My Travel Routine: Things I Do Before a Trip

Tomorrow is a travel day and it’s going to be an early one! I feel like breaks always seem to come when you’re starting to feel a little burned out–so I’m thankful for a little bit of time away to recharge and refocus. I thought I would share with you a few things that I like to do to prepare for travel and then what I do that morning.

Have car serviced the week before a trip

If I am driving somewhere, I will usually take my car in to get the oil changed and just have routine maintenance to make sure I don’t have any breakdowns. When I was growing up, there were a few times that my family was unlucky with cars and road trips and I think those experiences have been ingrained into my memory. However, if I am flying somewhere–I will probably just make sure that my car has been vacuumed out and that it’s clean inside.

Set 10 alarms

Ok maybe not 10 but I probably do set 5-6 alarms to help me wake up on time. I prefer to travel super early in the morning, that way you get to your destination earlier and have more time to explore. A big thank you to my dad, also, who is willing to take me to the airport when I book flights for 4am, haha! But seriously, set several alarms if you have a super early flight.

Leave a clean space

Before I leave on a trip, I have to make sure that my living space is clean, my bed is made, and that all of my laundry has been done. This helps me to feel less chaotic about leaving and it makes coming home less stressful, knowing that I don’t have to worry about a mess.

Lay out everything you need for travel day

I will leave out a pile of clothes that I’m going to wear, anything I need to use in the morning and then pack, and then unplug everything that’s been charging. I also really like to do this because I know where everything is and I’m not running around in a mad dash–especially if I oversleep through the first 4 alarms.

Get to the airport early

I’m really glad that I live close to an airport and that it doesn’t take too long to get there. I still like to get to the airport earlier than needed so that I can take my time and find where I’m supposed to be. I also like to get a cup of coffee at the airport because it’s a little ritual I have to help start vacation.

Do you have any trip or travel day rituals?

Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash