754. How to Actually Travel Prep Without Spiraling

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23:36

Your next big trip deserves a better start. Lesley Logan shares her invisible prep routine for international trips, proving that getting ready doesn't have to feel exhausting. She explains how blocking out your calendar and packing specific snacks and supplements first can save your nervous system from completely crashing. By intentionally supporting your “future you” before ever pulling out a suitcase, you can step off the plane ready for the actual adventure. Learn exactly how to maintain movement routines on hectic travel days.


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In this episode you will learn about:

  • The mindset shift that stops anxious over-packing before it starts.
  • Why she blocks every travel date on her calendar first.
  • Front-loading your work so the week back never buries you.
  • Deciding whether each trip is actually a water bottle trip.
  • Dressing for comfort while still looking meeting-ready on long flights.


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Episode Transcript:

Lesley Logan 0:00  

I used to get super anxious prepping because I used to just kind of overdo the details and almost overpack in the prepping, and then I didn't have any room for adventure.


Lesley Logan 0:12  

Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.


Lesley Logan 0:51  

Hey, Be It babe, I just got home from Cambodia a few days ago, and before I tell you about the trip, I wanted to tell you about the trip before the trip, the things that I do to get ready for a trip, the the way I wrap up my work, and the emails, and the and the whirlwind, and the things that I have to make sure I don't forget because I always forget something, because I always forget something. The stuff that people don't post parts about because well, that takes energy. When you're busy trying to get ready for a trip, it's really hard to post all the, all the stuff that goes into it. But I want to walk you through how I handle big trips like this because I think a lot of people don't take time off or time away from their life because their life is so busy, and then the trip itself is its own enigma. And then also sometimes when you get back from a trip, I need a break from the trip. I need a vacation from vacation. Obviously, my trip wasn't vacation, but I don't want you to get on a your next trip plane wiped out from preparing, and then I don't want you to get home wiped out from not being set up for success. So I want to kind of give you the tools that I use, the tips that I have after so many years of traveling, and by the way, not even that many, because I actually only started internationally traveling, my first international trip was in 2012. I went by myself to Brazil to Rio for 10 days, and I loved every minute of it. It was actually just so much fun. And then I realized, wow, I thought traveling was expensive and hard. And well, right now when we're recording this, everything's expensive, but it doesn't have to be hard. So I kind of just want to get into the details of it, so you can steal them, borrow them, share your favorite things that you do with me and others, and we can have a lot of fun with it.


Lesley Logan 2:31  

So let's talk about the invisible stuff, the stuff that isn't sexy, the stuff that oftentimes people don't think about when it comes to packing and a trip. So I actually do not pull my suitcase out until it's really the day before and the time to pack because I actually do need to think about all, there's a lot to do with the work stuff before it. So if you are someone who has 40 tabs open the week before the trip, I totally understand, and that makes so much sense because so many of us have more on our plate than we need to, than one person can do in a year. I have a girlfriend who told her chatbot all the things that she needed to get done, and there the chatbot was that takes three years to do. That takes three years for one person to do. So there is just a lot of steps that nobody counts. And for those of you who are like me with ADHD, you know we do need a list. We do need to be thinking about it. So, when I am preparing for a trip, I really, actually like to think about it in parts. Like, what do I need for the actual plane part, the actual travel part? What do I need for the space between the planes?


