2018 was the year of travel and we still have one last trip to go before ringing in 2019! After forgetting quite a few things during the first trip I vowed to get my shit together to not run out of clean underwear again. Here’s how I keep from under/over packing and forgetting things.
1. I made a list
It kinda seems like a no-brainer, but I needed a list I could revisit, revise, and reuse for each trip we went on. I used to just write things down fresh each time which led to a lot of mishaps and forgetting common things I thought for sure, “I wouldn’t forget.”
So I opened up a word document, typed in all of the items Alex and I need to travel with. At the top of the list I put spaces to write where, when, and for how long we will be there. That way I can make sure to pack accurate amounts of clothing depending on trip length. Then I duplicated the list so there were two on the page. I printed it out on sticker paper and cut it out. Presto. Custom packing list I can put into whatever notebook I’m using at the time. I felt like a bloody genius and showed Alex the list way too many times. One time would have sufficed. But no. I kept shoving my creation in his face like a proud parent. But I digress….
2. I start early, but not TOO early
So the thing about me is I worry. Like a lot. I’m the type of person that’ll pack a suitcase two weeks in advance out of anxiety and have to keep going back into the suitcase to grab things I need. This ultimately leads to me thinking something’s in the suitcase when in fact I took it out five days ago and forgot. So I’ve trained myself to still pack early, but not so early that it causes issues. I try and start the initial packing stages about three days before we leave for a trip. That way I can make sure I can clean anything I might need and have plenty of time.
3. I reference the list
I mean that’s what a list’s for, right? Since I do start packing a few days in advance, I can’t pack everything at once. So I make sure to check the list regularly to know what I still have left to pack. There are always those last minute items you throw into a suitcase right before you leave. The list is great at making sure those aren’t missed in the sleep-deprived early morning rush to get to the airport.
4. I bring the list for the return journey
Usually I’ll just use the same list to make sure we bring everything back home that we left with. No forgotten cell phone chargers in hotel rooms for us.
5. I update the list
I realize that the point of this post is to go on and on about this list I made, but seriously. It’s a huge help. Once we get back from a trip I’ll revise the list to remove anything we didn’t end up bringing and adding any items I hadn’t thought of previously. That way when the next trip rolls around, I’m more prepared than ever before and my anxiety is being well managed.
Even if it’s just a document you print off on computer paper and keep in a folder, having a regularly updated list can save you a lot of stress when it comes to packing for trips. Plus it’s a great way to help pack for other people. Alex is much more carefree about travel than I am, so I like to pack his things ahead of time for him. The list helps to make sure we’re both on the same page and I’m packing things I know he needs and he knows what’s going into the suitcase.
How do you pack for travel? What’s your technique?
After many, many years of doing a terrible job at organizing and storing our collection, we finally found the perfect home for our travel sand and water collection. It’s the only souvenir that has stood the test of time and many moves. You definitely need to start one.
We get our little spice jars from Bed Bath and Beyond for a dollar a piece. The display rack from Michael’s is actually meant for shot glass collections, but our containers fit like a glove. Then we printed some stickers of all the locations to put on the jars for consistency. You could easily use a label maker as well.
We also allow unique additions from friends and family. It’s a fun way to get more people involved and we’ve found ourselves with a lot of cool, unique samples that way.
It’s by far the coolest thing we have from our travels. When gathering samples it feels like we’re just picking up more sand, but when they’re all together it’s obvious just how different the colors and styles really are. Plus besides the cost of the display and jars, these souvenirs were free. We can still remember all of the places where we gathered the sand or the people and their stories who have donated to our collection.
It’s been a week since we returned from our cruise and the last vlog went live yesterday. Seriously sad times. I’m already craving my next vacation! Enjoy all of the cruise vlogs in one convenient location. And let’s start planning a blog reader/Helloigan cruise soon please?
So there you have it. One amazing trip wrapped up into six vlogs. Now I’m off to Traverse City for some kayaking and celebrating my cousin’s wedding.
