As the Restaurant Editor for Food & Wine magazine, Jordana Rothman knows a thing or two about the jet set lifestyle. We asked the trendsetting eater and editor for her favorite travel tips, and we're excited to share her candid responses.
My go-to carry on bag: The matte black Spectra Global Carry-On from Victorinox has been pretty good to me. I take that just about everywhere. If I’m checking [my bag], I like to carry on the Abera Crossbody Tote from ABLE—a Nashville-based company that works with women in Ethiopia and Mexico to help end generational poverty.
I always pack in my carry on: Sour gummies, RMS Beauty’s individually packed coconut oil wipes, Master & Dynamic brown leather foldable headphones for listening to podcasts. My faves are You Must Remember This, Disgraceland, Last Podcast on the Left and Invisibilia.
Best airplane food experience: BYO or bust. I love when I can stop by Lemonade at LAX because there are healthy options packed in a way that’s optimized for travel. Otherwise, I’ve never really had an in-flight meal that was genuinely worth eating.
Worst airplane food experience: Those few times I forgot to bring the sour gummies.
One genius travel hack: I had a hoodie custom made that is deep enough to pull down and cover my entire face. It is modeled to resemble a Sith robe and is one of my most cherished possessions. It’s a sleep mask, a cozy sweater, and a boundary-creator all in one. Need some personal space from your chatty neighbor? Activate SITH HOOD.
Most interesting person I've met on a plane: I make it a point to not make friends on airplanes (see Sith Hood, above). Although, one time, I met a guy who was teaching kids to surf at an indoor wave park in Austin, and then ran into him a year later at a premiere for a documentary about Andy Irons. That was kind of cool. But mostly, no. Friend-making is for terra firma.
Your next travel destination: In July, I’m doing a Southern ramble. I’ll be in Austin for a bit, and then I’m taking a road trip with a chef starting in Kentucky and heading up through Virginia.
One deep thought about the jet set lifestyle: Being on the road for a long time can be a disorienting experience. I often say that the pinball doesn’t know its a pinball unless it’s inside the pinball machine. When I’m sprung from the arcade, it’s important for me to find familiar things to bump up against, to remind me who I am and what’s important to me. Otherwise things start to get…weird.
Photos compliments of @JordanaRothman.