Vacation time: Six tips for enjoying a vacation that I learned on my recent trip.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: Six tips for enjoying a vacation that I learned on my recent trip.

One of my goals for my Happiness Project is to do a better job of learning from experience. How can I do things better, next time? Also, one of my Twelve Commandments is to “Identify the problem,” so I’m trying to be more mindful as I have experiences, so I can take steps to make myself happier, in the moment.

Here are some tips from my recent family trip to Denmark:

1. Start packing early. I made the odious task of packing for myself and my two daughters easier by starting a week in advance (the Big Man packed at 10 pm the night before we left). I brought the big suitcase into my bedroom, and whenever I thought of something (sunscreen, passports, adapter) I put it in. However, if you start packing early, you must…

2. Keep a list. I didn’t, and that was a mistake. Because I was packing over the course of the week, by the end, I’d forgotten what I’d already put in. Had I packed the bathing suits, or not? In the end, I forgot to pack any socks for myself. I’d thought about doing it so many times, but I’d never actually done it. So make a list and check things off. This is a good idea, anyway.

3. Spend money where it helps. I was in utter bliss because I bought a new large backpack to use as my plane bag, which, because I was traveling with my kids, weighed about 100 pounds. Several years ago, my mother gave me a large, attractive bag to use as a plane bag, and I’ve used it ever since. But on my last trip, I realized: I would much prefer to use a backpack, that I could wear comfortably on my back, than to carry a heavy bag that pulls on one shoulder. I looked a bit silly, but I didn’t care.

4. Pack almonds. Several months ago, on a family trip with my in-laws, I realized that my periodic bouts of crabbiness were related to hunger. I seem to get hungry much more often than most adults, and I’m also a very picky eater. For this trip, I packed a bag of almonds, and it made a huge difference in being able to maintain my mood. Almonds made a great travel snack, because they’re light, don’t crumble, don’t stain, don’t need preparation, and are filling and nutritious. The one downside: it’s tempting to eat the entire bag at one sitting. I had to use some self-control to keep the bag going for the whole trip.

5. Return a day early. When I was growing up, we always returned from trips at the last minute, to eke out as much time as possible at whatever place we were visiting. But my in-laws plan their trips differently, and I’ve converted to their approach: they build in a re-entry day. On this trip, we came back on Saturday, so we had a day to sleep late, do errands, catch up on mail and email, re-stock the fridge, etc. The re-entry day made the trip shorter, but it made the overall vacation experience more enjoyable. It’s no fun to go away for a relaxing week, but then find yourself stressed out again a few hours after you’re back at home.

6. Unpack right away. The Big Man is adamant about this. The last thing I felt like doing when we arrived home from a week away was to tackle the unpacking, but he was right, we both felt much better when we’d put that task behind us. It made it a lot easier to unwind and enjoy being home.

What else? What have you learned about how to approach trips so that they’re more fun?

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Comments

[Jeri Dansky]

Some of the things I learned from MY last trip are here:
http://www.jdorganizer.com/2008-08newsletter.html

I'm not much of an almond eater; my equivalent of your #4 was "Pack Luna Bars."

[Pete]

Great advice. I use the same 're-entry' day myself. The only thing I can't do is eat almonds (I have Crohn's disease).

Maybe I'll try pretzels instead.

http://yinvsyang.com/

[Trish]

I second the almond tip. Trader Joe's has these big bags of almonds wrapped in to single servings (a bunch of little bags in a big bag). I absolutely love them. Although all that packaging isn't very environmentally friendly, it does help with portion control and portability.

[Jason]

I think this is a great list. I especially like # 5 and 6. Something that my wife really likes is to make sure the house is clean when we leave so that upon return you are coming home to a nice clean home. Our last vacation we didn't get home until late in the evening and it was very nice to step into a nice clean home instead of a mess.

[Corporette]

Regarding the first two items -- a friend of mine showed me a drawing a while ago: it was graphic list of everything she was going to pack on a trip to Paris. It had whimsical drawings of tights, underwear, socks, and specific items from her closet. The drawing was adorable, and I told her she ought to try to have it made into a t-shirt on Threadless.

