Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?
~ Erma Bombeck
I admit it. I am obsessed with packing lists. I read every one I come across. It doesn’t matter if I already know what’s on them, like pick one neutral color and make sure everything matches. Roll, don’t fold. Pack a scarf for the plane.
Yeah, yeah. Those are just the basics for newbies. I’m looking for the sink stoppers, the flashlights, the ‘fly with an empty fountain pen so it doesn’t explode into the cap on takeoff’ tips. I am hardcore.
In fact, I just read today’s post from one of my favorite sites – Unclutterer.
It’s called ‘Organizing for travel – the packing list.’ Ahhh…packing and travel. Heaven. And it even had links to packing list posts at Rick Steves and Real Simple to extend my reading pleasure.
Years ago I started building my own ongoing Monster Master Over the Top Packing List. We’re talking a control freak’s bible. It has items for every season, for road trips, planes, up the coast, across the ocean. Gloves, sun screen. Tweezers, eyeglass screwdriver and an extra bra just in case the one I’m wearing breaks. It never has, but imagine the pickle I’d be in if it did.
And reminders like run the garbage disposal, dump the garbage pail and
rinse out the coffee pot so we don’t come back to smells, mold and rotten
bananas.
I print out a copy for every trip, attach it to a clipboard, grab my pencil and jump in. The To Do’s get done one by one, like order Euros, get food for the dog and the dog sitter. But the stuff that goes in the suitcase and the tote, well, that must be done straight through, don’t stop me, make your own dinner.
Even though I’m checking off each item, I can’t stand being interrupted because it means you will have pulled me Out Of The Travel Zone. One time I left out the eyebrow pencil and spent a whole week half browed.
Oh the embarrassment. Couldn’t even buy one. I was a mile up a mountain at a family camp.
And happy happy – did I learn anything new from this blog post, the links and the growing list of commenters that I keep checking in with? Yes!
Take a photo of your luggage and another of the contents. So you can show the airlines when they lose it. Isn’t that clever? Isn't it?
Better pull up the file and add that one right away.
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