More Happier: Traveling Soon? 30 Hacks for a Happier Trip [Revisited]

Summary

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Episode: More Happier: Traveling Soon? 30 Hacks for a Happier Trip [Revisited]

Release Date: July 19, 2025

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Gretchen Rubin and her co-host Elizabeth Craft dive deep into the art of traveling with their revisited favorite episode, "Travel Hacks Extravaganza." As the sisters prepare for their first-ever Sisters Reading Retreat, they reflect on past insights and introduce a plethora of practical travel tips sourced from their dedicated listeners. This comprehensive episode not only revisits beloved hacks but also infuses new ideas to ensure every trip is as joyful and stress-free as possible.

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1. The Importance of Preparation

Gretchen and Elizabeth kick off the episode by emphasizing the significance of preparation in making travel enjoyable. They recall the value of revisiting previous episodes to reinforce effective habits.

• Gretchen Rubin [01:37]: "Our timing couldn't be better because very soon we are going on our first ever Sisters reading retreat."
• Elizabeth Craft [01:50]: "We got so many brilliant ideas from listeners, but you forget them. I needed a reminder."

2. Top Listener-Submitted Travel Hacks

a. Packing Essentials

A unanimous theme among listeners is the critical nature of thorough packing.

• Packing List:
  Gretchen Rubin [02:36]: "The number one suggestion was to make a list. Make a packing list."
  Gretchen [03:04]: "Don't only need to make a list, you need to remember to consult your list."

• Toiletry Organization:
  Elizabeth Craft [03:04]: "Create a travel toiletry kit so you don't forget something when you're packing."

b. Managing Clothing and Accessories

Listeners share ingenious ways to keep clothes wrinkle-free and organized.

• Ziploc Toiletry Bags:
  Elizabeth Craft [05:02]: "Use a clear Ziploc bag for toiletries. It doesn't take much room and prevents spills."

• Preventing Wrinkles:
  Lisa [07:54]: "Fold clothes in plastic dry cleaner bags before putting them in your suitcase."
  Kelly [08:31]: "Pack Downy Wrinkle Releaser to eliminate wrinkles on the go."

c. Enhancing Comfort During Travel

Strategies to make traveling more comfortable and enjoyable are highlighted.

• White Noise Solutions:
  Leah [07:12]: "Use a white noise app to drown out unwanted sounds during travel."
  Gretchen [11:23]: "Someone shared using white noise for their dog’s barking, showing its versatility."

• Power Management:
  Andrea [07:58]: "Travel with a power strip to ensure all your devices can be charged efficiently."

d. Navigating Accommodations and Routes

Maximizing hotel stays and choosing optimal routes contribute to a smoother trip.

• Room Requests:
  Listener [05:46]: "Ask the front desk for a better room or a nicer view."
  Gretchen [06:43]: "Asking politely can often result in room upgrades or better placements."

• Running Routes:
  Courtney [09:35]: "Check with the front desk for suggested running routes to enjoy scenic views."

e. Traveling with Family and Pets

Adapting travel hacks to suit family dynamics and pet needs ensures everyone's comfort.

• Fun Bag for Kids:
  Elizabeth [04:12]: "Use a fun bag filled with small toys and activities to keep children entertained during travel."

• Traveling with Pets:
  Jill [28:41]: "Find pet-friendly stores like PetSmart or Petco along your route to ensure your dog can accompany you safely."

3. Personal Hacks from Hosts

a. Odelia’s Tips: Enhancing the Travel Experience

Gretchen’s producer, Odelia, shares heartfelt and practical ideas inspired by her mother.

• Snacks for Airplane:
  Odelia [15:50]: "Bring healthy snacks from Trader Joe’s for a personalized airplane picnic."

• Reading Materials:
  Odelia [17:03]: "Pack engaging novels to make flights and layovers more enjoyable."

b. Gretchen’s Personal Insights: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

Gretchen opens up about challenging her own travel-related limiting beliefs to enrich her experiences.

• Bringing Family on Business Trips:
  Gretchen [35:09]: "I challenged my belief of never bringing children on business trips and had a wonderful mother-daughter adventure."

4. Interactive Listener Engagement

a. Demerits and Gold Stars

The episode features a segment where listeners share their travel-related demerits and successes.

