Plane and Simple: Hilarious & Helpful Travel Tips for Work Trips

the worst ego trip I ever had was the time that we we were taking uh that ride from the hotel to the restaurant He stopped traffic for me to open my car door and and let me into the and I was like “Oh Congress Street in Portland I will never recover Very busy street I’m not the same person after.” People were honking at him and he was like “Don’t care Queen is getting out of the car I’m a different person.” I was like “You don’t know what you’ve just unleashed.” And so now I’m just like um men will stop traffic for me Pick me up at the door if you’re not stepping into oncoming traffic for me What are you doing And it wasn’t me He didn’t care about me Children with us Did not care about the kids’ safety at all or me It was just like he knew exactly who to zero in on

What if I just kept this in front of me the whole time Oh perfect Perfect Does this work Do you think I can’t read it But maybe if you hold it to the camera Yeah I should silence my phone You should I already did I am ahead of the game today I’ve been being a super old person and turning my my volume up like to 100 And so when my me too when my phone rings lately I’m like what is this Whose whose old lady phone is ring I keep I keep forgetting to talk into the mic Hello everyone Sorry Hello Hello I’m just getting settled cuz I have to monitor myself I need a new We need tables I agree We We definitely need to like We need a shopping trip We We have not gone shopping with Tim in a long time We need to go back to What’s that place Dja Vu Dja Vu Yeah Yes I have my emotional support lint roller Perfect The star of the show This is ginger beer not actual beer So everybody calm down if you see me take a sip We’re a marketing agency guys Who cares I think there is some in the fridge though Annalyn’s back with me today Yay We’re so excited Don’t everybody get excited at once I’m very excited Show everyone your bracelet that I brought back from you from Barcelona From Barcelona It’s It’s a dragon It’s got really bright blue eyes It’s so perfect It’s I was telling her it’s as soon as she put it on it’s like a weighted blanket for my wrist Yeah And it’s also like spiky So I feel like as a woman anytime you have jewelry that could double as like a personal weapon or personal you know defense is just like a win Yeah So take that to Texas with you Oh yeah This is coming to Texas with me And I have to give a presentation there too So I’m going to wear it and just be it’s it’s for physical and emotional and really you know intimidating So they’re just going to be like “That was the best presentation we’ve ever seen.” Doesn’t even matter what you say Approve approve approve We’re scared of the dragon lady Yes I am building a stronger reputation from this day forward I’m so I’m so glad that it fits and that it works and that you like it I love it I feel like this is not where I want it There Do a closeup of it I’m back from Europe I am so glad you’re back I can’t I felt like I was gone for 100 years Yes At least And I’m still jetlagged Both Going there and coming back took 24 full hours I can’t So on the way there I haven’t even got to tell you about any of this Yeah On the way there I was awake for Oh I don’t want to exaggerate but I think it was 34 hours straight Mhm I believe it because from the time I left my house traveled to Boston took my flight to DC had a 7-hour layover in DC How did that go Oh my word Cuz weren’t weren’t you in like a lounge I was going to do the fancy lounge thing and it was complicated and irritating and there was like 10 lounges and I was just like I don’t It was just like whatever So you didn’t do that experience at all We didn’t we didn’t do that It was just like because it was like you can only be in the lounge up to se 3 hours before your flight departs What And I’m like for 70 bucks like no thank you pass cuz they really want you to become a like United member Oh So they’re like “Well if you’re just going to do a day pass then loser you can be here for 3 hours.” And I’m like “You can slum at the restaurant I’m not falling for your scam United.” So I don’t know We were just like “You know what We’ll eat at a restaurant here We’ll hang out.” And it was it was it was fine But then so then 7 hours there and then it was an 8 and 1 half hour redeye to Barcelona And then from the time we got to Barcelona and then took an Uber to our Airbnb um it was uh it was that was at least 24 hours And then I was just like and now I’m awake Now I’m you’re settling in and I was just like I was just like we should we should it was daytime there then and I was like we should take a nap But I could not sleep and I was just like I guess we’re going to go play in the city now And then the same thing happened coming home Um our layover wasn’t as long in DC but by the time I got back to Boston the flight home from DC was just like so bad There was like no air conditioning on the plane everything was delayed Like from from sitting in the airport in DC to sitting on the tarmac there it was like we’re just going to keep driving circles We’re just going to keep riding circles And then we’re all just like sitting in the sun And finally the pilot is like uh they just won’t give us permission to take off but we’re trying and we’re just like all everyone on the plane was red and sweating Babies are crying and we’re just like for the nightmare for the love of God just let us take off I just want to go home so bad And then we land in Boston and they won’t let us off the plane And I’m like every I’m like “Oh you’ve got a whole flight full of people from Boston who are gonna riot and everyone is getting so cranky and it was late at night and then we get off the plane It took freaking forever to get our bags out of the baggage check and then couldn’t find my ride who was picking me up I’m wandering around with these heavy bags through through Logan like trying to find the person picking me up and then it took an hour to get home own bodyguards I Okay this is just convincing me that we need to hire Deb and I need to hire them I agree because Tim and Bill