April 2025
Travel Days Without the Stress
One thing about me… I am planning and taking a trip even if I have to go by myself. This means I have built up experiences that have allowed me to essentially master the art of travel prep. So let’s create what I like to call my “Countdown Till Time To Go” checklist.
Self Maintenance:
At the very top of those lists is usually any Self-maintenance that helps me achieve whatever look I have planned for this trip or event. In the weeks prior, I create a Pinterest board of ideas and narrow them down to decide the look I am going for.
For me, self-maintenance means getting (or doing) my hair and nails. I even go so far as to plan out my outfits for the various days in accordance with the itinerary.
On my Pinterest, I have a “Nail-spo” board of all of the designs I’ve found that I like. Usually choosing from there is pretty easy.
Since this was a quick day trip, I didn’t book a stay in the area. But with so many festivals and activities going on around National Harbor and the DMV during cherry blossom season, it could be a fun opportunity to stay at one of the nearby hotels. (Next time, I might just make a whole weekend out of it!)
Itinerary:
Prior to your trip, you should take some time to figure out what the purpose of your trip is. Is it a trip for adventure, business, or relaxing? This is something you should consider in advance that way you can have an idea of what’s in the area that you might be interested in. If you are into slower days during vacation, then you might look to see what local coffee shops and bookstores you could explore. With this part of your planning, you don’t have to nail down every detail but you can create a sort of outline for each of your days. This way you not only know what to expect from your days but you aren’t overwhelmed during your vacation with trying to figure out what to do. Having a loose idea of what you want to do will also help you pack accordingly and save you the hassle of not having clothes that match what you want to do.
For example, say there was a nice restaurant in the area that you’d love to visit. Doing a little planning research would not only unveil if they have a dress code or not but also let you know if they require reservations.
I would also suggest looking into how people get around. Is your location one that people usually rent a car for or is it walkable. This is an important thing to consider when making your budget because you’ll want to either set aside money for the rental or the Uber / Lyfts you take.
Packing:
Remember how I said I plan my outfits down to the day? That becomes really helpful when it is time to pack. With this list as mentioned earlier, it’s easier to spot if anything is left out. You will have a complete list of all of the clothing items you’re expecting to take with you including the shoes and kinds of accessories you envision wearing with them.
This has honestly cut my packing time down to around 30 minutes. Since I already know what to grab out of my closet, I don’t have to waste ANY time trying to figure out what looks good with what.
Now that your clothing is packed you should move on to your Miscellaneous List. This list is for items that you don’t want to forget that might not have made it on the packing list. For me, this would be items like my retainers and bonnets. I also like to pack my favorite plane snacks (white cheddar Cheez-Its) and organize my backpack.
My toiletries are usually pretty easy to pack because I buy full-size and travel-size versions of my products during my regular shopping. However, travel bottles are available just about everywhere and are an awesome alternative.
Requirement Checks:
In the weeks prior to your trip, you should check to see what requirements you might need to meet to travel to your chosen destination. These requirements could range from vaccinations to visas. This part should NOT be a last-minute item but should be instead. If you are traveling domestically you should still check for requirements because sometimes different areas have their own requirements.
Something I also do to save myself a good amount of surprises is google what the weather is like in the area I am visiting in the month or season I am visiting. For example, when I went to Disney’s Sweetheart Night in CA my search was “Anaheim weather in February”. From that, I was able to learn that even though CA is usually rather warm they actually do have chillier months. This prompted me to plan outfits that included flannels and jackets.
One last thing I like to look for when figuring out these requirements is to see how people pay for items wherever I am going. This way I’ll know if I need to get money exchanged, bring cash, or plan to use my cards.
Now that you’re all packed and basically ready to go just take the time to review everything being sure that you have all of the identification and documents you’d need to arrive successfully at your destinations. Taking the steps to ensure that your trips are properly planned saves you a lot of stress leading up to and during the trip.
On the day of your travel, you can leave feeling reassured that everything is packed and set up. Even if your plans change you’ll feel prepared.
Travel Days
Final Thoughts
To see how I walk through my packing and prep, check out the video below.