How To Kick Jet Lag/Travel Fatigue's Ass

Hey, it's me. Mr Airplane. Just waiting here, ready to screw up your mind, body and soul.

Did you know I just returned from Australia & New Zealand? Of course you do, because I won't STFU about it. 

Prior to our trip down under, people loved asking about the flight time and time difference. I still don't exactly know the time difference, but I know it's a lot of hours (and a day ahead). Honestly, I didn't want to know. Dwelling on it just makes jet lag worse. It's not all in your head, but I think largely ignoring time differences is a huge help in conquering jet lag. Here's how I do that.

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Set it & Forget it.

If this still says what time it is at home, you're grounded!

Once I am at my departure gate, the current time is dead to me. I'll set my phone and watch (ha, as if I wear one) to my final destination's time. Nothing reinforces the fact that you should be feeling like crap if you're getting breakfast on the plane "but it's really 7pm back in [blank]." NO! Believe it's whatever time your clock now says, not what it said yesterday when you were sunning yourself on the beach in Tahiti. 

Sleep on the Plane.

The flight from Dallas to Sydney is 18 hours. It's the third longest flight on earth. 

Yeah, I know. That's a lot of time.

But this is actually good for jet lag because it gives you enough time to play into the airline's overnight game-- where everyone pretends like it's dinnertime when you leave and breakfast when you land. In between those times, I get to watch a movie or two, guilt-free! But then you must squeeze in a few hours of usually uncomfortable, limb-numbing sleep.

Some folks swear by Tylenol PM or Ambien. I avoid the first because it makes me feel like junk when I wake up. I'd never take Ambien in public because I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't end up naked, surfing down the aisle on a beverage cart.

Instead, I rely on an eye mask and regular ol' earplugs. Something like this. So simple! If you're lucky, you can actually get six or seven hours of sleep on a really long flight. You can't do that on the measly eight-hour flight to Europe!

Next thing you know, they are serving breakfast. And then you're landing. 

Say Yes to Liquids.

This is pretty obvious, but I'm saying it anyhow. Drink every non-alcoholic beverage that comes your way. Hydration is key! It keeps your insides from drying out and makes you have to get up and stretch your legs en route to the tiny bathrooms. 

You can also say yes to booze, but maybe only once (like wine before you fall asleep).

Once You've Arrived, Force Yourself to Stay Awake.

The biggest obstacle in the fight against jet lag: Staying up until it's appropriate to retire for the night.

I say that means until sunset local time, which could be really hard if you arrive at 7am. Drink a coffee/tea/coke or drink a 5 Hour Energy (I hate to say it, but nothing works as well!) and spend as little time in your hotel room as you can.

Go Outside & Get Some Exercise

Your hotel room is poison until sunset! Do this instead.

Natural sunlight cues your body's circadian rhythm and exercise get the blood pumping, You don't have to do a 10-miler or anything, just walking around town will help your body adjust to the new time zone. So on day one, plan a fun, low-key activity outside. And if it helps, pretend your hotel room is hot lava until the sunsets. 

Eat your greens.

Everybody poops... except when they are traveling. Call it a jet lag symptom or a lack of a "safe toilet" issue, this is what happens when our bodies are out of whack. Try to eat lots of fruits and veggies to keep things moving.

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How do you deal with jet lag? Has anyone tried taking melatonin? I hear that works, too. 

PS here are some other travel related things... like the time I brought a puppy through US Customs (and if you are going to Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel from the states, you can too!) and the time I went on a trip to Arkansas with almost strangers.

12 Things You Should Probably Know Before Going to New Zealand

New Zealand... it's like a whole different country! Unless you are from there. 

The hubster and I just returned from our 16 day honeymoon in New Zealand and Australia. Lots of adventures, driving, wine and coffee and not a lot of Internet. I can't wait to tell you more about all the crazy stuff we did, but in the meantime, I feel compelled to share a few things we learned about traveling New Zealand that I wish we'd known before we left.

Good stuff, bad stuff, useful stuff.