• Elizabeth’s Demerit [33:30]: "Procrastinating on booking a trip to Legoland, fearing it might be sold out."

• Gretchen’s Gold Star [35:09]: "Challenging a limiting belief by bringing her daughter on a business trip, leading to a memorable experience."

5. Additional Practical Hacks

a. Efficient Packing Strategies

• Advanced Packing Techniques:
  Suzanne [12:46]: "Pack a separate hotel bag with essentials for overnight stays to avoid unpacking the entire suitcase."

b. Weather Preparedness

• Rain Gear Preparation:
  Frankie [21:16]: "Check the weather ahead and pack raincoats or umbrellas accordingly."

• Luggage Identification:
  Nancy [26:14]: "Use colorful duct tape or distinctive tags to easily identify your luggage."

c. Memory Enhancement

• Scent Associations:
  Emily [20:39]: "Use unique room sprays or candles upon returning home to evoke vacation memories."

6. Conclusion and Takeaways

Gretchen and Elizabeth wrap up the episode by reflecting on the continuous influx of valuable travel advice and encourage listeners to share their own hacks. They highlight the importance of being prepared, staying organized, and embracing small joys to transform travel into a happier experience.

• Elizabeth [37:17]: "It's hard to believe there was a time before packing cubes. It just shows how much great advice we are always adding to the mix."
• Gretchen [37:32]: "Remember, the best time to start a happiness project is 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

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Whether you're a seasoned traveler or planning your first getaway, this episode of "More Happier: Traveling Soon? 30 Hacks for a Happier Trip [Revisited]" is a treasure trove of practical tips and heartfelt insights to make every journey not just bearable, but truly enjoyable. From meticulous packing strategies to enhancing comfort on the go, Gretchen and Elizabeth ensure that happiness accompanies you on every step of your travel adventures.

Transcript

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Listener]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

Hello, we're here for more Happier a podcast where we get happier. Today we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes, our 201620 Travel Hacks extravaganza. And Elizabeth, our timing couldn't be better because very soon we are going on our first ever Sisters reading retreat.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes, it's just the two of us, stacks of books and lots of time to read. I can't wait. And of course, Gretchen, I've been thinking about what I need to pack. So this episode could not come at a better time.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Me too. And you know, I went back and listened to this episode to refresh my memory on the hacks and, and I kept thinking like, oh yes, about the power strip and the hotel bag and why did I ever stop doing some of these things? It's just we got so many brilliant ideas from listeners, but you forget them. I needed a reminder.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, it's funny how you can know something works but then just forget to do it. And these tips are so good.

[Listener]

They really are.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Let's get into them.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Let's do it.

[Listener]

Okay, Gretchen, let's dive into our very special episode about travel hacks. We heard from so many people.

Yes.

Such amazing hacks that in a million years I never would have thought of, but makes so much sense. This is really exciting.

Yeah. So many of them I've already put to use. Now the first one, the number one suggestion that we got from the most number of people was to make a list. Make a packing list. And, and, but I have to say, Elizabeth, I have made a packing list in the past and when I just came to la, I forgot to check my list and I didn't even Think about it. Until I was on my way to the airport. So don't only need you, you need to make a list and then also remember to consult your list. But that was the number one recommended hack.

And then the second most recommended hack was to create a travel toiletry kit so you don't forget something when you're packing up your toiletries. Instead, you have a complete set of everything you need whenever you need it, which I need to do. I think this is, believe it or not, I don't do this. And I think it is such a great idea, especially because, like, I need my insulin and my, like, test strips and these sort of various things that, that I live in fear of forgetting.

I remember when we were doing our live show in San Francisco and you and you had switched purses and you didn't have all that stuff and we, you were, you were like freaking out and we, it all worked out fine, but it was because of, you didn't have your like, go bag.

Yeah. So I'm going to create this for myself. This is great. Now, one thing I've noticed, Gretchen, and maybe this is why you didn't even feel the need to check your list when you were packing for la, is that when you're traveling a lot, it gets easy and it's when you rarely travel that it's more difficult.

