5 Ways to Adjust to A New Time Zone

I spent most of the weekend trying to plan my trip to Australia for the fall. One of the biggest pitfalls of traveling to Australia or New Zealand is that you lose almost two days traveling there. Midnight (12am) on the East Coast is 3pm in Sydney, almost 15 hours ahead.

www.worldtimezone.com 

Typically, when I travel, I am not effected by the difference in time. My body adjusts with minimal interference. That was until I traveled to Tokyo. While in Tokyo, I was fine, but when I got home my body took a week to readjust. Sleeping at 5pm and working at 1am was the norm. FYI, Tokyo is 2 hours ahead of Sydney.

A few month's ago, Men's Health had a great piece on 5 Ways to Adjust to A New Time Zone. Unfortunately, I can't find an online version. Luckily I ripped it out of the magazine.

1. Plane Time is Sleep Time

Nap as much as you can on board in both directions. Don't try to eat bad food or watch bad movies. Sit by the window so seatmates don't bother you. Use and eye mask and noise-canceling headphones. Wheels up, eyes closed.


2. Drink Up

Stay hydrated. That means no alcohol, which will only make you dehydrated and groggy and rob you of relaxing sleep. You don't want to land hungover without the bonus of having earned it with a wild night out.


3. Make the First Day Work

Assume local time immediately and fight to stay awake as long as you can.  The longer you make it, the easier the transition.


4. Step away from the bed.

If you're in your hotel and it's not close to nighttime. Never sit on the bed. If you do, you're done.


5. Return home right

Force yourself onto your normal schedule. The longer you allow yourself to stay in another time zone, the longer you miss out on life at home.


I am going to try these when I travel to Australia. Will they work? I'll report back.

Do you have any tips to beat adjustments to time?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                    Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints!

Forgot Something in Your Ziplock Bag - No Problem

We have all done it. You look into your ziplock bag and noticed that you forgot something.

lubbockonline.com 

This happens to me on every trip. Many hotels have samples of toiletries if you forget something. A quick call to the front desk will get you the item that you need within minutes. However, sometimes you are tight for time or at a hotel that doesn't offer that service. Well, Men's Health has you covered (starts on slide 4)!

Men's Health

Forget Your Toothbrush

A no-brainier:

 "You can break up stickiness on your teeth by using a dry brush," says Mark Burhenne, D.D.S., a dentist in Sunnyvale, California, and the founder of AsktheDentist.com. Just brush twice as long as you normally would. You'll scrub off food particles and fight bad breath."

Forget Shaving Cream

Never though to try this:

 "Grab one of the hotel-provided hair conditioners and use it as a shave cream. It'll make    the surface slippery and won't dry your skin."

Forget Shoe Polish

Now the weirdest:

"Hit the breakfast buffet. The natural oils of a banana peel will do the trick, he says. First wipe the shoe clean with a dry cloth or paper towel. Then swipe the inside of a banana peel over the shoe and heel several times. Use the cloth or paper towel to wipe off the residue, and behold: polished shoes!"

The Onion

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for me? E-mail me at jd@doitforthepoints.com

Mid-August Recap

Here is a quick recap of the articles from the blog this month:

• Putting 31 Ways To Earn United Miles into Practice
• 32 Way to Earn Miles: Read Blogs
• Earn 11 MileagePlus Miles $1 Spent at Marriott
• Men's Health's 20 Guy Trips
• Live Like a Local: Ben's Chili Bowl
• Tale of Two Lounges: Narita Airport
• Do it for the Doughnuts: Carpe Donuts
• Earn up to 16 Rapid Reward Miles per $1 Spent at Marriott
• Just Pay it Forward
• Travel Mistakes
• Opinion Outpost Offers United Miles
• Cash Back Boy Fails Again
• Do It For The Points: Ordered Ebook
• My Visit to 9/11 Memorial
• Love Boat's Final Cruise
• Cash Back Boy's Mailbox

Busy month so far, but have even better things brewing for the rest of the month.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for me? E-mail me at jd@doitforthepoints.com

Men's Heath: 20 Guy Trips That Will Change Your Life

In 2011, Men's Health wrote an article on twenty trips the will change your life.

All Pictures Taken From The Men's Health Article

The list includes some trips/experiences that I want to take and others I think I might pass on.

Here is their list:

Paddle The Grand Canyon

Burn Some Rubber

Master the Grill

African Safari

Catch and Grill a Trout

Kayak with the Blue Whales

Make Pinot Noir

Climb the Redwoods

Sleep on a Volcano 

Kayak the Galapagos

Survive in the Wild

Save the Amazon, In Person

Canoe the Maine Woods

Fly Across the Waves

Find Nemo

Graduate Fitness Boot Camp

Trek the Himalayas

Thunder Across the Plains

Dance the Samba at Rio's Carnival

Pedal into Copper Canyon

Like I said, I would take some of these trip like Rio and Sleep on a Volcano and skip others like Make Pinot Noir. However, I think this list does not go far enough. I would have added hike Machu Picchu, attend OctoberFest in Germany, and skydive in Nambia to the list. The Men's Health list was heavily US centered. There is much more to the world than the United States, so go out and see it!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for us? E-mail me at jd@doitforthepoints.com