Hallie Ephron: At this time of year, many of us are looking forward to traveling. Somewhere warmer? More festive? With family or friends or solo?
Whether it’s by car or bus or train or plane, the anticipation sometimes lasts longer than the trip itself. For days before, I’m making lists of what to take with me. What to do before I leave. What to arrange for happening while I’m gone. Who to send my itinerary. What to check before I leave the house.
Not to mention printing out maps and time schedules for the places I’ll be going.
And the night before I leave, I sleep awake. Editing my lists. Fretting over whether I’ve set my clock early enough. Double- and triple- checking whether I’ve set it at all.
Do you have an anxious cycle before a trip, too? And do you have any pre-trip routine that calms you down and makes sure that you don’t arrive at your destination (as I have) without a change of underpants and your cell phone charging cord?
LUCY BURDETTE: Always anxious before a trip! I think of things I need to remember weeks and days before I leave–I know I should get better at writing them down instantly.
We are just back from visiting the kids in DC and CA, and I’m glad to have the traveling part over with. Not the visits, just the travel! This trip we had suitcases stuffed with Christmas presents too, and we were in two different climates. This did not do a lot for my wardrobe:).
If it’s a big trip, say Europe or further, I have lots of fun planning where to go and what to eat, but the packing and worrying part is magnified…
RHYS BOWEN: We always do everything we can to prevent anxiety, Hallie. Never cut it too fine with flights. If I’m going on a cruise we fly in the day before. No more tight connections.
I’m a great list maker. When I’m going on a big trip to Europe , or going to a convention or book tour, I plan out all the clothes in advance, hang them in the wardrobe in order and stare at them, worrying whether they will be right.
Whatever I take never seems to be quite right. Always too hot or too cold. I study weather reports. It’s 75 in France. I pack accordingly and when I get there there is a cold snap and I have to buy sweaters.
I was in New York for the Edgars a couple of years ago and it was freezing. I went into Macys to find a sweater. It was April All summer clothes. Not a sweater in sight.
My granddaughter Meghan went on a big trip around Italy and Greece last summer. She put together outfits for every day and took a picture of them so she knew exactly what to take in a big backpack. Such organization!
Also these days I tell myself I have my passport and a credit card. If I find I’ve left something behind there are shops!
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Rhys, you just reminded me of the time I was in London in the dead of winter and needed better gloves and coat–none to be had! The shops all had spring stock in, no cold weather things at all!
Before a trip, I love planning where to stay and where to eat. Packing, not so much. I try to reduce the anxiety by making lists, trying things on, putting together outfits and laying them out on the bed, then hanging them together until ready to pack. Still, I usually end up needing something, or nothing seems to work quite the way I expected.
And all the electronics we have to pack these days! One trip to London I actually forgot the power brick for my laptop and Rick had to FedEx Next Day it to me!! You can bet I’ll never forget that again. I hope…
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I feel anxious enough traveling for Thanksgiving, I can’t imagine Christmas! (Although if you shop online, you can get your presents delivered to your destination, which certainly helps.)
I’m also a listmaker, because with my adult ADD, it’s the only thing that keeps me from packing clothing for four days but no underwear. Which I actually did once, to a conference! I find having certain always-ready items helps me enormously. My toiletries kit is always packed with everything I need (in 3-oz bottles, of course) and I have a Knomo organizer that serves as a purse and corrals my phone, pad and chargers.
I also have the perfect weekender bag that fits under the seat in front of me, and if I’m not traveling for work, I use that. It feels like the fewer things I bring, the more relaxed I am.
It’s not uncommon for me to forget something - no surprise to anyone who knows me! - but I reason I’m not traveling to the Kalahari; there will be pharmacies and stores wherever I go. (I haven’t run into Debs’ problem of needing ant out-of-season clothing, though!
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I am super super organized, and like most of us, I have a rack where I hang the clothes pre-trip, and make a list that says, for instance: Thurs AM, x, y, z, belt, boots, tights, slip. Thurs PM, black dress, tights, little shoes. And so on.
I give myself points for the fewest things I can pack, and I NEVER check a bag. If it doesn't fit in above my seat, it doesn't go.