Keep in mind that we only did the south island, which is much more remote than the north island. At any rate, I think this info would help anyone planning to go there.  
 

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1. Customs

I've always ticked the "nothing to declare." I only once got in trouble for brining an unopened package of gummy bears back home from Germany (I mean, really. I was supposed to declare those?). However, the customs people in New Zealand take this stuff super seriously.

For example, I saw one customs officer tear a lady a new one for not declaring a wood carving she bought at the Sydney airport. The same one aggressively shamed Josh for not declaring his hiking boots, pointing out that he had signed a legally binding contract where he lied about carrying outdoor gear. She then inspected his boots and said it's a good thing they weren't dirty because it's a $400 fine. 

Not the warm welcome we'd expected, but I guess we'll know for next time and so will you!

2. Sandflies

My god, the sandflies.

As a Minnesotan, I am used to mosquito bites. Sandfly bites are a whole different thing. They are tiny and relentless. Josh and I each had about 30-40 bites on our ankles and nearly a week later, they still itched like crazy. Like can't sleep at night crazy, I don't know if I can even live one more second without cutting off my legs at the shin crazy. 

What's worse, we could only find "natural" repellent and "natural" anti-itch stuff. And we all know how well that stuff works. If you're going to New Zealand, do yourself a favor and bring DEET repellent and real AfterBite. 

 

3. Coffee!

Mark this one under pleasant surprises: Every bar, roadside stop, restaurant, hotel and many gas stations have a ridiculously nice espresso machine with amazing coffee beans. I had no idea Kiwis were so obsessed with coffee. Even in the most podunk of podunk towns, you can find a cup that outshines most hipster-filled urban coffee shops. It is great!

 

4. It's So Remote

The country's total population is about 4.5 million (though there are 70-some million sheep). In the south island, there were multiple times we drove for hours without seeing a gas station or a grocery store. So fill up on food and gas while you can. 

 

5. Freedom Camping

Gillespie Beach, New Zealand.

Unless it's posted otherwise, you can basically camp on public conservation land (which is almost everywhere) if you are in a self-contained unit aka campervan/RV. Which is a great thing when you're driving through the alps and haven't seen an open business for two hours. Plus, it allows you to stay in some stunning places, like the above Gillespie Beach, just outside Fox Glacier.

***Update*** Some Kiwis have mentioned in the comments that this apparently is illegal. According to the New Zealand's Department of Conservation, you can camp on public conservation land so long as it's not expressly prohibited. If you're worried about this, read up on it here.

 

6. Rent a Campervan

A classy steak dinner while camping? We're in!

Before we booked our trip, I was intrigued by traveling via campervan. It seemed so convenient to not unpack every night and have our hotel and car be the same thing. But would we look like absolute tools driving around New Zealand in an RV? We decided to go for it.

Fret not, potential New Zealand campervan travelers! Basically 25 percent of the vehicles on the road are campervans. We didn't stick out at all. Locals, tourists, everybody is into the car camping thing.

We went with Maui (fancier than we needed, but I am not complaining!) and lived in the lap of RV luxury for nine days. We could cook, eat, sleep, pee, brush our teeth, refrigerate food and drink wine out of real wine glasses. Barely camping, but still able to hang in the outdoors. 

 

7. Take Kiwi Advice with a Grain of Salt

Before heading to New Zealand, a Kiwi warned Josh and I that we should avoid Greymouth, where we'd intended to spend a night or two, because it's incredibly industrial and not scenic at all. Josh and I immediately thought of Gary, Indiana. No thanks!

Here's what Greymouth looks like:

Greymouth: It's like New Zealand's Detroit! Photo by Kelsi

I guess if you live in the most stunning place on earth, this might seem like an eyesore.

We were also told by Kiwis that Milford Sound, while beautiful, is terribly touristy. To me, that means a million trinket shops, a McDonald's and at least one Bubba Gump Shrimp equivalent. Milford Sound, while full of tourists, has a lone airstrip, two restaurants (one where you order at a counter), two small hotels and a few boats that will take you out on the sound and literally nothing else. So when a Kiwi says tourist-y, they're not talking Navy Pier. 

