What’s In My Travel Bag

My travel comfort bag includes all of the items that will help me get through a long flight as well as a rather long trip.

These are items that are essential for me because of my sensory sensitivities, overstimulation, and emotional dysregulation.

Before even learning about my ADHD or autism, I always used to pack a list of items that I knew would comfort me.

Often, if I’m without my items, I tend to lose it. They not only help me regulate my system, they provide me with the safety I need when things feel uncertain.

Here are my travel comfort items:

Cozy clothes — because airplanes and unfamiliar places can get really cold.

Headphones — for music and creating a little bit of quiet in my mind. Outside noise greatly affects me.

Familiar snacks — this one is a must. I need snacks that taste like home. It also gives me something to do when I’m anxious on the flight.

A book and a journal — something that will keep me entertained and give me something to focus on.

A fidget toy — this might be a new item for me, but I’ve found them to really help in times of overwhelm.

Chapstick/lip balm and lotion/toiletries — my lips are chapped rather often, I need a certain kind of lotion, and I like having my usual products with me for personal hygiene.

Sunglasses — one of the most important items since I’m extremely sensitive to bright lights. I also like to wear them on the plane, kind of as an eye mask.

Gum — I need it for the long flight. It really helps me when I’m anxious or nervous about something.

To someone else, these might just look like random things packed into a bag.

For me, they are a little different.

They give me something familiar to hold onto when everything around me is unfamiliar. Traveling means new places, new sounds, different routines, different foods, and a lot of changes happening all at once. I enjoy traveling, but that doesn’t mean all of those changes are easy for me.

Having my comfort items with me means I don’t have to start completely from scratch when I arrive somewhere new.

I can put on my headphones when the noise becomes too much. I can reach for a familiar snack when I don’t know what I want to eat. I can put on my sunglasses when the lights are overwhelming. I can curl up in something comfortable and read when I need some quiet time.

They may seem like small things, but sometimes small things make a big difference.

I also think it’s interesting to look back and realize that I was doing this long before I understood why I needed to.

I didn’t have the words for sensory overload or emotional dysregulation. I didn’t know I was creating my own little system of comfort. I just knew that certain things made me feel better, and I knew I wanted them with me.

Now I understand myself a little better.

I know that traveling can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I know that I might need more downtime than someone else. I know that I might have moments when I need to step away from everything and reset.

And I’ve learned that there’s nothing wrong with preparing for that.

My travel comfort bag isn’t about expecting the trip to go badly.

It’s about knowing myself well enough to bring along the things that help me feel okay when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Because travel is supposed to be about experiencing somewhere new.

I just happen to experience the world a little better when I have a few familiar things with me.

What’s one thing you always bring with you when you travel that makes you feel a little more comfortable or at home?

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”— Saint Augustine