We’ve been wearing travel pillows wrong this whole time

Airplane passenger uses travel pillow
Adobe

Taking an in-flight nap is a real treat — if you can pull it off.

Most of us fly in the economy cabin, where reclining your seat can be seen as an act of malice and people literally fight over armrests. Some folks rock the travel pillow around their neck, but even that can be awkward and uncomfortable.

TikTok to the rescue! User @sidneyraz caused a stir recently when he pointed out that “travel pillows go in front”:

@sidneyraz

you can actually sleep on a flight #traveltipsandtricks #inmy30s

♬ original sound – sidneyraz

Mind officially blown. And apparently I’m not alone, since the video racked up over 34.3 million views, 5 million likes and hundreds of comments.

How did we miss this? It makes total sense. With the neck opening facing your back, the bulky pillow doesn’t smoosh against the seat and force your neck into an awkward position.

Instead, as @sidneyraz demonstrates, you’ve got 360-degree support for your noggin. Snoozing is a snap!

A quick spin through @sidneyraz’s profile reveals dozens of little tips and ideas he dubs “things I should’ve known before I was in my 30s.” Like this one: You can erase permanent marker with dry erase marker.

@sidneyraz

well this was terrifying #inmy30s #permanentmarker

♬ original sound – sidneyraz

What? Wow.

Or, you can keep a cut avocado fresh and not-brown by storing the unused half in a little bowl of water.

@sidneyraz

testing how to keep an avocado fresh over two days #avocado #inmy30s

♬ original sound – sidneyraz

Which makes sense — exposure to oxygen is what causes the unsightly-but-harmless brown discoloration to appear. Still, I had never even considered this! (And I am, uh, no longer in my 30s.)

Finally, there’s an incredibly easy trick to properly line a bread tin with aluminum foil. Brace yourself:

@sidneyraz

first time trying this #bakingtip #cookingtip #inmy30s

♬ original sound – sidneyraz

Of course, you can always just stick the foil in there and poke and prod it into place. But when I’m worried about a sticky loaf, I’ll do any little thing I can to take the pressure off.

Much like @sidneyraz here, I find myself exasperated by my own ignorance at basic “adulting” skills. Perhaps I need to grab my travel pillow and take a newly comfy nap.

Tips & Advice, Travel

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About the Author
Kathleen St. John
Kathleen St. John is a freelance journalist. She lives in Denver with her husband, two kids and a fiercely protective Chihuahua.

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