Traveling without getting sick

CEBU, Philippines - Your family may have plans to spend your summer holiday in a place near your home or in a distant land. Either way, you’re going to have to travel by land, air or sea. And it’s an experience that some of you don’t look forward to, for you are prone to travel sickness.

I’m as unhappy when traveling as a kid but I got over it by soliciting advice from fellow passengers. Most people have a list of what to do while traveling, but only one boy whom I met in a ship got the answer right. " Sleep or just enjoy the view,” he said knowingly. Chances are you're not going to sleep out of excitement or is it nervousness? So, do enjoy the view without losing your sense of balance.

Travel sickness, the thief that takes away the fun out of your summer trip and leaving you nauseous is caused by an imbalance of your senses. Your brain’s sense of movement gets mixed up with unmatched signals from your ears, eyes, muscles and joints, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Hold your head up. This is the mantra for all situations in life; in traveling, even more so. I know it's tempting to go read the next chapter of your book or have Ben Ten beat the bad guys and protect the earth in your PSPs but you'll risk getting sick. Remember that if your ear detects movement on a trip but your eyes are on your book or your gaming device, you send conflicting signals to your brain, resulting in travel sickness. So, lean your head back, get as much fresh air you can, keep your eyes on the road or the horizon if you're on a land trip, or on a fixed point if you're on a ship or a plane. And like the winner that you are, keep your head up. 

I don't take boiled eggs and milk before a trip, as a rule. Even kids that don't have dairy allergies should also avoid them during travel. They're slow to digest so you'll end up feeling clammy and sweaty because the trip will cause the food in your stomach to get unsettled. Greasy, spicy and acidic food should be avoided for they too upset your delicate stomach.

On a plane, having ear-buds is perfectly acceptable. Listening to music help block out the noise of the plane’s engine. In as much as a sense of imbalance causes travel sickness, it is also caused by a nervous state of mind. If you think you're going to throw up like the kid next to you, then you're likely to do so sooner or later. The trick is to let your mind control your body. Ride the wave of bile rising in your throat like a surfer. Think you're above travel sickness. Feel your balance. Sounds like a session in a meditation retreat but it worked for me, I kissed the clammy feeling goodbye during travels since I agree that travel sickness sometimes is all in the mind. There's no reason why it shouldn't work for you, too. And oh, make sure you listen to music that's relaxing. 

If still susceptible to travel sickness, bring your barf bag with you and ask mom to give you anti-emetics 30 minutes before the trip. As one side effect is drowsiness, remember what the boy in the ship said? Yes, consider sleep. (FREEMAN)