Almost every month of the year has several days that recognize and celebrate various causes, organizations, or topics. Some of these days are serious, some are religious, and some are just fun ones (World Doughnut Day, anyone?).

One of the biggest celebrations that we mark in March is International Women's Day. This event is celebrated annually on March 8th, and this year has the theme of "Break the Bias." According to their official website, "International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality."

International Women's Day has a long history and has been celebrated for over a century, with its first recognition occurring in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. It was later celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975 but gained more considerable popularity with its re-energization in 2001.*

As part of our own celebration and recognition for this day, the Global Leadership League proudly hosted our event, The Difference You Make: A Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor. This event was an inspiring and moving virtual conversation with Dr. Irene Butter, a Holocaust survivor, and author. We were honored to host this event and to hold our own space in recognizing International Women's Day.

The concept of international days of recognition "predates the establishment of the United Nations"* and these occurrences are helpful to educate and inform people about different causes and global problems and celebrate various causal successes. Some of the most recognized international days include International Women's Day on March 8th, World Water Day on March 22nd, and International Day of Peace on September 21st. To peruse a comprehensive list of International Days of Celebration, visit this site hosted by the UNESCO Center for Peace. On this list, you will find days marking everything from Mother Earth Day (April 22nd) to International Day of Happiness (March 20th).

With so many days of the years dedicated to different causes and topics, it seems that there is a day relating to just about everyone. So, we wonder, if you were to add your own international day or recognition, what type of person or activity would you love to see celebrated each year? Let us know by sharing with us on our social media!

*About international women's day. International Women's Day. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About

*Why do we mark international days? United Nations. (2020, April 21). Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.unsecretariat.net/sections/observances/why-do-we-mark-international-days/index.html#:~:text=Who%20chooses%20them%20and%20how,General%20Assembly%20by%20Member%20States

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

By Sarah E. Spencer, The League’s Director of Global Strategy and Founder of OnPoint Global Strategies & Coaching shares her thoughts on

Eight Questions Nonprofit Leaders Must Ask

Consistent good leadership is an essential skill, one more important than ever in all workplaces – private, not-for-profit or government. Although this article focuses on nonprofit leadership, many of these questions apply to anyone already a leader, or aspiring to be one. The last two years with the global pandemic and social, political and economic turmoil, have tested our professional acumen, stress levels and maybe even our health. 

In the nonprofit sector, the upheaval in employment and hence personal finances has impacted philanthropy. Volunteers may not have been available due to lockdowns, safety protocols or time available. Educators have somehow managed to move to online learning and empty campuses. Even your devoted employees energized by your organization’s mission may have unexpectedly left for remote work or more money, and it’s hard to recruit talented replacements.

This is a lot, even for the most experienced nonprofit leaders and professional colleagues. Take time to pause, grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine, and ask yourself the following eight questions to help reset your organization for success – and why not invite your leadership and diversity of professional colleagues to join in too?

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MMS NorCal Coaching Collective offers coaching, tools and support for leaders and executives, health and wellness, improved relationships, as well as coaching for artists, nonprofit leaders, and more. Subscribe to receive its monthly newsletter.

Sarah E. Spencer is a consultant to the higher and global education sector and the Founder & Managing Director at OnPoint Global Strategies & Coaching. She is also a Professional Coach at the MMS NorCal Institute of Northern California and works with non-profit leaders, professionals and teams who find themselves at crossroads or want to improve their leadership acumen. She is also a founding board member and director of global strategy for the Global Leadership League.

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

By Dana Tottenham

dtotten@emory.edu

Director, League Lasso Writer’s Circle
Ed.D. Student, The University of Texas at Austin On Educational Leave, Emory University 

One of the rituals when I fly from my home in Atlanta to my hometown of Austin is heading straight to El Arroyo (translated the Ditch). This Tex-Mex restaurant, built over a limestone ravine, has an infamous billboard out front. Over the decades, these billboard signs have become folklore in Austin: witty sayings, political statements, and signs of the times.

El Arroyo always says it best, “It’s OK if you fall apart. Sometimes tacos fall apart, and we still love them."

The field of international education has fallen apart. But here in the League, we love things that fall apart, because through the harness of leadership, we can join forces and put something even more magical back together. Whether you are asking Sophia something confidential or meeting new people in a Mentoring Circle, the League is like a taco bar. There is something for everyone.