Yeah, no, I think you get out of the habit of it. And when you're doing it a lot. Absolutely. You get more in the routine of pulling what you need. I think that's exactly right. Now, Elizabeth, before we share more hacks from listeners, I want to offer up my own hack, which was one of my favorite things from when I had little kids, which was to have a fun bag. And in our case, it was this clear backpack that was like child size. I think a toy had come in it, but it was a really good backpack. So we kept the backpack and I would fill it full of little things, like little figurines or like the nutshell library books, or like a little bag of goldfish, a little thing of crayons and a small pad of paper. And I would sort of look out for things that would fit in that I thought my children and I would hold them back so they wouldn't see them all the time, but only when they had their fun bag. And then when we would get on a plane or in a car, I would hand them the fun bag and then they would have fun sort of going through it. And that was a really good thing to just keep them occupied while we were traveling and Gretchen, I have to.

Remind everybody about one of our hacks, which was a travel hack, which is the Ziploc bag for toiletries.

Yes.

That you don't have to use a regular toiletry bag. You can use a clear Ziploc bag. And we do reuse them, so we're not wasting.

Yes. These are years.

You got one from like 2002 in your suitcase. And it is, it's just nice because then you can just see what's there. And if things spill, it doesn't matter. And it's just a good hack.

They don't take up any room. They seal. Yeah. Yeah. I will post a photo of my Ziploc toiletry bag so people can see. I'm very proud of how battered it is, but it's still going.

And then another hack, Gretch, I wanted to mention is when you check into a hotel to ask the person at the front desk, like, is my. Do I have a good room? Does my room have a nice view? Do you think it's a good room? Because a lot of times if you sort of push the point, they will give you a better room. Not necessarily, necessarily an upgrade, but a better view. The main thing that I usually care about.

Ah. They just spontaneously say, like, oh, let me see if there's a room like that.

Yeah. If you just say, oh, I really don't want to be looking at the parking lot. They'll go, well, let me see what we have. And then they'll go, oh, actually this is better. This is closer to the pool. And they'll switch it.

Oh.

And usually I think they, like, a lot of times they'll just try to give you a bad room to just like fob off the bad rooms. And then the people who push the point are the people who get better.

I literally have never thought to do this in my entire life, so I'm going to try that the next time I am staying in a hotel. That is excellent.

Let me know. Let me know if you feel like you've got a better room.

Excellent. Okay. And here is a hack from a.

Listener, Sarah from Vassar, Michigan. My travel hack is to pack a 13 gallon size trash bag and use it as a hamper for your dirty laundry. When you pack up, it keeps your clean laundry separated and fresh in your suitcase. When you get home, take that bag straight to the laundry room.

Thanks. That's a great idea.

Great idea. Adam will love that because he hates having the dirty laundry mixed in with the clean laundry.

Oh, there you go. Problem solved. Now Barb writes, we've taken many long, memorable road trips with our kids from the time they were tiny until now when they're in their 20s and we listened to an audiobook the whole family can enjoy. She lists some of their favorites. Terry Pratchett's the Wee Free Men. The sequels are also good. Harry Potter, of course. Roald Dahl. The Gregor the Overlander series by Susan Collins. That's the series she wrote before the Hunger Games. Yeah, I think this is great. I love listening to audiobooks in the car. And there are many books that both children and adults can enjoy. So that's a great hack.

Yeah.

And Lisa has one Elizabeth that I did just use on my trip to la. She says her favorite travel hack is to fold clothes in plastic dry cleaner bags before putting them in my suitcase. This does an amazing job of preventing wrinkles even with the most wrinkle prone fabrics like linen and cotton. I do that. I have like one dry cleaner bag that I keep reusing that I will use to pack and it really does help eliminate wrinkles.

So you had a wrinkly outfit and you felt like it was okay?

I did. I had linen pants that were very wrinkly and I used this hack. But I also used the another hack from this listener. Let's listen.

Hi, Gretchen. Hi, Liz Kelly from Elizabethtown, longtime listener, second time caller, packing for San Diego. And I have another great hack which is to pack Downy Wrinkle Releaser. It's perfect for if you have like wrinkled T shirts or pants or whatever, you just spray it on and hang the clothes up and the wrinkles vanish. It is magic. Thanks again.

Bye. Bye.

