After living in Hawaii for a couple of years, long flights to get anywhere have become the norm. To travel off the island to another country, or just to get back to the mainland United States, layovers, and 5-10 hour legs of being 30,000 feet off the ground have become necessary. In my experiences traveling back and forth from the island around the world, I have learned some tips to help make long travel days a bit easier!

Packing and Preparing for Travel Days

I don’t know about you, but I am a huge procrastinator. When I was going to backpack around Southeast Asia, I did not pack until 1 am on the day I was supposed to leave! I have since learned how to better prepare for trips abroad, but my first tip in preparing for long excursions is to start packing a few days before you leave. If I start planning outfits and throwing little items in my suitcase or backpack a few days before I leave, it gives me a larger buffer zone to remember items, clothes, and necessities I might have otherwise forgotten. Also having your suitcase or backpack out before a long trip serves as a physical reminder to keep your “to do” items fresh in your mind.

Another big life saver while packing is to buy a little hand held luggage weigher. These guys save you from frantic experiences at the check-in counter when the attendant tells you your bag is 2 pounds overweight and you are hit with a hefty fee. I weigh my bags as I am packing them to make sure they comply with the airline weight regulation. Always check the weight limit because each airline will be different, especially if it is a foreign airline. Usually on the confirmation email you receive from the airline, the luggage weight limit will be provided. For carry ons, always remember to keep anything you have to take out for the security conveyor belts on top of the bag. Nothing is worse than when you are being rushed to get through security, and have to dig through your carry on to retrieve a toiletry bag or bag of metal jewelry you accidentally packed on the bottom of your bag! I always take anything out to put separately through the belt that I think could be of concern. Better to be safe than sorry, and having to wait for security to personally comb through your whole bag only to find it was a bottle of lotion that set off the buzzer is just added stress and time that could be avoided.

Lastly, in preparing for long days of travel, keeping lists on your phone of what you need to do is crucial to avoid the pre travel day overload burnout. If I do not write down that I have to do that load of laundry, or get that travel size contact solution, I will forget when taking care of the bigger things! Preparing lists and actively checking items off a few days before you depart is crucial for a smooth trip to take place. It’s the little things that make a travel day flow easy, and staying organized is essential.