Jetlag tips
Getting to Villa Domme
Villa Domme is held in a spectacular secret location in Europe. In 2018 and 2019 this was in a 19th Century villa built for a Countess in Tuscany. And in 2022 following Covid pandemic when travel reopened again and lockdowns lifted, Villa Domme was shifted to an actual real-life castle in Portugal.
The reason that Anne O Nomis keeps the exact location concealed is to ensure that all attendees have the utmost privacy while attending Villa Domme, and in line with the discretion associated with the annual event.
Anne recommends you consider seeing some of Europe - such as Paris, Madrid or Rome, etc- while you're over. Or anywhere in Europe you've always wanted to go. Distances within Europe are very short to fly to, or even train to. If you need any help or ideas, feel free to email Anne on anneonomis@live.com
If you're coming from even further afield
First of all, congratulations. We admire your commitment to the course. Anne O Nomis and her team are flying from Australia for the event, so we know all about long-haul travel. You're welcome to co-ordinate with us, and contact dear tom for your transfer arrangements. You might want to consider to arrive into Europe before the course, to get yourself onto local time. Either way, once you're at Villa Domme, you can take a shower, swim in the pool, eat good food amongst fabulous company, or go for a walk in nature.
Anne's top jetlag tips are:
- Submit to the plane telling you to go to sleep when they turn the heating up and the lights down. As a Dominant this can be hard to do, but Anne notes that from years of experience - she now trusts the benevolent sky gods and goddesses.
- Eat lightly, stay hydrated. It's tempting to take advantage of all the champagne and free alcohol on your flight, and eat all the food offered, but you usually pay for it in several ways - with dehydration and indigestion.
- Melatonin pills. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, and has been synthesised into tablets. It helps sleep by two mechanism; hypnotic effect (which is variable by different people and genetics), and circadian rhythm effects - whereby it helps with jetlag to adjusting to the clock shift. Take these as recommended by your doctor or pharmacist.
- Self-manipulation and time fuckery. Anne recommends that once you're on the plane, change the time on your phone and watch to local Verona destination time. That way whenever you glance at your watch, it's telling you the time in Verona, and not the time at the place you left. She recommends don't even think about what time it is back home. Stick to local time to manipulate your brain and body to get onto local time more quickly.
- Force yourself to stay up to normal bedtime, and brush your teeth and perform normal bedtime routine. Don't think about what time it is back home, stay on local time.
- Sleep with curtains open to get natural light coming in in the morning. This is Anne's favourite jetlag hack. If your destination is in a rural location, you can leave your curtains open so that your body responds to the darkness and the natural sunlight coming up in the morning. Obviously if you're arriving in Paris or Rome for a stop-over as electric lights will mess with your body and you're better to have your curtains closed.
- Go for a walk outside in nature. As the body's circadian rhythms are triggered by natural light, it's best to get your eyes and skin out into daylight rather than artifical light. Plus the view is amazing, and will remind you what an incredible place you're in. A brisk walk in the morning is also a good way to kick-start your body with the combination of movement and daylight.
- Eat regular meals at the appropriate time. This is a simple one; eat breakfast in the morning, lunch at lunch-time, dinner at dinner-time.
- Be patient and kind on yourself. Whatever hacks you use, your body can't just adjust to huge time-shifts in the blink of an eye. Our bodies are beautiful complex things. It's ok to be a little off, and combined with that excited to be on the course and the ridiculously spectacular location. You won't be alone, there's plenty of people coming from far afield on the course. Anne and her staff know and understand jetlag well, and there are breaks scheduled for time out to rest / eat / socialize / take a walk / take a bath / lounge by the pool / revitalize and refresh.
Our muse of flying glamorously - Marilyn Monroe.