So Elizabeth, I went out and bought Downy Wrinkle Releaser in a travel size to use on this trip. And, and I have to say, between these two hacks, I was absolutely flawlessly unwrinkled in my clothing.

I've never even heard of such a thing. I'm going to order this the second we're done recording because I need this at home. I mean, so many clothes I have get wrinkled, but they really could be worn again, but I just have to get them dry clean because they're too wrinkled. So I'm very excited. This is like beyond travel. This is just a hack.

This is just a hack.

Courtney says anyone who is a runner should check in at the front desk of their hotel for any suggested routes or places to avoid. I was at a beachfront resort for a conference with my husband recently. I had planned a running route just along the main road but before I set out, I happened to ask the front desk and the woman gave me a small map that had a suggested running route. I was treated to a beautiful view of the ocean instead of just the fronts of hotels and restaurants.

This is. And also, hotels often have maps if you need any kind of map. That's something I've only discovered in the last few years. They often will give you maps of all kinds of useful things.

And Gretch, here's another caller with a hack.

Hi, this is Sarah from Arkansas and I have travel hacks for traveling with family. We recently drove to Colorado with a six week old infant. And instead of panicking about the quality of gas stations that we found, I just set up a little tailgate diaper changing station with a quilt to put the baby on. Diapers, wipes, all the things that you need. And it was just so calming to me. I just felt better, even if a little odd to some people, to keep the baby on the back of my car so that I did not have to worry about cleanliness and having such a young infant. All right, y' all have a great summer. Bye.

And then Gretch, Leah told us that she used to pack earplugs for loud hotels or trying to sleep on an airplane. But she's discovered that the white noise app is even better for drowning out loud noises, including a seatmate talking or a bedmate snoring.

So, Elizabeth, I downloaded an app for white noise. I didn't use it, but I downloaded it so that I have it at the ready. And someone right before we recorded this sent a hack about white noise that they were traveling with their dog. And although their dog doesn't usually bark, he was barking in the hotel because there was so much news, new stuff going on. So they played the white noise app in their hotel room and, and that meant that their dog didn't bark. So that's another way to use white noise while traveling. So, yes, explore the world of white noise.

Oh, that's great.

And then a hack from Andrea is to travel with a power strip. This is really helpful, especially if you're in a rental home that might not have that many outlets. Now, when you're traveling, especially if you're traveling with other people, there are just so many devices that need to be plugged in. If you have a power strip, you know you're going to be able to have outlets for everything. And also, you don't run the risk of forgetting a device because you put it off in some faraway corner, because that was the Only place you could find an outlet. This way everything's all consolidated in one place. So pack a power strip. That's a great hack.

Well, Gretch, that's a great idea because I mean, any family these days has just like so many devices, one outlet is not enough. And you know, now a lot of backpacks and carry on bags even have plastic plug in outlets. You have to of course charge them up. But that's another sort of convenient way to plug stuff in.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because it's something that we all need to take into consideration now. Now, Suzanne had a great idea, but I have to say I would put this in the category of advanced hacks. This is works if you're pretty organized already. So her hack is for when you have a car full of stuff on a family driving trip. If you have a one night stopover on your way to the final destination, pack a hotel bag, one suitcase that will come inside the hotel. Each family member puts pajamas, tomorrow's outfits and toiletries into that one bag. That way you don't have to unravel the entire car for that one night. That is a great idea, but you do like, you've got to have your act together pretty seriously to do that. But it could save you a huge amount of time and annoyance than to bring in every single thing in your car.

Yes, Gretch. Coming up, Odelia, our producer, is gonna weigh in with her travel hack. But first, this break. Gretch.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Being a TV writer, I know so many people who travel for work for weeks, sometimes months at a time when they're shooting on location. I have a lot of great memories from being in Vancouver for weeks on.

[Listener]

End shooting a pilot.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I love being in Vancouver. It's so gorgeous. Very different from la. Really fun. But when TV people are away, their houses and apartments just sit there in LA with nobody using them. Well, this year, as we are all trying to work smarter and not harder, I know people who are hosting their space on Airbnb while they're out of town. Otherwise the place is just sitting there empty. It honestly feels like a no brainer way to get a little more spending cash.

