Tomorrow I leave for vacation! Eep! I love nothing more than being in a beautiful place and nothing less than actually getting there. I would be a major candidate for Harry Potter’s floo powder, or Samantha’s nose-twitch, or just a little space-time-continuum ripping. But if all goes well, tomorrow I will be in a cab, two planes, a shuttle, two ferries, and a car. Fourteen hours later, I will be in Canadian paradise. Not that I’m complaining, because as problems go, this is a very, very good one. But I am complaining a little bit, as someone who gets motion-sick at the drop of a pothole, a cold at the first germ, and all scrinchied at loud noises, screaming children, long delays, and eternal waits. So as my own adult mommy, here’s what I bring in my calm-me-down-while-traveling satchel.

1) Healthy snacks galore–unsalted raw almonds and walnuts; snack bars (these raw food spirulina/cashew guys are awesome); a big bar of dark, organic chocolate (for the real cranky moments); apples; and prunes

2) Lots of tea bags–caffeinated and not

3) A good stash of books and mags–both smarty-pants like the New Yorker and junk-foody like Us or Self

4) A fully charged iPod with a specially made “airplane” mix

5) A pillow–working on that, but I’m angling for one of those u-shaped buckwheat neck thingies–especially since I’ll be in a middle seat for six hours

6) Essential oils–lavender and peppermint for calming my mood, headaches, and bellyaches

7) Bonine–It’s non-drowsy Dramamine for when I know I’ll be in a car for a while

8) A notebook to complain and doodle in

9) Eye-mask and ear-plugs, just in case I get to sit next to a baby who’s a worse traveler than I am

10) Very comfy clothes–usually jeans a few peelable top layers and an uber-comfy sweatshirt and scarf

What about you? How do you make the best of traveling?

[Image via: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plane_wing.JPG]