All Systems Checked and Ready for Take Off
I guess if there is one thing that I actually like about Doug’s work travel is that he has a system in place that he follows religiously for every trip. I am a work in progress on the other hand in becoming an organized traveler and putting in my own system. Over the past 5 years or so I have tweaked my routine each trip on what works best, and what isn’t happening again. And I am comfortable in saying that I have gotten much better in getting ready to travel.
Preparation is so important for anything, especially for travel. The more you get in place prior to the day before your trip, the easier it becomes – and less stressful (am sure everyone understands that)!
Here are some of my travel tricks that you may want to implement.
Travel Checklist: I have implemented a travel checklist that I have created in excel to help take the pain and anxiety out of packing. I tweak it with each trip (i.e. is it to a beach, cold weather environment, lots of walking) and depending on who is will be joining me. When I first created it the list was a massive 3-page brain dump – now it is a fine-tuned one-pager that covers everything I need.
Rolling Clothing Rack: I plan out a majority of my outfits prior to packing and hang them on a rolling rack. I figure out in advance what I would wear each day and by seeing it in front of me in a very organized manner, I can revise an outfit with ease.
I learned very quickly that just packing a ton of clothes, hanging them up in the hotel closet and then figuring out your wardrobe each day is a waste of valuable fun time. Do all the fretting before you leave so you can truly enjoy your vacation when you get to your destination. Finally, I take the outfits with the hanger and pack it into my garment bag (as you never know how many hangars you will have at a hotel).
Garment Bag: I highly recommend a garment bag with wheels. We love our Briggs & Riley set, especially the large wardrobe on wheels. As I noted previously, I take the clothes off the rack (hangars included) and just drop them in my bag. Easy as it gets!
Doug used to sell luggage and has told me the importance of investing in a really good set of luggage. They can hold up to the frequent traveling and as importantly, keeps you organized. Not to mention, Briggs & Riley’s warranty is second to none – if you are looking to get new luggage I highly recommend them!
Packing Cubes: In addition to my list I also started using packing cubes and to my surprise, they really help. Cubes were super helpful with keeping my son’s clothing organized and compact. In addition, it made unpacking super easy.
Clear over the door (shoe) organizer: Sometimes I bring a clear shoe organizer to hang over the door in the bathroom. This is a great way to keep all your toiletries off the counter, organized and very accessible.
Folding Mesh Hamper: In the past, I have used the hotel laundry bags however they always rip and are too small. This hamper takes up virtually zero space in your suitcase, is super light and very inexpensive. Just helps you feel like you are organized and everything, including your dirty clothes, have a “home”.
Bluetooth Speaker: Music is such a great way to create a fun vibe in a blah hotel room or relaxing by the pool and beach. We use a time waterproof speaker that is inexpensive but works great.
Travel Mirror: I need a good mirror with 10 X magnifying for my makeup application. Most hotels do not offer a good magnifying mirror.
