1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: tip is to pack about a day before a major trip. 4 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: There is no point packing a long time ahead of time, 5 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: as you will run out of clean clothes and maybe 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: spend more time packing than you need to. But if 7 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: you've got at least twenty four hours, then there is 8 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: usually time to solve any major problems and think of 9 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: anything you forgot. I have a lot of children, and 10 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: even if I am only traveling with a few of them, 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: travel tends to involve a lot of logistics. If we 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: are flying, we aim to travel carry on only. That 13 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: means pack needs to be strategic. I'd like to think 14 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: I'm pretty good at it. However, one strategy that is 15 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,559 Speaker 1: particularly helpful is not just thinking about what I pack, 16 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: but when I pack. If I personally am traveling solo 17 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: on an overnight work trip, I can throw my stuff 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: in my bag in five minutes. If I'm traveling for 19 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: several days, on the other hand, and traveling with kids, 20 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: then I follow this rule pack at least twenty four 21 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: hours ahead of time. There is no need to pack 22 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: multiple days ahead of time and less. You're doing something 23 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: so incredibly specific that you need to procure and make 24 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: sure you have lots of special equipment. Packing expands to 25 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: fill the available space. If you give yourself five days 26 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: to pack, your packing will fill five days, and who 27 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: needs that? But giving yourself at least one day to 28 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: pack is wise. You can do a load of laundry 29 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: if it turns out you need to. If you need 30 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: to buy anything, you still have time to run to Target. 31 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: You probably don't have time to order from Amazon, though 32 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: sometimes same day shipping is an option, say you might 33 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: not even need to rule that out. You also have 34 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: time to think about what you might be forgetting. If 35 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: you realize you don't have enough reading material, you have 36 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: time to grab something from the house or download an ebook. 37 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: That is always an option. You can think through whether 38 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: you will need another snack. As you are walking around 39 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: the house that night, you will see something like a 40 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: pack of earplugs and realize, hey, that might be wise 41 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: to stick in my bag. You will double check that 42 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: you have all your prescription medications, and maybe you will 43 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: grab some tile in all or other such things that 44 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: it is just convenient to have. If you have a 45 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: tendency to overpack. Filling your suit case about twenty four 46 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: hours ahead of time also allows you to reconsider. You 47 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: can see that not everything is fitting and so you 48 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: will need to do some editing. A little bit of 49 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: time allows you to do this thoughtfully versus as a 50 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: last minute rush. In any case, there is no perfect 51 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: packing job, but it generally doesn't matter that much. Most 52 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: places around the world have stores, so if you forget something, 53 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: you can buy it. On my recent trip to Spain 54 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: with my two older boys, we wound up buying a 55 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: hoodie when it was colder than expected. We bought two 56 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: more umbrellas when it was rainier than expected. All good, 57 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: but as with much in life, planning and preparation are 58 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: always about optimizing within certain constraints. Doing too much ahead 59 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: of time as a problem, as it takes more time. 60 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: Life can change, and it is frustrating to do a 61 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: stellar packing job for a trip that gets canceled or 62 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: shifts significantly. But you don't want to be underprepared either. 63 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: I think packing about twenty four hours before is a 64 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: good balance, so that is what I do, and maybe 65 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: you would like to make it a general policy too. 66 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 67 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 68 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 69 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 70 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast this is a production of iHeartMedia. For more 71 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 72 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.