How to Prepare for a Trip
At first, this was going to be a packing list. But you already had one of those with the Five Days, One Backpack article (and, quite frankly, I will never live up to that accomplishment for as long as I live and to try would be embarrassing for all involved).Then I realized that I’ve never told you how I prepare for a trip.Sure I’ve shared my tricks for how I planned my trip to London and my tips on how to make a small backpack give Mary Poppins a run for her money.But there’s a lot to do between buying the ticket and actually getting on the plane.That’s what I want to tell you about today.Whether it’s a short weekend trip or a full week abroad, these are the tips I use to psych myself up and set myself up for an amazing trip.
Stay Organized
Mess breeds stress. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through both my travels and my everyday life. When my physical or virtual environments are cluttered, it takes up a part of a brain that could be devoted to something else. It makes my anxiety worse, and we all know what happens when my anxiety gets worse.So what do I do?I tackle my suitcase first. Packing cubes have saved my life. Instead of tossing everything into my suitcase and throwing up a quick prayer, I have all my shirts in one place, all my pants in another, all my dresses...well, you get the picture.It’s also so much harder for me to forget things when I’m putting everything in a dedicated place versus one big glom in my suitcase.The other thing I NEED to keep organized for my own sanity are my documents. I strongly recommend creating separate folders in your email to help keep track of all your travel documents (your flight confirmations, your travel insurance, your hotel reservations). I’ve gone the “oh I’ll just keep it in my inbox and then just search for it when I need it” route before and, trust me, you will forget the name of the hotel. Or, contrarily, have you ever searched for the word “Hilton” when you get daily emails from Expedia?Like I said, trust me on this one. 
Is this a throwback to my first article? Yes. Is this my face whenever I open my disorganized suitcase and can't find a single thing? Also yes.
Do Your Research
Show of hands: who wants to start their trip freaking out because they don’t know where to go now that they’re off the plane?No? Nobody?Same.Every time I travel to a country outside of the US, I always always ALWAYS look up how to get to my hotel or first destination ahead of time. Never just assume that you’ll have a working phone, or that the airport wifi is going to a) exist and b) actually work.You’ll thank me for this one later.
Invest In A (Pseudo) Capsule Wardrobe
I am the biggest offender of doing not-this, but every time I travel, it gets a little bit easier. Think of it this way: if you’re going away for a week to Italy and you’re staying in a third floor walk-up, are you really going to want to carry a fifty pound suitcase across the cobblestone streets and then up three flights of stairs?No. You’re going to hate yourself.I speak from experience.The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is that you have a small set of pieces that can be mixed and matched to create countless outfits. If I were going to Italy for a week, I would bring one pair of jeans, one pair of pants, two dresses, one pair of tights, three shirts, one sweater, a light jacket, and two pairs of shoes. That’s a carry-on.The less you have to carry, the better (this is where the packing cubes come in too--they’re magical). Whenever you get off a long-haul flight, your bags are going to feel three times heavier than they actually are.Are your five pairs of shoes really worth it?
Another worthy throwback. Even if you have to recycle a certain shirt or pair of jeans, who's really going to know besides you? At this point in my trip, every article of clothing was two days old...
Check Your Passport
This is actually super short and simple, but it’s something I didn’t know before I started in the travel industry. Your passport NEEDS to be valid for at least six months after you return from your travels. If it isn’t, you can have some major problems getting back into the US. If you’re going to Germany, you need to have at least two full blank pages.Moral of the story?Google the passport rules of every country you’re traveling to, including your own.
Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself
When I first started traveling seriously, more often than not, self-care went out the window. I was so concerned about getting to where I was going that I didn’t consider how I’d be feeling when I got there. Now, I go a little overboard…A week before I need to get on a plane, I start taking Airborne or some equivalent to help boost my immune system. I bring a face mask with me (I don’t do it on the plane - I’m not that person yet) that I’ll use the night after a long-haul flight. But my number one tip for staying hydrated on airplanes?Coconut water.Fair warning, it’s gross. But it’s also super hydrating. There’s a reason why people say to drink it when you’re hungover. Your body absorbs it better than it does regular water. So every time I go to the airport, I dish out for some super expensive airport-coconut-water.It’s worth it.
Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
Nothing is going to go exactly as you planned. One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn was how to laugh at myself. Sometimes things are going to go wrong.You’re going to mess up and look like a tourist, you’re going to feel like a deer in the headlights when someone starts speaking to you in a language you don’t understand, you’re going to get on a train going in the wrong direction.Save the stress for the things that matter.Instead, learn how to roll your eyes and laugh it off. Turn it into one of those “hey remember when…?” stories. Do you have any tips and tricks that make traveling a breeze? Leave a comment below! I’m always looking for ways to make my life easier (I’m lazy like that).