I spent part of the weekend at my mom's apartment, which means that when I came home last night and unpacked from an overnight, I was able to start immediately packing for Atlanta. I used to be a last-minute packer, but as I started traveling more, the more I started doing early, or as I thought of it. So, here are some tips on getting all packed up with everything you're going to need.
-If you know what you want to wear, just put it in your suitcase or bag when it gets close. More than once I knew I wanted to wear my favorite shirt or whatever somewhere, then gone to pack the day before and realized I'd worn it already and it needed to be washed. So now when I do laundry before a trip I immediately put it in the bag so I have it when I need it.
Side note: I go shopping for one new item before every trip, even if it's just to drop $3 on a clearance shirt. Then when I wear it later, I associate it with memories of the trip. If I wear my blue striped henley I remember Times Square, or there's a yellow tank top that always reminds me of driving down to San Diego. I'm a dork, I know.
-Definitely check the weather wherever you're going, for the love of god. Also be aware that some places cool down considerably at night even if they're hot in the day, so if it's 84 where you're going and you think you're going to be able to get away with tank tops the whole time, at least bring a hoodie with you just in case. Planes get cold anyway.
-Don't overpack. When I'm packing I'll make piles: what I'm wearing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, etc. It's not set in stone, but I know I have the right amount of stuff for however many days I'll be gone. If you're not quite sure what you're going to be doing there, eg "do I need to dress up to go out somewhere?" then bring something that's either slightly dressier that you can still wear if you're just walking around a city, or something you can dress up with some accessories. You can be fluid with your clothing, don't stress out about it too much.
Also don't overpack when it comes to bottoms. If you're gone for a week, you can get away with a pair or jeans or two, or jeans and a pair of shorts or whatever. No one will judge, I swear. Everyone else is probably doing the same thing.
-But bring an extra shirt and underwear just in case.
-Roll fold everything. It's a total space saver. Take your shirt or jeans or whatever, fold it in half, and then start rolling it up from the bottom so it looks like a little round pillow. I have no idea why this works and I don't care, but it makes everything so much more squishable and gives me more room in my bag.
-I know the "no liquids on planes" rule is annoying, but it's not as annoying as people make it out to be. It has to be in 3 ounce bottles, and a ton of companies have gotten smart about making sure their bottles and travel sizes are under that. Transferring stuff into those clear bottles isn't that time consuming or hard, and if you travel a lot, now you have a handy travel size you can keep in your bag for the next trip and you don't need to worry about it.
Definitely label those clear bottles, though. I have one that I still don't know what it is. It's either lotion or sunscreen and I know if I mix them up I'll regret it.
-I've seen some travel sites give lists of what you should pack. Just make your own. You know what you need better than they do. A few days before you go, make a list of what you use every day. (I highly recommend the app Clear, where you can make a list and then swipe to check them off.) Go through your morning routine and put down the stuff you'll need, like toothpaste, moisturizer, etc. Do it again when you're getting ready for bed. There, now you have a list of things to pack or shop for.
-Once, United sent my bag to Chicago several hours before I even got on a plane, and there was a lot of time spent at O'Hare thinking my bag was lost. So now I'm paranoid about that and prefer to do nonstop flights and try to limit myself to my carry-on. Paranoia doesn't hurt, though, so if you have another bag, make sure your carry-on has a change of clothes and anything you need in it, in case you get stranded overnight or they do lose your stuff. For me it's a toothbrush and my contacts/glasses, plus eyeliner and lipstick. Also my computer because I'm pretty sure I'd die without one.
-If you're going to another country, check the requirements for things that need to be plugged in, in case you need to get adapters. I think I learned this from Home Alone.
-If you forget something, don't stress. Most hotels have little shops where you can pick up toothpaste or aspirin, and you can find a drug store most places if you really need. I for one have spent many a time inside Targets because someone forgot sleep clothes, to be the point where it's kind of a tradition and not annoying.
Tah dah, hope this helps.
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