10 things I have learned from international business travel.

1. There is an art to packing. If you roll your clothes, you will fit more but iron more.
2. The carry-on saves the stress of wondering if your bag will arrive with you.
3. You will always pack more than you need in the beginning.  If you travel with seasoned business travelers, pick their brains about it. Most hotels offer laundry service. No need to pack for every day of your trip.  Pay close attention to what you use and don’t use on the trip. It will help you when you pack for the next trip.
4. Airline food is about as delicious as a sandwich from a gas station.  Bring something on with you.
5. Pack workout clothes and use them.  You need to work off that hotel buffet.
6. Movies can help the trip go by quickly. If you travel frequently, be sure to rent some movies for your tablet or phone as you will have seen all that the airline has to offer.
7. Get access to the business center (if the hotel has one). Lobbies can be loud to work in and you will want to get out of your room. You will have access to beverages all day, typically a happy hour and sometimes breakfast. It is worth the cost.
8. Audio is better than video when calling home. When I say better, I mean quality. You always want to see your family, but video uses more bandwidth and can make the conversations choppy.
9. Building your frequent flyer miles is great, but fewer connections are better than frequent flyer miles. I prefer the most direct route vs. building miles. If you travel to the same places often, find the airline that offers the best routes and build your miles through them.
10. It is always amazing how many people who don’t travel internationally will tell you not to drink the water! LOL