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10 Ways to Simplify Your Next Trip

10 Ways to Simplify Your Next Trip

LeszekCzerwonka/Thinkstock

See the world without losing your mind or your way.

I have a friend who always travels with a suitcase solely dedicated to all of her shoes. She is stunning and glamorous and goes first class. For many of us, travel needs to be a bit more contained, and we struggle to cram everything in, from the literal—sunscreen, ski poles, coloring books—to the temporal. Wouldn’t it be nice to travel through life with our bags and schedules more streamlined? For this week’s Healthy Habits, here are 10 ways to make your next jaunt easier on yourself.

  1. Sign up for TSA Pre check. It’s $85 for a 5-year membership, giving you access to shorter lines and a less daunting airport security experience.
  2. Plan your schedule at a two-thirds level, instead of with activities morning, noon and night. The deliberate free time can be enjoyed with spontaneous discoveries and resting/recharging.
  3. Resist the urge to reach out to connect with every single person you know in a 50-mile radius of your destination. See “5 Ways to Declutter Your Social Life.”
  4. When packing, stick to mix-and-match basics in a couple of colors only, and express variety through accessories. I met an editor from Vogue on a press trip once and she had the tiniest little suitcase, smaller than anyone else’s in the group. She looked different every day, just with accessories.
  5. However, pack extra of anything that will cause a slow-down. For example, haul more diapers if it means you won’t immediately have to waste time hunting for supplies upon arrival.
  6. Past the diaper stage? Well, we’ve all got to go. Download Flusd, which is a crowd-sourced bathroom finding app. As they say, “Join the movement.”
  7. Here’s some good advice from the Traveldudes website. If you are traveling with a small group of friends or family, book your trip for just you, or you and your spouse/kids. Let the rest of the group do their own planning. “This will relieve you of any responsibility and will also force your traveling companions to know more about the trip, so you are not constantly bombarded with questions about the trip and any activities/tours planned.”
  8. Print out itineraries, maps, directions and info on accommodations. Cell phones have an innate desire to zone out just when you most need them.
  9. If you’re in a rental, have groceries waiting for you. Use a service like AmazonFresh, or a locally based one. For example, in Estes Park, Colorado, Upon Arrival is a company that shops in the town of Loveland and delivers food up the mountain to the vacation properties.
  10. If at all possible, splurge and make the last day of the trip a day at home. Unpack, do laundry, get the fridge restocked, go to bed early. A peaceful re-entry is the ultimate luxury.

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