Since we travel a lot, we have systematized our process of planning and packing for each trip. I use a tool called Todoist where I keep each of these tasks to check them off the list once complete.

We start with a todo list that can be done in the week leading up to a trip:

• Download media (onto phones and tablets primarily)
• Download maps and any digital documents for offline viewing
• Charge tablets (and any peripheral devices like keyboards)
• Charge any cameras, headphones, and game systems
• Charge any portable battery packs
• Charge our car jumper (just in case of a dead battery upon return)
• Set travel notices on any bank or credit cards (where applicable)
• Print any travel documents (hotel reservations, etc)
• Go to ATM (and potentially currency exchange) to have starting cash
• Schedule a “hold mail” with USPS
• Book airport parking (often cheaper if you book in advance)

For the packing itself, we use this list:

• Clothes (rolled tightly in packing cubes)
• Swimsuits (if applicable)
• Shoes / boots / sandals / water shoes
• Dopp kit and liquid bag
• Toothbrushes (we just keep these in the Dopp kit now)
• Hair brush(es) for adults and kids
• Any medicine, vitamins, and eye drops, etc
• Tablets / computers
• Game systems (Switch and DS + games and cables)
• Headphones / ear buds
• Cameras with charger / batteries
• Roku / Google Home / Chromecast (for longer trips)
• Wall chargers, cables, watch charger
• Electronic cable bag with power converter (if needed)
• Car charger / phone holder
• Portable battery pack(s)
• Snack bag (in a packing cube)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen / face stick
• Travel documents
• Vaccination cards
• Passports (if needed)
• Notebook / crayons / rubber bands
• Magazines / books / Kindle
• Portable car seat (MiFold, if applicable)
• Bed pad (for younger kids)
• Plug-in cooler (for road trips)
• Umbrellas (if needed)
• Waterproof phone case (if needed)
• Any work devices (laptop, mouse, plugs)

Then we have a last-minute todo list for day of departure:

• Purge perishables from bowls and cabinets
• Purge perishables from the fridge
• Take out garbage
• Sweep and vacuum
• Close windows and pull shades
• Water any plants
• Mow the lawn
• Set Out of Office on work calendars
• Call the first hotel to let them know of a late arrival (if applicable)

Someone recently asked us how we pack so light, so in preparation for that post, I thought I’d get everyone caught up on our travels since our last post.

• We did end up going to New Mexico over Thanksgiving 2021 to visit White Sands National Park where you get to sled down large sand hills, and while there we also made the obligatory stop in Roswell to hang out with some aliens.
• With travel still so expensive at the end of 2021, we decided to continue our National Park streak and did a holiday road trip to see more. We visited Hot Springs, Memphis, Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, Shenandoah, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and Cuyahoga Valley.

2022 we called our “covid-catchup” year and we had four big adventures:

• We started the year with an amazing Spring Break in Portugal, visiting Lisbon, Porto, and a beach town west of Lisbon named Cascais.
• We found cheap airfare to Stockholm over the summer and turned it into a huge Nordic trip. We missed a connection and started in Iceland (the bonus country), and then continued on our planned trip of Stockholm (Sweden), Oslo, Flåm, and Bergen (Norway), Amsterdam (Holland), Helsinki (Finland), and back to Stockholm.
• Over Thanksgiving, we went with our extended family to Buenos Aires (Argentina), Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay), Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) / Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Uruguay was a surprise favorite, and the Iguazú Falls blew us away!
• Lastly we added more National Park notches to our belts, this time around the south west. We started in Las Vegas and went to Zion, Bryce, with stops in Kanab Utah and Page Arizona, Monument Valley (amazing!), Aztec Ruins, ending in Taos, New Mexico on the east end of the trip. On the way back to Vegas, we stopped in Santa Fe, Petrified Forest, and of course the Grand Canyon.