I had to make an incredibly difficult decision in early spring 2021 to leave my beloved position in the field. As a working mom amidst a global pandemic, it simply was unsustainable to keep going, and I literally fell apart. I am grateful that I was already a League member. Although I had left my day job and sense of identity as an international educator, I still had an anchor in the field. The League became my comfort food- the biggest bowl of Queso that you can imagine drinking from.

During this year, I had the honor of launching the inaugural League Lasso Writer’s Circle. League members from across the globe- from the United States to Spain to India- zoomed together to share their stories. Late in the evenings, we read out loud a piece of our souls, from personal essays of pandemic trauma to book chapters waiting to be published to professional bio statements edited for university websites.

The Taco Bar of 2022 is officially open. The League is on the Rise. Grab a tortilla (or a rita), strap your vaccines in, and let’s enjoy the masked-up ride.

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

Where o where has 2021 gone?! If you are anything like us here at The League, it feels like this past year has flown by! We can’t believe that we are preparing to wrap up 2021 and turn our focus towards 2022. While many of us are still coming to terms with the past year (including the impact of COVID and the uncertainty of so many details for the future), we felt now is as good a time as any to take a moment for some reflection.

The holidays tend to be a period when most people spend more time with family, gather around the table together, and (hopefully) have a few days off here or there. Moments like this tend to bring to the surface many memories, including those of past holidays, thoughts of loved ones, and rumination on the past. We encourage you to use this time of the year to take your own pause for some reflection. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite warm beverage, find a comfy spot to settle into, and take a moment to deep dive into your past year of highs and maybe even a few lows. Here are a few ideas for you to help create some space for reflection:

1. Take time to journal: What have you accomplished this past year? What did you not accomplish but had hoped to? What was the biggest obstacle you faced? What was your happiest moment of the past year? What was your saddest? Spend some time with your thoughts and memories and write them down.

2. Look back through photos: In today’s age of technology, most of us take and store more pictures than ever before. Take some time to scroll through your social media over the past year, appreciating the images captured and the ideas you shared. Or, if you are not a big social media person, chances are you have created a feed of memories on your cell phone’s photo storage. Take a walk down memory lane looking at these images- pondering where you were, who you were with, and how you felt at that moment.

3. Flip back through your calendar: We all (almost all?) keep a log of our recent history. For some of us, that might be in the form of a digital calendar somewhere, and for others, it might still be in a physical paper calendar. By flipping back through the past months and looking at the different appointments you have set or the events marked down, these will act as the perfect prompts for reflection on all you have faced, handled, and accomplished.

4. Read through some notes: Again, everyone’s paper trail will look different, but we are sure most of us here have one. Whether it is in the form of a journal or diary that you keep, or even in the emails that you have sent, take some time to look back through your past correspondence- even if it is just with yourself in your own notebook. How did you feel at that moment? What was the entry or email in regards to? Was it something significant in your world at the time or something that was simply a part of your daily to-do list?

There are several ways we can all create a space of reflection for ourselves. Before we officially wrap up 2021 (hello, New Year’s Eve 2022, we see you!), we highly encourage everyone to take a moment to pause and explore how this past year has felt, both in the highs and the lows. In a

year that has seemed to have flown past in the blink of an eye, we are sure there are several sweet moments to be cherished. Happy reflecting!

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

When we launched The League, one of the top professional wishes was mentoring. Many colleagues didn’t know how to find a mentor, especially if their networks were limited, and we created one of our flagship programs for members. Mentor Circles provides a small group the chance to engage with others about varying topics- conversations they might not otherwise consider with participants they might otherwise not encounter. This cornerstone of collaboration and conversation is part of what makes this program so powerful and successful. You might even recall, we shared a blog by League Outcomes Coordinator Lisa Brancheau about our Mentor Circles back in February. Now we hear from participants below. 

We spoke with a few participants from our past mentor circles who were excited to share some of the reasons they found this program so rewarding and what drove them to participate in it several times over! So, we asked: Why did they participate? What was the best part? What advice would they offer others? And, what was the biggest takeaway for them? While we here at The League might feel the benefits of mentor circles are apparent, we thought it is important to share these perspectives with others who might not be clear on what a mentor circle is or how it can help them professionally.

