Words that open doors to worlds unknown to me. Words that give perspective and new insights and make me even more humbly curious about people and the world we live in. Letting my eyes dance over well-written pages, letting myself be enveloped by stories and thoughts, is one of the most meaningful pastimes I can imagine. But despite the reading trips – physical trips to new places, cultures and environments, it gives my life a depth and meaning that is hard to beat. I simply love to travel. It sounds bad even to my own ears considering the climate impact it has, it is something I struggle with all the time and limit long trips as much as possible.

This winter, I'm not the only one who seeks out more southern latitudes. Many people experience how they arrive with a cold and tired after their trip. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy when you're going out and flying. Travel days often mean long days, time differences, and sharing a limited space (on the plane) where we share air with a lot of other people means that the immune system is exposed to major challenges. To avoid colds, here are some tips that work well.

Start one week before departure:

• Take help from herbs. Elderberry and echinacea (red coneflower) are two plants that reduce the risk of getting sick. There are several preparations on the health diet - start taking them a week before departure and continue for a week into the trip.
• Eat garlic preferably raw (for example in a guacamole!) the day before departure and also during the day of travel. This prevents respiratory infections. If you can't handle raw garlic, it's great to put it in honey for a week and then eat the honey.
• Make sure to get enough sleep before you leave and take every opportunity to take a nap during the trip.
• Chew juniper berries! One or two berries are enough to chew on the plane to keep bacteria away.
• Sugar affects stress levels in the body and stress in turn affects the immune system so skip sugar! Bring snacks for the trip like nuts, fruit, cheese, crackers or similar and eat that instead. I usually bring avocado, a piece of cheese, some vegetable and nuts. I also bring a dollop of miso paste in a thermos - on the plane I ask for hot water in the thermos and voila, I have miso soup!
• Drink plenty of water! Bring a water bottle and ask to have it refilled when needed.
• Lavender makes you feel calm and beautiful – a small bottle of lavender essential oil is very beneficial. Take a drop in the palm of your hand and inhale the scent. While traveling, you can dab a little lavender oil on insect bites to relieve itching.
• Apply moisturizer to your face and hands. Airplane air can dry out your skin, and healthy skin is an essential part of your immune system! It also feels great.

Stay wild Lisen