[Listener]

I mean, who does not want a little extra income these days?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Your home might be worth more than you think.

[Listener]

Find out how [e-mail] host.

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Emails, Leaving all the time in the world for more you time and for the things you actually want to do. No offense Jim. Get A new Dell AI PC starting at $699.99 at Dell.com AIPC how those ahead?

[Listener]

Stay ahead.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And we're back.

[Listener]

So Odelia, you've got a couple travel hacks you want to lay on us?

[Odelia]

Yeah, I have some travel hacks. I've learned so much by the way. My mom travels out and I always think about her when I'm traveling because she is such an expert. She has her whole routine down. The one thing that she always does is she always brings snacks. And so I have copied her. Cause it's often a lot healthier and cheaper than what I can get on the plane. So I usually go and make a quick Trader Joe's run. Cause they have such good little things to snack on and they're all so fun. And I did that last time I traveled with my boyfriend and as I was going through and shopping I was just like, well I'll pick out all his favorite treats. I know he loves peanut butter cups and I know. Or he likes to live wasabi seaweed. So I had a lot of little fun things for us to kind of eat and it ended up being like a little airplane picnic.

[Listener]

Ahaha.

Oh, I love that.

[Odelia]

Yeah, it was really cute actually he still talks about it, which is really funny.

[Listener]

Oh, it's very romantic. The airplane picnic.

[Odelia]

Yeah, it was kind of surprisingly romantic. It was very. Yeah, it was a little too cute, but yeah, not too cute.

[Listener]

That's right.

I think that's a great hack.

[Odelia]

Yeah, thanks. And the second thing that my mom always does that I really admired was my mom always has several like beautiful glossy magazines that were an extra special treat that she would just take with her on the plane and she always would hold off so she wouldn't open them until she was like waiting for the plane to take off. She just would just. And she would sometimes get me one and the rest of the kids. So we always, we always had something to look at. And as I've traveled as an adult, I kind of take that and I put my own spin on it. So I try to have like a great novel to read. So last year I read Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels while I was traveling. I don't know if you've read those, but they're just such. They're big books, but they're also just such a fast read and so entertaining. And it just made the whole. Gave the whole vacation a feel. I feel like when you read a great novel, it makes everything so memorable.

[Listener]

Well, I do that. I will save a novel to read on an airplane because. Because I do a lot of. I love to read on airplanes, but there's a certain kind of book that works really, really well on an airplane. And so I think that's a great idea. And also the magazines, we used to do that when our daughters were smaller. We would never buy the magazines except in airports. And so it felt like a real luxury to them. And then something to make the time more fun as well. Those are great hacks.

And I like the idea of it being a long book because I hate being on an airplane and being worried that I'm going to finish my book before the plane lands.

[Odelia]

Yeah, it's good to have something really, really good to sink your teeth into.

[Listener]

Yeah.

Yeah.

Excellent. Thank you, Odalia. And also Odalia's mother for these great hacks.

[Odelia]

Thanks, Mom.

[Listener]

Gretch. This next travel hack comes from Jill. She says I have one for traveling solo with a pet. Several times a year, I drive from Maryland to South Carolina to visit family in the summer. Driving long distances with my dog Oscar was a challenge. Animals aren't allowed inside rest stops or gas stations. And it's dangerous to leave pets in the car in the summer heat. I had the idea of looking for pet smurts and petcos along the route. They are often in shopping strips right off the highway. Pets are allowed inside. They're air conditioned and have clean public restrooms. The dog can come with me on my breaks instead of waiting in a hot car. And we both travel much happier.

What a great idea.

Yes. And I think a lot of those places also do have some human snacks by the register, so.

Snacks too. Yeah. While you're at it. And now here's another call in from a listener.

Hi, guys. My name is Sarah and I'm from Richmond, Virginia. And my happiness hack for vacation travel is grocery pickup service. I can't tell you how many times I have done this at home and it has saved my life. And I thought, I wonder if this would work when I'm on vacation. And sure enough, a lot of grocery stores offer local pickup service at their store. So while you're on the road, you can place your order and then just pull into the grocery store parking lot, pick up all the groceries that you need for your trip, and you can be on your way. So thanks so much. Love your show.

