Travel! We like to get away, but the packing. . . For me, packing takes #alltheoils for focus, courage, and stamina! I admit it; I am high maintenance, and I like to have all my creature comforts when I am going on a trip. Computer, phone, books, Kindles, notebooks, pens, coloring books and pencils, calendar, travel journal, crocheting, and snacks…lots of snacks. And let’s not forget oils. Wait, I haven’t packed the clothes yet, and the suitcase is full.
Last fall I took two long weekend trips to Chicago—one by car for business, one by train for pleasure. I took a carry-on suitcase, my purse, my backpack, and on the train trip, my crocheting project. All the bags were heavy. Everything I couldn’t fit in a suitcase ended up in my purse. Carrying all of it took some creative lifting and maneuvering. Lifting my suitcase onto the train, while my shoulders and arms were loaded with my other bags, was impossible. My back was not happy with the weight of my backpack. I returned from those trips stiff, sore, and determined to be a lighter packer. However, wanting to pack lighter and following through on it are two different things.
Our spring break is coming up, and this trip is by car. I will be gone almost a month. The good news is the car holds a lot. The bad news is I still have to load and unload at each new venue. We will be traveling through various weather zones, so I need outfits for all seasons. Maybe hotels should offer extensive wardrobe collections so people don’t have to pack. 🙂 Or maybe I need a personal assistant to carry all my things. My husband has resigned from the job permanently.
Short of hiring a personal assistant, I am resolved to taking only few favorite outfits since there will be a washer and dryer available. And some of the creature comforts will have to remain behind.
Toiletries take up a lot of space, too, but I have found a great solution. Young Living’s Bon Voyage Travel Pack. This little gem is really going to help me. It contains travel sizes of all my favorite things in one little zip up, and it has room to add more. I am so excited about it. Though I have tried making my own small containers for my personal items for previous trips, the quality of the bottles discouraged me. Packing full size bottles of toiletries is not realistic when you are trying to save space.
Finding travel size, TSA-compliant personal care products is such a blessing. All I do is grab one bag and go! Having a great solution for my toiletries is a good start to packing lighter. For the rest of my packing, I’ve been reading up on tips. What are some of your favorite packing tips? Wish me luck!