Another list says: phone charger, laptop, laptop charger, bookmarks,teaching material, speech, handouts.
In my underseat fabulous bag, I carry my laptop and my purse, which I put into the underseat so it looks like only one bag.
I have a flat iron that I keep in my suitcase, and toiletries in a kit that I never take out. I have backup underwear, still in original packaging, that I just leave there, always, and never unpack. A pair of backup new black tights, too. And flatl white waffle slippers. They, too, just live in my bag.
I also have a list every day: which I create backwards: planes leaves X:xx, boards X:xx, leave hotel x:xx, wake up x:xx.
Works for me.
JENN McKINLAY: I’m not an anxious traveler. I don’t make lists (weird, since I’m a plotter).
Once I book a trip, I enter what I call Travel Zen, where I accept that everything is out of my control. Hotel lost our reservation? Bummer, I guess we’ll suffer in a comped suite. Missed a plane in Munich–whateves–we caught the next one. Waitress returned the wrong credit card and gave mine to someone else who left the restaurant and I’m flying out tomorrow? Cancel the card and enjoy the free meal. It is what it is.
I just try to keep things simple. I only travel with a carryon, I assume the hotel will have the toiletries I need, and I only pack three colors – for example, when I went to Italy for nine days, I packed only black, red and white clothes which made mixing and matching and multiple outfits very easy. Everything always works out and sometimes a bigger adventure is to be had with the eventual mishaps.
HALLIE: You have to admit, the answers to this question are a bit of a Rorschach. And I do wish Jenn could bottle some of that "travel Zen" and share it with me.
What about the rest of you? Do you organiz, go Zen, or zone out when you're about to go on a trip, and what do you think it says about you?
Jenn's "travel Zen" sounds wonderful . . . I need some, too!
ReplyDeleteI fret, try to pack light, buy whatever I need that I forgot to pack when I get there . . . I definitely need to be more organized.
I always seem to bring the "wrong" stuff, too.
DeleteI am very organized when traveling. I have a list that I check- off and my suitcase is fully packed at least 2 days before traveling. I also call to confirm hotel reservation with my instructions.
ReplyDeleteSmart. Adding "call hotel" to my loooooong list of what to do before.
DeleteMy mother, from the rural deep South, used her parents' ca. 1900 expression to describe one's anxiety/excitement before a trip: she referred to it as being "journey-proud." It always seemed a strange phrase to me as I am never proud, but apprehensive. I tend not to worry as much about where I'm going as I do for all the details at home I'm leaving in other hands. I make long lists, I stock the freezer with meals, and I post signs around the barn. However, back in the days when I packed for children as well as myself, I too once forgot my own underwear. Since we were over an hour's drive from any place to buy some, I washed that single pair every night in the sink and laid it on the iron radiator. (Selden)
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting expression! We didn't even discuss what we leave behind--with animals, that's my biggest worry!
DeleteJourney proud. That's a new one on me. Selden, sounds like your life is pretty complicated to begin with so much needed to keep things going while you're gone.
DeleteMy family uses that expression, too! It comes from a book my mother and her many sisters loved—but I don’t know the book.
DeleteI have always suffered severe homesickness BEFORE I go on a trip. Oddly, once I hit a certain point on a road trip, or once I get through TSA at the airport, I settle into Jenn's Zen. At that point, I have no more control over what might go wrong at home while I'm gone, and I trust I will deal with whatever comes up along the way when and if needed.
ReplyDeleteI makes lists of lists in the days/weeks leading up to a trip. Organizing outfits gives me hives. I may have to steal Rhys' granddaughter's trick of taking photos of them before packing.
PRE-travel homesickness?!? We should give that a name.
DeleteAnticipatory Homesickness? And it absolutely has much to do with leaving my cat at home. I never had it when we used to go to our fishing camp and took the cats with us.
DeleteI start organizing clothes and toiletries weeks in advance. I obsessively monitor the weather reports ten days ahead and add and subtract clothes to match. On our l last three-day stopover in London the first week of October, it was so cold I purchased and wore a wool "jumper" out of the store.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pain to make reservations for every museum, theatre, concert, and restaurant in advance. But we do, and at dinner time, we don't wander the streets looking for a place to eat.
