7 things to organize before your next trip

Make travel a little less stressful

Travel involves a lot of logistics: flights, hotels, itineraries. It’s good to plan and organize those, but it’s easy to overlook the little things that can make time away from home a less stressful experience. Here are seven things you might organize before your next time on the road.

1. A master list of everything that needs to get canceled or moved. If you travel frequently, it might be helpful to maintain a checklist of things that you shift in different circumstances. For instance, if my whole family is traveling for a week, I might cancel the cleaning service (I mean, we’re not there making messes!) But if just I’m gone then they can obviously still come and get folded into the usual household schedule. With four kids in music lessons (with three teachers), different combinations might need to be canceled if a smaller number of family members are going somewhere. It’s not that you can’t remember to cancel the newspaper delivery for a week (or figure out who will feed your cat!). But all these things add to one’s mental load, and in general, we want to preserve brain power for the things that require it.

2. The reading situation. I grabbed two Economists from the pile to take with me on a recent train trip, but I did not have a good book going. I think my time on the train would have been spent better if I had. Build in a library stop or book store excursion before any trip and travel downtime can become more pleasant (and probably feel more productive).

3. The listening situation. A handful of podcasts (or audiobooks) to listen to on a plane or in the car are always good, but also consider the headphone situation. I had my old pair of plug-in headphones in my purse (small and straightforward! No worries about anyone else’s earbuds interfering with mine!) But they fell apart recently with too much bottom-of-the-purse time. So I was headphone-less on the train where I was reading the Economists, and while I was in the quiet car, which theoretically should have been quiet, it’s amazing how many people do not think the quiet car rules apply to them. I have a white noise app on my phone I use for nights in potentially loud hotel rooms. Plus my Mack’s ear plugs serve me well. Taking a moment to consider the audio environment can make a trip more pleasant.

4. The luggage situation. This is a major one. My son recently had an old duffel bag fall apart on a trip, and I well remember a total luggage fail when a laptop case of mine ripped at the seam. Make sure everyone has a good carry-on suitcase that is small enough for the overhead compartment, but has a lot of zippered compartments and such. If you see ahead of your trip that anything is falling apart, or isn’t suitable, you might borrow suitcases from friends and relations who are not traveling at the same time. You might also invest in a good backpack, and a good cross-body type purse that can be stuffed in the backpack. I have a money belt type thing that I wear in situations where I don’t want a purse (not really because I’m worried about crime most places I travel - it’s more that I want my hands free).

5. The snacking situation. I have become a fan of the Trubar “Cocoa for coconuts” flavor protein bars. They taste slightly more like a Mounds bar than a protein bar. I also like my Ritz peanut butter cracker packs. At 200 calories, they’re enough to be a substitute light meal in situations where this might be desired. I will sometimes also pack myself some sort of fun food, like gummy bears, as a distraction on the plane (no, not to distract my children — to distract myself). Organizing your snack game before your next trip can give you at least a little something to look forward to.

6. Your travel shoes. One thing that has helped my packing process is identifying which shoes I intend to bring with me for which seasons. I need something that I can walk in (10,000-plus steps a day, minimum), and that doesn’t look too obnoxious. I’ve settled on a pair of gray Allbirds for cooler weather (with socks and pants that match that length). Then for warmer weather trips I wear my Charix flats with cropped jeans. If you don’t have a great pair of travel shoes, it might be worth some shopping before your next trip to find one.

7. The grocery situation for your first day back. You probably don’t want a fully-stocked fridge, since if you’re gone for more than a few days the produce will go bad. But having a few staples available means that you’ll be able to eat when you get back without going to the grocery store. You might also be kind to your future self by arranging a grocery delivery to arrive shortly after you get back (just make sure you make a note to yourself to cancel or ask a neighbor to help if your flight is delayed — it would be sad to come home to spoiled groceries sitting outside your house!).

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