I don’t get away from home often. When the opportunity presents itself and my calendar is open, I go! But because I am not a frequent traveler, I probably need more preparation time than most people.
My ‘trips' can be as simple as spending the weekend at my son’s house for house dog-sitting to traveling to a destination as far away as 2 1/2 hours. Ocean City, Maryland is about 2 1/2 hours away. I had a chance to visit my friend, the ocean, ... and, oh yes, my cousin and my sister. 😄
But it does take a bit of preparation for me to be gone. Just like anyone else, I have to pack stuff. I leave my canvas tote open in the dining room and drop stuff in when an item pops into my mind. That is really helpful because lately my mind works like a ping pong ball bouncing off one idea and shooting off in an opposite direction to another. I follow a check list I wrote up years ago. I review that list the day before travel and right before I leave.
As you can see, my check list needs to be updated, as I have run out of room to check off items for future trips. It might seem a little over kill on the details, but I hate remembering what I missed while traveling on a fun trip. Relying on my memory has proved to be pretty unreliable.
Then there are the things that must be done for my husband who is blind. While some spouses are independent enough to do simple stuff like make a meal or perk the morning coffee, my husband can’t manage that without preparation on my behalf. I also make sure that the floor and surfaces are picked up so he isn’t left to maneuver around lots of random objects in my absence. And finally I remind my “back up” coverage (my kids) that I am gone so if he calls they are responsive. He never calls - because he is fairly independent within the condo - but knowing I have that back up relieves my mind. So my pre-departure list needs to be detailed since two of us are depending on it.
I don’t own any real luggage. Various totes or bags work well enough for someone who doesn’t travel much. I don’t travel through airports so I don’t need luggage with wheels. But the number of bags I use can get out of hand pretty quickly.
There is the bag for clothing, medicine, and my pillow. Yes, I can’t go anywhere without my old, very flat, soft pillow. I have had that pillow for probably 15 years. There isn’t much of it left, but it fits my head and keeps my neck from getting stiff. And yes, my pillow is on my list!!
There is the bag for my knitting projects. I carry two current projects and sometimes a 3rd something - all relatively small. No sizable projects like blankets or nearly done sweaters. The knitters among you are probably scratching your heads. "What? Only 3 projects? Aren’t you afraid you will be left with nothing for your hands to do?” Ha! And sometimes my single project bag spills over into another bag with finished objects to show fellow crafters. But the goal is to keep it simple and carry only one bag.
And then there is the bag for the food I bring as most of my trips involve a sharing food responsibilities.
The contents of these bags (however many) are typically on the list - and if not, I find myself stressing days in advance about forgetting something.
While not related to prep and packing - I notice that I don’t sleep well in advance of a trip. Maybe if I traveled more - getting a good night’s rest before travel might not be an issue. Practice makes perfect after all.
Maybe I should add a few other things to the bottom of my list like
- Stop worrying. (Check ✔)
- Shut your mind down. (Check ✔)
- Get some sleep. (Check ✔)
9 comments:
I make travel lists too. There have been too many trips when I forget something and then need to find a store. Like deodorant! Are you driving to your destination? How long will you he gone? So excited for you.
Excited for you to have a little get-away!
Have a great time on your little holiday. Sounds fun.
Wow, you are organized! I like your checklist and also using totes instead of suitcases. I hope you have a nice trip!
Ha, I have three master lists for travel! One for flying, one for car trips, and one for camping. I would go nuts without them and make everything so much easier. Now, relax and enjoy the ocean (and also sister and cousin)!
We are headed away ( via plane) for four days . We are headed to San Diego from Kansas City... so your posting resonated with me!! Lists... yes lists! Hope we all have a good time!!
When I was growing up we were a family of six. Staying at hotels was not in my working dad's price range. We 'camped/vanned' it. My mom was a super organizer. She took tackle boxes (new/clean) spray painted a few labels on them (silverware/cookware, etc) and made packing lists of what was needed for our trips. Everything had a place because the car/later van had to hold all our stuff and a family of six. My dad worked nights so often my mom would load up the car with everything but the kids and when my dad got home, they would load us (often asleep) and take off. The first few years it was to visit, stay, camp near family about 5 hours away. But soon it was 2 week trips on the road. I still marvel at what we managed on their budget, but that packing of daily needs made it possible to shop and cook as we traveled. However I'm not a fan of bologne sandwiches to this day as that was a frequent 'lunch' meal at a scenic stop. lol
How nice for you to be getting away even if only on a short trip. I also keep a bag open and dropping things into it. I keep a list in my head which is probably WHY I have forgotten a few items in the past. I usually travel with a suitcase because it has wheels, although on a couple of recent getaways I used a couple of tote bags. Hope you have a great time!
I love your list!!!
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