For Lindsey Horan, Sofia Huerta, and Kristie Mewis, it all comes down to spearmint gum, compression socks, turmeric pills, and ‘Love Island.’
When mass think the lives of professional jock , their minds go directly to the fringe benefit : fancy mansion and gondola , slick imprimatur deals , arena full of cheering fans , and an endless amount offree sneakers . But while competing at the highest level evidently derive with a due amount of glory , it also come with a whole lot of travel — and we ’re not just talking private hired jets .
Whether they ’re encounter for club or state , commuting to work as a pro association football histrion can often mean hustle through a crowd airport to get an other morning transatlantic flying after get going 90 minutes under the lights the old nighttime . ForLindsey Horan , Sofia Huerta , andKristie Mewis — US Women ’s National Team starsand prospects forFIFA Women ’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand — it also mean squeezing in a photograph shoot withhard seltzer brand Trulyone cheery April day in St. Louis , all between beating theRepublic of Ireland1–0 and jetting off to their dwelling house clubs across the world afterward that afternoon .
And that ’s where we caught up with them . After sweating it out onSt . Louis University ’s well manicure pitchposing for shots with what is now thefirst - ever Official Hard Seltzer of the US Women ’s and Men ’s National Soccer Team , the three sat down with Thrillist to dish on the ups and Down of a aliveness on the route and what they ’ve get word along the way .
These FIFA Women’s World Cup champs know a thing or two about travel.|Ira L. Black - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Getty Images
permit ’s get down to business . What ’s in your carry - on?Kristie Mewis : I always bring compression socks because my ankles tumesce so regretful , it just micturate me feel well when I get off the planer . And I like to travel in a hoodie because you’re able to put the hood up to breathe .
Serdica Huerta : I always have something download on my iPad , just so I ’m preoccupied during the flight of steps . Being from Seattle , some of the flight we have to take are so long , like six hours . I want to be doingsomething , so I ’m not just bored .
Lindsey Horan : I always have my IPad . I binge watch shows whenever I move .
Sofia Huerta shows off a can of the newly released USWNT-branded Truly at a photo shoot in St. Louis.|Photo courtesy of Truly Hard Seltzer
Mewis : I like to have feel - good shows on the aeroplane , or I you do n’t full have to give attention to so you may kind of doze off or play on your phone . But then again , if there ’s a well docuseries or something like that — yeah , birth extra stuff and nonsense download is so important .
Huerta : On the plane , obviously they serve you water , but that does n’t come as frequently as you ’d require it to , specially on long trajectory . So I always have a pee bottle . Water feeding bottle , iPad , obviously you need a battery charger just in case your speech sound is move low .
Mewis : I always have some sort of snack just because you never know if you ’re going to get delay and sit on the plane for a foresightful time . I like to have something with chocolate in it and then something piquant , because I sense like you always just want something salty when you ’re flying .
Horan : I always have snacks . I think people know this and apply it to their advantage … but number one is likely gum . Must be spearmint .
Mewis : I also wish to take some sort of skin care , whether it ’s just more moisturizer or some spray . Just something , because I feel like my skin gets so gross on flying , especially long ones . So I ’ll always endeavor to wipe my grimace with something and just reapply something to make me feel healthy . Lately , I ’ve also been traveling with turmeric pills , an anti - seditious appurtenance , because I just get really swollen .
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Aisle or window?Huerta : Aisle . Because I go to the bathroom so much , I ca n’t do that to other people . And you’re able to put your leg out a fiddling bit .
Mewis : Aisle . I just like to be capable to get up when I want . I ’m so restless , and I do n’t sleep that much , so I wish to be able to stand up by my seat whenever I want . I detest the window , I feel at bay .
You ’ve just boarded a foresighted - haul flight . Are you eat the inflight meal?Huerta : On long flight of steps , I usually do n’t run through because I ’m sleeping the whole time . I think it depends ; if I prepped well and I ate before , I probably wo n’t need to eat the meal . But if I ’m starving and I ’m like , it ’s free food , why not ?
Kristie Mewis joins her club team, Gotham FC, on a trip to Seattle.|Gotham FC
Mewis : I’m not a sleeper , I ’m so spoiled . I ’m so covetous of you . I get bored , so I would rust the meal just to kill 20 minutes .
Where do you come down on drink airplane coffee?Huerta : I wo n’t drink the coffee tree on the carpenter’s plane , but I ’ll get a coffee for the flight of stairs . It does n’t taste very secure on the plane . I need that vanilla extract , experience what I mean ? Ca n’t be doing it black . I call for an iced vanilla latte with almond Milk River .
Mewis : I had her try my cold brew with oat Milk River the other day and she was like , “ Yuck . ”
Huerta : Horrible , horrible .
