Background: Exercise

One: Luggage

Good luggage is key to traveling with ease. I cannot stress this enough. Ever since I was little, I've always invested in quality luggage and it makes all the difference in your travels. I grew up loving Tumi, and while they have been some of the most reliable luggage I have ever owned, I entered into the tech craze and joined the bandwagon of Raden smart luggage just last year. My luggage has a tracker, battery pack, and a TSA-approved lock on it. The Raden carry-on is perfect for an overnight trip, but too small (IMO) for a long weekend trip, and I don't like checking bags. While I think the Raden luggage does travel nicely, I think that I prefer simplicity and functionality the most, so I'm considering getting some classic Rimowa pieces as my next purchase. I also have an awesome Samsonite luggage that is super light that I like I take on long trips. It was very inexpensive, but is awesome to travel with internationally. 

Two: On The Plane

Either take a zippered tote bag, a zippered duffle bag, or a small zipped carry-on luggage as your one of your carry-on's. Use these bags to store all of your in-flight gear. On a red eye flight, I generally don't travel with make-up on. Before the flight in the lounge, I'll usually put on a Korean sheet mask while drinking some hot tea. Then when aboard the flight, I put on Dr. Hauschka's Hydrating Mask with rose wax and shea butter (it goes on entirely clear and you can leave it on for the duration of your flight) to prevent dehydration from the plane air and afterwards, I put on La Mer's Moisturizing Soft Cream to lock in the hydration. I also use SK-II's Signs Eye Mask to prevent any dark circles, so I look as rested as possible when I land. I'll follow this with an acid-alkalizing tea that I bring on board myself. This helps the body to find the correct acid-alkaline balance - The harmoniously matched herbs have been chosen to also be relaxing whilst strengthening the immune system, which you need on a flight. I usually only fly direct, so depending on where I land, it's usually not a very long flight, so most of the time I have to pull myself together pretty quickly in order to de-board the plan, grab my luggage, and find my Uber. I like to store all my in-flight skincare products into a see-through bag from Muji. That way, it's easy to see when you are on the plane and in a cramped environment. 

Generally speaking, I wear layers on flights- tons of layers upon layers because I get cold easily. I wear an oversized scarf that doubles as a blanket that I designed, an eye-mask to put over my eyes (so no one can stare at me as I'm sleeping), a pair of thick socks from Muji, and slippers so that I can remove my shoes and wear those throughout the flight. My favorite slippers are by a little cobbler in Shanghai that are silk with hand-stitched designs on them. I have a few that are custom and a few that are his designs, but I love all of them. Almost always when I travel, I will peak into a little shop that is custom to that city and pick up a souvenir or two. I also bring my memory foam rectangular pillow for any flight over 5+ hours.

Three: Skincare

Traveling kills your skin, so even on the road, I bring a lot of skincare products. I have my ten-step Korean beauty routine that I do at home, but I'm not as aggressive when I'm traveling. I always bring my Beauty Water from Son & Park, which is really an all-in-one solution for cleaning your skin, 

I try and protect my skin as much as possible from the sun- especially on my face, so I always wear large brim hats if the sun is strong, and non-toxic sunscreens like La Roche Posay. If I wear anything higher than 15 SPF on my body, I won't tan at all, so 15 SPF is usually enough for me and I prefer Clarins's 15 SPF Sunscreen Oil. It goes on really well and it's easy to travel with in a plastic container from Muji. 

Four: Makeup

My makeup routine is quite simple. I don't wear a lot of makeup generally, but I use Laura Mercier's Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 every day and Nars Bronzer and Nars Blush for highlights. I also use Chanel's pencil and liquid liner, mascara and some combination of their lipstick. If I want to add more contouring for evening, I use Nars eyeshadows. My brush set is from Japonesque (Kumadori) and I have some Chanel brushes as well and I carry them always bundled up in my black Mac Make-up Bags. My favorite thing to do is be adventurous with a pop of color on my lips.