Hot pools? More like Wet-n-Wild.

Oh and Kiwis love to recommend the hot pools, but be warned: these are not the outdoor, nature-y oasis they seem. We drove an hour and a half out of our way to visit Hanmer Springs, which turned out to be a water park with screaming kids, a lazy river, water slides and crappy burgers. Lesson learned!

 

8. This Place is run by 20-something Backpackers

Almost everywhere was staffed largely by 20-somethings from places other than New Zealand. It's pretty easy to apply for a year-long work visa and bum around the country, picking up odd jobs here and there. Restaurants, outdoorsy tours and hotels seem to employ a lot of college-aged kids who've only been working there for two weeks or a month and are probably moving on soon.

Why didn't I know about this ten years ago?

 

9. Internet

We discovered that in the remote areas of the South Island (which, by the way, makes us much of the island), it's slow and it sucks. But who cares! You're in beautiful New Zealand!

 

10. Beware of the Weather 

It'll be hot one moment, then raining, then freezing cold, then hot. Just bring lots of layers, a rain coat and socks that cover your ankles (not only for the cold-- sandflies!). 

 

11. Few Things are Oversold, Merit-wise

The entire kitchen at the Cray Pot

The best fish & chips.

I'm always skeptical of any restaurant recommended by any tourism company. The New Zealand tourism folks would not STFU about the Cray Pot in Jackson Bay, reportedly the best fish and chips in the land. For whatever reason, we decided to check it out anyway.

After a 40-minute drive along...wait for it... a road with no businesses, we landed at this postage stamp-sized restaurant. Three ladies cooking up fish and chips and cray fish (also known as lobster). 18-seats in the joint and every single one was taken. We waited 20 minutes for a table, and with my first bite, I knew this excursion was worth every bit of time and money, and just one of many examples of things that lived up to and surpassed expectations. 

 

12. Few Things are Oversold, Space-wise

We visited during high season and hardly booked anything in advance. Aside from Milford Sound (where we still got one of the last camping spots), most places had plenty of space if you arrived before 3pm. So don't worry about plotting out your every move before you go. You will probably be just fine. And if all else fails, freedom camping!
 

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Any other travel advice for folks heading to New Zealand? Comment away! Josh and I also went hang gliding (amazing!) and bungy jumping (scary!) here. And PS here's another very different place I traveled recently and ADORE. Plus, 7 non-essential things that make travel better.

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We're Honeymooning in Australia & New Zealand. Suggestions, Please!

This is probably a picture of Hawaii or something, but it's how I imagine Australia looks.

My hubby and I decided to wait a few months to take our honeymoon. Mainly because we wanted to go to Australia and mainly because when it's freezing cold in Minnesota, it's summer there. January on the beach sounds pretty damn good to a couple of midwesterners.

We're still ironing out the details. All we know for sure is that we want to do both Australia and New Zealand and that we only have 16 days (including travel time). So a week in each spot. Based on the fact that Australia is enormous, we're limiting ourselves to one week in Brisbane and its surrounds.

For week two, I think we're flying into Wellington or Christchurch, NZ and renting some sort of campervan, though we will not be staying in it every night. This is my honeymoon and there will be showers.

Things we for sure want to do:

• See/snorkel/SCUBA the Great Barrier Reef (we think we can road trip to the southern tip of it from Brisbane)
• A few days at a cool beach, relaxing and drinking things out of coconuts or something. I have it on good authority from two sources that Byron Bay is excellent. 
• At least one great hike in New Zealand. Doesn't need to be difficult, just pretty.
• Maybe a visit a vineyard.
• My guy really wants to see something from Lord of the Rings 'cause he's into that. 

Any travel advice, things to avoid, stuff to do fer sher, we are ALL ears. Best advice gets to come with us!*

*no chance

Everyday Eleanor: I'm Having a Baby in a Foreign Country

So artsy and so cute. 