won’t do it for us Bill needs to hire them Yeah Yeah No sometimes because we’ve talked about that We were going to go on a trip together and we’re going to hire those bodyguards We are It’s going to be It’s a service If you guys don’t know this is a real service where you can hire bodyguards We saw like a TikTok or something like It’s a company of like actual like retired police officers or Secret Service guys Yeah like and they just do it as like a mole company and they look the part they’re like all like kided out in these dark suits and glasses and they’re like getting you Starbucks getting you a c a car like driving you where you need to go carrying your bags It’s kind of the treatment I deserve at all times Yeah I don’t Yeah I mean it’s who was I just telling I think it was yesterday that the the worst ego trip I ever had was the time that we we were taking uh that ride from the hotel to the restaurant and our chauffeer our chauffeer’s name was Christian and he literally stepped out in front of cars in the street for me and put his hand out and stopped cars to then open my car door to he stopped traffic for me to open in my car to work and and led me into and I was like “Oh Congress Street in Portland I will never recover Very busy street I’m not the same person after.” People were honking at him and he was like “Don’t care Queen is getting out of the car.” I was like “I’ll never I’ll never recover I’m a different person now.” I was like “You don’t know what you’ve just unleashed.” Like and so now I’m just like um men will stop traffic for me pick me up at the door Exactly If you’re not stepping into oncoming traffic for me what are you doing And like when we called when we were at the restaurant and we you c I think I called or you called but as soon as I said we were finished eating he’s like “I’ll be there in 5.” Mhm I’ll be right there I’ll be out front And again stop traffic to let you to help you into the car Like it wasn’t just he opened the door And it wasn’t me He didn’t care about me Children with us Did not care about the kids safety at all or me It was just like he knew exactly who to zero in on I was like “Thank you so much.” There was one time I had to um valet for a Matterport in Boston Every time those the sweet dorman at anywhere I’ve gone to at a hotel in Boston or whatever they’re always like this one man was like he was just like I am it is my pleasure to have gotten your car for you Anytime you come back to Boston I will park your car And I’m like I don’t care where in Boston you are I’m like Boston’s a big city babe Anytime I come back to Boston you will park my car Can I have your card He’s just like just like it is like intensely It is my greatest pleasure to have parked your Mazda CX5 car I’m like thank you so much Like this is I feel like we give off very different energy because I wasn’t surprised that Christian did not care at all about me because I’m very much like I’ll do it myself Get out of my way I don’t need a man And you’re just like and I’m just like you better help me Can you carry me to the car You’re not a helpless female by any means but it’s about like you will take care of me And I’m like I will take care of myself Dirty right My issues It’s cold out here

I love it so much It’s great Yeah So I don’t even know how we got talking about that Oh going on a flight Yes Yes And how you you probably should have had that to speed things up for you and Yeah bust you into that lounge and or or basically like create your own lounge They would have done that for you So yeah No I wanted to tell you about all my travel tips that of things that I was so glad I had and things that you definitely should take cuz I had not actually I realized I had not flown since before co I haven’t I haven’t flown in 15 years The last time I flew I went to Germany with my grandmother and it was kind of like a heritage tour with her It was really cool I got to go to her hometown in Marberg and weber We walked through it’s a university town It’s beautiful And they also like one of the things I really wanted to do was see um they have a camera obscura where you could see the whole town Oh And that was like on my list of things to see And I had a similar experience where we flew in I was up like 24 hours And um we got to my um family’s house like my they’re related to my my mom my grandmother and we stayed with them while they were we were there And so we got to their house and my sisters were like “We’re taking a nap.” And I’m like “I need to see everything.” I couldn’t sleep And so we got to see the camera obscura that day and it ended up being the only day it was open So if I had taken a nap I would have missed it That’s amazing But but anyway that was like that was amazing That that was the last time I’ve flown though I haven’t gone anywhere else Shortly after that I had my daughter and then But you didn’t go anywhere But I was Yeah but that I don’t know anything about flying I feel like I I’m starting over like I don’t know airport etiquette anymore Into my head I’m like was that before or after 9/11 I don’t know where we are in the stream of time That was after It was after Yeah it was after How old am I It’s okay Like because it was a very different time flying before So yeah No this was after But I still feel like I mean 15 years is kind of a big chunk of time Did not fly even commercially So I feel like I just don’t know what to expect anymore I don’t know what’s changed I don’t know like I I feel really stupid about it Like really dumb I don’t know what to do I don’t really know if anything has changed per se but I think the realization cuz I took four flights on this trip I think the biggest realization I had is I’m like every flying out of every airport is so different because like Logan Boston is so I feel like they are the most strict but I like it the best because they’re so to me this is my opinion very orderly and very much like moving things along quickly I went through security the fastest through there Did they just scan your face or your or your ID I was reading up about that how they scan my face in T You can opt out of that cuz that kind of makes me a little twitchy I’m like I don’t know if I want to be part of a database They say that Do you have a passport Um I have a real ID