Lesley Logan 3:33  

And then, hopefully, whatever I did on plane day trip one, I can do on the return flight home, meaning the clothes, the snacks, things like that. So I really, really think about that. And for me, I've been gluten-free since 2007. So super hard to be gluten-free back then. Nowadays, you can kind of go anywhere and be gluten-free. It's pretty easy to do, even if you're going to places in Europe. But sometimes on flights, it's not. So I really have to be thoughtful about what if they don't have a good gluten-free meal, or what if the gluten-free meal has stuff in it that I can't have. What do I need to have on that plane so that I'm ready to go? And I'm pre-ordering that. I'm thinking about those things ahead of time, and I'm really conscious of the energy I need on a trip. So is it a trip that I'm going on a work trip? That's a whole different thought process and prep process than if the trip is vacation, because if it's vacation, I wanted to make sure I'm relaxed AF, right? And something else that I want to address for those who, oh my God, you're already making me anxious, I used to get super anxious prepping because I used to just kind of overdo the details and almost overpack in the prepping, and then I didn't have any room for adventure. So what I will say is the way I like to think about the pre-trip is, what do I need to do so that the future me, so the me who's sitting here talking to you after a trip, what do I need to do to make sure that the future me walks in as if I'm invited to a party? And that's a really weird example because I just told you about my first trip to Brazil, it took me, my brain went all the way back to hang gliding, and I had the first pilot of hang gliders for tourists ever. They were on the Today Show, things like that. So always felt really safe, very excited. And they teach you how to land. And he was okay. You're going to land like I'm here for the party. I've arrived. I'm here for the party, and so I really try to think about when I'm getting ready for a trip. And I have to sometimes think about it. The longer the trip, the longer I have to think about it ahead of time. What does the future me, the me that has come home and is back into her regular routine, what does she need so that she is taken care of? Because if I don't take care of her on that trip, when I get back, it's gonna suck, right? So that's kind of how I think about it. So your invisible list, the pre-prepping, doesn't have to be so crazy invested, but you do want to kind of brainstorm what will the me coming home from the trip need to have ready, need to have done, so that I can go on the trip.


Lesley Logan 6:00  

Okay, now when you support your future you, it does require you to get out of your own head a little bit because sometimes we start to think, oh, that's going to cost money. Oh, I don't have access to that. Oh, I need help. Oh my God, it might be easier for LL because she has an assistant. Let me tell you, assistants can only do so much things remotely. So I really need to know that you don't need the perfect suitcase to prep for the future you. Yes, your future you might want some sort of Instagram-able, beautiful suitcase that looks so good walking through the airport. You don't need that. You just really need to know yourself, and that might take some time. I journal in the mornings, and that really helps me understand, wow, I always keep complaining about that. What's bothering me about that, right? So you do need to know you, and hopefully, if you're listening t this podcast, you do have some sort of system, a routine to kind of understand who you are and what you need. But the perfect suitcase is optional there. So Brad and I have different travel checklists. We actually have shared notes.


Lesley Logan 6:52  

So I have one that's mine when I'm traveling alone, and then we have a shared note, a travel for tours. Tours require a whole different packing, whole different prepping, and then we have our flying trips that we go to together. Because when we do things together, there are some things I can offload on him. I'm just saying he will always pack enough chargers; they will always be the right ones. So I get to have a different list and a different packing thing than when I'm with him versus when I'm traveling by myself. But we have they're already there, and we actually get to reuse it and rebuild it. So currently, right now, every checklist is unchecked because prior to that was already checked off. So that way, I don't have to go through and uncheck everything. It's okay. The new process is this, but you you'll have your own system. But I have it in my phone, on my note on my phone because I can just look for it, search for it easily. I can share it with other people who I need help with. It's a little bit easier for me to search for. So, I also, while I'm on a trip, if I forgot something, I realize like, oh, I would love to have that. I will just add it to that trip list so I have it for the next time. So much easier, you guys. This brain, ADHD brain, is not doing a lot of postmortems after a trip. So I'm editing that list on each trip if I need to. If I'm like, wow, I brought this thing, but it's kind of redundant, I will take it off that list. So I find it to be really, really helpful. And because we've done Cambodia so many times, we actually know exactly what we need. I do, I'm very lucky. I do have some stuff already in Cambodia. I don't need to bring as much stuff, although I do like to bring new outfits for the temple tours, of course. So part of prepping for that trip is just thinking about the outfits I want for that. Also, I prep my calendar. So again, before I even pull out a suitcase, the prepping really requires making sure that my calendar is ready to go. So yes, I do have assistants who can help with this, but I also have to make sure I don't screw it up. So dates on when I'm on a trip are blocked off from whatever it is that they could be blocked for, so I don't accidentally schedule any work calls or things like that. It's very hard for me when I'm traveling to take a call. And so for those who go, oh, it's no big deal, it's a paid vacation. I'm gonna tell you right now, I'm over 40. I cannot, I cannot do that. If you work for me and it's a work trip and I am going to do work hours, we do Slack. We do not do meetings because I'm going to forget the time zone in. I'm going to forget how that affects you. I'm going to forget to look at my calendar. There's something about being on a trip that the calendar is just out the window, but the calendar must be prepped. And then whatever normally happens during a week where I'm working, it has to get done beforehand, because coming back and trying to catch up is, it's already a lot, right? We already have emails to catch up on. There's already a plenty of things that you haven't done. You haven't seen friends since you were gone. There's just so many things to do when you get back. So I try really hard to what I would normally do on a trip has to get done early. You're, Lesley, that's obvious, duh. And then what happened maybe the week after a trip? I see if I can get that done as well, and that is because ish is going to happen. Things are going to go whatever way they're going to go. There's going to be things that are outside my control, and so if I can get extra stuff done, it just gives me a little bit of runway to ease on in. I do not believe in jet lag, but you know what? It can happen.


