Packed and prepared
Better safe than sorry makes for one less thing to stress over while on vacation
By Joanna Beresford 06/11/2009
“Even the elephant carries but a small trunk on his journeys. The perfection of traveling is to travel without baggage.”
— Henry David Thoreau
There’s more to traveling than just baggage. If you haven’t adequately prepared for life on the road or in the air; if you haven’t researched your destinations; if you don’t bring the essential clothing, money, phones and cameras; and most importantly, if you haven’t made proper arrangements for your home, pets and all the things you’re leaving behind, you will be burdened with something heavier than a suitcase full of bricks. You’ll be burdened by worry and frustration. So do what I’m so terrible at doing: get organized.
First of all, establish a sacred space in your home where you accumulate everything related to your trip. Start with a notebook. This notebook will function like the Bible in your Travel Temple, and the Bible should begin with a Book of Lists. Make lists of everything, including: contact and safety information for friends, caretakers, neighbors, and yourself; itemization of packed stuff (books, clothes, cameras, snacks, stamps, address books, computers, phones, etc.) for each member of your household; itineraries; contact info for restaurants, museums, beaches, bookstores, hotels and other points of interest along the way.
The notebook doesn’t have to be printed on paper. You could do it all digitally. In fact, this kind of info may be easier to share than info scribbled on a sheaf of papers. Still, I can’t break myself of clutching that smudgy, worked-over list in my hand as I traverse the terrifying territory of getting organized for travel.
It would be easy if you were dying, and traveling to paradise where all your needs would be met for eternity, but if you’re just doing the standard earth-bound trip, you’ve gotta take stuff with you.
Here’s what the experts say: pile all the stuff you want to take in your Travel Temple area, take away half, and pack the rest. That’s all you’ll need. Pack your small kids’ stuff in daily combos in plastic bags, which you can use later for dirty clothes. Separate your own underwear, socks, etc. into similar freezer-style bags, or recycled grocery bags. A friend of mine travels with her nastiest, oldest, most tattered underwear and she throws them away as she goes. Then she doesn’t have to worry about laundry and she’s got lots of room for gifts and souvenirs.
Consolidate everything. Lipstick, comb, driver’s license and passport or AAA card can all go in one little zipper bag that you carry around on your wrist. Jeans can work round the clock — paired with T-shirts during the day, sexy lingerie at night.
What you leave behind, aside from travel companions, is generally more precious than anything you take with you. House-sitting services abound and you’ll find them online or through referrals. Pet care is probably your most crucial issue, and there are safe, comfy solutions.
Board your cat at “The Best Little Cat House in Pasadena” and she may have a more relaxing vacation than you will. Located in a picturesque Victorian home outfitted with fish tanks, climbing toys, private rooms and loads of loving attention, The Cat House provides cage-free, personalized (cat-alized?) care for indoor and outdoor felines.
“People come here and they say, ‘Oh, my God, I didn’t know this kind of place existed!’ and they break down and cry,” says owner Divinity Libby. “One of our clients hadn’t gone out of town for 15 years because she couldn’t find a suitable place to keep her cat.”
Want your pet to enjoy the comforts of his own home while you’re gone? Big Sky Dogs Pet Care Services offers customized service for every pet in their roster. Pet-sitters may stay overnight for the well-being of dog or cat, or they will stop by for daily walks, feeding, medicating of pets, and general mail, light, plant and temperature maintenance.
“Every client and pet is unique,” says owner Brandon Burton. “All our care is individual and private and that’s been our main objective since we started.”
Brandon is originally from Montana. Hence the name of his business, through which he tries to get those dogs outside and under the big sky as often as possible — the same big sky that will form your canopy as you travel. Brandon didn’t mention elephants, by the way, but if you’ve got one, I’ll bet his pet-loving staff will be willing and able to feed him a peanut or two whenever you like.
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