Packing Procrastination

The clock is ticking – 48 hours to go! I love to travel.  I love the planning, getting the best deal on flights and finding a fabulous place to stay.  I spend hours working out what to see and do and the best places to eat and drink BUT... I hate packing!

So while I procrastinate about what to pack for 10 days in South Australia, here are a few tips:

• Grab your passport, tickets and credit card and put them somewhere safe.  If you need something like your driver’s licence, make sure you double-check it is actually in your wallet.  Turning the house upside down the morning you fly out for a driving holiday through Croatia, to discover your driver’s licence was in a satchel you hadn’t used for 6 months is not advisable. It wasn’t much fun coming home to a messy house several weeks later either! And take out all the other stuff you won’t need – loyalty cards, receipts etc.
• Save your tickets, itinerary etc on TripIt - Travel Itinerary - Trip Planner – you can share this with family and friends too.  Don’t sync it with LinkedIn, your connections don’t need to know you’ve arrived at the airport, destination etc.
• Ensure your mobile can be used at your destination but don’t forget to make use of your hotel’s free wifi rather than chewing through your mobile data.
• Camera and mobile charged and ready to go; don’t forget to take the charger with you.
• Check your destination’s weather forecast.  I love the long range forecast of AccuWeather.  That way you pack to suit the climate and don’t take lots of stuff you don’t get to wear.

See five tips already and no actual packing...

• Think about what you will be doing while you are away.  My trip’s a mix of work and play but thankfully smart casual works for every occasion. 
• Mix and match – pack a capsule wardrobe.  Don’t take things that won’t work with other pieces.  Accessories like jewellery and scarves can transform an outfit. Remember to take your sunglasses.
• Don’t over-pack – people won’t notice if you wear the same top twice, just don’t wear it two days in a row.
• Think travel sized hair products, stackable travel containers, dual-purpose products.  And think twice about taking every lipstick you own – two is plenty and a maybe a gloss too.
• Pack light – who needs 5 pairs of shoes for a week away.  If you forget something, it’s the perfect excuse to go shopping!

I’m so excited about this trip – four days with fellow foodies at a gastronomic tourism course and then a long overdue catch up with an old school friend who I haven't seen in a long time.

Guess I’d better start think about packing but first there is coffee date with a friend, dinner tonight at friends’ place and a breakfast meeting tomorrow. Plenty of time!

Michelle

ps mine’s the red suitcase, much easier to find among all the black bags!