We are heading off for L.A., and as always, we like to travel like dancers. It’s not a goal to broadcast to the world that we’re dancers. But after so many years of training, it’s definitely hard to turn off the dancer mentality. Being a dancer is 24/7, right? That’s the whole idea behind a #dancerslifestyle. So we like to feel like dancers when we’re traveling, too.
How do we tap into our “dance feel” when we’re hustling around the airport? Let’s start with the clothes.
The Clothes
We might be rocking the athleisure wear, but we’ve put thought into our outfits. That’s what it means to travel like dancers. Simeon and I always wear a consistent brand of clothes. I, personally, prefer Nike, but Simeon’s favorite is Under Armor. And make no mistake, we are consistent from head to toe.
I love athleisure. It keeps things comfortable, but stylish at the same time. Airplane space can be tight these days, so wearing stretchy material is a must. If I need to do the splits to hop over Simeon, I can! But at the same time, Nike makes some pretty stylish threads. I’m loving these leggings!
Air conditioning is always on full blast on the airplane. That’s why you’ll always see me with a high neck shirt or sweater. With that air conditioning blasting down on my neck, I’ll get off with a sore neck for sure. With the competition tomorrow night, I can’t afford that. Better to keep my neck warm. If my neck is really sore, I’ll wrap a scarf around my neck. This fleece-lined shirt from Nike is perfect. Not too hot, not too cold.
The Carry-On
To travel like dancers means to think about those carry-on items, too. More specifically, our costumes. There is no way in the world those costumes are going through checked luggage. The risk of them the suitcase getting lost is just too great. Even if it doesn’t get lost, I can’t afford a costume delay. Those costumes stay with me.
Therefore, I pack everything that can’t easily be replaced in my carry-on. That includes my costumes and my competition shoes. I also throw in my high-price items, like my Louis Vuitton bag or my Louboutin shoes. They’re just too precious to trust to the luggage guys.
And what’s in my shoulder bag? Just a few items, the necessities. Laptop, of course, and a plastic folder of papers. Owning a studio means never running out of things to do. In truth, I really look forward to flights. The airplane means time to get things done, without interruption. No students asking for help (don’t worry guys, I still love you!). I don’t have to reply to staff reminding me to do this or that (I still love you too!). No dog nipping at my arm for attention (I love my #caspertheeskie). Just two or more hours of uninterrupted work time.
And to make sure I stay focused, I bring my bullet journal with me. Yes, I am a bullet journalist. I would literally curl up into a little ball and die without my bullet journal. Some weeks I get so busy I run out of time to update it. That can only last for a couple of days. Then, all Hell breaks loose. But seriously, I love my bullet journal.
Simeon brings his bullet journal, too. His isn’t as pretty as mine, but that’s ok. It functions great for him and that’s all that matters. Don’t tell him I called it a bullet journal. It’s still a point of contention in the Stoynov household. (But really, it is!)
Everything fits snugly into my little Coach City Tote. It can be a bit of a tight squeeze, so anything that doesn’t fit goes into Simeon’s Louis Vuitton duffle bag. What a great bag! We use it for travel, for toting our laptops to internet cafes while we’re overseas, and for lugging our competitive stuff down to the ballroom. That bag goes everywhere with us. Simeon also loves how masculine it looks. That dark grey and black checked squares give an understated and masculine elegance to the LV monogram. If you fancy the bag for yourself, you can find it here. I can’t recommend it enough.
Travel Tunes
I don’t go anywhere without my Bluetooth earphones, so I can plug in and focus on my work. Ok, we might travel like dancers, but don’t assume we listen to dance music all of the time. So if I’m not listening to dance tunes, what does come out of my earphones?
Well, I’m so glad you asked.
Truth be told, I’m a rock girl. A true Seattleite. My parents raised me on a steady diet of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. My babysitter turned me onto Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins when they were the new kids on the block. I’ve never gotten past that euphoric rock sound.
My favorites are Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Tool. I could literally spend hours zoning out to Tool. Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails are playlist staples. Yes, I like Nirvana too. However, in my opinion, although Nirvana is awesome, there is better rock out there. Silverchair certainly gives them a run for their money. But, I am happy to report, I’ve discovered some new bands I like!
Enter Highly Suspicious. I love their sound! Not so much their older sound. But their new sound? Orgasmic! I first heard them on the radio with their newest hit, “My Name is Human”. The lyrics remind me of the band Orgy, in their song “She Dreams in Digital”. (A very cool song, by the way.) But “My Name is Human” only led me to two more of their songs, “Lydia” and “Wolf”. I could listen to “Wolf” all day long. It has Tool sort of feel to it, with similar rhythm unexpected rhythm changes. Spoiler alert! There is a long non-vocal piece at the end of the song that you can completely lose yourself in.
And Johnny’s voice is beautiful. He has a talent of combining inventive lyrics with creative cadence on top of his vocal range. I’ve seen him described as having a vocal range similar to Chris Cornell. Now that is definitely impressive.
Want to check them out? Listen to their hit, “My Name Is Human,” on Youtube!
Hope you guys got some good travel tips! What about you? How do you like to dress when you hop on the airplane? Comment below!
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