I Love Lists

I am a list maker. As far back as I can remember, I've made lists. Usually they are pretty detailed lists. I write out everything I need to do, buy, remember and bring with me. A few years ago, when I was traveling for most of the year with each of my Master's Commission teams, I lived by my lists. It was so fun for me to write out each and every thing I would need to bring on my trip. I was even so detailed that I would write down each outfit I would wear each day. Then I could write down that I needed a pair of socks, underwear and a bra for each day. Seems like such common sense but you wouldn't believe how many people under-packed because they never wrote down a list.

I was often teased for my packing lists. But when someone needed a band aid, or shaving cream or an extra whatever, they knew who to ask. Me. I love being prepared but sometimes the teasing would really get to me. But then, a friend forgot her passport driving from Colorado to Canada. At the time you didn't need a passport to cross the border but since she was working in Ontario, she needed to produce her visa...which was with her passport. Long story short, one of the pastors on staff where she worked had to make the three hour drive to the border to verify who she was. And that day, I vowed I would never feel bad about my lists again.

We are heading out of town tomorrow. We are going to Pennsylvania for a visit. It's been 6 months since we have visited my family and I'm so happy to be going. Bringing a baby across the country - and across the border - presents itself with it's own unique traveling and packing requirements. Sunday night, I went to Starbucks to write out my four page list of everything we needed to bring and do before our trip. As I sipped my fat-free vanilla steamer, I realized that I no longer have the time to sit and write out every.single.thing we would need to take for our journey's anymore. We are a family who likes to travel and I just don't have the time to pour over my lists like I used to. It saddens me a bit because I find such joy in writing my lists. So, at Starbucks, I began to put together my complete all-encompassing no-holds-barred 100% complete list to end all traveling lists. I know that it will grown and change as our family grows and changes. In fact, it could be obsolete in six months but for now, I've got the mother of packing lists in front of me.

We head out tomorrow and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. I have a few other travel tid-bits up my sleeves that I'd like to share with you. Hopefully they can work for you even if you don't have a baby or children. I love to travel and packing efficiently and thoroughly is one of my favorite things to do. It makes the trip so much more enjoyable. I've heard way too many horror stories of people who've forgotten really important things because they didn't prepare well. I'd like to put together some printable lists for ya'll. I'm not sure how to make them general enough for everyone to be able to use so if you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments or email me. I'd love to create something that would work for everyone.

So fill me in! What would you like to see in a travel printable?