OCD Pre-Trip Checklists
The yellow beast is on the move once again.
The night before I depart for any trip usually goes as follows:
There’s still room in this suitcase. Maybe one more shirt….
I can’t forget my passport. Crap! Where is my passport? (Discovered 15 minutes later, safely stashed in the secure pocket of my briefcase.)
Do I need this client file? I shouldn’t, but nothing guarantees that they’ll have an urgent issue quite like being out of the office. Pack it.
Are these shoes waterproof?
Can I walk all day in these boots? Where are the emergency blister bandages? I need to stash some of those in my bag.
Did I set my out-of-office message? Yes, but I didn’t update the text from my last trip. No need to wish everyone a happy new year in March.
Kindle or iPad?
I did pack my passport, right? (Double checks.)
To bypass all of this anxiety, I make lists. Lots of lists. There are post-its strategically positioned everywhere, reminding me of everything from umbrellas to adapter plugs. Nothing will be forgotten.
It’s going to be a quiet week in Bettyland, kids. I’ll be skulking around Europe for the next week and a half, looking for interesting recipes as I go.
Be good to each other, and let me know your greatest pre-trip neuroses in the comments.
Cooking
Fitness
Health
I always have to put pajamas at the top of my packing list because they are my most often forgotten item. Followed by phone charger and underwear. Because who needs to write underwear on the list? Of COURSE you’re going to pack underwear! Until you don’t write it on the list and then don’t pack any.
I also check at least 40 times to make sure I really do have my passport. Maybe the strangest compulsion is to make sure I have cash, even when going to a place where I previously lived and never carried cash at the time. New York? Sure, I might need to take a taxi. San Antonio? Umm…what for? You can pay by credit card for your queso.
Heh. Pajamas. I forgot pajamas. 🙂