CLUTTER CULPRIT:
TRIP TIPS
Help!
I'm back from my trip to South Africa and Botswana. Couldn't have been better. We weren't disappointed. Saw a lot of the big guys in the animal kingdom: cheetahs,leopards,lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and rhinos. Then we topped off the trip by getting absolutely bone-chilled soaked at the breathtaking Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It seemed like a good idea to make this a trip-related column. My book has three chapters devoted to travel, including travel aids, planning for a trip, and a detailed packing list. Since I don't want to repeat myself, this column will offer a few additional suggestions to get you thinking about planning a successful trip.
Organizing isn't just rearranging your linen closet and setting up files for your business papers. It's a way of looking at your daily life and figuring out little ways to make your home more efficient and your life more enjoyable.
You want to enjoy your vacation. Putting a little organizational spin on it can make the difference between bickering about what to do or see, getting lost, losing tickets, and being disappointed or having a relaxing and memorable time. Can you do something about it? No problemo. You just need a plan.
The first part of the plan is SCHEDULE IT.
OK. It's time to start thinking about your next getaway. Set aside a little time so you're not just dreaming about a great trip you're actually going to do it:
- During another week call or go online to make reservations and get your tickets.
- Now that you know where you're going, will you need new clothes or equipment? Start your shopping list.
Start by gathering some travel catalogs and begin making your plans.
The next part of the plan is ORGANIZE IT.
Follow these three steps to help you get organized.
- Do you love your timetable and a highly structured trip but your friend likes to blow free with the wind?
- Does it turn out that you like to be up at the crack of dawn to catch mystical morning rays peeking through the mountains but your friend is looking forward to dancing till the wee hours and then sleeping in to noon?
- Do you want to hit every shop in town while your spouse would rather be parked permanently on the beach?
- Do you enjoy walking and strolling around all the sites but your husband or wife insists on riding everywhere in a bus or taxi?
- Have you got all your credit cards ready for a first-class trip with lots of perks but it turns out your friends are thinking strickly low budget?
- Take a structured tour of the city one day and the next day lie around on the beach or wander the streets and investigate the shops.
- Most days eat at inexpensive but picturesque cafes and sleep in inexpensive hotels, but then splurge a few times for a fancy restaurant and a couple of nights at a beautiful hotel on the waterfront.
- Take a break from each other: your spouse spends the day golfing or scuba diving while you check out the museums or take a tour to view famous ruins.
- Get a folder with two pockets. File all trip information, including itinerary, tickets, traveler's checks, insurance, passport, and international health booklet.
- The week before your trip, set up a spot for your luggage. Start some piles for items you plan to take.
- Looking for a tour? Find out if the things you really want to see are included or if you'll have to pay extra for optional side trips.
- What kind of cruise is this? Will you be the only granny on a ship filled with college party goers or a swinging single stuck on a week-long cruise totally surrounded by families and hordes of kids?
- Take advantage of online virtual room tours to help you pick the exact room that you want.
- Grab all soiled clothes and drop them into a pile by the washing machine.
- Scoop up the grooming supplies and place them on the bathroom counter.
- Place clean clothes, shoes, and jewelry in the bedroom.
- Park your camera, photo supplies, and binoculars in a safe spot.
- Gather up papers, including receipts, itinerary, flight information, journal of trip events, and addresses. Put your passport and internation health booklet on top.
- Place travel souvenirs, gifts, and postcards in a corner.
- Stack your luggage, backpack, fanny pack, tote bag, and money belt.
- Each day just grab what you need from the piles of clean clothes and grooming supplies util you're realy to actually return them to the proper drawer, hanger, or shelf.
- You could break it down into smaller steps and tackle one section at a time. Take twenty minutes one day and store all your cosmetics and grooming supplies. The next day do the laundry. The following day put away all clean clothes and jewelry. A few days later, shake the sand out of your luggage and shelve it so it will be ready for your next adventure.
