Tomorrow I will be hopping onto a plane for Belgium, where I shall meet up with a good friend and indulge in as much chocolate and castles as possible. Considering I’ll be heading out of the country in 24 hours, you might understand my trepidation when I confess that I haven’t finished packing yet.
Granted, given my penchant for bringing only carry-on luggage, how much packing could I possibly do? It’s not as if I, say, have the option of stuffing a partridge and a pear tree into my wheelie. Then again, having a limit on luggage space leaves no room for error. That, ladies and gents, is the sticking point.
No matter what you do or don’t bring, however, or how much time you have to pack, there are a number of things that can help keep your head on straight before your trip. I know they do mine. In this first of the series, we see how being finicky can actually be a good thing.
Order, Order!
Rifling harriedly through a jumble of e-ticket receipts and IDs in a buzzing airport is bad enough. Locating custom forms and important documents while the official behind the immigration counter is staring daggers? Not much better.
(Interesting sidenote: It’s only since the past year that US immigration officials have been given sensitivity training, something that jumps out at you when you line up after flying in from an overseas journey. There are now posters in the immigration area telling you of your “rights,” i.e. the right to be treated decently and courteously, etc. As compared to a mere couple of years before, when same officials were encouraged to bark at you, glare, and encourage no social communication whatsoever.)
“Mom’s Travel Organizer” from Good Together |
Whether you’re frazzled upon embarking on a trip or exhausted upon your return, having your travel documents together and in order lifts a load off your mind. One less thing to worry about in a busy airport or train station where everything else is a-flurry.
If you have to carry pages of official immigration and/or working visas, you can choose to put them in a manila folder or envelope (important forms upfront for easy access, supporting documents behind). Folders and envelopes mean more rifling, though, so a better option is containing said visas together with your ID, passport, tickets, travel receipts, and other such paper bits in something as simple as a travel organizer.
Those disposable ticket-holders that airlines give won’t do the job. Buy from a local indie store, splurge on a fancy case, or make one yourself, it’s all up to you. I got mine from good-together.com (currently on sabbatical), and it’s a cinch slipping out relevant tickets at a moment’s notice or pocketing used stubs. You can easily create one of your own style and liking if you own a sewing machine (or can bribe someone who does). No more rummaging to find your itinerary, just pop it in and out as you please.
Tip: If you travel via e-ticket, feel free to cut up your printed itinerary to fit your organizer or tote pocket. Snip off the margins and irrelevant material, such as your e-mail address and “purchase rules and regulations.” This way, when you just want to see what time you take off or land, you don’t have to flip through unnecessary stapled pages to find out.
Paperwork isn’t the only thing you should have on the ready. Keep your toiletries bag well-stocked at all times, and you need only toss it into your luggage to be set. No more fretting about whether you’ve forgotten something, because whatever’s left to pack are just your toothbrush and hairbrush, which can wait until the last day anyway.
Nowadays you can get travel-size containers and bottles at any convenience store, whether empty or filled. You can also use those provided by hotels, which I find to be less bulky and of a more convenient size (and rather snazzy-looking, too—I have a couple of containers that look like test-tubes, to my delight). For those of us with sensitive skin, empty the alcohol-laden and fragrance-ridden contents and fill with our favorite liquid soap and moisturizer.
Also to add to the mix: one tissue paper pack, an individually packaged Shout wipe, a band-aid, eye-drops, a couple of painkillers of choice, and—if your system can stand it—a couple of Benadryl. Even if you’re sure you don’t stand the risk of emergency allergy attacks, it’s a fairly good thing to have when you’re suffering from a bout of insomnia and have a full schedule waiting for you in the morning. Convenience store “sleep-aids” are far more dehydrating compared to an effective antihistamine, although you should still drink plenty of water either way.
By preparing just this bit ahead of time, you’ll reduce a great amount of stress the next time you embark on a trip, and will always be ready to be on the go. Just resist tossing your alarm clock in with all your clothes. I can tell you, those folks at security checkpoint get mighty suspicious when they scan in a ticking piece of luggage.
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