The responses to “What made you want to join a mentor circle?” really hit home on just why we think this program can be so valuable for global education professionals. Our participants shared:

“I joined a Mentor Circle on a quest for deeper, intentional career introspection. I was seeking an opportunity that would challenge me to consider my potential professional outlook through guided conversation with other international education colleagues.” 

“I can’t remember why I joined the first time (in 2016 or so?), but I was impressed with the women who created The League and thought, why not! Since then, I’ve kept coming back and participating in the Mentoring Circles almost every cycle because I get a lot out of it, and it is not a big commitment. I have met some wonderful people (women mostly), made some good connections, and learned a lot about people and the International Education field.

I even joined a “Career Connections” mentoring relationship and have made a very good friend from it!”

When asked about the best part of Mentor Circles, their answers were about learning from others’ perspectives and experiences. These connections are really at the heart of what makes this program so impactful, and we are thrilled this effect is prominent within sessions and its outcomes.

“The absolute best part of the Mentor Circles is the opportunity to connect with other female international education colleagues. The diversity of experience and perspective lent itself to generating rich conversations, which positively impacted my own personal career self-reflection.”

“It is easy to do, and I have learned so much about different parts of our broad field of International Education and people from different geographic parts of the world. It allows me to travel (virtually) and learn about different perspectives and points of view.”

We know not everyone might be sold on the idea of Mentor Circles and their positive impact, so we asked our participants what advice they would offer to others thinking about participating in these groups?

“It is so easy to do and takes so little time, but the rewards are great. The mentor circle coordinators have done a very good job of matching people according to their interests and what stage of their career they are in.”

“Opening oneself up to vulnerability both internally and externally can be a challenge. The Mentoring Circles are a safe space to have open, honest, difficult, yet constructive conversations that ultimately yield tremendous career clarity. Joining a Mentoring Circle is easily one of the best decisions I made for reinvesting in myself and others.”

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, we asked participants what their biggest takeaway was from Mentor Circles. 

“My biggest takeaway was expanding my network to include some of the sharpest and caring individuals looking to elevate themselves and their colleagues. The incredible people in my Mentoring Circle serve as champions and cheerleaders for one another’s success. There are simply no words to describe the high level of empathy, support, and uplift I received from these amazing women.”

“Joining the Mentor circles has been enriching both personally and professionally! It’s not so much (for me) about the topic of the conversation, whether it’s “negotiation” or “Blazing your career trail” or something else. It is more about meeting and sharing and learning from and mentoring people who value similar things but who may come at it from slightly different perspectives. It is a very supportive and encouraging environment.”

If you have been on the fence about joining our Mentor Circles program, or have seen our promotions for it but never considered being a part of it, consider this your sign to join! We would love to have you, and we know you will walk away from it with experiences, professional growth, and learning opportunities you might not have otherwise encountered.  

We want to extend a BIG thank you to those who participated for taking the time to share their experiences and insights about Mentor Circles with us! 

Learn more and join our next round of Mentor Circles here.

While things may not be back to the same, most of us have more than likely acclimated to our new normal by now. For many of us, this new normal may look like working from home full-time or part-time, having the kids home either full-time or part-time or maybe even a completely new job and career. Whatever your recently found day-to-day looks like, we want to ask: are you still taking the time to focus on the forward movement of your career? We know this can feel like an additional burden to carry when you are working hard to just keep your head above water. But we promise, keeping this in consideration could potentially lighten your other workplace burdens.

If you were to take just 30 minutes to 1 hour a week to devote solely to your professional development, what would you do with this time? There are lots of actions that could provide tremendous results for your professional development. So, let’s talk long-term thinking here for the sake of your career…

1. Schedule a 30-minute coffee with someone new every week. This could be a key stakeholder for you, a power partner, or even your employees. You never know where sitting down with someone new once a week could take you.

2. Take time to organize your calendar- and stick to it! How often have you thought, “How could I improve my time-management skills?” Taking the time to manage your time and calendar for the week could be the perfect first step in taking back your time management.

3. Attend one professional event a week. Again- this can only be for one hour per week. But taking this step to show up and engage with other professionals consistently could potentially open many doors of opportunity.

