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| | | | | | | I'm Getting Ready for the Return of Travel by Cleaning Out My Closet | I'm a summer baby, but spring has to be one of my favorite seasons. Maybe it's the flowers blooming, longer hours of sunshine, or the overall sense of rebirth and even the anticipation of summer's arrival. And like a lot of people, I've been devoting some time to cleaning out my closet.
As countries are starting to open up again due to vaccinations, I've even begun resurfacing my favorite clothing items and beauty products for traveling, which have been tucked away for a year due to the pandemic. While I'm getting ready for my return to the friendly skies, here are four things I can't wait to start using again.
1. I love a simple knee-length dress since there's no need to fuss over packing a matching top. When I know I'll be hitting the pavement a lot (I always say "yes" to walking tours and museums in new cities!), then I bring my Bandelettes. I never leave home without them—seriously, I once had my Uber turn around so I could retrieve them. These anti-chafing thigh bands are a must for anyone who loves dresses and has ever endured the discomfort of your thighs rubbing together.
2. Even when I'm not heading to a beach destination, I tend to pack a swimsuit just in case, usually from Shapermint. I love that their suits have support without feeling restrictive.
3. Anyone who has ever traveled with me over the past three years knows I have a go-to pair of sneakers. And they just so happen to be from the boys' department at Target. Yup, these are perfect to slip on and off thanks to the side zipper. And because they're sneakers, they work for every climate and provide more support than sandals.
4. Though I haven't really been wearing makeup for more than a year now, skincare is always important. Black Girl Sunscreen has been my top pick for years; its formula doesn't leave a cast or ashy appearance, which can happen all too often for darker skin. (Pro tip: If you, like me, have a stash of travel-sized beauty products, now's the perfect time to go through it and toss any expired items.)
So do I have any spring or summer travel plans just yet? Sadly, no. But when I finally book, I know I'll be ready and can quickly pack a bag.
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How I learned to take care of my mental health during the year of COVID-19. | |  | From the Editors:
Our Pandemic Hobbies for Mental Health | This March marked one year since the beginning of COVID-19, and with it, the start of enormous changes that are still unfolding. We found ourselves challenged in many ways as we tried to balance the state of the world with our own mental health.
In this From the Editors series, Verywell Mind editors take a look at the past year of quarantine and reflect on the pandemic hobbies, both big and small, that helped us cope with the stress of the pandemic and bring back a sense of joy and peace. | | | 2020 was the year that had me wondering how much control I actually have over my life—it didn't feel like a ton.
I tried to reclaim it in little ways. Being at home and no longer tempted to eat day-old donuts sitting out at the office, I shopped for fresh groceries as often as I wanted. Control what I put in my body. Reinvigorate myself with healthy foods. "So at first, I think the only pandemic hobby I had was trying out a new organic supermarket in my neighborhood, trekking on foot a whole 30 blocks both ways."
Grocery shopping for sport got a little old. I still did it because I had to, but my excitement peaked when I tried dragon fruit for the first time. After that, everything else lost its steam. Alright, what's next? Well, while I was turning my life into a project, I couldn't help but notice the bedroom I had so frightfully neglected during the days of my subway commutes. Now, there's a trending hobby: cleaning. Prompted by my other hobby (watching other people clean their rooms on Netflix), I learned the real meaning of clean: cutting off emotional attachments to unused objects so I can see my floor. I rediscovered some old toys—those things I "had to have" at the time that quickly joined the dusty repertoire of things I also "had to have" a couple of months before. My favorite one of these: my radio.
I bought a radio after staying in a hotel pre-pandemic. The hotel room had this retro-looking Tivoli Audio Model One AM/FM radio. I barely turned it off my whole stay, streaming in the smoky radio voices and the music, old and comforting or new and inspiring. It reminded me of getting my driver's license—the first thrilling taste of freedom—and my only company was FM radio. And because it's all happening in real time, I knew I wasn't really the only one listening, even if I was the only one in the car.
I dusted mine off—a beautiful white and chestnut finish. I'm reminded of people who listened to their radios when that's all there was before TV, getting their news, their stories, and their music all through this one box. There were no visuals—only the listeners' own, prompted by the sounds. I think of how so much of what I listen to comes from Spotify by way of my laptop, my phone, my headphones… I am always in the driver's seat. With the radio, I don't have that same control. Sure, I can change the station, but I have no way of knowing if it'll be better or worse than the one I came from until I get there. I have to let go and let it in. Of course, some of it I don't like. Some of the conversations are boring and some of the songs are bad (unless I'm listening to WFUV, go Rams). But what comes out of it is never up to me, and this fact doesn't make it less enjoyable. There's actually freedom.
It'd be a whole philosophical debate on how much control we humans really have (more content than this newsletter can take). But instead of worrying about what I can't control, I'm trying to reframe: what's the harm in letting go? | | | | | | | You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Fit newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. | | A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 | | | | | | | 
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