpy. Remember, we do not rush.
13. TSA precheck, baby.

And as an addendum, if people are being annoying and you're in a bad mood, it's only going to get worse. Manflesh has a great rule for this, which is to look at everyone he sees and think to himself,

It works like a charm. It's kind of impossible to feel hateful when you're using that mantra.

That's all for now! Woo corner is comin atcha in a couple of days, so keep an eye out- and happy travels.

I love you and I want you to be happy.

Don't go back to sleep.

xoRachel

PS. Seven Deadly Satisfactions is coming very soon! It is ONLY going to the waitlist, not the full list- so if you're into it, make sure you tap the link below:

Coming in August 2026- Seven Deadly Satisfactions will be a pleasure-driven 7-week dive into digging the worm of patriarchy out of our brains, using the tools of purity culture against itself. I'm tits-deep in gleeful research for this at the moment and having a fabulous time of building it out. This one is only going out to the waitlist, nowhere else.

If you've been forwarded this email you can click the link above, but if you're already here on the list, all you have to do is tap the button below and you'll be added instantly (so tap with care).