I've since picked up the practice of graphically drawing what I'm going to pack. I'm not a very talented artist, but I have great fun doing my stick-figure drawings of different outfits. I don't actually start packing until the night before the trip -- not enough space in my apartment -- but I start the list, the mental packing, about a week ahead of time. It works surprisingly well in terms of keeping me organized and efficient in my packing; I think something about the visual nature of it also helps me put together outfits, figure out what can be worn again, etc.

[Gayle]

These tips came at the perfect time for me. We are going on vacation very soon and in recent years I have gotten out of my usual habit of preparing early. Leaving things to the last minute definitely adds to pre-vacation stress for me. Thank you for the reminder!

[Bill of Contours Express Ladies Fitness]

Gretchen,

Great advice! I just want to remind everyone that even though they are on vacation, it makes sense to try and add in a small workout each day they are gone. It doesn't have to be full scale; something as simple as jumping jacks or pushups before the morning shower will give you extra energy and make the vacation that much more enjoyable. It also makes the transition back to the normal workout schedule upon returning much easier!

[Fit Bottomed Girl]

All good tips! I have found that making a list on the computer is even better. You can make the list, save it, and then print it out each time you travel. I have lists saved for common trips I take for work, camping, to see family, etc. Saves time and energy! Plus, I rarely forget anything!

[Ruth]

As an adult, I'm a word person, so I write out my packing list. But when we were kids, my mom would draw our packing lists for us. We'd have pictures of things like a pair of pants or a shirt and a number next to it for the number of them we needed to pack.

[Donna]

I also have a problem with hunger affecting my moods, particularly if I'm low on protein. I've found the same thing with my daughters--if they breakfast on fruit, cereal and toast, they often get crabby later on, I need to be sure they have some protein as well.

[Gillian]

When I make my list, I use at least three columns: tops, bottoms, other. If there is something that have a part in another column to go with it, I know I have to make a correction.

[Matin]

Great article, One other thing I would add is to clean the house before leaving for vacation. Nothing better than returning to a clean house:-)
X M

[Matin]

Great article, One other thing I would add is to clean the house before leaving for vacation. Nothing better than returning to a clean house:-)
X M

[Chris]

Really helpful article. I always try to plan both a pre-takeoff day and a re-entry day - makes vacations so much more enjoyable if you have a whole day before the vacation actually begins to pack, do last-minute errands, etc.

As for cleaning the house, I agree - coming home to a clean house is divine - instead of giving myself yet another task,I arrange with a wonderful domestic goddess to clean the house while we're away - I figure it as part of the cost of the vacation.

[Tracey]

All great tips- but I cannot pack that early! I wouldn't have enough clean wash to go around! A tip that I will add for the tech people- my husband travels with every gadget known to man, so to keep all those cords confined with the right gadget- I put the item and the cord in a Ziploc together and voila', no more scrambling the night before we leave.

[Peggy Payne]

My added tip: Remember that there are drugstores in other cities, states, and countries. Forgetting to pack a toothbrush isn't a disaster; it's an opportunity for a little field trip to a local emporium.

This is a wonderfully useful site. I just posted about it on my Boldness Blog.

[pkzcass]

I couldn't agree more about the reentry day; it's crucial for us. And cleaning the house before leaving is a must. We usually change the bed sheets, vacuum, put everything where it belongs, clean the bathrooms, and put toilet bowl cleaner in the toilets and just let it sit there the whole time we're gone. There's nothing better than coming home from a vacation (especially one involving alot of travel) to a freshly made bed and a clean home. It's like going on vacation all over again.

