Zombie Traveler

The day has arrived. At this moment, I'm sitting in a bulkhead seat of an Embraer 175, heading toward Montreal, where I will be transiting for the next flight to Frankfurt.

But, good God am I tired! The whole day was spent running last-minute errands and generally being in a tizzy because, Lord knows, something has to go wrong!

So, this is an entry that could clearly be filed under: How NOT to live life.

So, what are the steps to being sane and not sleep-deprived? Let's start from the top:

1. Make a checklist. ADD folks like me have a hard time doing this because there is always something that' showing to be thrown in at the last minute. And besides, we're not exactly known for our keen eyes for organization.

2. Under no circumstances should you lollygag when it comes to the last month before the trip. Do one thing for the trip each day that results in a completed and decisive action.

3. Drink absolutely no alcoholic beverages the entire day before the trip. This has nothing to do with hydration and well-being, but it does have everything to do with being on top of your game and not ending up a zombie trying to pack everything at 3:00 AM the day of your flight. Beer, wine, vodka, etc. only exacerbate and inflate the ADD issue. They also piss off your significant other who is trying to help you....

...not that I would know anything about that, mind you!

***

...and we are on the approach to land, so I'll interrupt this post and resume somewhere over the Atlantic--that is, unless the Xanax has taken effect.

***

Well... Here I am, approaching landing in Frankfurt, and here's the damage so far: a mild headache from air pressure, dehydration, some wine and the sleep deprivation I had on Thursday into Friday. But I was upgraded to Business Class. YES!

So here's another rule to travel by: whenever possible, buy a premium economy ticket. It may not guarantee an upgrade, but you'll stand a better chance of getting bumped up to Business Class if the flight is oversold in Economy. Either way, you will be more comfortable than if you did economy all the way.

***

...and now, it's July 17, I've had a night to sleep (and beer and wine to drink the night before), and the day is young. More to come!