My good Friend Brandon, has just landed in England to start his first year at University, so I though it a good time to talk about getting over the horrible feeling of jet lag. Fortunately, the best way I can talk about it is simple letting Rick Steves talk about it. Below are his tips for conquering jet lag. Enjoy! Anyone who flies through multiple time zones has to grapple with the biorhythmic confusion known as jet lag. Flying from the US to Europe, you switch your wristwatch six to nine hours forward. Your body says, “Hey, what’s going on?” Body clocks don’t reset so easily. All your life you’ve done things on a 24-hour cycle. Now, after crossing the Atlantic, your body wants to eat when you tell it to sleep and sleep when you tell it to enjoy a museum.
Too many people assume their first day will be made worthless by jet lag. Don’t prematurely condemn yourself to zombiedom. Most people I’ve traveled with, of all ages, have enjoyed productive — even hyper — first days. You can’t avoid jet lag, but by following these tips you can minimize the symptoms. Leave home well rested. Flying halfway around the world is stressful. If you leave frazzled after a hectic last night and a wild bon-voyage party, there’s a good chance you won’t be healthy for the first part of your trip. An early-trip cold used to be a regular part of my vacation until I learned this very important trick: Plan from the start as if you’re leaving two days before you really are. Keep that last 48-hour period sacred (apart from your normal work schedule), even if it means being hectic before your false departure date. Then you have two orderly, peaceful days after you’ve packed so that you are physically ready to fly. Mentally, you’ll be comfortable about leaving home and starting this adventure. You’ll fly away well rested and 100 percent capable of enjoying the bombardment of your senses that will follow. Use the flight to rest and reset. In-flight movies are good for one thing — nap time. With a few hours of sleep during the transatlantic flight, you’ll be functional the day you land. When the pilot announces the European time, reset your mind along with your wristwatch. Don’t prolong jet lag by reminding yourself what time it is back home. Be in Europe. On arrival, stay awake until an early local bedtime. If you doze off at 4 p.m. and wake up at midnight, you’ve accomplished nothing. Plan a good walk until early evening. Jet lag hates fresh air, daylight, and exercise. Your body may beg for sleep, but stand firm: Refuse. Force your body’s transition to the local time. You’ll probably awaken very early on your first morning. Trying to sleep later is normally futile. Get out and enjoy a “pinch me, I’m in Europe” walk, as merchants set up in the marketplace and the town slowly comes to life. This may be the only sunrise you’ll see in Europe. Consider jet-lag cures. The last thing I want to do is promote a pharmaceutical, but I must admit that the sleep aid Ambien (generic name zolpidem) has become my friend in fighting jet lag. Managing a good seven hours of sleep a night in Europe (or after flying home) hastens my transition to local time. That way, I’m not disabled by sleepiness that first afternoon and can stay awake until a decent bedtime. Ambien can have side effects, and if misused, can be habit-forming; consult with your doctor, and read and follow the directions carefully. Other travelers rave about melatonin, a hormone that helps recalibrate your internal clock (available over-the-counter in the US, but illegal in some European countries). Bottom Line: The best prescription is to leave home unfrazzled, minimize jet lag’s symptoms, force yourself into European time, and give yourself a chance to enjoy your trip from the moment you step off the plane.
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Here is the next chapter of my book. It deals with safety. I am sure there are far more safety tips than what I discuss, and I shall investigate further. But here is what I have for now. Enjoy... Safety Like Rick Steves says “if there are two thieves in town, you will meet them”. Don’t be vulnerable to thieves and pickpockets. It is really simple. Wear a money belt. It is a cloth wallet that goes around your waste and you tuck it under your pants. In it you store your passport, tickets, credit cards, driver’s license, etc. In your pants pockets, only keep a days’ worth of spending money. My advice would be to wear pants with zipper pockets or a wallet with a zipper and a chain attached to your belt ring. That way if you are to be pickpocketed, it will be less likely that they will be successful in robbing you. Also, don’t keep valuables lying out in the hotel room. It is unlikely that anything will be stolen in the hotel, but there are rare occasions when staff can have wandering hands while cleaning your room. When it comes to medical safety, just ask for help. For minor things like headaches or stomachaches, if you did not bring any medicine, stroll down to the neighborhood pharmacy. Ask the pharmacist for help if you can’t find what you are looking for. Most British and European pharmacies will have the same products we have here in the US, just maybe under different brand names. Also, if you run out of prescription medicine, take the bottle to the pharmacy with the name of the medicine, dosage and doctor’s name and they may be able to assist you. For real medical emergencies, the number to call in Britain is not “911” it is actually “999”. That number is the same for police as well. I hope you get some useful tips from that short narrative. For Rick Steves' safety tips, click the button under the picture below. Cheers! |
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