Dre’s Takes: Routines on the Road

This month I was gone for 18 days.

Eighteen.

Not leisurely travel either — I’m talking the Super Bowl, then Triple Crown NIT, then a week in Hawaii working on our spring collection drop for TIY.

Different cities. Different energy. Different demands every single time.

When people ask how I keep myself together on the road, I want to be honest: it’s not a perfect system. It’s a mindset, a few small habits, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

Where I Was This Month

First stop — the Super Bowl.
The biggest game in American football. Unbelievable atmosphere. Dancing to Bad Bunny. Enough said.

That trip was pure joy. And I let myself be fully present in it.

Then straight into the Triple Crown — four days of 12+ hour days in the gym, on my feet, connecting with volleyball players on a real, personal level. We even celebrated Valentine’s Day with the girls, which ended up being one of my favorite moments of the month.

That trip was physically demanding in a way that reminded me: recovery isn’t optional.

And then Hawaii.
A week working on our spring collection drop — but also genuinely resetting my soul next to the salt water. There is nothing like the ocean to remind you what actually matters.

The Mindset Comes First

Before I even talk about what I pack or what I do in the mornings, I have to start here — because this is the foundation of everything.

I purposely travel in a go-with-the-flow mindset.

Most people skip this step and then wonder why travel feels stressful. A huge amount of travel stress comes from the unrealistic expectation that you should behave exactly the same as you do at home.

You won’t. And that’s okay.

The goal isn’t to replicate your home routine perfectly. The goal is to protect what matters most and release the rest with grace.

Once I accepted that travel is its own experience — not a lesser version of home — everything got easier. I stopped fighting it and started working with it.

There is beauty in figuring it out.

What I Actually Pack

My packing list isn’t about supplements and gear. It’s about the small things that make me feel like myself no matter where I am.

• Water bottle — I refill at the hotel gym. No electrolytes, no supplements. Just consistent, intentional hydration.

• Moisturizer & chapstick — Non-negotiable. Planes are brutal on your skin. These two things make me feel put-together instantly.

• Travel humidifier — Hotel air is dry. This little thing has genuinely changed how I sleep and feel on the road.

• Nécessaire bag — All my toiletries, perfectly organized and ready to open.

I want to pause on the nécessaire bag for a second because it sounds small — but it isn’t.

When everything is organized and in its place, getting ready feels calm instead of chaotic. That calm sets the tone for the whole day. Invest in the thing that makes you feel organized. It’s worth it.

Mornings on the Road

My travel mornings are built around two things:

1. No phone when I first wake up.
That first window of the morning — before the emails, before the notifications, before I’m needed by anyone — is mine. Whether I’m in a hotel room after the Super Bowl or waking up in Hawaii, that doesn’t change.

2. Water before anything else.
The bottle is on the nightstand from the moment I check in. It’s a visual cue more than anything. I see it. I drink it.

Small. Simple. Powerful.

How I Wind Down

If the morning is about easing in, the end of the day is about actually landing.

My non-negotiable? A bath or a long shower.

After 12-hour days at the Triple Crown — on my feet, managing logistics, being “on” for everyone — that shower wasn’t just hygiene. It was a reset. It’s where the day ends and I begin again.

We don’t talk enough about wind-down rituals. Everyone focuses on the morning. But how you close out a day matters just as much.

Sleep — Even 20 Minutes Counts

I’ve learned to prioritize sleep when long days are ahead.

At the Triple Crown, that looked like a 20-minute nap on a pallet behind the booth. And I have zero shame about that.

Rest is not a reward for finishing everything on your list.
Rest is what makes it possible to finish anything on your list.

The Beauty in Figuring It Out

Here’s where I want to land:

I have genuinely learned to love traveling. Not despite the unpredictability — but because of it.

Dancing to Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with my volleyball girls.
Watching the sun come up over the ocean in Hawaii.

None of those moments were routine.

But the small habits around them?
Those are what made me present enough to actually live them.

That’s the take.