4. Talk strategy, mission, engagement goals, etc., with an employee once a week. So many employees feel they are just a cog in the machine and that their ideas are not heard or respected. If you took the time to talk strategy with a different employee every week, who knows what it could do for not only your workplace culture but the forward movement of your organization as a whole.

5. Take time to write down your goals and ideas. By giving these thoughts and feelings a place to live, it will be much easier to come back and look at them, or even take action on them, than continually thinking to yourself, “What was that good idea again?”

We know that sometimes this can feel like the last thing you want to do- especially when the kids need help, there is always a pile of laundry or dishes somewhere waiting to be done, and you are probably just all around tired from the other demands of life. But, setting aside this time for yourself to dream big and plan long-term could be the propelling force to move you into the direction you want to go- be that for you personally or for your organization as a whole.

So, we ask you again, if you were going to set aside just 30 minutes (or an hour!) each week to strategize the big picture, what would you do with that time?

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

Here at the Global Leadership League, we focus heavily on the concept of community in our Chat Boxes, blogs, LimeLight Interviews, and association programs. And, as we all know, there are all different forms of community and all different types of communities out there. The beautiful thing about communities is that they cross all boundaries- they are not gender specific, socio-economic specific, or even culturally specific. In our latest blog, we are delighted to share the story of a member of our own League community, Venkata Madhuri Gunti.

Madhuri comes from Hyderabad, India, and has 11 years of experience in the field of International Education. As a child, she had the opportunity to study and grow up in different states across India, as well as the chance to travel to various countries like Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, and the United States for work. This global exposure helped Madhuri gain a deeper knowledge and understanding about the true value of studying abroad and importance of cross-cultural experiences.

Working with study abroad students and teaching Intercultural Communication Leadership has helped Madhuri to be adaptable, inclusive, and accepting towards different people, cultures, and communities. The passion to work with different people has led her to volunteer for the Global Leadership League, The Forum for Education Abroad, and AAC&U during lockdown.

When Madhuri is not working she is busy blogging, running, cycling, singing, gardening, cooking and trekking! We are fortunate she has taken the time to volunteer with us here at the League and to share her story.

"No disability or dictionary out there, is capable of clearly defining who we are as a person."

Robert M Hensel

“It’s Never Late to Learn.” I always admire this quote as it keeps me hungry to learn new things in life. Learning can be any information or can be about yourself. My twin sister and I were born with a congenital facial paralysis. It is a rare congenital neurological condition which primarily affects the muscles that controls the facial expressions and complete eye closure. It is considered as one of the Rare Disorders (RD) - basically there are more than 7,000 Rare Disorders observed in the world.  Recently, I found out that this condition nearly matches with a Rare Disorder called Moebius Syndrome (MS), but we do not fall under that as we do not meet all the criteria which defines the Syndrome, thus it is still considered as congenital facial paralysis. 

Out of curiosity, I contacted Dr. Kathleen Boghart, who is a successful academic and TEDx Speaker, Health Psychology professor, and part of the Moebius Syndrome Foundation (MSF), and Ms. Vicki McCarrell, Co-founder of the MSF, to learn about the syndrome and the foundation. They welcomed me into the MSF family and accepted my interest to volunteer with them in the future. I want to create awareness and provide, above all, emotional and psychological support to the affected individuals and families in India and abroad. I was surprised to learn that there are 4-5 people excluding us in India who are affected with this particular type of Rare Disorders.

What does MSF do ?

The mission of the Moebius Syndrome Foundation is to provide information and support to individuals with Moebius syndrome and their families, promote greater awareness and understanding of Moebius syndrome, and to advocate for scientific research to advance the diagnosis and treatment of Moebius syndrome and its associated conditions.

Fortunately, my sister and I were blessed to born into a family where we were surrounded with loving and caring parents, siblings, family, and friends who never let us feel that we were different from others. This is one of the reasons I never took an interest to learn about this Rare Disorder in the past. Despite this abundant love, we did face a lot of issues in our childhood, in school, and college. Typically, strangers and people meeting us for the first time, do not know how to react or do not know what a Rare Disorder is. Always that strange look given by some people hurts because they are uneducated and it is impossible to explain to them what it is and they are surprised when they learn this type of Rare Disorder exists.  

