With a full schedule at my home town in Phoenix, the thought of catching up with a friend and seeing a MLB game in San Francisco on a Friday night seemed exciting yet impossible…here’s how I managed to make a trip for a game and three tips I’d give to anyone considering a mini-trip.

Fly Early-If you are fortunate enough to be able to work remote, I highly recommend flying on the first possible flight of the day and giving yourself at least 90 minutes from your scheduled arrival time to your first meeting time, just in case, and always make sure to research back up flights if possible. Google flights has a very easy to use feature that allows you to only view flights based off their arrival times.

Pillow for the Plane-Sleeping on planes, in an uncomfortable upright position is challenging to put it lightly. When arriving to the gate area, I kindly ask the gate crew if there happen to be rows with any empty middle seats and every time, across all airlines, I’ve been successful with having a bit more room to stretch. I recommend bringing BOTH a pillow, blanket and eye mask and trying to rest as soon as you sit down to maximize your time. It took me a while to get comfortable with this idea but it is OKAY if you get snooze through snack service…your sleep is more valuable than 6 mini pretzels and 8 oz of lukewarm coffee.

Diet does matter-The entire week before an extremely fast, early, and/or exhausting trip, I really focus on a nutrient rich diet full of fruits and veggies with antioxidants. Your body will be pushed to the limits with a 4:00a boarding time, why not do everything possible to arm it for defense?

Sometimes a change of scenery is the perfect re-set to feel back on track in life. So find those deals, take a mini-trip and enjoy all that this fantastic world has to offer.