- Set aside a little time to tackle some of those travel papers. One day put all travel receipts with your regular business papers (in a receipts envelope) and file your passport and international health booklet in the travel documents folder.
- Another day sort through your intinerary and the pamphlets you've collected and decide what you would like to keep for future travel information or as mementos.
- While you're watching a movie, transfer photos to your computer and edit or print pictures. Later in the week label photos and file them in photo albums.
- Each day double-check that your passport, credit cards, money, vouchers, and tickets are handy.
- Sort through the daily accumulations of brochures, pamphlets, postcards to save, shipboard newsletters, and ticket stubs. Toss what you can then store the rest in a freezer bag to protect them.
- Be sure everyone in the group has a copy of the itinerary, the address and phone number of the hotel, and money for a taxi.
- Each night review plans for the next day so that everyone knows when and where to meet, what money and tickets will be needed, what clothes to lay out, and whether you'll need your swimming and diving gear or the camera tripod.
- Keep a small notepad and jot down the names of sites that you visited, restaurants you enjoyed, people you met, and birds and animals you spotted. Later it can help you figure out what the heck that place is in your photos.
- We're just going out to dinner. I guess I won't need my camera.
- It's supposed to be a nice day. I'm not going to bother with my sunglasses or sunblock or umbrella or jacket.
- See you at three. It's not that big of a place. We won't have any trouble spotting each other.
- Oh, don't bother about cash. Everybody accepts credit cards.
- We don't need to get a rain slicker. It'll just be a little spray from the falls.
1ST STEP: ARE WE ON THE SAME TRIP?
Some trips fall into place because they're pretty straightforward. You'll be hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, gathering at the family cottage, or on a tour. My safari to Botswana was easy because it was structured and we had a common goal: to see as many birds and animals as possible.
It can be a little more difficult if you just say "Let's go to Italy" or plan to explore North and South Carolina. You and your family or friends need to decide ahead of time just what kind of vacation this will be.
What Do You Wanna Do? I Don't Know. What Do You Wanna Do?
Chat with your traveling companions about your expectations:
Negotiations
Once you know what you're both anticipating then you can work out the compromises.
In other words, some days you can be a little anal retentive and other days loosey-goosey.
For example:
2ND STEP: TRAVEL BUREAU
You can sail more smoothly into your vacation with a little advanced planning.
Corralling the Collection
When you start planning your trip set up a spot for miscellaneous papers, clothes, and travel items:
No Surprises
Do some advanced checking and planning so you won't be disappointed with your tour or accommodations:
3RD STEP: AFTER THE TRIP
You walk into the house, drop your luggage in the middle of the living room, and collapse. A few weeks later, most if it is still piled up and in danger of becoming a permanent fixture. OK. That jet-lag excuse isn't working anymore.
Divide and Conquer
Take twenty minutes for a quick sorting. Divide everything into the following piles:
Put It Away
Of course, you can be industrious, jump right in, and immediately put everything back in its rightful spot. However, if you're running a little low on energy or time, you do have several options:
What's the FINAL STEP?
While on my recent trip, several times I heard words that warmed my heart. Someone said, "I'll meet you by the pool a little later but first I'm going to take a few minutes to get a little organized." What a good idea. Your trip will be so much more enjoyable if you aren't frantically searching for your ticket or voucher or if you get separated from your group and can't remember the name of the hotel. Now it’s time to SET UP A ROUTINE TO CONTROL CLUTTER AND CHAOS.
DAILY: Take 15 or 20 Minutes
CLUTTER WRAP-UP
If you hear yourself saying, "Oh, I probably won't need that." Sure enough you'll end up needing it. Does any of this sound familiar?
So, listen to your inner voice of experience. Take your camera, sunblock and cash. Just in case. And when offered a rain slicker to view Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls, take it so you won't end up a sorry-looking mess.
Have a lovely spring! Stop by again on July 1.
Best wishes,
Joyce