For years, I worked for Sprint, traveling to seven different states for my job. Personally, I loved it but it required good planning to make it work. Typically, I would be home for two weeks and then gone for anywhere from one day to a week. At first, I packed just about everything including the kitchen sink but soon after having to lug everything through the airport, I learned to pack more efficiently.
By packing the right things, you can save yourself a huge headache. First, you need to know your exact plan for the trip. For instance, I would typically head to the office in the state where I was going, spending a day in meetings. For these meetings, dress was typically business casual, a skirt and blouse or nice slacks and a blouse. Then, I would travel to various sites, which required I wear less formal slacks but no jeans.
At night back at the hotel, I would often meet up with friends I knew in the various states. Since we usually dined casual, something like barbecue or pizza, I would take jeans along in the winter and nice shorts for the summer months. On rare occasion, I would need to entertain a customer for dinner, which mean wearing a jacket, something casual but nicer than just office meetings. Of course, I needed undergarments and pajamas.
By planning my schedule, I could easily judge what I needed. However, if I were traveling for one week, which meant being in the office four days for meetings, I would take two pair of slacks and four different tops. Then if I had two dinners with friends, I would take just one pair of jeans and shorts but two tops. In other words, I quickly learned the importance of packing light by mixing and matching. This meant far less luggage and a more enjoyable trip.
Another great headache saver, as well as money saver, was to purchase only sample size toiletries. For instance, I would visit my local retail store and buy small shampoo, cream rinse, toothpaste, body soap, lotion, etc. With the items being small, they fit nicely into the suitcase, which allowed me to bring a smaller piece of luggage. In addition, most of the hotels where I stayed had blow dryers in the rooms so I could leave mine at home. Remember, you want to be professional but also comfortable when you travel. Know your schedule, mix and match, and use smaller toiletry items when packing.
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