5 Travel Tips: What I've learned from always being on the move

I'm an army brat and my family has always been on the move, and not just because my Dad gets re-stationed ever three years. The longest I have lived in any one place is five years (although my average is just over two years and before I moved to Colorado three and a half years was the longest I had ever lived in one place). My family likes to go on trips, not vacations, and if you have been on enough trips then you know the difference. We would go on expeditions to national parks, battlefields, or historic sites and go hiking or site-seeing. We would never stay in the same hotel for more than two nights and we spent a lot of time in the car together. And I loved every second of it. I have lived in seven states in the U.S. and two countries. On top of that I have visited an additional twenty-five states and thirteen countries. I know my way around airports and I've picked up some travel tips along the way.

You need less than you think.

Please trust me when I say this. I am the Accessory Queen. My family calls me the bag lady and I am infamous for collecting hats, shoes, bags, and jewelry. My closet is well stocked as well. I love clothes and accessorizing but when you travel you don't need to pack all your favorites and everything that you could every possibly want. Be smart about it and second guess yourself when you think about taking more because chances are, you don't need it.

Save Room

You never know when you'll bring back extras. I always get a souvenir on my trip and I don't collect anything in particular so my souvenirs vary in shape and size. I try to save some space in my suitcase for whatever I bring back. Also, when repacking your suitcase, it's never going to be as nice and compact as the first time you packed it. You have less time and less motivation to get everything in there as nice and neat as you did before. Save some space to account for that.

Make a list. Check it twice.

I live by packing lists. I make a new one for every trip that I go on and I would be lost without them but it's not just packing lists. Make a list for the things that you need to do before you leave like notify your cell phone carrier and bank if you're leaving the country or find someone to water your plants. Also, make a list of the things that you want to do while you're there, what you want to see and the places you're planning on going.

Research

You don't have to know every aspect of every place you are going, but research can get you excited while getting you prepared. If you only research one thing though, research your airport. Right now, the recommendation is to arrive at the airport three hours before your international flight and two before a domestic flight. If you follow that then you will definitely be safe but not all airports need that much time. Ask around to see how busy your airport will be. If you're flying out of Denver, get there an hour early, an hour-and-a half if you have to check a bag. If you're flying out of Salt Lake City though then you can get there 45 minutes before and still have plenty of time. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, but asking around can save you some time and stress.

Be Safe, Have Fun.

Travel for me is about refueling your soul. Be spontaneous and try new things, be a part of the culture and be there completely wherever you travel. Be smart about it though. Whether you're going just across the border or halfway across the world there is always a little danger in traveling to some place that you're not familiar with. Be careful. If you don't have any plans for any other part of your trip, have a plan for when things go wrong, because odds are something will go wrong.

Everyone is a little different and everyone travels to different places for different reasons. this is what works for me and I think it will help you too.

Best of luck and happy travels,

Challis Hackley