Routines: Packing for a Trip

It has been a long time since I took a trip out of state, whether for work or for personal reasons. I’ll be heading out soon for a short personal trip, which means making a list and checking it twice. In the past, I’ve dabbled with a packing list app for my iPhone, but that never took off, likely due to the infrequency of my travel. When it comes to list, it’s hard to beat the old pen and paper.

Making lists like this always reminds me of how much I feel is needed in order to live our “normal” life somewhere else. It’s also revealing how much stuff is part of my life on a regular basis. The panic that I’m going to forget something is usually answered by the reminder:

There’s a Wal Mart in town… I can always pick up what I need if I forget anything.

Yes, so much of what we feel we need is simply a combination of convenience, habit, and preferences. We could always do with much less, at home and on the road.