Five: Haircare

I care about my hair probably more than most people, but you have to in order to make sure your strands are healthy for years to come. I colored my hair a lot when I was younger, so I have to make sure I watch and use appropriate products. At home I use Kertain Complex, but on the road I usually use Keratase. 

Six: Electronics

When I travel for a week, I bring a minimum of 2 battery packs completely charged with 8 charges available per battery. When I travel for two weeks, I bring four. My favorite ones are Anker and I buy them from Amazon in bulk. They will change your life. I store all of these into my carry-on bag (you are not allowed to check batteries) and organize all the wires together in a small bag. I bring three iPhone chargers, a charger to charge my external batteries, my laptop charger, Macbook Pro, battery charger for my camera, extra camera batteries, extra SD cards, SD card converter, Canon 5D, camera lens (usually 50mm), and iPhone 7. I know it seems like a lot, but the most important thing in the world to me is to capture moments, so without a camera of some sort, I end up with a camel when what I am looking for is a horse.

Seven: Outfits

I never travel on trips without planning out my outfits. Everyone wonders why I am able to pack so efficiently and for so long, and it's because I careful curate each outfit. I bring a few extra pieces just in case I change my mind or the weather isn't cooperating, but for the most part, each day and night are carefully planned in advance. When I’m not being photographed, I keep my style super simple. I always travel with basics: a leather motorcycle jacket, a white collared shirt, a white tee shirt, a white linen tank, black turtleneck (if it's going to be chilly), leather leggings, vintage denim cut-offs (if it's hot), and my Outdoor Voices tech kits that double as workout clothes and athleisure. The secret to traveling is to never unpack! I usually carry one to two luggages with me at any even time depending on where I am going, so I often leave both of those entirely unpacked.

Eight: Accessories

If ome variation of white trainers (Ked's for summer, Common Project's for winter, Stan Smith's for in-between months, MiuMiu if I'm feeling adventurous), a simple black pump (Louboutin), a loafer (Gucci), a black boot (Saint Laurent, Chanel, or Acne), blue jeans (either vintage Levi's or Mother), I have a small bag of accessories that I almost always take on any trip (rings, bracelets, earrings, belts, scarves), so I keep those packed that way I can just take it whenever I need it. For any costume jewelry or other accessories, I add those in at the last minute when I know what my outfits are going to be. 

Nine: Exercise

If I'm on the east coast, I do a variety of things including boxing, pilates or yoga a few times a week. I also try and walk everywhere I need to go, so sometimes if the weather is nice, it I could be walking about the city runnings errands for miles. If I'm on the west coast, I walk about 4 miles in the mornings, bike, or surf. If I am Europe, (usually spend most of my time in Paris or London), I walk and walk and walk. If I'm in Paris, I have a bike there, so usually bike around since its quicker or take the metro. In London, I take the underground, then walk the rest of the way. My approach to fitness comes from a place of wellness versus vanity. 

Ten: Food

I try not to eat processed food, especially not on the road, but it's usually difficult. When I travel, I always plan ahead with food options (you can see some of my favorite spots in my City Guides) and I find these places from local friends, design magazines, OpenTable, Yelp, etc. It's really important to me to find places that offer fresh and healthy food. My favorite meal when I am traveling through is sushi, so long as the fish is really high quality and fresh. I'm not a big drinker in general, so I shy away from alcohol especially during my travels. I also walk everywhere when I get to a city, if I can. At home, if I am cooking something easy, I like to eat rice bowls with seasonal vegetables (right now: lots of garden kale roasted, with carrots, and other bright varietals) and one of my homemade sauces. I rarely shop in large super markets, except for Whole Foods, but I really try to buy all my food local and organic from sustainable farmers when I'm local or staying somewhere for a longer duration of time.

The food that you put into your body is so important. If you approach eating well from a place of love and expansion, then it becomes your lifestyle versus a chore. If you see it as a chore, no matter how diligent you are about your calories, food choices, etc. you will not have long-lasting results. If you approach eating from a place of self-love and appreciation for your body, then it becomes something natural. I see eating well as treating myself every single day.