Yeah, this is the thing that more and more stores let you place your order online and then schedule a time and go pick it up. I never thought of using it this way as, like, you're in a new city and so you're going to stock up for whatever you need for. For your vacation.

Yeah, it's funny because I actually find the whole trip to the grocery store at the start of a vacation like a barrier entry for renting a house. I hate that trip to the grocery store where, like, you want to start your vacation, but first you have to spend, like, an hour in the grocery store. So I think this is fantastic.

Well, it's funny that you say that because Jamie, literally, his favorite part of that is the trip to the grocery store. He loves that. He loves spilling up the card and like, oh, we need ketchup. And, oh, I mean, he loves it. So he would never do this because he loves the trip to the grocery store. But this is a great example. Like, if that part is not fun for you, there's a hack for that.

Okay, Gretch, our next hack is from Emily. She says, I have a great travel tip for you. Borrowed from a blog, the Disney Tourist Blog. They suggest packing a room spray or air freshener in a scent you haven't used before and using it in your hotel room when you return from the trip. Spray the scent or light a candle with the scent at home, and you will have memories of the vacation. I first did this four years ago, and still, whenever I light a Meyer lemon candle, I recall precious memories of my daughter's first trip to Disney World.

Well, I love this one because it's about smell, which of course, I'm obsessed with, and also memory. And it's interesting, other listeners suggested using, like, a scented lotion or perfume kind of in the same way, like, this was my honeymoon perfume or this was the lotion that I used, you know, when my daughter was first born or something like that as a way to use smell to make a specific time or trip or vacation or place, like, to help it trigger those memories. So I love that use of smell to make traveling more fun and more memorable.

Yeah. And Gretchen, that hack is a good illustration of this hack, which comes from Heather. She said, as for my favorite travel hack, read travel blogs. I have found so Many neat local gems. Doing a little research prior to arriving in my destination of choice.

That's a great idea.

Yeah, it makes a lot of sense.

Sunny wrote in with a great one. She said, we're on the road now in an RV in Montana. Here is a tip for traveling couples learn to play cribbage. We play almost every day. It's a lot of fun and we have to face each other, which is great. After days of being side by side while driving. This is a great idea. And it reminds me of A friend of mine told me that her grandmother's advice was that every couple should have an indoor game and an outdoor game that they played together. I will say that Jamie and I have neither an indoor game or an outdoor game, but maybe we should learn cribbage.

Yeah. Adam and I don't have a game either, Gretch, indoor or outdoor. But Jack and I have recently started playing Uno.

Oh, I love Uno. That's the only card game that I really like, and it's super, super easy. This is a great family game. This is okay, like here, spontaneous hack. Uno. Fun for the whole family, even if you don't like card games. Yes, excellent.

And Gretch, here are a few hacks related to the same travel challenge, which is figuring out what to do and who gets to decide. This was first inspired by our know yourself better in episode 174 when we asked what's more important to you, the company or the event.

Sharon writes, when traveling with my spouse, friends, or our adult children, we have each person select one or two must do's for our trip. It is okay if people share the same must dos. Examples include places to visit, specific restaurants or specialty food items to eat, hikes or tours. That way, each person is guaranteed to do at least one thing they want to do, even if it is not particularly important to the others.

And then a variation on that, Gretch. Emily describes something similar as the three choices game. When making choices that involve others. Where to eat dinner, which movies to watch, where to go on vacation, et cetera. One person suggests three choices and the other selects just from those three. This way you're both sharing the burden and making the choice, and it guarantees that you both actually like the choice.

Well, I think these are great ideas because first of all, there's the decision problem when people are like, well, what do you want to do? I don't care. What do you want to do? And that can become tiresome. But then it's also can become a problem if somebody feels like they're not. Their desires aren't being taken into account or somehow getting overlooked. And from my observation, this can sometimes particularly be an issue with obligers, especially if you have many obligers who are all trying to meet each other's expectations. This way, you make sure that everybody articulates their list and everybody's list gets taken to account and respected. And so I think all the variations on this really can work well for making sure that everyone has a good time and no one's choices get overlooked.

