Staying Organized On a Trip

Digging through a suitcase looking for a belt, or your facial wipes, or your contact case is not the way to end a long day of travel!  When I began packing for Israel, I carefully loaded my carry-on and my one large suitcase so that I would be able to find everything easily and so that everything would be ready to use and wear.  I never had to search or dig for one thing the whole time I was gone!  Here’s how I did it:

1. I packed minimally.  Not that I didn’t have a full suitcase – I did, but I had clothes that would coordinate and I could wear the tops and pants interchangeably.
2. Before I packed, I laid the outfits on my bed and took pictures of them so I could get dressed quickly each day.  All I had to do was look at my photos and I knew what I needed to pull out of the suitcase.
3. After packing, I made an inventory list of each item and exactly where it was located. For example, Front Zipper of Large suitcase – Leopard shoes, Face wipes.

Then to stay organized on the plane ride, I had a medium sized drawstring bag in my carry-on.  After going through security, I filled that bag with what I needed for the night flight.  I put in these items:

1. Glasses
2. Contact Solution and case
3. Makeup bag with a little makeup and some meds
4. Comb
5. Toothbrush
6. Hair spray
7. Ear buds and Ipod
8. Flannel Scarf (used as a blanket)
9. Small flashlight
10. Snacks

This bag was tucked into the pocket of the plane seat, right in front of me.  It made getting to those items very simple.

Extra Packing Tips:

• To keep clothes fresh in the suitcase, put a couple of dryer sheets in-between the clothes.  During the second week when I reached that part of my clothing, they smelled sooooo good!  This was a really great tip!
• If you have room, tuck in a small blanket from home.  Being in another country for 12 days can make you feel a bit homesick, but having a comfort from home like a soft blanket, is a blessing!  Sometimes the heavy comforters on the bed was too much, and my blanket was just what I needed, both in weight and for the touch of comfort from home!
• Packing cubes are great, but I didn’t want to make that investment.  Instead, I put all my tops into a canvas bag, then put that bag in the suitcase.  When I needed  a top, it was easy to just pull out that bag and get one out without disturbing the whole suitcase.
• Put everything back where it goes when you are finished with it.  Don’t assume you’ll remember where you put it!  Take the time to follow your inventory and return it where it came from!

I haven’t always been able to say that I never lost an item or couldn’t find something I needed while on my trip…until this time!  I did lots of researching and reading before we left, so I could enjoy the trip without the frustration of tearing the suitcase apart looking for something!

I hope this helps you to be more organized the next time you travel!

Tell me what you do to keep yourself sane on a trip!