In this post we share our approach to getting ourselves, our families, and our homes organized ahead of a trip.
Juggling the hum of normal life with travel-related preparation with all of the errands, tasks and to-dos before departure can easily become overwhelming.
To set you up for success ahead of travel day, we recommend creating a list of everything you need to do to prepare, and then sort the items on a day-by-day basis, starting 1-2 weeks before departure. We have found that taking this approach allows us to feel stress-free, giving us the a a positive start to a trip.
Related posts:
- Planning for a Trip: Preparing Your Home for a Vacation
- Preparing a Medical Plan & Document Kit Ahead of Your Travels
- Travel Tip: Packing In-Flight Snacks
- Packing: In-Flight Essentials for Infant
Write down everything that that needs tending to before travel: packing, house, pets, to-dos etc.
Focus on moving these nagging thoughts from your mind to paper or a digital space. Regardless of whether an item big ticket items to the nagging to-dos.
- Dog food – pack for kennel
- Order packing cubes
- Pack baby in-flight bag
- Amazon return Amazon
- Locate proof of vaccinations card
- Purchase travel insurance
- Digitize identification cards
- ….
- ….
- ….
List out the days a week before you travel.
Monday 8/8:
Tuesday 8/9:
Wednesday 8/10:
Thursday 8/11:
Friday 8/12:
Saturday 8/13:
Sunday 8/14:
Monday 8/15: TRAVEL DAY
Sort listed items into the day you plan to address them.
- List any work, meetings or appointments. This gives you a realistic snapshot of how busy you may or may not be on a given day.
- If there is a specific time attached to the event, take note of it.
- Each item should be listed as its own line item.
- If you are responsible for multiple people, write down their name as a separate line item for the same task (prepare PERSON 1 carry-on, prepare PERSON 2 carry-on, prepare PERSON 3 carry-on, etc. with associated items in each bag)
- Get specific – instead of “pack carry-on”, write down each item that goes into the carry on so you know when an item has been successfully packed.
- For items that take ten minutes or less to complete, see if you can take care of them in the moment versus waiting to do them (starting a load of laundry, sorting through mail, etc.) This will keep lists shorter and more manageable.
| Monday 8/8: –Work: 8AM-3PM –5PM child swim class –Dentist – pay bill –Load of laundry – place trip clothes to the side for future packing –Order more packing cubes –Order more no-show socks |
| Tuesday 8/9: –Work: 10AM-1:30PM; 4PM-8PM –8:30AM: Meeting with Jane @ Star Coffee House –1:30-3:30PM refrigerator repair appointment –Return Amazon purchase using QR code @ Whole Foods location –Wash shoes for the trip |
| Wednesday 8/10: –Work: 8AM-12PM, 2PM-7PM –12PM Design meeting with Joel @ Dio Coffee –Take out packing cubes –Gather socks, underwear and accessories for PERSON 1, PERSON 2, PERSON 3 |
| Thursday 8/11: –Work: 8AM-6PM –Begin packing items into packing cubes – socks, underwear, accessories, jewelry –Pack PERSON 1 carry-on (passports, toiletry kit, extra outfit, …) –Pack PERSON 2 carry-on (passports, toiletry kit, extra outfit, …) –Pack PERSON 3 carry-on (passports, toiletry kit, extra outfit, …) |
| Friday 8/12: –Work: 8AM-9AM, 1-4PM –9:30-11:30 AM Playdate with Audrey @ Skye Park –Pack PERSON 1 (dresses x 3, skirts x 2, shirts x 3, blouses x 3, shoes x 3 etc….) –Pack PERSON 2 (list of items) –Pack PERSON 3 (list of items) |
| Saturday 8/13: –Schedule Uber/Lyft/taxi or establish long term parking plans –Pack dog food, leash for kennel –Finalize packing for PERSON 1 –Finalize packing for PERSON 2 –Finalize packing for PERSON 3 –Deep water garden |
| Sunday 8/14: –Check-in for flight –Launder bed sheets –Final load of laundry –Print out travel documents |
| Monday 8/15: TRAVEL DAY –Deep water garden –9AM Drop dogs off to the kennel –Pack phone and charger, laptop and charger into carry-on bag PERSON 1 –Pack phone and charger, laptop and charger into carry-on bag PERSON 2 –Pack phone and charger, laptop and charger into carry-on bag PERSON 3 –Take last trash bag out –Bring luggage to front door & load into car –3:30PM Depart for airport |
Share your list with travel companions.
Have travel companions look at your list and determine where they might contribute and items you may have overlooked.
- What else needs to be included?
- What did you miss?
- What did you forget to pack?
- How do you plan to divvy up the tasks? What can someone else take responsibility for?