And, Gretch, here are some hacks that just seem very useful and practical. Frankie says, I live in a vacation destination, and I am always seeing tourists surprised when it rains. It's summertime in Florida. It rains here almost every day. My travel hack is to check the weather for your destination and plan accordingly. Raincoats, umbrellas, even a poncho will keep you and your stuff dry while you wait out the storm.

Now, I don't know why I find this so difficult, but I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that the weather is going to be different where I go. Even if I know, I know it's going to be radically different. It's very hard for me to really, like, wrap my mind around the idea that it's going to be hot or it's going to be cold or it's going to be raining. So I really have to observe this. Another good one from Nancy was to put strips of colorful duct tape on the sides of otherwise boring black luggage to make it easier to spot. I think that's a simple solution for a common problem, which is just like picking out your bag if it looks like everybody else's bag.

Yeah. I'm seeing more and more people doing that, whether it's the duct tape or tying a ribbon, a colorful ribbon around.

The handle or buying, like, a. One of the things for the handle that's like a bright fluorescent circle or something. So it's very.

Yes, a luggage tag. A very. That's what I try to do. Distinctive luggage tags.

Now, here's a secret of adulthood that I think is very applicable in this travel hack, which is, if possible, leave room in the suitcase. You're always happy if you have a little extra room in the suitcase. And I mean literally and figuratively. But in this case, in this context, literally, it's good to have room in the suitcase.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. That way, if you buy souvenirs, it's not, you know, packing them doesn't become incredibly stressful. And then just getting your clothes back in the Suitcase is so much easier if there's room there.

Yeah.

Sarah says always pack a pair of warm socks no matter where you are going or what season it is. If the hotel room is freezing or over air conditioned, warm socks will save you. They are also great for red eye flights on freezing airplanes. Well, this is a great idea. I've never once done this, and I think this is fantastic.

I dress for arctic temperatures when I'm traveling. Like, I find planes insanely cold. I always. We talked about our Uniqlo jackets a while back, Elizabeth. I always bring my Uniqlo jacket. Even if I'm going someplace, you know, in the hundreds, I know that the airplane is going to be cold. And so I always bring it on the plane with me for exactly that reason. And I think warm socks are a great idea too.

Yeah. Because a lot of hotel rooms have robes, but very few have slippers.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Gretch here. Robin has a travel hack that embraces whimsy. She says, I wanted to chime in on your idea of planning a little surprise. My husband and I have the opportunity to take too many vacations this summer. When we tried to plan them earlier this year, we kept losing steam. When we were both involved in trying to plan the trips, we were both so easygoing and accommodating that it was actually hard to commit. So we each took ownership of one trip. Then we decided to keep each trip as a mystery for each other. The planning of the mystery trip, anticipating what the other person has planned and the going on the actual trip has literally quadrupled the pleasure of these trips.

I love this. Yeah. Yeah. I bet they're two obligers. Back to this idea of how do you accommodate people's things? This is so fun. I love the idea of a mystery trip. Now, Barbie also, like, very practical. She points out that the number one things that people leave behind in hotel rooms is cell phone chargers. And she says that if you're like getting ready to run out at 10pm to get a new cell phone charger, and if you just ask at the front desk, they can often lend you one overnight so you don't have to make a special trip to get one. You can just wait till you're out and about the next day. That's like a nice little tip.

That is a nice tip, Gretch, on the subject of leaving behind, you left behind something that I don't think a lot of people leave behind. You left your whole suitcase when you and I were in Santa Barbara together.

Yes. Oh, my gosh. I remember we were just after the long drive home, we were just pulling up into your. In front of your house. And it was at that moment that I realized that I had never put my suitcase in your trunk. Oh, but the things that go wrong often make the best memories. And let's just. We will be laughing about that for the rest of our lives. But yes, I had my cell phone charger, but not my suitcase. And here's one nice last hack from Megan, who's an anxious flyer. So this is a great hack. If you're an anxious flyer while trying to park, get to the terminal, navigate security, and get on the plane, I make a conscious effort to find 30 opportunities to be kind. Trying to jam 30 opportunities into this short time frame really occupied my mind and kept me from focusing on my anxiety. Some of the moments were very small, such as not crowding the poor mom in front of me who was trying to get her kids and stroller through security, smiling at her rather than joining in the scowls of the people behind me. It really made my trip that much better. Actively doing something was a really effective way to harness my emotions rather than to just try not to be anxious. That's a great hack.

