THE ORGANIZED AIR TRAVELER
Brought to you by Joan Kosmachuk,
Professional Organizer and Personal Life Coach

“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.”
—Source Unknown

As organized as I may be in some areas of my life, becoming a super-organized air traveler is something I’m still working on. Take, for example, a weekend visit to my family in Ontario. I arrived and my luggage did not. I was overdressed for the warm day that greeted me and sure missed that deodorant stick over the 24-hour period I waited for my luggage to catch up with me. So, I’ve started watching other people at airports. I keep an eye out for obviously frequent travelers, gathering ideas from the ones who seem to have figured out how to do it with ease. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from my observations and I pass them along to you. For those traveling this holiday season, here’s to the joys of organized travel.

1. Travel Light: The idea of “getting away from it all” gets somewhat lost when you try to take it all with you. For short trips of 2 weeks or less, limit yourself to one rolling bag and an attachable carry-on bag with ample compartments to keep your identification and other key items easily retrievable.

Look for travel-sized versions of bulkier items such as a travel sized hair dryer, curling iron, umbrella etc. These can remain stored in your luggage between trips so you never leave home without them.

With the new airline regulations for liquids, make sure you carry small 3oz maximum bottles of your favorite toiletries. Lillian Vernon sells a liquid storage package that meets the new regulations for airline travel. $9.98.

The lighter someone is traveling, the more relaxed they appear on their journey.

I recommend that you ship any gifts ahead of time, or purchase easily transportable items such as gift cards or certificates.

2. Travel Savvy: Build a simple mix and match traveling wardrobe for yourself in a single color palette. Sticking with one color family will limit the number of accessories you need to take with you such as matching shoes and/or purse. It will also make it easy to add or remove layers to accommodate changes in temperature. Opt for fabrics that don’t crease or stain easily. Plan the same way for your spouse and children’s wardrobes.

Be sure you all wear slip-on shoes for ease when going through security and put keys and spare change etc. into your carry-on bags rather than your jacket pockets.

3. Travel Smart: Carry an ID pouch that can accommodate your boarding pass in addition to your passport and any other papers you may require. Don’t forget a pen for completing customs forms as well as the address and phone numbers of the places you’ll be visiting on your trip. Make sure that the batteries are charged for your cell phone, camera and other electronic devices and that you’ve packed your chargers.

If you’ll be traveling over a mealtime, pack some healthy and satisfying snacks in your carry-on bag to tide you through until your next meal. You can purchase bottled water or other liquids once you have passed through security.

If you have a long trip, take along a neck roll and a thin throw (a pashmina scarf makes a great cover-up) so you can sleep comfortably. Noise canceling headphones are a must for those who spend a lot of time in the air but are also a good idea for those traveling on overnight flights. And bring headphones for everyone as they often charge you now for these.

Make sure that you have any necessary medications in ample supply for your time away as well as extras in the event your flight is delayed for 24 hours or
more.

And, the one tip I wish I’d thought of – pack an extra pair of undergarments, socks, etc. in each carry-on just in case your luggage arrives later than you and your family do.

4. Travel Safely: Limit the amount of cash you will carry with you and purchase travelers checks or carry a credit card instead. Make sure that all your valuables are in your carry-on and keep it with you at all times.

You may want to keep a photocopy of your ID in your checked luggage as well in the event your originals are lost or stolen.

Extra Tips for Traveling with Children: Of course if you are traveling with children, it gets a bit more complex. If possible, pack your child’s clothing in your main suitcase to reduce the number of bags you must carry. For carry-on baggage, pack a child’s size rolling suitcase for each child with an extra change of clothes, and lots of snacks and activities. Even young children can help pull these through the airport on their own.

If you are traveling with a toddler, consider the combination monkey harness/backpack from Wal-Mart as another great way to have your child carry their own snacks and toys while the harness keeps you and your little one from getting separated in busy airports.

May your travels be many and your troubles be few. Happy Holidays!

For assistance with creating a traveling wardrobe and/or dealing with other organizing issues consider getting professional input by hiring a professional organizer. To hire the services of Joan Kosmachuk, please email your request to info@simpleeffects.com or call 617-784-0707.

If you found the information in this newsletter to be of value to you, please feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues; you'll be helping them simplify their lives.

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