We always always always research where we're going to eat for every night we're gone BEFORE we leave. Make reservations. But then we travel on our stomachs.
DeleteLike HANK, I only travel with carry-on luggage. A 2 day trip vs 3 week trip, it does not matter.
ReplyDeleteI do make lists in my head, not written lists, so I am organized.
And I rarely have travel anxiety or have trouble sleeping before a trip.
But I do get to the airport or train station super early.
Grace, did you hear that Canada Air will charge for carry-on luggage beginning in January ?
DeleteDanielle
Grrrrr. Pretty soon they will charge us for the privilege of booking our own flights online!
DeleteDANiELLE: Yes, I heard the news. Fortunately, I flew a lot in 2024 and reached elite status with Air Canada so I will get free checked bags on every flight in 2025. But I doubt I will use the free checkins. I will also get Zone 2 boarding access on all flights hext year so I glad to board early to put my carry- on in the overhead bin!
Deletefor CARRY ON luggage??
DeleteYes, starting January 3, Air Canada will start charging for carry-on luggage on the cheapest basic economy fare. What is more annoying for me is their extra charge for choosing your seat when you book the flight.
DeleteOTOH... I just traveled back from Vancouver on Air Canada (my first time on AC) and the customer service and sane boarding was spectacular. All the other airlines do that extra charging but they hide it - the cheapest economy seat comes with no carry on bag or assigned seat, the next tier... It's effectively charging more for "extras" that used to be what constituted the basics of an airline ticket reservation.
DeleteBritish Air charges to choose your seat even in business class which is insulting !
DeleteWhat?! That's crazy. But I have not flown with BA in a long time.
DeleteThat is why I was so surprised to get free seat selection for my 4 flights to/from Nashville on United with the second cheapest economy fare. I am so used to paying for seats in economy with AC.
On our cruise in October, our airfare was arranged by NCL so we flew Air Canada. When we found out that we had to pay to choose our seats, I was incredulous, angry, frustrated - pick your adjective. I immediately reached out to my friend, Grace, who explained that’s how it is on AC. (Thanks, Grace!) I guess I am grateful we flew before they instituted fees for carryons. — Pat S
DeleteI am very organized with pre-packing lists and putting my planned clothing in the spare bedroom. I pack layered clothing to allow for temp shifts and always carry a few things in my carry-on in case my checked bag is delayed. I’ve also taken to packing 1/2 my stuff in my wife’s luggage and 1/2 of hers in mine, in case one bag never shows, at least we both have some basic clothing to enjoy the trip. And, honestly, I can always pick up a few things to help get me through.
ReplyDeleteAnd be SURE TO PUT a note IN every piece of your luggage with your name, phone number and itinerary so a lost bag can catch up with you. Having a suitcase go astray on the in-coming link of your trip screws up what should be a great vacation.
DeleteI even do that in my overhead bag.
DeleteOh, good idea!
DeleteWe all wish we had Jenn's travel Zen! I fret about outfits, always, and about the alarm if I need to get up early for a flight. I do keep the toiletries kit packed, except there are a couple of things I have only one of (tooth guard, for example), that I can't replace and have to remember to include. I love Hank's idea of keeping a new pack of underwear in the suitcase! My spare glasses are always in there. I'm a devoted list maker, and the packing list gets started early.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy not to be traveling for the holidays. (Although my grandbaby is, sniff, but we'll have them all here for Christmas next year.)
I'm not traveling this time either. They're coming to me. Which means LOTS of trips to the grocery store beforehand and list and lists and lists of what to do before they get her. Trading one angst for another.
DeleteBut how lovely to have a houseful of loved ones!
DeleteMy friend Dee taught me that, no matter how long you're traveling for, only ever pack for five days in a carry-on bag. I don't travel so this is pure theory for me, but I think it's good advice. I also think we worry too much about our clothes: It's good if they're clean, but it doesn't matter to me if I've seen you in that exact outfit before, it's YOU I've come to meet, not your clothes!