It’s been a whopping three days since we returned from our cruise and it honestly feels like we never left. We dove right back into work like nothing had changed. Although I would have much rather stayed out at sea for another year or two, I felt excited to get back to work. It’s a whole lot easier when what you do for a living doesn’t really feel like work, but not all of us can be so fortunate.
I think what truly helped the most at giving me motivation to get back to work after travelling is the fact that I didn’t think about work at all the entire time we were away. It definitely helped that I had no internet or cell phone reception the entire time. It was quite the welcomed social media break that left me feeling refreshed and untainted by trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing. I’m strongly considering implementing social media breaks on a monthly basis. Everything I do for a living is online and I’m never really not working unless I turn everything off.
When we got back within cell phone reception it all came flooding back. We had quite a few orders from throughout the week and everything we had on our plates still remained on our plates. It honestly felt like we hit pause on our real lives for a week. Lovely, but now incredibly daunting.
The best way to tackle anything is to make a to do list. So we did. Then I proceeded to do all the easy things on the list first (classic) and work my way up to the bigger tasks. There’s a saying that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. A bit morbid, but completely true.
The best way to find motivation to get back to work? Thinking about how hard work now means more vacations in the future. That got my butt in gear!
How do you find motivation after a break or vacation?
The cruise ended much too quickly and I’m now back home wondering if it’s too soon to book another one. Although I’ve had a planner during travel in the past, this was the first trip I really hunkered down to figure out a system to document the adventures. Plus I filmed a before and after video to show you what I completed before we set sail and what I added afterward.
My biggest advice for travel planning is don’t complicate things. Keep it as simple as possible. That could mean not bringing any supplies with you at all and doing all the documentation once you’re back. I kept my supplies to a minimum, but probably only took out my planner twice during the entire week. You shouldn’t worry about planning and documenting while on your trip. If it doesn’t happen, don’t sweat. You can always do it when you get back.
Before you leave on your adventure, write down where you’re going at the top of the planner. Just writing out our ports helped me immensely in remembering them even when I didn’t have my planner around. Plus it helps to give your spread an outline during the trip.
Add in what you do know. Leave space for what you don’t. Put in any information from itineraries that you know is going to occur, but be sure to leave room for trip spontaneity.
My favorite thing about travel planning is adding photos. I’m a dreadful scrapbooker, so being able to add photos into my spread helps me get around that fault of mine so I can look back and see what we got up to. It’s a super easy way to round out a travel spread and adds a lot more value to your planner. Decorative planning is basically daily scrapbooking after all.
We are leaving on our belated honeymoon/my sister’s wedding cruise in just two days and I am not ready at all. We had the great pleasure of being a part of the Planner Boss Collective sale over the weekend and are still recovering. It’s like getting married. You never believe what people tell you it’s going to be like until it happens to you. We were blown away by the number of orders, but are facing a serious deadline that has caused a series of sleepless, work-filled nights. But I’m rambling.
Regardless of the workload situation, the cruise is happening in mere hours and luckily I started packing early. I don’t plan on bringing a ton of planning supplies with me, but I do want to document the trip better than I have other trips in the past.
I’ll be bringing my ECLP hourly, but stripped down to just the planner itself. I’ve removed all of the extra papers and stickers I had floating around in the back to make it lighter. I’m also bringing a small hardbound notebook because I’m sure being away from work will spark a mountain of new ideas.
I’m also giving the new Planny Pack a serious test out on this trip. It’s going to be what carries the few stickers I’m bringing as well as a couple of pens. So far I’m quite the fan of the accessory, but it’ll be nice to see how it fairs in an actual travel situation.
As for picking the kit I wanted to use for the week, it was a no brainer. The Novel Coffee has the perfect beach-themed weekly kit that I’ve already preplanned out so I don’t have to bring unnecessary sheets with me.
If you want to see what other few sheets I’m planning on bringing with me, I’ve included close ups in today’s video. The key for me is simplicity. Sure there might be a chance I need some obscure sticker to mark some unforeseeable event, but I much rather keep my travel stash small so I’m not toting around a ton of things I might need. I don’t want my planning supplies to hinder the trip, but rather enhance the memory keeping of it.