Lesley Logan 9:58  

So I also, you never know, you might. Up a cold or things like that. So I will also suggest, and you don't have to do this, but try as hard as you can to keep the day before you travel as light as possible. You know, I've done enough retreats to know that my Type A people are the ones who are going to be sick the moment they land on a retreat. So we actually do tell people who are coming on our retreats that the two weeks before the retreat, if they can already start to take stuff off of their plate, get lots of sleep, start relaxing early, so their immune system gets used to that feeling, so that they don't just go straight into a vacation sick. We try to give them that. I take that same advice as best I can. I really do try to make sure the day before travel is easy. It's not always a case; doesn't always work out, but it sucks when it doesn't. And so, even though yes I can work all the way up until you know the two hours before I have to be at the airport, do I need to? Is there any other place where these things can go? So you really want to start thinking about you know maybe even a month before a trip. What if this must get done? Has to get done? What if this can actually wait till after your trip? Can it actually wait? If it can, try to move it so that you can just give yourself some space because you never know what you might last-minute need. Before I do a trip, you guys, the hair has to get done, the nails have got to get done. You know, because most of my trips are not weekends; they're weeks long, and a lot of my trips are for work. So making sure everything is updated, current, ready to go, that's a lot of extra appointments on top of the normal work I have, and then just taking care of myself in the workouts. I also love to make sure that in prepping my calendar, that I'm really also prepping my trip calendar with things that make me feel good while I'm on the trip. And I'll get more into that in the next episode. But I like to make sure that I'm not just oh, once I'm on vacation, all of my routines are out the window. That's not going to help support the future me as we talked about.


Lesley Logan 11:43  

Now I want to suggest this as well. When I'm packing, so now we've done the prep, we've prepped the calendar, we've prepped our lists, we've thought about our future selves. When I actually start to get things together, I really do actually think about nervous system, digestive system, my systems, right? So I am actually packing all of my snacks and supplements first. I always ask myself, like, is this a water bottle trip? Like, is carrying an extra water bottle going to be annoying or beneficial? Like, where am I going? Is that going to be helpful? So I love to when we go to Asia, pack a water bottle because I know the airports very well and how easy it is to refill. And then in Cambodia, I try to use as few individual bottled waters as possible, just because I know how the recycling system works there. So that is a water bottle trip. Whereas other places, I'm like, oh, that's just a little bit extra. Or how long is a trip? Is that going to be annoying where it's clipped? So I really, though, as far as water bottles go, I like to be. I would like to be a person who travels all the time with one, but it's not always the easiest thing to do. But packing snacks and supplements, I am counting out the days that I will need the snacks. Snacks are for any time I am in travel days. So meaning planes, trains, automobiles. How many of those on the trip are happening? How many meals could that be? Trying to get protein bars, any kind of powders that I like to add to my coffees because it can be really difficult to get fiber, protein, creatine, things like that when I'm traveling.