ReplyDeleteSo important to remember that!!
DeleteMuch easier to do in warm weather. Those washed underpants will need to dry.
DeleteHallie, they do make underwear that is fast drying, invented I'm sure for traveling. My daughter has several pair she takes on trips.
DeleteExOfficio makes them, and the Duluth Trading Bare Naked brand is also quick-drying. Wringing them in a towel helps, too.
DeleteAlso, when you're traveling, you're generally seeing strangers, and they won't know if you've worn the same thing every day!
DeleteI'm always anxious before a trip and rarely sleep well. My lists are mostly in my head, but run in a continuous loop. Your stories reminded me of a situation a friend of mine got into some years back (we are celebrating his 60 years of ordained ministry at church today, yay!) He and his wife were going on a cruise, which left from Florida and ended in San Diego. For some reason, he didn't remember to bring his passport. I had a key to their apartment because I used to go water their plants when they traveled, so he called me. Luckily, it was exactly where he told me to look (Believe, me, I had some thoughts about whether anyone would be able to find something at my place in a similar situation!) I texted him pictures of the important pages, which allowed him to get on the boat and then FedEx-ed the passport to the cruise office in San Diego, which would allow him to come back into the US. Phew!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like one of my recurring travel anxiety dreams, Gillian!
DeleteThat's a real life travel nightmare. And a good reminder, KNOW WHERE YOUR PASSPORT IS when you're NOT traveling.
DeleteSince I haven't travelled in years I can just enjoy and appreciate the travel experiences of others. I realize now that when I did travel, I always packed way too much because 'you never know.' Even though I was organized, I always suffered from travel anxiety, too. I don't remember ever not taking something vital with me - hence to packing too much - but there were a couple times when I left something behind at my destination.
ReplyDeleteI lost a spectacular sweater from Iceland that my husband had bought for me. Makes me weep thinking about it. Left it in the hotel room. I hope someone's enjoying it.
DeleteOh no! Those Icelandic sweater are pricey and keep you toasty warm.
DeleteI check the room obsessively about five times before we leave a hotel and yet always leave something! Usually a hairbrush!
DeleteYeah, I left a black dress in San Francisco, and I was SO MAD, I just read an article about how not to forget something in a hotel room safe. It said: put the shoes you pan to wear on the plane in the safe, too, and then you will then not forget whatever else is in there.
DeleteJenn would make a fortune if she could sell her zen in bottles.
ReplyDeleteI’m anxious and make lists before a travel . I check and double-check everything I can.
However, as soon as I’ve left my home, I know that I have no more control and I begin to enjoy the travel. Experience has taught me that I can face whatever happens.
Danielle
Oh gosh, I wish I could do that. Instead I"m constantly counting and recounting (have I got everything??) and misplacing my ticket and double checking that I returned my driver's license to my wallet and and and... Then I sit for 2 hours at the gate.
DeletePutting your drivers license back into the wallet immediately is SUCH a big deal. I specifially take that time, even if the guy behind me is huffing and glaring at me. I find I am always moving too fast and I have solved that, I hope by counting at each juncture: Do I have my four things: carry on, overhead bag, phone, wallet. Go.
DeleteOnce past security, I am in Jenn Zen. If I've forgotten something, too bad. And I can buy a paperback at the post-security book store!
DeleteI love to travel and lists are the answer. I can fret all night about remembering the laptop charger or the medicines...or I can write it down and then it is the list's responsilbility not mine. Works very well!
ReplyDeleteExactly! If it's written down, you can turn over and go back to sleep.
DeleteLists YAY!
DeleteHave to say, Triss, writing it down is great…but worry wart me, like Santa, I make the “list” and check it once, twice, thrice, plus until it is time to get up! High stress traveler here…don’t relax until the plane wheels thunk up and away. Happy trails, all. Elisabeth
DeleteHaving lived this year on the drop of a hat, I have mastered our travel/pet care regime.