Some show empathy and others sympathy. My sister and I have also faced major difficulty during our careers and marriage. Coming from an Indian society where most of the marriages were/are arranged, my parents faced a lot of challenges to find us a life partner who can understand about this Rare Disorder and can accept us the way we are. Many rejected and some were ready to marry only if we agreed to pay a huge dowry, for which I never agreed. 

My father, who was my pillar of strength and my mentor, always motivated us to be financially independent and that has made me a strong independent woman who is not ready to give up her choices and freedom just for the sake of marriage. My sister got married and has two beautiful daughters who are the proof that this Rare Disorder is not genetic and that it may or may not pass to the next generation. I have little knowledge about scientific research in this area, but will provide emotional support to the needy as I can totally understand and relate to the pain they have gone through or are undergoing. 

I am not sure if any serious research or diagnosis is done in India, or maybe I am not aware of it.  After learning about MSF in USA, I am happy to be part of their research & want to work closely with them to spread awareness and to support people by sharing my experiences.

I want to advocate for individuals with any kind of disability especially women in India who are shy and afraid to stand up for themselves or are worried about being defamed. Raise your voice, love yourself and stand for yourself, the rest will fall in place. 

Believe in yourself and stay safe, 

Madhuri

Global Leadership League members, what are you passionate about? What have you found an unexpected community in your life? Share with us on our social media!

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

At the time of writing this blog, the 2021 Olympics are currently in full swing in Tokyo. It is an exciting time of competition, dedication, and patriotism. There is something so electric about watching these athletes compete in their chosen fields, at the height of their prowess, and under our country’s flag.

1. Be your best self. When these Olympians step up to compete in their fields, they are all truly bringing their A game to the table. The have dedicated their lives to preparing for this exact moment, and you better believe they have done everything in their power to be completely ready. We can do the same in our lives for whatever challenges present themselves to us. Train, practice, and prepare so that when you are called upon to rise to the challenge, you are completely ready to do so.
2. Be a team player. We are sure you are familiar with the old saying “There is no I in team.” This is true for leadership as well. Even the Olympians who compete in individual sports have a whole team who have supported them, backed them, and helped them get to where they are today. Remember this when you are in a leadership position and it feels like it is all on your shoulders. There are people around you who can help, and who probably want to help. Use your resources and rely on the people who can support you and help you be a better leader.
3. Put in the work. Show up. Showing up can be the hardest part of just about anything- be relentless in your commitment to showing up. Take the time needed for whatever task you’re faced with and put. in. the. work. It won’t always be easy, but leaders put in the work when necessary and don’t cut corners. We’re sure that Olympians are not cutting any corners in their training and that is what has propelled them to the top of their fields.
4. Keep your eyes on the prize. Everyone will experience setbacks at some point in their career. But, just like Olympic athletes do, dusting yourself off and recovering as best as you can is what counts. Remember what you are working for, and towards, and what set you on this path in the first place. Hold this passion, and the fire in your stomach that propelled you to this point, close to your heart. When you have trials or setbacks, tap into this passion.
5. Not being okay is okay. Simone Biles recently set THE example for this. While we live in a world that values physical output, none of that is possible without our mental health being in order. Taking care of your mental health can be just as important as your physical health. And, if you need a breather, do not be afraid to step away. 
6. Stay hydrated. This one is pretty simple. As humans, our bodies are 60% water. Drink more water!

The Olympics are an exciting time, and we are thrilled to see all of these talented athletes getting to compete after the delay caused by COVID. Have you been watching the Olympics? What is your favorite sport to watch? Let us know on our social!

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

It is impossible to experience all that we as a collective society, and world, have experienced over the past year and a half and expect to move forward into the future unchanged. So much has shifted, and so much has been put into perspective. We can feel the transformations that have occurred across our personal lives and our professional lives. So many of us live in “new normals” – realities we would have never before thought possible or in our futures. But here we are. In reflecting over the past year, we find that it begs the question: of these changes, what will we carry forward? Of these changes, what are we excited to carry forward?

In examining this question, we sought input from two of our beloved Executive Board members, Martha Johnson and Malaika Marable Serrano. 

