Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m in Tampa to teach a workshop Thursday? I think I’ve been a little distracted…
So, the five habits:
* I use a packing list. The list isn’t just so I don’t forget things; it really speeds up packing.
* I take a picture of my parking area at the airport and just in case I lose my phone, I also upload the picture to Flickr. (If I’m in West, I’m flying; East, I’m renting a car.)
* I travel with my own coffee fixin’s. My cuppa Peet’s is better than anything I can get on the road, Starbucks included, and I can have it while I’m getting dressed, just like I do at home.
* I try to stick to an exercise schedule. I coaxed myself through a half-hour on the treadmill tonight. I wanted to sit in the lobby during happy hour and drink free wine and eat free potato chips, but once I got on the treadmill, I was fine. (I do have a beer and some almonds for later tonight, purchased at a local grocery store.)
* I keep *all* important charge cords with me when I fly–laptop, cell phone, etc.–so if I’m delayed, I can still keep working.
Posted on this day, other years:
- The problem with the campaign to save book reviews - 2007
- And for what we have left undone - 2007
- "The appropriate response to feedback is to say thank you" - 2006
I agree that the packing list is essential. I actually store packing lists on TaDa Lists so I can print them out when needed (they come with handy little check boxes). I have standard lists and then I add as need. For instance: ALA conferences, ski trips, trips to Canada, beach list. Not having to reinvent the list from scratch each time is a huge help.
I like the taking a picture of where you park tip. I think I will try that before Anaheim. I should also do the exercise tip, but fear that the wine would win me over every time.
That TaDa list idea is great. I use Google Docs (and list everything — I cross out what I don’t bring on a particular trip) but it’s not particularly tidy-looking!
I have a notes category in my palm for Travel, that includes several lists – kind of the TaDa idea, but local. I have one for essentials, and then another for each type of trip or length or trip, arranged by the order in which they need to go into my bags (shoes on the bottom, pajamas on the top). No paper for me – I just copy the contents of the essentials list and the appropriate trip-specific list into a new note. The main part of the clothes, I pack according to This instructable. I use packing bags of varying sizes, and I can be ready for a 2-week multi-stop trip in under an hour.
And yes – The delicates stay upon my person, including all electronics and their attendant adapters. I only had to be caught once with no luggage and a dying cell phone to learn that habit. I learned from you to take a picture of my parking space, and I do it all the time now – even at the dreaded mall. I admire your discipline in making sure to exercise. The best I do is to walk wherever possible an get in a half hour on the street at least every other day…
That instructable can be found at http://www.instructables.com/id/Pack-a-Carry-on-Suitcase/
I carry a few granola bars or equivalent for when I arrive at a hotel in suburban New Jersey after everything is closed.
I write the parking lot bus stop on my parking ticket, and that goes in a Ziploc with my keys, then into an internal pocket in my carry-on. Helps with the security scanners and with finding my car when I get back.
I always bring more than one book. Back in high school I took “The Greening of America” on a train trip and decided the author was full of crap about 20 pages in. That was my only book. Dang.
Unless space is really tight, I pack a decent-sized first aid kit. It is my trek leader backpacking kit.
Walt, you Scout leader, you!
I carry South Beach bars and small bags of nuts. I had almonds and diet root beer for dinner tonight, and you know, singing along with the golden oldies while I flew up 27 in my rental Prius, that wasn’t bad at all.
Brilliant idea to take a picture of your parking spot! I’ve staggered out of airports at all hours dazed, confused, and disoriented. I plan to appropriate this idea and use it often from now on. Thank you!
Wow, an impressively organized crowd! I do lists too. One for all the cables and chargers I might forget – simply a notepad file on my desktop. And a well-worn handwritten list of travel toiletries that lives in the bathroom closet, it’s actually moved with me several times. I never forget the coffee, snacks or the corkscrew. Though I have been known to forget socks and stockings. Carolyn, I aspire to your level of organization. You should offer seminars! I obviously need more lists.
When my husband and I traveled around Europe last year we also made interesting use of photos and keeping track of directions. When we arrived in a larger city and didn’t speak the language well, we would take pictures of where we parked and the path we took for about 2-5 miles. We figured, if worse came to worse and we got lost returning to our car, we could show our pictures to a person or to a cab driver in order to back track our way. (A compass is SO essential when traveling in strange cities too!) Neat blog!!!