[sharyn]

One of my favorite travel tips is to convert some of my travel cash so that I have twenty one dollar bills, at least four fives, and several tens. I also get maybe $5 worth of quarters. This is especially helpful if you are going anywhere where you may need to tip or have cab fare, and also for vending machines. I usually try to wear something with pockets, and I will have some ones, a five and quarters in my pockets - great for not digging in your purse in an airport or cab.
Also, I carry a dirty clothes duffel in each of our suitcases (a plastic garbage bag would do) to keep dirty clothes separated from clean, and to toss into the laundry room as soon as we unpack.
I keep a toiletry kit ready to go at all times, stocked with travel sized items I use regularly (including OTC medicines and first aid stuff) - all I have to add is make-up. I buy items (on sale!) to replace used-up ones after I get home, so it stays ready for next time.
I, too, always leave a neat and reasonably clean house to come home to and, if at all possible, plan for a re-entry day. That can be unexpectedly helpful if you get a flight cancellation or some serious delay on the way home, too.

[Dawn]

We are adopting this Fall and already have packing lists. My ? ~ Did you have any issues with the large backpack? Was it your carry-on? Personal bag? Any issue with it being too big if it was your personal bag and NOT your carry-on?

[Dakota]

Re-entry day...yes!...been doing that for years. Essential!
Here's a tip I learned while traveling to NYC alone with a 20 month old: I've always been an 'overpacker' because I need choices to build outfits, but with the car seat and child's suitcase, I couldn't afford to overpack this time. I learned something funny from 'The Fabulous Life of Kimora Lee Simmons'...her stylists took polaroids of all of her planned outfits for her trips!...so I did the same and put the day of the week on the white part at the bottom. It worked! Now, I've heard that polaroid film isn't going to be produced anymore :(...but I'm sure you could do the same with digital photos printed as a thumbnail sheet.

[Ana]

The almonds is something I hadn't thought about... I second the Luna and Clark bars, they have been a major help while traveling although I know some locals won't let you bring food / candy through (good to check first).

Redbook magazine had a packing list by Samantha Brown which has proven to be extremly helpful. I'm one of those people who always packs way too much nonsense.

*My tip* is to bring along a first aid kit of some sort stocked with items such as daily vitamins, green tea, mini Disinfecting Spray and so on to help prevent colds. I was forced to do this in earnest this year as I had a packed travel log and, ever since I was a child, I would literally get sick everytime I slept in a hotel room. It got so bad I actually had to turn down trip invites.

[Alex Fayle]

When it comes to packing I'm a mix of you and the Big Man. I will start pulling together things long before I go (to make sure they're clean and that I don't need to buy something for the trip), but then I do the actual final pack the night before and check it off against my life, thus making sure I haven't forgotten something I'd only thought about.

[HuntGrunt]

In terms of the packing list:
Write up a master packing list when you return/unpack. This way it will be ready for the next trip and you won't forget stuff, because -- during your trip -- you will have written in all the stuff you wished you took but didn't. It also helps to have seasonal variations on your packing list. A business trip or summer holiday might require different things than a vacation or winter holiday.

[Michael]

I used to experience a lot of anxiety regarding packing, until finally I made a master packing list that I store on my computer. I use it to guide my packing (so that I only have to say "yes" or "no" for a particular trip, but not actually think) AND I pack a couple of them so that I can quickly repack when moving from place to place and not have anxiety about leaving things behind.

This year, I'm trying a bold new step -- I do an audit after I return from a trip and write down what I actually wore and didn't wear. It yields some interesting learnings. Apparently I benefit from having lots of shirts but all I need is a pair of jeans and one pair of alternate pants. No shorts required (this was France).

[Michael Melcher]

I also have a kit of over-the-counter meds that I always take with me on airplane flights, primarily consisting of remedies for headaches, stomach troubles, and allergies, along with earplugs and a sleep mask. I adopted this after being coiled into a fetal position for 11 hours on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv 9 years ago without anything to soothe my stomach. Never again.

While it's fun to shop for little doo-dads at foreign stores, keep in mind that it can be really difficult in many countries to find OTC remedies at airports. They are frequently sold only at pharmacies which keep odd hours.

I did learn that if you really need meds and haven't packed them, just ask any middle-aged American female if they have what you are looking for. In my experience, our gals travel with EVERYTHING and are happy to share.

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