ReplyDeleteAlways have ready the small baggie of drugs/Splenda/small change-cash. (more small change – toonies, loonies, are perpetually in the ashtray of the van). Should anything be used on trip, instantly fill it back up, and place baggie back on shelf. This is a do not touch bag.
Pet care – always have a large can of wet cat food on the shelf. If we have to leave, fill all the bowls with this slop – they prefer the Friskies, top up the water – we have a fishtank/pond in the house that they can drink from, grab 2 Caesars to feed the dog – he usually comes – and close the doors/windows. Hope everyone is in. Chickens – top up hopper, then good luck to them.
Clothes – hope it is not laundry day! Take clean pants (wear them), clean sweatshirt, couple of clean shirts, underwear, pajamas, grab toothbrush and hairbrush – done. Remind the other fellow to do the same. Usually at this point he is spinning with a stunned look on his face – doesn’t deal well with crisis-time. He is more likely to decide that right now he needs to paint the house before we go…
Grab cellphones, ipod, ipad, chargers (not really a problem as usually where we are going has them to borrow), plop all this into a milk carton, close eyes to mess, close the door, maybe lock it, and leave. Took less than 30 mins. House was not painted…
Oh yes – never let the gas tank get less than ¾ full.
Ha ha ha ha!!! Thanks for that fantastic advice!!
DeleteFor me cell phone I need to remember to have my cell phone fully charged all the time. This is something I am need to improve on.
DeleteLet's call this game Dungeons and Travel. First, I'd like to purchase some of Jenn's zen for future use. I'd like to borrow Hank's ability to organize her necessities into one tiny suitcase and still look like a runway model. I have plenty of lists to sell in case any other players need one, and I have healthy homemade snacks in case I end up in the Dungeon.
ReplyDeleteI am like the California highway system, the more room I have, the more I pack into it. Rachel wants us to take the train to Delaware. No. I bring pillows. I bring 2 months supply of cookies, and the 13 year old still demolished them in one weekend. I bring clothes for hiking and for beach and for town. Cozy slippers and boots. Sigh. 5 books and my Kindle.
We will go on a cruise this summer. I'll figure it out.
You're well prepared, Judy. Esp the cozy slippers and boots... Wouldn't it be great if we all had that carpet bag that Mary Poppins pulled a floor lamp out of.
DeleteI always overpack when I drive. Why not? There's plenty of room!
DeleteI do the same Edith
DeleteDanielle
I mean to add a story a California friend told me that relates to packing under an urgent deadline. A wildfire was coming in fast, and they didn't have a Go bag by the door. Her husband grabbed all his Hawaiian shirts and left a thousand dollars in cash in the house. She got documents and prescriptions but forgot underwear and phone chargers!
ReplyDeleteA go bag is something we all should have. A blog for another day. You're one health scare away from needing one. Especially if you live alone.
DeleteEdith it's amazing what we can do without under emergencies circumstances. Our friends got a knock at the door and a policeman said a fire is roaring up the canyon get in your car and follow me down the street. She wanted to run back in the house to get "stuff" but the police said no - so she just had her purse and her life was saved. Two minutes after she left the fire roared through and demolished the entire neighborhood.
DeleteHere in tornado country I have kept a stocked box of essentials, a few gallons of water, and pillows and blankets in the basement, just in case. It's even more necessary at our farm, where the trailers we rent are on the top of the ridge. Our renters know how to get into the basement there, if they have the time to get down the 1/2-mile long driveway. In 16 years they only needed to get there once, fingers crossed. We also have the biggest first aid kit I could find there, after hearing how long it took for the volunteer paramedics to get to a friend who had an accident. Rural properties are a bit scary.
DeleteIf Hank, who is the most perfectly dressed/coiffed person I have ever met (at a recent event, I sat there admiring her two toned shoes and had to remind myself to pay attention) can travel with just a carry on, I am ashamed of the enormous bag I carried to NYC last weekend! I will try to be more efficient!
ReplyDeleteAwww....thank you! That is very kind...xoxoo It took me a while to whittle my carry on bag., I have to say.
DeleteI agree, Hank is amazing. Right down to her shoes.
