Orderly Living In A Temporary Dwelling

The post is also known as "how to unpack in your hotel room." But doesn't my original title sound much more fancy?

In my 39 years, I've only left something in my hotel room one time.

{Lowers head in shame and mumbles, "yesitwasmyplanner."}

That was embarrassing!

"Ma'am, I think you left your binder calendar thingy in your hotel room. Can we ship it to you?" -Best Hotel Staff EVER

"No thanks. I'm only an hour away. I'll come back for it right now." -Desperate Plannerd, thanking her lucky stars that her emergency contact information was in her planner

"Seriously? Don't you write a blog about this stuff?" -Annoyed Husband

(See how I wrote that in third person? It feels less painful that way.)

How you unpack in a hotel matters. Here are some hints to help you:

1. Bring your packing list with you, turn it over, and start a repacking list.

There are two advantages to this. First, you can glance at your original packing list to make sure that you are leaving the hotel room with everything that you started the trip with. Second, you can list things that are unpacked away from your luggage, like hanging items or the laptop you have plugged in on the desk, for repacking.

2. Do not assume you will remember hanging items, toiletries, or other items stored away from your suitcase. Write them on the repacking list.

3. Don't totally unpack.

Mostly, if the trip is shorter than a week, you can live out of your suitcase. Things come out of the suitcase and get stored back in it. At the end of the trip, the suitcase is pretty much still packed! No extra packing needed.

4. Don't unpack clothes into drawers.

They hang or they stay, neatly folded, in the suitcase.

5. Repack items as they are used. The suitcase is their home.

6. Bring a laundry bag for dirty clothes.

7. Bring a couple of empty tote bags or a bag loaded with consumables (like snacks) that you can use once it is empty.

Tote bags are great for souvenirs and other items you didn't expect to carry. And if you don't get any extras, they fold up neatly in your suitcase.

8. Designate an area for each person in the room.

For my family, we use the areas between the beds and the walls. The kids' suitcase goes next to their bed and our suitcases go beside ours.

9. Toss dirty clothes in dirty clothes bag (stored next to suitcase).

10. Toss trash in trash cans.

I know those two sound silly, but they really do make it obvious when other stuff that belongs to you and should leave the hotel room with you, needs to be repacked.

Happy travels!

Etcetera.