I know people give birth every single day. And still, the entire idea of having a baby freaks me out. What's happening to my body? I'm supposed to squeeze what out of where?! And then there is the "Oh my gosh, now I gotta raise this baby!?" Now imagine that all of that is happening to you in a country you're not from, where you're just learning the language. Yikes!

And yet that is my friend Kimberly's story. Now, to be fair, she's currently living in Germany, not some war-torn country in political unrest. And her husband is German. But still, navigating a new culture while experiencing your first pregnancy sounds scary to me. Kimberly, however, is one brave and adventurous gal. She's lived everywhere from Turkey to India and Tanzania, and even met her hubby while living on a huge sail boat in the Caribbean. She's the coolest and is going to be the best mom! 

I should mention that Kimberly actually went into labor while writing this, so infinity Hey Eleanor bonus points to her for actually managing to complete it during the contractions.   

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How did a nice Minnesotan gal like you end up in Berlin?

I was a very curious teenager growing up in Plymouth, Minn., pushing my boundaries in many ways in life. One night, as I wandered alone through the racks of travel books at the Ridgedale Borders bookstore, (no doubt carrying some complicated coffee-to-go drink, dying to feel older), I stumbled upon a meeting for students interested in studying abroad. I filled out an application, was accepted and took a spot in Europe departing a few months later. After 15 years of moving between other states and countries for study and work, I'm still fulfilling that dream of exploring the world.

Along the way, you met your now-husband, David. You grew up in the states, David grew up in Germany. Was the decision to live in Germany a tough one? Do you see yourself being there forever or somehow splitting your time between the US & Europe?

Actually, yes, moving to Germany was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made because it had to be done with very little of myself in mind. At the time, David's job offer in Berlin was on the table, we were living in Tanzania. The two of us were running a safari lodge with equal responsibility as General Management and I felt entirely fulfilled by my work. The switch to Germany would allow us a stable environment for attempting a family, but also cripple me initially in terms of language and career. I had hoped our next move would actually take us closer to Minneapolis and my family, but in the end, nothing was popping up stateside.

We’ve made Berlin work for us in a way that I believe will keep us here at least 50 percent of the time in the future. Our hospitality consulting company has opened a second branch in Germany, allowing me to take on project work. I have spent the last nine months learning German intensively in an attempt to break down the language barriers. An ideal situation would be one that gives us reason to live and work from both Berlin and Minnesota in the future. I could actually see that happening with the Houseboat Company we are currently consulting. [Hey Eleanor note: if you're traveling to Germany, you should probably check out those houseboats... very cool!]

Last winter, you two announced you were expecting your first child. YAY! Did you have much anxiety surrounding the fact that you were new to Germany and their healthcare system?

That’s a great question with an easy answer: no. Honestly, the German healthcare system is what first weakened my critical eye on our new surroundings. After spending two and a half years in Tanzania, where healthcare still has a long way to go, the thought of giving birth in Germany was completely comforting.

I'm pretty sure she kept up with her yoga routine... hot momma!

I'm assuming German healthcare is different than the states. What surprised you? What's been fabulous? What's been less than stellar?

Midwifery is offered seamlessly alongside the normal doctor’s checkups for no additional cost. Each midwife advertises his/her additional certifications and meets the patients in their homes for treatment. I chose a woman that is trained in acupuncture and receive bimonthly treatments on my couch in my living room. It is a dream.

Due to insurance regulations, I will have a second midwife accompany me to the hospital for the birth. We have conjured up a birth plan together with points like “only English to be used in the delivery room” to make the experience more controlled and comfortable.

Any cultural differences that have taken some getting used to?

Germans are known to be quite direct, which can be jolting when spoken to in a harsh way by a perfect stranger. I had a woman on the subway the other day tell me that my freshly brushed and well behaved dog on a leash was dirty. Also, there is a general overuse of the prolonged stare. I cannot get used to catching so many eyes boldly groping my nine-month wide belly when out in public.

Has the language barrier been an issue?

