How a Coke Shower Taught Me the Ultimate Travel Tip

Today’s post is about a travel tip I once heard from someone, and ever since that day, I started doing it — but to be honest, I never truly realized how important it was until my last trip.

I’m talking about spare clothes.

And by that, I mean always traveling with a complete change of clothes in your carry-on.

When I first started traveling, the thought never crossed my mind. I would pack everything directly into my checked luggage, not even considering the idea of carrying extra clothes with me. Then one day, I heard stories about people who had their luggage lost — and suddenly, I imagined myself landing somewhere with no clothes at all.

That was enough to change my habit.

I’m the kind of person who always thinks about the worst-case scenario. Some people might call me anxious or even overly cautious, but from that day forward, I started packing a spare outfit in my handbag — no matter the trip, even when it was just a bus ride. I know, the chances of losing your luggage on a bus are close to zero, but… who knows, right?

And let me tell you: thank God I did.

No, I’ve never had my luggage lost — but during my last trip, I was truly grateful for having those spare clothes with me.

I was flying back from Brazil to Belgium, and my seat was right in the middle of the middle row. I ended up between two Brazilian strangers — a guy on my right, and a woman on my left. We chatted, shared stories, and the flight felt lighter thanks to them, especially considering it was an 11-hour journey.

Everything was going fine until the meal service started. The food arrived, and then the drinks. The guy next to me ordered a Coke, so I did the same. But he turned to the flight attendant and asked for one more, and apparently, she got confused and handed both Cokes to him.

I was stuck in the middle and couldn’t reach the attendant, so I simply asked him:

“I think one of those Cokes was actually meant for me, wasn’t it?”

He replied something like, “Maybe, yeah,” and placed the cup on my tray table.

And in the blink of an eye, all the Coke from that cup was now on me. On my pants, on my shirt — even on the seat. For a second, everyone around me froze, waiting for my reaction. And what did I do? I laughed. I laughed a lot, because what else could I do? The flight had barely started, and there I was, soaked in Coca-Cola.

I think they thought I was crazy for laughing like that, but deep down, I was simply relieved.

I had packed spare clothes.

So I grabbed them, headed to the tiny airplane bathroom, did a little “magic trick” to clean myself up and change. The flight attendant also helped me with the seat, and I was able to fly back to Belgium dry, clean, and at peace.

So here’s my advice:

If you’re still wondering whether or not it’s worth carrying spare clothes on a trip — especially on flights — remember that airplane seats are small, tray tables are even smaller, and unexpected situations are always part of the adventure.

Being prepared won’t hurt. Trust me.

Thanks for reading,

See you on the next post!

Leticia Estrela