I can’t remember I That did happen to me once and I don’t remember which airport it was in I do think it was Boston but it didn’t freak me out at all It was like I just don’t like them having a picture of my face even though they have it Even though they they say that they get rid of it and stuff and I’m like they already have it They already have it Um conspiracy theorist part of my brain is just like I get it You can’t have more of me It was weird It was kind of weird to me but I was like it sped everything up so quickly Basically what happened when that happened to me is it was like the two lines d I think that was in DC that that happened The two lines separated and it was kind of just like this this um person was doing the face scanning and this person was just checking passports and it was just going faster So it’s basically the line was moving twice as fast Um so I won’t be that person The only time I saw anyone’s face get denied was children’s faces were getting denied and so they would they were like pulling the children aside to check their double check their passport So um but it was just quick It was just like you step in front of it and it was like um it did it through customs too maybe Yeah in customs they scanned my face I don’t know It’s all blur but it didn’t freak me out at all I was just like they already have a picture of my f you know it’s the it’s all over the internet It’s true I’m not really careful about where I put my I got to rephrase that

She definitely doesn’t have any inappropriate accounts online I am careful about where I put my face I Well what did I call myself A woman of a woman of the internet on a previous episode As a woman of the internet right I’m having that moment right now No Um Where was I going with that So what like we’re flying out of Logan to go to Texas for this It’s so easy business trip It’s so easy It’s so easy Um I think so Are you checking a bag No I’m trying not to And that wasn’t because mostly because I want to tease Tim because he said he’s bringing a check bag We are going to be there two nights Yeah one full day only So I I’m like if I can’t get that all in a carry-on there’s something wrong with me Like I should be able to do that Between a carryon and a personal bag I should be I should be fine And Tim like scoffed at me and was like I’m bringing a checked bag And I’m like what Your moisturizer Like what what’s happening here Actually we need to get him on a episode and break down what he’s bringing Travel essentials with Tim Yes we should all bring our carryons in here and talk about what we pack for a work trip because I have a feeling he’s like the neediest traveler between the really great skincare routine That’s why he’s so hot I think actually it could be why he looks better than both of us So the reason the only the really big reason that I do think a check bag is necessary at least for me is because of all of my skin care stuff You like you know you can only have a quart size right I already have it like pretty much put together But I use so many lotions and potions on this body that they were never going to fit into that tiny little bag And so I just had like my whole checked bag full of liquids liquids a liquid bag Um so that was really the only reason I was never going to get I have like I have a skincare line that I really love and I have a lot of little like trial sizes of them So I just put some of those in but I don’t I don’t do a lot Yeah I’m sure that’s obvious So you’ll you’ll be fine then But I just was more like do I have toothpaste Do I have shampoo And

No I think just be ready to Logan was the only airport that made me take my shoes off See I don’t want to take my shoes off and like walk I wore I wore not these exact ones but I wore Tom’s Something like this was super easy I think I’m going to I’m actually I know it’s Texas and it’s like 90° but I feel like I have to have a pair of boots with me because if I need to kick any men or Yeah she’s got her steel toes on Don’t run after anyone I don’t know I just feel like more solid if I have You know what I always think Going through security everyone always rushes you Take your time Everyone can settle down Yep Everyone can settle down You’ll get through when you get through People you know what was h kept happening People the whole trip cutting lines and making me So three times on this trip did I have to be like the line is behind me People stepping in front of me and this one couple on my way home they were like they were going to miss their connecting flight It was so obvious and I didn’t care I was just like because they’re being rude They had been like they whacked my friend in the head trying to get off the flight first on our connecting and I was just like so mad about that like your life’s more important than mine They didn’t apologize for hitting her in the head And so then they’re running off and so then when we had to go through you know security and customs and whatever to then get onto our connecting flight to Boston they were then behind us and they tried to step in front of us and I was like “No.” Mm- If they had politely been like “I’m so sorry We are going to miss our next flight Do you mind if we I would have been like “Of course.” But because they’re being rude and shoving and punching us I was like “Nope Nope Nope I’m going to slow it down and make you even go slower I’m that person.” Cuz your life’s not more important than mine And I don’t care if you miss your flight now actually So anyway travel essentials I think you should have Be petty Mhm Bring your pettiness Bring your pettiness and bring your attitude Yeah Oh yeah Um so but yeah other like to get to make the whole process at the airport easier and the flight better I brought an empty water bottle Okay And filled it after I went through security That was like came in clutch Um I brought eye drops Oh I didn’t think of that Because granted your flight to Texas is probably not crazy long I