the id, the ego, & the single misfiring brain cell

I'm en route to Rome then to Latina, Italy--again. I realize as I pack that I've a bunch of suggestions that the less experienced traveler might benefit from. So here you go. :)

1. Pack light. No matter how light you pack, you're still probably packing too heavily. I find myself packing lighter and lighter each time I leave for a week or so in an (as yet) unrealized goal of packing just enough. I'm not the sort of person, for example, who puts on fresh clothes every day unless the ones I was wearing before are genuinely dirty. (I've always been this way, but yes...living in Turkey has only encouraged this tendency in me.)

As a rule of thumb, remember: you're traveling. It's an adventure. You won't need every item in your house.

2. Carry on the minimum you'll need to be content during the flight and layovers. For me, this includes my laptop, its cord, my Kindle, an iPod, a pen and a pad, camera, deoderant and a hairbrush, money for where I am and where I'm going, identification/necessary papers/itinerary, tweezers/nail file/nail clippers,* glasses B), medications, small bottle of hand sanitizer, ear plugs, and a fresh teeshirt with fresh underwear rolled up in it.

* This may just be a weirdness of mine, but I frequently develop hangnails or locate whiskers or hairs in strange places--every few years, one will grow out of my earlobe, y'all--or such and require emergency tools.

If your backpack/purse is stuffed, you've packed too heavily; you won't use it all. Ditch something.

3. Take charging cords for electrical equipment, complete with plugs that fit the outlets where you're going. Put these in baggies to keep them from getting tangled with one another.

4. Clothing you can mix and match and layer.

5. Take small snacks in individual baggies. Airport food is notoriously overpriced, and some airlines now charge even for a bottle of water (!) onboard. Be prepared.

6. Use masking tape to seal any toiletry item which may leak, then pack all of them in a sturdy plastic bag for the trip. Take the masking tape with you to seal again for the return trip.

7. Wear loose, comfortable clothing without metal. You know you'll have to clear security. Please keep it as simple as possible. Also, layer for the flight--or be prepared to.

8. Leave early. If you're notoriously late, leave very early. Or maybe the day before. Nothing ruins a relaxing trip more than anxious sweating on the way to the airport and sprints through the terminal.

9. Clean the house thoroughly before you leave. Clean out the refrigerator and take out the trash the day you leave for the airport. Few things are worse than coming home tired and having to play "What's that smell?"

10. Have a good, hot shower before you leave. It does wonders for the attitude. ;)

11. Just before you leave, go back through your bag and get rid of a few more items of clothing. You won't need them, and you'll thank me later. Particularly if you're going someplace like Italy and fancy bringing a bottle of wine back with you.

d