After months of daily lessons, then private lessons, I would love to say no…but yes. The German language is notorious for making the speaker decide upon the entirety of their sentence before they even start speaking. The most important things you want to say must be conjugated in relation to the start of your sentence and then held onto, remembered perfectly, and left at the end of the sentence. My English has suffered immensely during the periods of time I have tried complete immersion.

A baby shower... Germans, they're just like us! 

I've heard you Europeans get, like, seven years paid time off to raise kids. What's the real deal?

Germany does a pretty good job with maternity leave, although I believe the Scandinavian countries still top the list as having the best benefits. We are given six weeks before the birth and eight weeks after of paid time off by the employer and insurance company. The government then sponsors a percentage of one’s income for the rest of the 12 months if the mother decides to take more time off. Additionally, day care is subsidized and can be arranged full time shortly after birth.

You once joked that dogs are more accepted in Berlin than babies, which I find to be absolutely fascinating. Please explain.

Our dog, Mickey, sits under our table at every café or restaurant with us without a second glance. It was just recently, however, that I started noticing how many establishments sport a decal on the door of a crossed out stroller. A coffee shop I visited last week asked for parents to be aware of the noise level of their children. But then again, this place also refuses to serve their filter coffee any way other than black, which may mean they are just too cool for me.

Baby Bjorn... Puppy Bjorn... whatever. 

Proud parents Kimberly & David with their big bro, Mickey.

Sometimes sentiment gets lost in translation. Most awkward thing someone has said to you during your pregnancy?

I’ve had quite a few which I allow to roll off my back by sharing with friends and family and having a good laugh. My latest favorite came out after a nice dinner on the front of one of the houseboats where a Czech man asked me “if I would lose that FAT that I gained during the pregnancy rather fast or if it would take me a while." This is where I nicely wished him good night, but thought about pushing him into the water.

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Literally as she was typing that last sentence, David got "the bag" ready and they headed to the hospital, where Jakob Elliott was born at 4:58am on May 12. Congrats! Or should I say, gratulation! 

I want to hear your Everyday Eleanor story. Email me at heyeleanorproject@gmail.com.

David, Kimberly and baby Jakob. Mom, baby and dad are all doing well. 

#106. Vacay with the [Future] In-laws

Ahhh.... paradise.

Josh and I have been a "thing" for over five years. We live approximately five hours from his parents, driving-wise, on a good-weather-don't-have-to-pee-every-45-minutes day. This means we see them regularly, but don't see them for long periods of time. Nearly every visit happens on a weekend, which means we almost always get to join them for a Friday fish fry, basically THE MOST AMAZING Wisconsin thing you can do. 

Anyhow, his parents and sister are great people-- laid back, fun, not too serious or stuffy. When they offered up an opportunity to ditch the frozen tundra for a week-long escape to Mexico, Josh and I immediately started packing... even though the trip was four months away. 

Considering the aforementioned distance between Minneapolis and Josh's hometown, this trip would mark the most consecutive days I've spent with his family. Traveling with people can be intense at times, especially when you are in close quarters and especially when you throw family dynamics in there (as we say in my fam, we put the "fun" in dysfunctional). I worried mostly about myself, sincerely hoping I wouldn't inadvertently offend anyone, over-step my bounds, pound too many margs by the pool and take my top off (like I normally do on vacation). 'Cause the thing is that this isn't just Josh's family anymore, they're my family, too. 

Good genes.

Despite one of us dealing with a hernia, and four out of the five of us battling a case of Montezuma's revenge (spoiler alert: I was the only one who made it out unscathed), and just a wee bit of sunburn across the board, we made it through the adventure intact. Lots of fun cooking in our condo, walking on the beach and some absolutely stellar meals (except the one that got everyone sick, which we suspect was from some produce we purchased at a mega-store that rhymes with Schmal-Cart). In fact, if you're heading to Cancun any time soon and you're a food person, you absolutely must try Du Mexique. Best grub in town. And when I say grub, I mean kinda fancy French food. 

Thanks to the FIL's (future in-laws) for your kindness. I'm looking forward to officially joining your crew.