1. Check in at the airline ticket counter at least 2–3 hours before departure—not just arriving at the airport. Allow extra time to park. Many clients who arrived only an hour early missed their flights due to long lines or delays. Always check with your airline the night before or day of departure for last-minute schedule changes. Most airlines offer text notifications—visit their website or ask us for help setting them up!

2. Traveling out of the US?  Look for your passport NOW, make sure you know where it is, that it's valid (hasn't expired), and that you have a PASSPORT BOOK and not a card. Also, if there has been any damage to your passport (such as it was washed, got really bent, etc) we have had clients be denied boarding and have to get a new one. If you have damage, please ask us!

3. Don't forget to turn off the Data Roaming on your smartphone when you travel outside the US or you could have a huge bill when you get home!

To do so:

Open the Settings app, tap on Cellular (or Mobile), and then tap on Cellular Data Options (or Mobile Data Options). Toggle the Data Roaming switch to the off position, so it appears grayed out!

4. Bring a snack with you. Depending on where you're going, it could be a while before you get access to food once you arrive and food on the plane usually isn't free! I take things like granola bars, protein bars, chips, etc. Don't have anything with fresh veggies/fruit/meat after you arrive in a foreign country or even Hawaii, or they will make you throw it out.

5. A tip from a client that travels a lot: make sure your carry-on is well organized and not over stuffed. Wear minimal jewelry. Don't put anything inside your shoes in the X-ray bin. Don't overfill the X-ray bin as you can use as many as you need. 

6. When you are traveling outside the US you may see things are done differently, like the local police may carry big guns and resorts typically have barbed wire around their property.  Don't let this scare you as this is normal and is NOT done because of heightened danger or anything like that.  It's just their normal security procedure.