In sharing her thoughts with us, Martha focused on the transformative impacts of the Higher Education industry. She writes:

“In his play Angels in America, the playwright Tony Kushner states, ‘In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we’ve left behind and dreaming ahead.’ I think that describes where we are in higher education right now. We were pushed into virtual modalities for the wrong reasons, yet there will be no going back, and the way we deliver education will be transformed. As we return to campus life, we will hopefully look for the best ways to integrate what we have learned into how we move forward. As campus leaders focus on returning to ‘normal,’ I hope they can reflect on the positive dimensions of the ‘painful progress’ and transformation forced upon us.”

Malaika had a very personal perspective to share with us about the transformative impacts she and her peers are currently experiencing:

“This is a deeply personal issue because it is happening for me in real-time currently. One of the largest transformative effects I am seeing is on the people themselves. I am currently segueing out of international education and into another industry- education technology. I have seen a number of my peers and people I know transitioning out of the field and into related fields or even other industries completely outside of education. I believe that the effects of the pandemic have made folks reflect deeply on who they are, what their priorities are, their families, and not being afraid to take a leap of faith and make decisions around their careers that pre-COVID might not have been considered. It may be too soon to tell, but I wonder how the pandemic will have a lasting effect on the new cohorts coming into international education? What about the institutional experience and memories of the folks who have left the field? Can organizations be a bridge or a continuation for folks who are moving, flowing in and out of international education? I think the answer is yes. One wonderful transformative effect from COVID I have seen is that with technology, and folks embracing it, it is easier than ever to stay connected, and connectivity is amplified.”

What transformative changes stemming from the pandemic will you carry forward with you? Do you believe these changes to be positive or negative? One thing we believe is that these changes are what you make of them. We can use them as forces for positive movement forward or use them as forces for negativity and bitterness towards this experience. The choice is yours.

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.

As COVID restrictions ease around the world, there are many of us that still are not sure when or how to travel- or if we should be at all. Some of us have been vaccinated, some of us have not been. But chances are ALL of us are itching to hug our loved ones located a plane ride away. So, as we all slowly ease back into traveling, here are a few thoughts we want to share to help us all get back into our travel swagger.

First of all, if you are thinking of traveling, it is strongly recommended that you check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19. Before you depart, take some time to do your research and make sure that you are fully equipped and knowledgeable as to how the pandemic is being handled in your destination location. Here is an informative article from Travel and Leisure about Countries That Are Open to COVID-19 Vaccinated Travelers. For our stateside readers, here are the guidelines from the CDC for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. As well, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic sharing safe travel advice in regards to COVID-19.

After you have done the basic travel research, you might tap into a few of these suggestions as well:

Get some really good earphones so you can tune out and literally tune in to something to calm your soul and take your mind off of the environment around you. Be sure to charge them if they need charging. And if you haven’t yet splurged on noise cancelling… now might be the perfect post-covid gift to yourself.

Get a chain to hang your mask around your neck because you have so much luggage and stuff you might just drop your favorite one and never see it again.  Or pack more than one and stuff them in all the right pockets of your bag.

Plane pillows can be great to snuggle against that window or prop between the seats.  You might also just hug it for comfort since you can’t really eat or use your hands.

And since you might be a little anxious with all those people around you… you can even try a soft eyeshade to block it all out.

Pack extra breath mints because you’ll be in a mask for potentially 8+ hours and you will want to smell fresh inside that mask. No one likes stale breath, including your own!

Re-check your version of “pack light” as you may have forgot all those travel tricks you used to use.  A favorite of friends is to lay out what you would like to take and then cut it in ½ and yes… that includes shoes. Or remind yourself what it’s like to carry around 50 lbs. by filling your bag to that level and walking around your house.  Wheels or not… it’s still a pain.

Shoes matter – you haven’t been outside of your slippers for about 18 months so don’t forget that you will be walking for hours in airports etc.  Be sure you are in the right footwear and bring a Band-Aid or two in case your fashion sense won over your common sense.

Smile with your eyes – if we have learned one thing during this pandemic, it is to learn to smile with your eyes.  Give that weary flight attendant a nice eye-smile as you can be certain their day is MUCH longer than yours.

While we all have been cleaning our hands obsessively and avoiding large crowds for over a year now, many of us are starting to plan our reentry into society. This is both an exciting and, for some of us, an anxiety inducing prospect. How do you plan on getting back into your travel groove?

Will you be traveling soon? What steps would you add to our suggestions above in creating a safe travel space for both your comfort and the others around you?

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.