think it’s I have flown to Texas four and a half hours somewhere in that range Yeah probably not It’s not that long Is it It’s direct right It’s like four just over four hours Yeah Tim just sent me the um still I like I was like when at one point I have contacts and I was like oh I was rubbing I I forgot them on the way there to put them into my car my personal bag and so they were in my checked bag and I was like I regret it cuz I was literally taking water from my water bottle and rubbing in my eyes cuz I was just like oh my goodness Um we found at Staples um these earplugs that prevent ear popping and oh my god I need that because mine hurt so bad on that flight to Germany and I’m like it’s just going to hurt My life and for me it’s really only takeoff and descending and so when they would announce like we’re going to be taking off I put them in wait till we get to um you know top elevation and then take them out and I never had an issue Never had an issue Yeah you’ll definitely have to like tell me Same with landing Same with landing As soon as they knew we were going to be landing put them in and as soon as we were on the ground take them out Super super helpful Um because anytime I’ve ever flown before having those always such an issue and painful I have I have a shattered eard drum Do you know that Mine’s mess No I didn’t I jumped off a bridge once Do you know that story about me On purpose On purpose Okay you’re alive so there must have been water I jumped off a bridge and I shattered my eardrum When did you How old were you Uh 25 That should have been a question Dang it For the team like for a team member to guess watch this I’ll watch Yeah Yeah that’s a good one I did not know that I jumped off bridge and I shattered my ear because I landed just enough so that when my ear hit the water it it shattered my eardrum and so it permanently is like kind of damaged and I’m slightly deaf in my right ear So fun facts about um so that those it really helps when it pops Yeah Wow Um I get really nauseous too So I had and I’ll try to find the brand for you and I maybe I’ll put it on the screen when I find it Certain kind of nausea pills and taking them 30 minutes before takeoff I never got nauseous not even once which blew my mind because every time I’ve ever flown oh wow I am eight times concussed Another fact So I get nauseous easily like in the car like I can’t do roller coasters anymore So going in the plane like I’ve I always am that whole like thing that happens I’m always like super super sick and then I can’t get over it These pill I was like never nauseous Not even ferment Wow And so um I’ve never gotten nauseous on a plane But I also feel like being in my late 40s my body is totally different now and I’m like oh I didn’t know this is what it did now you know so I flying again now I’m like I I really don’t know how I’m going to react to any of it cuz I feel like I’m totally different person So that would be very helpful to know or just to have it on hand just in case it does suddenly become a problem Yeah Um uh some kind of face spraying hydration mist because that would have to count as a liquid Yeah but you can get a small travel like small bottle of it like um I don’t know what your skin care needs are if you’re sensitive to anything but I am But I do have a spray that I like even just water honestly in a little spray mist because it gets so dry that you just feel The other thing is cooling wipes which you can get right at the Dollar Tree Yeah Um because like I said I was stuck in DC and it was like so freaking hot I wanted to die Yeah Um just to like you know cool yourself off Like that was that came in pretty clutch Um cuz if we’re stuck on the tarmac in Texas when it’s 90° and we’re just boiling And so with that uh unfoldable fan we had we had those and that was really good Um that’s a really good idea Yeah Where did you find that just like a uh we found those I feel like the dollar store has them but um you have time to look online Yeah a little bit Yeah next week’s it We’re leave the week after Oh that’s right So wow that feels I know All of a sudden it’s coming up fast It’s been like months away for so long and now I’m like “Oh my god I’m not prepared.” Yeah Um but you’re not sleeping on your flight So all my little sleep tips are not because my biggest sleep tip was don’t do it I couldn’t There’s no way because it’s so frustrating Like the neck pillow thing for me doesn’t work Um like hanging your head and your feet like don’t bother even on a red eye I’m just like don’t even do it distract yourself instead and sleep when you get there because it is so unless you were just like naturally inclined to falling asleep wherever it I was just like I regret even trying instead like I put it in my brain like just like rest your eyes if you need to for a few minutes and distract yourself with entertainment whether that’s music or um I had my tablet and I had pre-downloaded things to watch so do that whether on your phone if you have Netflix if you have Macs Um download find a show and download episodes of something that you’re really excited about If you have a YouTube premium account download episodes of our podcast a lot of time and um find something that like passes the time If you have Spotify premium you can download books to listen to because for me I’m like I can’t really read on a plane It makes me sick If you’re that kind of person maybe you can do that But for me I’m like it’s you’ve got to do things that pass the time quickly for you So movies that you’re like I’ve been dying to watch this movie Save it for the plane right Um and download it ahead of time because the Wi-Fi unless you’re going to pay for it it’s at least on United or the ones that I remember like it’s free but it’s only free for um things like texting So like you can’t use social media So like I’ve been communicating with everyone on WhatsApp So I could text on WhatsApp the Wi-Fi which is great So um get ahead with people on WhatsApp Yeah If you want to be able to text in the air Good idea Um and then um yeah you going if you have wired headphones you can watch their