Lesley Logan 13:09  

Make sure I have all of that, and then I make sure I have all the supplements I need for every day that I'm gone. Yes, it takes up a lot of space. You know what? I do my best I can to shove them in shoes and other weird little pockets of space in a suitcase, and that I have enough in my carry-on so that I have what I need on the actual plane. But I do that first because I would much rather have the protein and snacks I need than the extra shirt I probably won't wear. Then I also think about what do I need for getting the best sleep and taking care of my thoughts and things like that. So this is headphones. This was my first trip traveling with really big cans, and that is because for whatever reason I have very sensitive hearing, and I have always heard a kid crying and just been wow. You know, no offense to the parent here. I understand. I'm not blaming anyone, but geez, I can hear a kid crying across the plane, and it will keep me up. And so, as much as I love my AirPods and their noise cancellation, I have the most updated ones. Just after doing a 15-hour flight home from Cambodia in 2025, where these kids cried three rows in front of me for 14 hours, that is not an exaggeration. I really am up-leveling this. So what I will say is, going back to my suggestion of updating your notes. I will make changes to my notes based on the experience I have because as you change in life, as your needs change, as your dietary restrictions change, things like that, you're just gonna need more things. So I have big cans and my AirPods and a charger for both those things, making sure that's in my carry-on. I also have a sleep mask. I have a sleep mask because I have notoriously forgotten these sleep masks, and I love these sleep masks. I have a sleep mask that it lives in my bedroom, doesn't leave the bedroom. I have one in the van, doesn't leave the van, and I have one in my suitcase that moves to my carry-on bag as soon as I am going on a trip, and that is because I definitely need a sleep mask. Even though I don't sleep on a plane, I do not bring a physical written journal. That's not something I do, but my journal is on my phone, so it's super easy for me. I also like to make sure that the shoes that I'm wearing on the plane are ideally the bulkiest and most comfortable, especially because when I'm doing international travel, I am definitely going to put in all the steps in the world in those. So I, while I love wearing the Doc Martens and traveling with them, I'm very much like, how often am I going to wear these? You know, not traveling is this really an essential shoe because this is going to be three planes and 10,000 steps inside an airport. So, are these the best shoes for me? You may make a different decision there, and then I also think about the layer. So, I like to look super cute on a plane. If I'm doing a quick domestic trip, I have different outfit options. If I'm doing a night domestic trip, I still want to look. I could be invited into a meeting. So there's a couple outfits that are really great for travel that I have purchased that I use regularly. I have this really amazing jumpsuit that makes me look like a NASA astronaut. That's from Nike. It's long. It's black. It's got a high collar. It's very fitted. It's so comfortable to sleep in and be in the plane in. But I can also walk into an Amex lounge and feel like I look cute, right? I have this red outfit that I love from Lululemon. That is the sweatshirt is super sleek. The pants are this like wide leg, high waisted kind of pleated look. So again, I look like I could walk into a really awesome lunch spot or an awesome meeting. But again, I'm comfortable when I'm actually on the plane. And then I just got this pinstripe suit from Splendid that I'm really excited about. That is easy to layer.


Lesley Logan 16:34  

So again, I can actually have a tank top underneath. So if I get hot, I can take the sweatshirt off. The pants all are wide leg. So if I get hot, actually get hot, I can just like pull them up over my knees very easily. So I share all this with you because sometimes planes are way too cold, sometimes they're way too hot, but we do not need to look like we're bumming it. We can look super cute. And for me, if I look like crap, I look like I'm in my pajamas. I feel like crap. But if I think I look cute and professional and fun. I feel like I'm cute and professional and fun, so that's super awesome. And then I also do bring a toe corrector. Sometimes it's hard for me to bring those in carry-ons, depending on the country. Some people think it's weird, so sometimes it's always in my checked bag. But I do bring that. I do bring my toe spacers because sometimes my feet just get really tired being in shoes, and so I can take the shoes off, put the toe spacers on with socks on, of course. And then when I have to go to the bathroom, I can replace everything. So I kind of like to keep those together because if my body feels good, then my travel feels great. Then when I arrive somewhere, I don't feel wiped out. Really, really important. I also didn't mention this in the food section, but I bring electrolytes. Bring electrolytes. You don't realize like how much of your electrolytes you're not getting when you are on travel days, and something I just do not leave. I do not travel without. I just, it's really important for me to have these things, is I always bring a book that I am am excited to dive into, and not two books, just a book, one book. My ADHD people do not bring five books. I bring a book, and I also make sure that I have makeup and some skincare tools that if I do get laid over or if I do need a little spritz and some energy, I can do that for myself. I know this sounds high maintenance, but I promise you, promise you, if your skin feels moisturized and you feel great, then you're gonna love the travel that you have, and yes, I travel with lipstick. And I know it is 2026 as I say this, but I actually always fly with a mask on because I don't care how much they say the air is HEPA filtered five times over. I'm telling you, I love wearing a mask and keeping the air that's coming into my throat moist at the very least. And second, ever since I started flying with masks, I don't ever get sick from flying, so I always do that.


