Adult Daily Living Skills: Packing for a Trip

 I’m going on a trip in my favorite rocket ship! Remember that? Well I’m not getting in a rocket ship but I am getting on a plane for the first time since Oct 2019! Up until that point I had been on a plane several times a year traveling all over the U.S. for conferences and for FREE might I add! This time around I’m headed to my first in person conference since 2019 for individuals who work with students with disabilities in higher education. I’ll tell you more about it later in a special VLOG.

Figure 1: This is a photo of my thumbnail for my YouTube video on ADL: Packing for a Trip where my packed suitcase is on the bed. 

With this being my first time packing since 2019 I had to remember all of my packing tips and wanted to share them with you. First things first, plan out all of your outfits by placing them on your bed and making sure everything matches. I typically like to pack clothes that will fit easily in my suitcase like dresses and skirts. If you don’t wear those items then pack things that are easy to fold and won’t have too many wrinkles. Since I was packing for a 5 day conference I packed 5 professional outfits and 5 casual outfits to sight see in. Most people like to place their suitcase on their bed to save the stress on their back. Please remember to sanitize your suitcase before doing this and place an old blanket to place your suitcase on so it’s not directly on your bed. 

Figure 2: This is a photo of me in my closet picking out a pink skirt and white shirt. 

Another pro tip is to pack an outfit in your carry on. Once my suitcase was lost and I missed a whole day of a conference that I was attending because I didn’t have any clothes. Yeah it sucked! Also, be sure to pack all personal items like medications, glasses, and chargers in your carry on as well. 

When placing clothes in your suitcase like your pants or jeans be sure to fold them hot dog style by rolling them up. Fold any shirts in a neat square pattern and try to make them as small as possible. Oh and don’t forget to wipe off any shoes that you place in your bag. You don’t want dirt getting on your clothes. 

Figure 3: This is a photo of me folding a pair of pants to put in my suitcase. 

I also pack all of my liquids and personal items like toothpaste etc into a large plastic bag.  Be sure to surround this with any cushion like pants and shirts so nothing breaks and spills out. Lastly, I throw a few dryer sheets on top to keep everything fresh. If you can’t zip up your suitcase at the end then you’ve packed too much! Try switching out several pairs of pants for one or two pairs that can go with multiple shirts.

 

Figure 4: This a photo of me holding up two dryer sheets to place in my suitcase. 

When’s the last time you went on a trip ? Do you have a system for packing ? Drop down in the comments and let me know! Be sure to check out my latest video and tell me what you think of my packing skills.

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