entertainment on the back of so their free movies or TV There was like seasons of randomly like Yeah TV shows like The Big Bang Theory or whatever Like what kind of uh plugin do you need for that Just a normal headphone jack Just a normal Okay Um and then some of our flights had outlets to plug into And then like our one on the way home worst flight was the one on the way home None of the outlets worked for no reason And I was just like whatever Um but so I wouldn’t count on it but it’s it is there But I think the biggest thing is keeping like your body refreshed So like um like did you eat on the plane Uh we they’re only serve meals on like long flights like the 8 hour ones Um but the like the ones from DC to Boston they just give you snacks and Yeah drinks Um I’m probably going to have to bring my own And the problem is is I’m like I wanted to Yeah you you should anything Um you can I wanted to just keep drinking to stay hydrated but then I was in the inside of I was at the window seat I didn’t want to have to keep making the person on two of the flights I was with me and just my my travel partner and I was fine getting up that way but when there was another third person I didn’t want to keep making them get up Yeah And that was just like awkward cuz they’d have to get their whole tray up and everything they had settled in with And so I’m like I held my pee for like 2 hours on one of the flights and finally was like I think I’m going to die I think I might die if I don’t make this person get up Yeah So Yeah Yeah

I’m hoping for no dramatics for this my first trip in 15 years Yeah you need a good travel outfit I think Yeah that stuck on I do not know I’m not good at that Like I love what I’m wearing today because it’s super comfortable and I actually as I’ve been wearing it today I’m like it’s short sleeved I’m just wearing a sweater but I’m like I thought after I put it after I put it on I was like “Oh this might be good.” Because it’s really comfortable But it has like faux leather on it and I’m like “I don’t know if that’s going to work well in Texas with 80% humidity and 95 the pants situation because you want to avoid having like a being uncomfortable and having like a belt cuz then you have to take your belt off.” I don’t wear belts as a rule I think they’re inhuman I’m becoming a belt lady I’m trying to accessorize I just belts are just torture No Yeah Kind of like bras It’s just See no I’m okay with those I’m okay with those I’m not sorry to the men listening Um but pants like pants like these that are just like these are stretchy but they’re also they’re dress pants Yeah were good for traveling in because I was just like I don’t want to show up like a total bum like in pajamas but I want to be comfortable too right So I’m going back and forth between like how bougie do I want to look on the flight Like do I go like crap leggings and my trail running shoes and you know just like a cute top and a sweater or am I going to wear like my comfy dress pants and my docks and just dress for yourself wherever you were going I’m trying to like plan a couple different things because I’m also very This is what’s hard about traveling for me is I’m very much I need to know I I don’t plan ahead what I’m going to wear It’s I wake up what do I feel like fabric can I tolerate today Yes and I tend to overpack but limiting myself to a carryon is really going to rain that in really things And it’s kind of shortcircuiting my brain a little bit because I’m like but what if I don’t like any of these things Like I wake up in the morning I’m like I can’t wear any of this Yeah But that’s going to be a little challenging for me But yeah I’m I’m aiming though for the plain comfort I have to be comfortable because I know I’m going to be a little bit stressed because I’m claustrophobic too And I’m curious how I’m gonna feel on the plane with so many other people Mhm I hate the people I don’t know And also like traveling and not knowing who not knowing who the pilot is Like I’ve never seen your face Like and I had this too when I had my surgery Like I’ve never met you Yeah The surgeon And you’re going to like trust you trust you with my life Right I have such a hard time with that Usually when you’re boarding the pilot stands there and greets you That would be great Like I really hope that happens for this one because I’m like I want to look at you and get a feeling of okay trust I I can be calm because this person is I don’t know I need to get a read on them Yeah So like you’re taking this as seriously as I am Show me your licenses right Show me your credentials I need to know you’re a good person and that you care Yeah Yeah You Oh my gosh this just popped my head You know what also happened to us We were so convinced we were flying with a celebrity on one of our trips In fact we were being so creepy about it because when we were this was DC to Barcelona um standing in line the the character George from Grey’s Anatomy I don’t know if you I don’t know who that is Okay It’s an actor from Grey’s Anatomy Yeah Um oh I think I might know who it is I was so certain it was him really that we were I was like just staring at him and I was like eventually I pulled up Google and I’m like comparing his face to his face to his face to to like is his chin like that Does his ear have that curve And I was like I know it’s him And and I I I was just like oh my gosh I just know it’s him And then I’m like okay I think this guy’s gay and is that guy his sister or his wife Are they going to kiss So but that is creepy Listen oh I know I don’t care And when we got off the plane in Barcelona there was a line of people at the barrier with their phones waiting for someone to get off Oh I know Do you think they would have for this person Were they like famous enough for that kind of reaction do you think Or do you think there might have been There was some celebrity on one of our flights Yeah So I was like maybe it really was I don’t know That’s cool But I don’t know for sure Or it was for me I mean really I was like word got out We went to the Eiffel Tower My whole joke the whole time was like gosh I can’t go anywhere without people taking pictures of me like enough Just the whole time I know the sun’s hitting me just right right now When I was at Versail when I was at Versailles I was just like everywhere I go they’re pulling out their phones