Lesley Logan 18:45  

Lastly, for this episode, I also really make sure that before I travel, I'm taking care of my actual body. So I try not to skip any part of my routine when it comes to sleep. I try not to sacrifice any sleep before I travel because no, I will not get it on the plane. I have a very hard time sleeping, sitting up, and we're not currently first class people yet, my loves, because coach is expensive too. So I really try to make sure that I get a movement in before I get on a plane. Provided my flight is not going to get me up at 3:30 in the morning, get my morning walk in, make sure I drink extra water that day. Really ensuring that the food I'm eating prior to flying is going to sustain me. It's going to make me feel good. I do not want to be catching up on this stuff while I'm traveling. It's not easy. In fact, that's where you will often become depleted. So something that could be easy to mimic is I do my dog walk when I wake up. I have already laid out the travel outfit for the day, all the the supplements I need for that day, and then I make sure that I get, if I can if it's a weight training day, then I get the weight training done. If it's a Pilates day, get the Pilates in. I make myself do it.


Lesley Logan 19:49  

I do not care how pressed for time I feel or how all of a sudden excited and anxious I feel for the trip. That I'm ooh, you know, I'll just do it later. Nope, I am the if I'm going, I will not skip that movement. Because I promise you, sitting on a plane is only going to make your back hurt. It's only going to make you feel awful. So do not skip your morning movement. It's really, really important. And yes, I have been a crazy person who walks my dog at four in the morning to get my movement and routine in. Because my dog has a routine. You know, I don't want to mess them up either. So I make sure they get their routine in. They get their stuff in. I know I want them to feel like nothing is too weird because they're already anxious when they see the suitcase come out. But you will love yourself if you can get that movement in. Did the same thing when we were coming back from London. I woke up early, went down to the gym, got in a run, got in some weights in, got in a little mini Pilates mat session, and then you know prepared to get all the way to the airport and spend all that time sitting on a plane overnight. I felt so good when I landed from London because even though I had to sit for 12 hours, I had moved my body enough before doing that, that I wasn't like, "Oh, that was so annoying. Back didn't hurt. Everything felt really good.


Lesley Logan 20:53  

So this is how I prep for a trip, right? Thinking about what I am going to want when I come back. How do I want to feel? What needs to be prepped? What needs to be ready to go? What do I need to do in the weeks prior to make sure that my workload and my lifeload are are set up for me to just walk on in, sit down, and not be rushed and pressed for time? What are the supplements I'm going to have a hard time getting? What are the snacks that will make me feel like a human? And then, what clothes on the plane and what things on the plane will actually make me feel awesome, both on my way to the trip and on my way home, and making sure I pack double for that. Because guess what, you're not going to want to do when you're on trip. Go, ooh, I can just find extra snacks. No, you're not. You're not going to find it. Everything is different, no matter where you go. So it's just so much easier if you just already have it when you're ready when you're leaving, because then it's one less thing to think about while you're on your trip. So, I would love to know what your prep looks like. If this gave you some ideas, if you're like, "Oh my God, I do the same thing, so okay, I'm not alone. I would love to hear that. Please send in any comments, questions, fun ideas, things I can share because we can always continue this series on travel in future episodes. Send it to thebeitpod.com/questions. And if you have anything that you want me to do a solo episode about, anything you'd like my tips and advice on, I would love to hear that. You can send it in there, and that's where you can also send your wins that we'll share in our recap episodes. I'm celebrating you. Thank you all so much. You are amazing. And if you have a trip coming up, start to think about what your future you needs, so you can start prepping already. Have an amazing day, and until next time, Be It Till You See It.


Lesley Logan 22:24  

That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read in another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.


Brad Crowell 23:06  

It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.


Lesley Logan 23:11  

It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.


Brad Crowell 23:15  

Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.


Lesley Logan 23:23  

Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.


Brad Crowell 23:26  

Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.



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