What’s In My Purse: Essentials For Travel and Pain Management (with Cambridge Mask!)

Hello, hello! As we are well into September, my travel and activity is ramping up. (It’s almost wedding and honeymoon time!)

Travel time and busy seasons can be exciting for most people, but kind of daunting when you have chronic migraine and a weakened immune system on board. And don’t forget travel and social anxiety that wants to sneak in there!

Not trying to be a Debby Downer or sound like the girl that needs to live in a bubble or anything, just keeping it real! I want this post to be helpful for the every girl – the girl hustling at work and then heading out to a happy hour, the girl traveling solo around Europe, the girl with back to back doctor’s appointments in the city to keep her health in check.

I know it’s such a small thing, but having my bag ready and organized at all times we the stuff to keep me going on the go has made such a difference! I keep it all packed and right by the front door, so when a friend asks me to come meet them for dim sum or when I decide to run out to pick up a new sample from the neurologist, I am ready to go and I can say yes to the outings that are going to benefit my physical and mental health.

I am also going to be sharing a bit about one of my favorite, “in-my-bag” essentials – the Cambridge Mask! If you’re interested in learning about a super easy method for preventing airborne germs, bacteria, and unwelcome scents that can fit in your purse or carry-on for travel, definitely keep reading.

So – a not your average “what’s in my purse”, but hopefully a helpful one at that!

So let’s start out with my bag. I have this cutey purse from Francescas. I like it because it is –

trendy

goes with anything / all seasons

is big enough to fit a lot in, but isn’t a big, oversized tote that is hard to lug around

I’ll switch out my purse ever so often, but this is my current go-to for those reasons! I have a bunch of smaller cross body bags that are cute, but just too small for my current needs, haha.

If you’re interested in a similar bag, definitely check out this super similar version or something a bit more structured.

Ok, so what’s inside? I’ve found what works by trial and error. I have gone somewhere and not had a particular item and totally missed it and needed it, and have now added it in. And I’ve taken things out that I didn’t use a lot that could stay in my bathroom cabinet or bedroom and didn’t need to come with me everywhere.

This is going to look different for everyone, so play around with it and find what works! But I’ll get into what’s in here for now.

I like a couple snacks to permanently live in here, though I’ll probably add a bar or something every now and again if I think of it. I love to keep these little peanut butter packs on hand for quick and tasty protein. And dried mango keeps for a while, fits slim in the purse, and is a good fast-acting sugar when my blood sugar is low.

Speaking of lows, I keep glucose tabs on hand at all times (hence why they are in my purse!) for a low blood sugar moment.

Noise sensitive? Old fashioned earplugs can be so helpful! I haven’t had to use these often because I tend to only get noise sensitive if I have a bad, category 4 migraine – and if that’s the case, I am usually not out and about! But, this could be really helpful for a plane or train ride where the motion of the vehicle is really loud. And meds? Well, those are for migraine rescue, so I like to keep them on hand just in case!

With my long, unpredictable hair, I always have scrunchies on hand! Especially in this heat. If you aren’t feeling great, the last thing you want is your long hair strangling you, lol. And always have an extra one to let someone borrow. ☺️

I love this Madewell wallet (no longer available) a friend gifted me last year because it’s so sleek and discreet that it doesn’t take up a lot of space! It fits all my cards, gym cards, and any business cards or receipts I need to keep with me.

My two favorite lip colors I like to keep in my purse are Colourpop’s Lippie Stick in “Brink” and the BEST orangey-red, “RMS Red”.

I HAVE to have chapstick because it’s a huge pet peeve of mind to have chapped lips. (Right there next to: dirty feet, keys thrown on the counter and not on the key hanger, etc. lol.)

I also keep earphones in my bag, so that I never have to remember them for the gym or the coffee shop – they are just always in there!

A tide-to-go pen has always come in handy because I will always get food on my shirt. Always! And it’s another thing that I liked to let people borrow and play hero when a coworker would get coffee on their nice blazer!

My essential oils roller ball is so easy and convenient to have on hand. I’ve tried to travel with regular essential oil bottles and I find that no matter what I do – they leak! And those babies are expensive, so I hate to waste any oil. This peppermint roller pall is great for tackling any pain and nausea – which are my major symptomatic complaints whilst traveling!

Have you seen my first-ever IGTV video? I shared my pain management must-haves and these guys took center stage! I use all of these balms every day, so it just makes sense to keep them in my on-the-go bag. They are all the perfect size for traveling, and they really help with any aches and pains.

Tiger balm is my one true love, this Arnicare gel is non-fragrant and not oily, and I got this balm from a random boutique and can’t link, but it claims to have CBD extract in it. I don’t buy it hahaha, but it does give a calming effect with it’s essential oils!

Now, a little bit about this travel and on-the-go must have, my Cambridge Mask!

The Cambridge Mask is a respirator that uses military grade filtration technology to filter out nearly 100% of pollution, gases, and bacteria. Basically, say goodbye to the fear of walking on to a germy airplane or crowded subway during cold and flu season.

To me, this mask is the highly elevated alternative to that doctor’s office paper mask that you can wear while traveling when you’re really trying not to catch anything. But rest assured – it’s going to work 20x better, per the qualities listed above.

And I like it because it’s not just going to mask germs and bacteria (which is definitely super helpful when traveling … weak immune system or not), but if you are sensitive to certain scents, you’ll want this! A lot of people with migraine are really trigged by strong perfumes, and when you get on a crowded airplane, bus, or train, you just don’t know what you’re gonna get. I can sniff out Tom Ford eau de parfum a mile away and it can really kick things up for me, but if I just keep my Cambridge Mask safely stashed away in my bag, I’ll be good to go.

Also, Cambridge Masks come in a variety of sizes to fit your face and shape (woohoo, inclusivity!) and it is reusable and hand-washable, so it’s definitely more environmentally friendly than paper, reusable masks. It’s super comfortable and they have tons of different colors and patterns to choose from on their site, so you can find something that works with your personal style.

I did ask some fellow chronically (ch)ill friends who said they LOVE this mask for travel! They do take it off when going through airport security, but if you had a real issue, you could tweet or contact TSA before your travels and see what the protocol is for going through security.

I plan to use mine on my upcoming flight to Europe for our HONEYMOON! It’s a long flight, and I want to land in the best health I can manage, so blocking out any airborne germs and unwelcome scents is super necessary.

I’ll be sharing more about the Cambridge mask on my Instagram this week, so be sure you’re following along for more info!

I hope this post is helpful for all fellow spoonies and just the average gal on the go who wants to be comfy and healthy this season. Let me know where you’re traveling soon…I’m already planning our next getaway!

X,

Cristina