I love it Yeah Texas I’m a little um I feel a little intimidated by Texas I’m realizing the closer that we get to it it feels like such an iconic estate And we’re going to Austin so it feels like a very

I don’t even know what the word is but it just maybe it’s just cuz I’m so isolated in where I’ve been lately and haven’t been anywhere I think it’ll be really good for you I’m I’m very excited about it I think it’s going to be a lot to take in I had this but I’m excited for it Yeah I had this moment in the air where I was just kind of like wow there’s so much there’s so much earth Look at all that earth Like it’s so only ever on a very small part of it Yeah And it’s it’s good for you mentally to like actually see that with your eyeballs It feels really good to to to get off of it and see it from from up high Like it feels good It’s funny because I feel like this trip I’m going to be hyper aware of being in the plane but like every other time I’ve flown the flight I like I don’t h I have only very vague memories except for the flight home from Germany when we came over Ireland the the

um what’s it called What’s it called I don’t know what you’re talking about Turbulence Oh Oh Oh Was so bad Yeah That even the flight attendants were like white knuckling Oh In their seats and looking scared And the pilot came on It was all he said was “It’s going to be bad.” Oh And it felt like we were free falling into that it wasn’t going to stop So that that was terrifying That like I remember that But any other time I’ve flown like I don’t really have any big recollections of it but I feel like I’m going to be hyper aware of this flight and every part of it Yeah I think you’ll enjoy it Yeah it’ll be good for you I think so too It’s going to be good Yeah Well um to to end this I want You didn’t tell me to bring a lint roller Oh well you probably should like at least two maybe You probably should bring one or two Tiny ones They make tiny ones Yeah I’m going to make mine support So it’s like I’m going to do like a flat Stanley kind of thing and have like your head on the top part and then the bottom will be like fur booties or something And so I’ll be like Chris I’m rolling with Christiey’s with me She’s making me look good like always I’m sad I’m not going I know I tried so hard Put me in your carryon I’m doing it I’m going to do it Okay I don’t need anything My toothbrush I weigh 150 lbs So I’m over 50 lb limit but who’s gonna who’s gonna care Bill’s paying for it It’s got wheels I’ll just wheel you in and I’ll make Tim put you in the overhead Be like “Can you pick this up for me Tim Don’t worry about it Don’t worry about what’s in it.” Yeah It’s just all my face creams Essentials only You know essentials only Wink wink You get it Um so Bill and I filmed a podcast in France We’ve been talking about this for a while and was crazy and I wanted to include that at the end of this episode Oh it’s perfect Um we were He’s like “Let’s do it on the train.” And I was like “Let’s not Can we please not?” So we had some time to kill in the train station which ended up working out And um we filmed it with a baguette And the whole all the stereotypes about France are true People walk around just carrying around baguettes and eating them and smoking and smoke Every person smokes I’m like I came back being like “Dang it I want to smoke It’s cool It’s cool over there It’s not cool here.” No But it’s so cool over there Like 14-year-old kids are sitting at restaurants smoking My one of my servers Yeah was smoking while serving at a restaurant I swear to God Swear to God Oh my god Swear to God I was like “This is not hygienic but it’s in it’s entertaining.” Wow Yeah We’re out We were just sitting among this is not a judgment It was just wild I was just like “Huh?” I come from a family of smokers so I’m not like I’m not like clutching my pearls at it I’m just like could they like smoke in restaurants over there I I know in Germany they still could way back when I was there I think only outside there was an outdoor area where they could well everything outside but I feel like there were people just smoking inside and no one cared People are just walking around smoking everywhere and instead of unless you were American then they’d care Instead of holding actually people loved us as Americans really everyone’s like everyone hates Americans in Europe No especially France I’ve heard everyone loved us as Americans We’re like “Wow Americans.” Americans and it’s you I love your accent Maybe it’s just me I think it’s just you Honestly it’s just me I had to transition from from bonjour everywhere I went when I got back I got back to DC and was like “Oh I have to put my bonjour away.” I’m like sad I liked that You can still say it here Yeah So anyway please enjoy the clip the clip of Bill and I It’s uh it’s entertaining We’ll call it that But it was did not make for a full episode So it’s free dive in Paris It’s free dive in Paris So enjoy Bye All right folks It’s time for a special edition of the Free Dive podcast Bill and Christie And uh we’re actually in the train station in Perpon France Hey Christie Hello Welcome Yes So we’re going to see how this goes It might be trash but if it is we’ll just joke that it’s for our premium subscribers Yes So some of you might be asking why are Bill and Christy um doing a podcast from a train station in France Yes you may be asking that Well it’s a tax write off This is all just a tax No I’m kidding And if you’re an IRS agent like cracking your knuckles right now getting ready I I joke this is not a tax write off But Christy joined Amanda and I and then her good friend lovers of aquariums around the world and uh they’re on a they’re on a European aquarium journey Um how do the European aquariums rate to American uh aquariums Uh really loved the one in Barcelona We’re we enjoyed the one in Ka We’re going to see how Paris does next