ReplyDeleteOrganize, plan, take photos of each outfit--all pieces have to go with two others--and THEN go Zen. Preparation spares me the anxiety. I haven't checked a bag in ages, unless we have to take something big one direction or the other, and it's usually because I'm traveling with the chronic overpacker I live with.
ReplyDeleteAmanda's friend's advice of packing for five days is excellent. On our last, 3-week trip to Kenya, that was a challenge. We were traveling over the holidays, and in addition to needing to take some small gifts, we had to have clothing that fit safari, beach resort, two holidays, fancy dinners out, and both very hot (it was summer there) and chilly at night in Nairobi, which is at 5,000 feet elevation. And we had to use carryon because of the tightest possible connection. One thing in our favor: my daughter's housekeeper laundered our clothing twice.
My go-to wardrobe expander is a couple of scarves. They are lightweight, take up no room, and make basic outfits look different enough that travel partners think I must have an entire wardrobe in my magic carryon. Nope, just four scarves, two pair of pants, 5-7 tops, and a warm layer. My best find for our Kenya trip was a whisper-thin gold metallic ruana to go over my black pants and shirt on New Year's Eve. It shed like mad, but was just right for a couple of hours at the party. You can do the same with dramatic jewelry, but it takes up more room, and is heavier.
Let's hear it for scarves! I use them, too. Black pants, black top, scarf... done.
DeleteWe used to travel quite a bit prior to Covid. I am not a planner nor a worrier. I do get to the airport many hours in advance (more than the airlines recommends...just to be safe).
ReplyDeleteWe used to travel in Europe back in the 70's when pre-planning was pretty difficult.
Some trips are carefully planned and sometimes when I met with my daughter (who was living abroad) we just winged it driving thru France for several weeks. It is so much fun to see cute places or a chateaux while driving and be able to stay the night or a few days. Sometimes places on line just aren't what you think they will be.
As far as packing, I just grab 2 pairs of pants, a bunch of shirts (long sleeve and short sleeve), undies, a few sweaters (depending on climate), a black dress and an extra pair of shoes. Bingo - throw it all together in a carry on. We don't need a lot of fancy clothes, unless we are visiting friends. But typically we are just sightseeing. A lot of reservations are done online so as long as we have Internet a lot of the paperwork is not necessary. But I read about a guy in our local paper who lost his cell phone and wasn't able to get his airline tickets, hotel tickets, get an Uber, etc. So maybe back up papers might still be a good idea. Hmm.
What a nightmare... we are SO dependent on our cell phones. I do print out boarding passes, hotel reservations, maps, restaurant lists, bird lists... I know, sounds ridicuous but it's all about what's important to you.
DeleteMy travelling includes Carry on bags. I bring the essentials, since I cannot always depend on finding what I need after I arrive at my destination. I make lists from the essentials to places I want to visit. As a traveller, I like to keep things simple.
ReplyDelete"Simple" is a goal to aspire to. Always.
DeleteDefinitely! Makes life easier, right?
DeleteThankfully I don't really do much traveling. On the rare occasion that I have, I do make a list to make sure I pack everything I will need. Once I get the list all checked off, I tend to just zone (I don't do zen) out because I know I packed everything.
ReplyDeleteAnd my carry on has a change of clothes packed in case the airlines send the suitcase to Timbuktu.
Meanwhile, my friend Ann has gone off on her travel the world for the rest of her life trip with pretty much just a backpack of stuff. She's got a FB page for her travels that she's updating a bunch of times. Currently she's in Mexico.
And my luggage HAS gotten sent to (not timbuktu but) Atlanta when the smallish plane from Key West to Boston had a lot of trip travelers on it. Took four days to get it back. Fortunately it was on the homebound leg and I had all the essentials with me in my carry-on.
DeleteI have not mastered the art of getting everything in a carry on. And if they’re going to start charging for carryons, I might not bother. But I really do need to learn to take less… (And the poor airline executives - they weren’t making enough money charging for checked bags since people figured out how to get by with carryons. So now they have to charge the peons for carryons as well. I wonder how they cope on their multimillion dollar annual salaries….)