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If you have a whole row to yourself , do you automatically flip up the armrest and extend out?Mewis : That ’s the undecomposed , when you have a whole run-in . Just put your leg up . I believe set your leg up just makes you feel so much more comfortable . For me , I am not a neck pillow soul — they’re so annoying to travel with , frankly . A lot of people have gust - up ace now , and they ’ll be blowing them up on a plane [ laughs].I’d rather crinkle up my sweatshirt and lean on that .
Huerta : I can slumber on planes , the noise just micturate me kip easy . But I ’ve done it before . It ’s dear for recovery role to have your leg up rather than just jammed in between . And when you go to sleep and then you wake up and your branch ’s just like , totally done ? That ’s the worst .
Are you checking a bag or carry - on only?Mewis : I try not to check a grip , but when we go away with the internal team , we ’re gone for 10 days , so we have to check a bag . But I examine not to — smaller bag are obviously way easier .
Lindsey Horan explores the streets of Europe with her club team, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin.|Olympique Lyonnais Féminin
Huerta : I always see to it , but I have not had a spoiled experience yet . I ’ve never lost a bag . Have you ?
Mewis : I’ve lost a bag , but it got back to me in two or three day . I have n’t had the whole scary matter where they turn a loss it altogether or anything like that .
Huerta : That would be atrocious , turn a loss the handbag .
Mewis : And even if they give you money to buy newfangled stuff , you have to turn up what was in there ! It ’s like , how do you even do that ? That sounds like a nightmare .
Do you get to the airport early or right in metre for the flight?Huerta : I get there right in prison term . If I have a base , obviously , I have to be there an hour before . But if not , I ’m going right when we ’re embarkation .
Mewis : The good thing I ’ve done is get TSA Precheck and Clear , so I pilot through . Oh , and Global Entry — I have every minuscule thing that you could have . It ’s a game modifier .
Sofia Huerta and Lindsey Horan battle it out during a pre-game scrimmage in New Jersey.|U.S. Soccer
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What ’s your favourite place you ’ve traveled to , for soccer and not for soccer?Horan : I’ve lived in Denver , Portland , and Paris , and candidly , Lyon is one of the most beautiful places I ’ve live . Definitely one of my favorites . People are so prissy here , the city is very unagitated , [ the ] food is astonishing — the fountain lag traveling from France is the only matter .
Huerta : We were just tattle about this ! For association football , it was with the youth team and I go to Japan . That was amazing . With no soccer … obviously , Mexico is gracious to visit — I love going to Mexico .
Horan : best-loved place I ’ve traveled with the USWNT ? Probably when we went to London and played at Wembley .
Mewis : I bang Rio de Janeiro . We went there when I was , I call back , 16 or 17 . And then , for not association football , I went to Ibiza and I eff it .
Huerta : Ibi - tha .
Mewis : Ibi - tha[laughs ] . I ’m obsessed withLove Island , so that ’s probably why we take to go there .
Kristie Mewis snaps a selfie with a koala in Australia.|uswnt
What are your favorite and least favorite airports?Huerta : Sydney airport ’s nice . Least favorite ? Kansas City . Kansas City is so unsound .
Mewis : There ’s literally nothing there .
Huerta : I do n’t wish the Orlando aerodrome , either . It ’s like everyone ’s going to Disney World .
Mewis : I hate Chicago , too , because everything ’s delayed . Houston ’s not bad , everything ’s update — they have the iPads and hooey .
Huerta:“The iPads . ”
Mewis : The cool iPads ! I like London ’s airport because they have all the designer stuff and nonsense there . The external single are awesome , because they have a set of shopping .
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What ’s your backpacking routine?Huerta : It depends on …
Mewis : My mood .
Huerta : Exactly . How much I ’ve procrastinated and how indolent I ’m feel .
Mewis : Sometimes , if I ’m feeling good , I ’ll actually pack . But if I ’m work-shy and over it , I just throw crap in there and desire I pack everything . We travel so much , everything has just become 2nd nature to me . I ca n’t even think of things I do , because we travel so much .
Huerta : One affair I do now that I eff so much is I have chargers that stick around at home and courser that come with me on the road . It actually is low - paint so nice , because if you misplace a charger , you ’re still impregnable when you get back home . I just put my travelling chargers in one drawer . If I ’m proceed to travel , I take them out .
Mewis : I literally love that . We jaunt so much , everything has just become second nature to me . I ca n’t even think of things I do because we travel so much , but I need to do that .
What ’s the downright good thing about traveling with the USWNT?Horan : The best thing is probably the fact that you ’re make for for the US National Team — we’re lucky we can do what we do . We ’ve apparently worked so intemperately to be here , but to be in this squad and be a part of something so incredible , it ’s the best thing in the world .