Now quite honestly I wouldn’t think of Paris as being your aquarium spot They have jellyfish there that I’ve never seen before so I’m really looking forward to the jellyfish All right fair enough Fair enough Do you think the French then eat said jellyfish Oh I don’t want to talk about that because I I think they would probably put it in a cream sauce No no no no no no no I don’t need to I don’t need to know So yeah So we’re we’re going native this week here uh shooting the podcast and we’re getting a lot of people that are walking by looking at us strange which you know I’m I’m used to now being an American in uh the south of France It’s just kind of goes with the territory Um but again we’re a marketing podcast here right So we’re probably going to need to discuss the lessons that we’ve learned in Yes Yes our our baguette me mic holder too which we have to be careful about moving it back and forth It’s first time I’ve ever been able to eat a mic holder when I’m done Yeah this is my first experience using bread as a mic Yeah So we’re kind of excited about that Um maybe I’ll make some mic holder recipes afterwards Oo if you would like that drop it into the comments Yes micolder recipes Um but on a serious note you know what’s been interesting So Christy has been in France now for are have you been here yet a week or is it like uh almost a week but um myself I’ve been here for a month Um that’s probably why I’ve been absent from all of our photos in said uh Seoint uh media back in the office Um but with that I’ve been working remote here from the south of France Um and it’s really interesting because when I say south of France I think most Americans think about uh places such as uh Nice or Provence or Monaco and that that side of things Um and they don’t really know about this part of the south of France And where we are is right now we’re in the city of Porpon Pon papon papon I also if you’re a native French speaker and you want to roast me in the comments go for it Um but you know it’s kind of interesting is uh it’s not an area Americans have heard of or Americans have come to Have you met any other Americans on your journey I have not And I’ve also been very surprised at how much people love Americans here Yeah that was a big shock to me too because you know with the current climate of what’s going on back home and uh rising nationalism feelings Uh I really thought we were going to get a uh we were going to get some we’re going to get some blowback some you know like all right Americans And maybe we’ll get that when we go to Paris but as of right now it’s been it’s been pretty chill pretty like we love Americans Yeah I feel a little bit like a celebrity here Every time someone hears our accent our accent or finds out that we’re American they’re like “Woo Americans.” They’re very excited They are very excited I think the funniest moment was for me it was I was at the market like our one of our first days here and uh there was a sausage sales guy He had like a little a little display of all his sausages Wonderful sausages um you know and I’m trying to talk to him in my very very limited French and I’m apologizing for being an American and he’s like no no no and then like in dead pan like American accent guy did not speak a word of English except for in a perfect American accent goes America first and uh yeah that was my introduction to they’re okay with Americans in these parts Yeah I I was kind of hesitant to wanting to bring out how American I was but people are very pro-American more I was not expecting that I was thinking people are going to think we were just dumb but they were excited about it Yeah That said I am at the moment just a little curious because like right over our shoulder there’s two like station security people and I’m like wondering if they’re about to uh shut this down or because maybe I’ll get arrested for the misuse of a baguette So on that let’s tell everyone their story the story about uh other run-ins with the French police that you’ve had here Yeah So turns out and this I think actually segus into an important lesson that we’ve learned about the French and uh Europeans and I think this comes back to um we’re going to come 100% back to marketing here but turns out the French are not as excited about drones as as Americans Who would have thought I they don’t have experience with drones here like we do We are so used to seeing drones that it doesn’t phase anybody but it quite phased them here Yeah So I was uh droning all I studied all the laws before coming here I was doing a little bit of droning on the beach and uh next thing I knew there was uh two police officers uh visiting me with no English spoken Um and it was it was one of the funniest run-ins because on one hand they’re asking me for my authorization and they’re calling headquarters to sort out could I really drone where I was at Obviously somebody had made a complaint about it Um but at the same time they were also trying to tell me in their broken English that I look like Tom Hanks and uh how excited it was that I was an American and where I was from America I wonder if you could have lied and passed as Tom Hanks and gotten away with it I probably could have but then I feel like I would have started in an international incident and you know and then there would be like it would be on the news like Tom Hanks and his drone on the local news or something and I don’t want to do that to Tom Hanks PR team I I would like to do that to Tom Hanks PR team I feel like it’d be funny It might have got me out of the incident but it was it was a pretty funny um miscommunication My French is not great Um they put me on the phone with somebody who spoke some English but he was really freaked out that I was flying the drone and told me I had to go to the civil administration office the next morning It was a Sunday evening that I was droning So I was super worried I went into the civil administration office thinking you know they were going to grill me ask me for all my documentations And I walked in and I explained again English French barrier my limited French their limited English And