ReplyDeleteI do like a lot of ideas you all have shared today. The idea of packing for five days is brilliant! We found on our (first ever) cruise that you can get clothes laundered which was a game changer. We apparently were in a category/level where our first (and thus, only) load was free which was even better!
I’m grateful that our kids are coming to us for Christmas so we’re not traveling any more this year. As someone noted above, now all I need to worry about is groceries and cleaning the house! — Pat S
Groceries! There's only two more weeks of the year and I already have 4 shopping lists.
DeleteI am a list maker, keeping track of what clothes I'm packing, down to the underwear, and medicines and electronics (including chargers) and shoes. Shoes are the things I hate packing the most because they take up so much room. I can usually limit the shoes I take except for my Paris trip last spring. I had multiple pairs of tennis shoes for that trip because of the walking and not being sure which ones would work out the best. In fact, packing for the Paris trip was a nightmare indeed. The weather was going to be from warmish to needing a coat. I really over-packed for that trip. I really need to travel only when the air temp is fairly the same. Debs, I need to know when that is in England. And, I so want to learn to just pack a carry-on. I do try to take a lot of black bottoms that will mix with more colorful tops, and I learned how much I love scarves on the Paris trip. I usually keep a baggie of underwear in my carry-on at all times, ready to go.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for scarves! And never checking your meds or undies.
DeleteKathy, I vote for September/October, but nothing in the UK is ever guaranteed!
DeleteMy mother was always a big detailed list maker. If she was having people for dinner she would plan the meal, the dishes that would be used and even the specific serving utensils.
ReplyDeleteFor a trip, everything would be written down by category and what might accompany it in terms of accessories. If they were generic items such as underwear that wouldn’t change from trip to trip she kept that on a permanent list in her suitcase.
Although I write down everything too, it didn’t keep me from forgetting an important item on one trip.
I had already arrived at the airport and thought I had everything. I then realized although (in the days of film) I had all my film, I forgot the camera. Since this was an extended European trip and pictures were an integral part of the trip, I wasn’t going to take the film (about thirty rolls) without the camera. Fortunately I had arrived at the airport early, my house was within taxi distance and I took a cab home, asked the driver to wait, picked up the camera and got back to the airport before I needed to go to the gate.
At least we don't have to worry about bringing film these days....
DeleteA couple of weeks ago, my daughter, niece, and I travelled from Pensacola to Albuquerque to bring my nephew furniture for his first-ever apartment. I hardly packed anything and zoned out for the trip after discovering that parts of Texas are very, very flat. The night we arrived, his car was stolen. It turned up a week later, having been torched and used in a homicide. So, as I type this, my daughter is driving (again) to Albuquerque, this time to deliver a new car to him. She normally doesn't mind driving long distances but i think she's rethinking that stance. I know I would.
ReplyDeleteYikes! That's a 20+ hour drive. And then the car was STOLEN?? And used in a homicide?? That's the stuff of a crime novel. You sound as if you took it in your stride.
DeleteYes, parts of Texas are very, very flat:-)
DeleteI list each day with what the weather is supposed to be and each item of clothing and shoes I plan to wear that day including undies and socks. In another column I list what else I need to take like toiletries, coat,umbrella, travel pillow, reading material, phone, chargers, purse. I lay everything out on my bed. I start with the last day and work backwards on putting each days’ items in my suitcase. I have toiletries I always in their bag in my suitcase and just refill them as needed. Even so I often end up doing that sleep awake thing the night before just lying there with my eyes closed.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have it down to a system... works as long as the forecast turns out to be accurate. I have one of those plastic raincoats that fold up to nothing that I take with me regardless of the forecast. Hedging my bets.
DeleteI have a raincoat plus three different types of puffer coats that pack into their pocket or pouch now. So handy!
DeleteLate in to say I use Jenn's color system as well - three colors for the whole trip. It makes packing so much easier, and if I'm at a mutli-day conference, it helps people "see" me - I'm the one in black/white/red or tan/navy/red.
ReplyDeleteAuthor Diane Vallere should offer a business of packing for people. She is AMAZING! I think I learned my three color trick from her!
ReplyDelete