Pass on that amazing desert following a heavy meal. Otherwise, you may find yourself having a stacked two-pillow night in which your stomach seems to balloon and the only comfort is to sleep half sitting up. It also helps to eat a smaller meal at night and a heartier one earlier in the day. I favor the old adage; "eat like a king at breakfast and a pauper at dinner." Leave plenty of time in the morning for some meditation, followed by stretching and floor exercises. Use a towel as a floor mat because carpets in hotels aren''t very clean. Most hotels have workout rooms and many also have pools. Take advantage of these but exercise moderately. This is not the time to push to the limit. I love to swim but avoid indoor pools in the winter because they are usually heavily chlorinated and seem to bother my already dry respiratory membranes.
I take along special comfort items including a little voice-activated Braun alarm clock that has traveled with me all over the world since the 1980''s. I have learned to always check the electric alarm clocks in hotel rooms. If I don''t, there''s a good chance that some loud tune will wake me at an innappropriate hour. Housekeeping leves to play music while they work - and who could blame them? It''s just that they sometimes forget to turn off the music alarm. My silk lavender-scented eye pillow is another must. It soothes tired eyes and reminds me of my comfy bed back home. Of course, these are just my own. But it''s little comforts like these that can help reduce stress to make traveling a lot more comfortable.
