Travel with ease
(and Fathom co-founder and travel expert contributing travel editor!) the secret for happier trails. knows
Drew
When traveling with a partner or group, share your tech and your toiletries. If you’re not doubling up on chargers and shampoo, you’ll have extra space in your suitcase and make the airport check-in experience a little easier.
The more planners, the more people invested in the trip being a success.
Even the littlest travelers can contribute ideas for activities, excursions, or ways to spend downtime together. If one person does end up doing the bulk of the prep work, show your gratitude with a special toast at dinner — and maybe a hotel spa treatment.
If there aren’t any trips in your future, but you’d like there to be — make a fiveyear family vacay plan. Brainstorm destinations and types of trips; earmark some dates and start putting aside money so you can make these dreams come true.
Surely they will tell you something your guidebook won’t.
ARIA ISADORA
Go Solo
Despite the label, traveling solo doesn’t have to mean being alone all the time. Sign up for walking tours, dance classes, and cooking workshops, and buy tickets to see live music — all great opportunities to feel like you’re part of a group and maybe make a new pal.
HOW WE DO
IT
Slow Down
Spend more time in one place and plan a little less so you can pay attention to details and be open to accidental discoveries.
Build your trip around an idea. Sign up for a surf camp, book an oil painting retreat, cycle the countryside, or embark on a walking trip (where you spend the bulk of your time strolling in nature).
Cruise
Right Along
The era of the river boat is here. Small ships, yachts, and sailboats have fewer passengers and smaller environmental footprints, and they can drop into more ports than the big ships that have to spend days at sea.
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We spend nearly
one-third of our lives in bed, so make that time as healthy as you can.
If possible, invest in a mattress made of natural materials. I look for hero ingredients such as natural latex, organic cotton, and wool. At the end of the day, comfort and what works for you is most important. Since it’s nearly impossible to recycle a mattress, get something you love that will last a long time.
Avoid so-called wrinkle-free sheets; they are often treated with carcinogenic formaldehyde resin. Go with natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, and hemp; use wool dryer balls to fluff them in the dryer to help eliminate wrinkles.
I like to wrap my pillows with three pillowcases. Pillowcases get dirty the quickest, so it’s nice to peel off the top layer every few days to reveal a fresh case. Then, a few days after the last layer, I wash the cases and sheets.
Finally, never throw your suitcase on your bed when unpacking after a trip. It’s the quickest way to transfer dirt, bacteria, and — worse! — bed bugs from your travels to your bed.
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