the reaction to me was uh why are you here So yeah that was a lot of worrying for nothing But good good good good on the local police to be super super vigilant um when they didn’t know what to do with droners But yeah that was that was an interesting experience But let’s turn this back into marketing marketing So you know what’s really interesting is this really helped me appreciate this month in France the difference between the Americans perspective about privacy and the European perspective about privacy What way In what way Well um one of the things I thought was really interesting so you know in the States we’ve heard a lot about GDPR the um I think that’s the acronym but for the um European Union Privacy Rights Um and it really makes the internet unusable here in Europe because every single website you go to it pops up a little warning and it’s like “Hey hey do you want to do you want cookies Do you want cookies We got cookies Do you want your do you want our cookies?” And every single website you visit before you can read the thing you want to read before you um do what you need to do see that video you got to say “Yeah yeah I I’m I’m consent to all Consent to all.” So and I thought that was an overreaction by uh European bureaucrats right Like it was like government officials being like “We’re going to make some cool rules.” Um but my time here it’s really helped me appreciate um Europeans value their privacy a lot more than Americans do So again I got people walking by wondering why I’m talking into a baguette So you know that this is it’s a great moment But you may have noticed for instance that um in shooting this podcast I’m actually trying to limit the visibility of people behind us Um and that’s purposeful Like I could have like set it up so you could have seen the actual trains or you could have seen going out the uh uh back area Um but again the laws are like super super touchy about not photographing people Um and then there’s some really really high civil penalties if you were to video someone and then like for instance their voice showed up in it um or or their image showed up in it in a commercial setting And so I thought that was really interesting because um they would um in the states we wouldn’t care that much We’d plop down in a mall people would be walking behind us Um you know TV stations would do stuff like that You’d be more worried about people trying to get in behind your shot and do goofy stuff Uh not here And I am a little worried that people are crowding in right now Yeah cuz they’re like “Why is there a guy with a camera here talking into baguette?” Yes

American

stupid just English Yeah English

Yeah sorry Yeah sorry Well that um that commercial break was brought to you by Pan Handler in French Uh you probably only heard my part of it but uh yeah by the way that’s that’s how Bill has been speaking French so I’m glad I got gave you a little demonstration of that I’m gonna have to mute that whole part but I’m going to keep it in No I feel like we should keep that part in the podcast My battery is going to die soon It is So um so yeah but going back to privacy it’s been really interesting Um a couple thoughts on this Um it’s helped me to appreciate um the latitude that we have in marketing So like in the states for instance like we’d be um in a pot like in uh advertising sometimes our clients are like do you think that’s creepy Like you know like they’ll visit a web page and the next thing you know we’re like bam here’s a YouTube video about what you just were looking at And uh you know we have clients come back to us sometimes and say hey don’t you think people will find that creepy you know that you’re that targeted and they know what we’ve been doing And I think most of the time my opinion is no people are used to it in the states Um France new perspective on that in other countries now Yeah Exactly Because in France they definitely would be freaked out by that sort of thing Right Yep I I am thinking to myself I haven’t seen any teenagers walking around filming Tik Toks like you do in America even just that difference Yeah you don’t you don’t see that at all So yeah though it is funny like we’re definitely getting a crowd now watching the baguette Yep Um so we’re we’re also celebrity Americans So we are They were like “Is Tom Hanks recording a podcast with a baguette This is the best day of my life.” So uh I I know this is a little bit shorter This is a only like a 13minute um podcast Um but um I think our battery is going to die shortly but we did want to give everyone a little international content And honestly I just wanted the excuse to use a baguette as a microphone in public Yeah I’m not going to get another opportunity that doesn’t make me look like a lunatic to do this again So pretty pleased that I got the chance And um oh one other lesson I’ve learned baguettes in French they uh really are our daily bread because Yeah No I it’s not even a trope It’s like no we’ve been eating we’ve been eating croissants and baguettes every day Yeah But you really have one day to eat your baguette Yes No Because they’re quality Well and also because like 32 hours after that baguette is baked It could be a building material Like I could hammer nails with this baguette pretty soon Yeah That’s why it’s our mic This is This one’s done for Yeah we actually have our emergency baguette in our bag That’s our edible baguette This is really just our our microphone uh baguette Yeah When we’re done recording I have a real one to eat and a train to Paris to catch Yes Um so um yeah I kind of wish the people that were watching us uh film with our baguette would come over for a uh um a cameo but I think they’ve uh disappeared at this point So um any um any uh parting words to our podcast listeners Christie thank you for putting up with us Yeah Yeah And uh get ready for my uh microphone boomstand cookbook that will be dropping later in uh 2025 Oo that could be a good newsletter option Oh yeah Subscribe to our newsletter for all of your baguette and uh news uh boomstand uh related uh cut colory Thank you for being here Yeah Till next time folks