Nice. Thank you, Megan.

Yes, it made her travel easier. And it made a lot of other people's travel much nicer too, I bet, as well.

Yes. So thanks everyone for these incredible hacks. Yes, I'll be using a lot of them.

Yes.

And coming up, we've got our travel related demerits and gold stars. But first, let's break.

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

They also offer Intuit Academy, a free.

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And self paced training program through which.

[Elizabeth Craft]

You can advance your tax and bookkeeping career.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So if you're looking to design your future with a flexible and supportive tax career, visit intuit.comexpert to learn more or apply that's I N t u I t.com expert we're back.

[Listener]

Okay, it's time for demerits and gold stars. And Elizabeth, this is an even numbered episode, which means it's your turn to do a demerit.

Yes, Gretch. So here's my travel related demerit, which is that we promised Jack a trip to Legoland this summer and I have not booked that trip and I am terrified it might be totally sold out the hotel there. And so I've been afraid to look. But of course, every day that I don't look and don't book a trip, it becomes more likely that it's sold out. So I'm creating my own vicious circle here.

I have done this so many times. Why is that? It's like you're so worried about a bad news that it gets worse, or it's like I so dread making airplane reservations that I want to wait and wait and the prices just go up. I. Yeah. Oh.

So I don't know. I. I've got to do it. And also it involves like figuring out a good time. And now my work is so intense that it's like I feel like I don't know what weekends I'll have free. So it's that sort of added thing of feeling like whatever I plan is, yeah, getting totally messed up. Anyway, yes. And I suggested to Jack, I'm like, maybe you should just go with dad during the week, because that's much simpler. But Adam doesn't like to ride the rides that I will ride with Jack because Jack's becoming a roller coaster kid, so he needs me there to be his ride buddy.

Ah. Oh, that's hard. Oh, I know that feeling when you're like, whatever I pick, it's gonna be the most inconvenient time possible. So you just don't want to pick. Yeah, I know that feeling.

But, Gretch, you have a gold star. What's your gold star?

Yes, I have a gold star, and it involves challenging a limiting belief. So, as I mentioned, I recently went on a business trip to Los Angeles, and I did not get to see Elizabeth, which was sad, but I was in Los Angeles. And just like, sometime before that trip, a friend of mine had to reschedule a lunch that we had planned together because she said, oh, I decided to bring my daughter on this business trip with me, and so she's gonna be at work with me, so let's have lunch another day. And I thought, oh, I never bring my children on a business trip. And then I was like, why don't I bring my children on a business trip? And so Eliza had just her internship. Her summer internship had just ended, and there was time to get her a plane ticket. And I thought, well, why doesn't she just come to Los Angeles with me? Now? Part of the draw was that we were gonna get to see you and Adam and Jack, but she and I had an amazing time. It was really fun for me to have her there. We had a wonderful little kind of mother daughter adventure. I didn't actually have that much time. I had to do, like, three meetings, but that's not that much time in terms of, like, the whole span of days. And it was just like she'd never been to Los Angeles before. So I was like, wow. I just had this limiting belief. I never bring my daughters with me. And it's like, well, I could if they don't have to be at school or, you know, working or something. So I did, and it was fun.

So great.

Yeah. And it was just. And as Eliza pointed out, you don't have to be gone for very long before it feels like you really got away. We felt like we had been gone a long time by the time we got back to New York, so it was great. Even though we didn't get to see you, we had an amazing time.

I know. And I watched your trip in the photos you sent. It looked great.

It was fun.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, we hope you're feeling happier after this episode. I am definitely feeling more prepared for for our reading retreat Elizabeth next week. But I had to laugh. You know, listening back. We did not even mention packing cubes. This had not even entered our consciousness at that time.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I know we hadn't discovered them yet, which is hard to believe since we've talked about them so much and I have given them to so many people as gifts.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, it's funny to think that there was a time before packing cubes. It just goes to show how much great advice we are always adding to the mix. And if you try any of these travel hacks or have a favorite of your own, please let us know. We always love a new travel hack.

[Listener]

Yes we do.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Remember the best time to start a happiness project is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

[Listener]

From the onward project.