Heading to Arizona for a week to help out my folks. And to let my bones defrost. Holy fuck it’s cold in Minnesota right now.
I live in an apartment, no pets, no kids, so it’s not hard to just grab a bag and run out the door. But I’m me, so I have all kinds of routines associated with travel. Especially if I’m going to be gone for more than a night.
1. Charge all the things.
I charge every device I can think of to full. I’ll even leave my phone plugged in until the last possible second. It sucks when you want to work on the plane (or play FTL) only to find your laptop is at 9%.
I also charge devices with a long battery life, like my Kindle and toothbrush, so that I don’t have to mess with charging them during the trip if I don’t have to.
2. Eat strange meals.
In an effort to reduce food waste, I end up eating lots of improvised stews, or tacos stuffed with unusual ingredients. Scrambled eggs or a cream sauce can be a nice way to use up the half and half.
3. Knoll.
Knolling is how I pack. I make my bed and use that as a table to lay out clothes and personal effects. I clean off the kitchen island and lay out all of my computer stuff, accessories, and day-of things. I’ve learned that I’m less likely to forget something if I lay everything out before I pack anything. The moment I zip that packing cube shut I forget how many pairs of socks I put in or whether or not I stashed a bandana in there.
I don’t leave anything packed between trips. Suitcase, dopp kit, and briefcase all get completely unpacked when I get home, and I usually run the packing cubes and anything else that can stand it through the wash.
4. Have a close shave.
You’d be forgiven for thinking my facial hair grows quickly, considering what a full and beautiful beard I can grow. But that’s all a matter of patience. My 5 o’clock shadow doesn’t come around up until 5am, if that. So a good close shave at home will get me through a three or four day trip, and if I don’t have anyone to impress, longer than that.
5. Grab cash.
On one of my first big solo trips a mean cab driver in New Orleans made me feel like a rube and an asshole for paying with a card, and even though he was the one being an asshole, it scarred me and now I always travel with a decent bit of cash. (Please don’t mug me thank you.)
6. Clean the drains.
When I get home I want my apartment to smell like nothing. I hate hate hate hate HATE smelling garbage. I know no one loves it, but in a small space like my apartment if I catch even a whiff of it I get irrationally angry and distracted. So I empty the little can from my kitchen and the little can from my bathroom, and I run my drain strainers through the dishwasher, and then I boil a full kettle and pour a bit down each of my drains.
7. Wash my sheets.
This is a present to future me who is always a little tired and a little cranky after traveling, even if it was a lovely and relaxing trip. The best part of coming home is sleeping in your own bed and it’s even better with clean sheets.
*** Originally published as List No. 43 of the 7x77 newsletter project.