Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday…Tips for packing.
It’s been a long time since I’ve packed to travel outside the U.S. — or really, packed to go anywhere except Kansas City, where I can borrow anything I forget to bring. Here are some lessons I learned the hard way.
1. Don’t assume that you couldn’t possibly forget to pack an essential item — like socks.
2. Always bring a full bottle of Advil.
3. If you have a long flight, have breath mints handy.
4. If you bring an electrical converter, check to see whether it can accept three-pronged as well as two-pronged appliances. Obviously, the converter will do you no good if you can’t plug your three-pronged computer cord into its two-pronged base.
5. Squirrel away some snacks in your luggage.
6. Remember to bring your phone charger.
7. Bring far too many books, both on the plane and in your suitcase. You may run through your reading stash far more quickly than you predicted if you: a) decide you don’t like a book and won’t finish it, b) leave a book behind in the airport waiting lounge, c) finish a book more quickly than you anticipated, due to a delayed flight, or d) all of the above.
