A few years ago, my husband’s brother and his family moved from our hometown in New York to Sarasota, Florida. Some time later, my mother-in-law and aunt-in-law followed.
Now, my husband, our two daughters, and I travel to Sarasota at least once a year, sometimes more.
I’m always excited for my kids to see their grandmother and spend time with their cousins, and I enjoy hanging out with my in-laws in the warm weather, catching up on each other’s lives. We shop, laugh, eat, and laugh again.
I love these trips — but I used to hate packing for them.
Packing required too many lists and too much time
Over and over again, I’d pack a full suitcase filled with everything I could need: summer clothes, hoodies for the chilly air-conditioned Florida restaurants, bathing suits, shoes, a dressier outfit that I never wore but always brought just in case.
And, of course, I’d have my least favorite thing to pack: an abundance of toiletries for my hair, skin, and body. My Type-A, list-making personality didn’t allow me to just throw these items in my bag.
Instead, I’d start with a list, then take an inventory of what I had and shop for anything I still needed.
From there, I’d write down what could go in my carry-on versus what needed to be in my checked luggage and organize everything into packing cubes and zip-up bags.
This process usually took up to three days to complete. It was madness.
Then, my husband put me onto a life-changing travel trick
One year, my husband had the brilliant idea to stop packing for these trips altogether.
As soon as we arrived in Sarasota, he headed to Walmart, where he purchased a few pairs of shorts, underwear, undershirts, and some T-shirts and button-downs.
Because his mom has the space to spare, when we left to go back home to New York, his clothes stayed in Florida.
: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The next time we visited, after I’d spent days packing and organizing, he simply put his iPad, a book, and some good ol’ New York bagels in a bag and off he went to the airport. It was awe-inspiring.
Before our visit last Christmas, I took a page out of his book. I packed clothes and shoes, but only clothes and shoes.
While there, I visited that same Florida Walmart and bought everything else I needed: a toothbrush, floss, face wash, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, deodorant, and more.
Once our trip came to an end, I left it all there at my mother-in-law’s, tucked away in a closet. When we went down the next summer, I again only had to pack clothes. It was so much easier.
This hack has eliminated all the stress of packing for these trips
Delpixart/Getty Images
I love that I can get ready for these trips so quickly now and that I’ll never have to go through the headache of packing toiletries to visit family again.
Next time, I won’t even be bringing clothes.
Our time in Florida is incredibly laid-back — we mostly stay in and visit casual restaurants. We go to the movies and sometimes to the beach. I don’t need my favorite shorts, go-to T-shirts, or that just-in-case dressy outfit. I just need something to wear, anything.
For the next trip, I’m packing only my devices and medicine, buying some essentials after we land, and leaving them there when we depart. When our daughters stop growing, I’ll do the same for them.
One day, traveling there will be the easiest thing I do all year. We’ll throw a few items in our little carry-on bags, make a quick stop at the bagel store, and be on our way.
