I’m about to take a trip — a really long trip.
I spend about two months a year teaching in my university’s mass communications program in Singapore. I leave Saturday for my 16th trip to the island.
While I’ve now spent more than a year of my life in Singapore, I still remember preparing for my first trip. I was nervous about everything — the flight (26-plus hours of travel), the teaching and how to pack to stay in another country for such an extended period of time. I prepared, then I prepared some more.
Fast forward eight years and I laugh when people ask me if I’ve started packing yet or what I take with me for such a long trip.
No, I have not started packing yet. In fact, my huge suitcases are still in the attic. I’ll pack Friday. It’s easy to pack for such a long trip because I take everything. And, as our director of international programs is fond to reminding me, “They have stores.” Yes, they have a lot of fabulous stores!
There is one area of packing that I always do last because I find it most difficult — the carry-on. I am, after all, going to Singapore to work. So, I need all of my teaching materials. I also have to figure out how to entertain myself during the epic flight. I always find myself on the plane, next to some person I have no interest talking to (Yes, I’m one of those who doesn’t like to talk to people on planes.), wishing I could just sleep a little bit more because I’m so bored and the in-flight movie sucks. Having the perfect carry-on bag is a requirement for my work success and for mental stability.
The art of packing a great carry-on bag is the reason I loved Gini Dietrich’s post on Travel Essentials for Speakers, Authors and MarComm Pros.
Gini has been traveling for 14 weeks, so I figure she also has a pretty good idea of what to pack in her carry-on. I’m not going to lie, just reading her post made me want to go shopping for a new MacBook Air and a Mophie, which I had never heard of before, but now am totally getting!
In the spirit of Gini’s post, here’s what you’ll find in my carry-on:
1. An Apple Store
This is only a slight overstatement. I travel with my MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and iPod.
My MacBook is probably my least favorite piece. I’m not a huge fan of lugging around my computer, and I rarely use it during the flight, but I’m not comfortable checking it. So, it’s coming along.
I seriously have no idea how I ever survived the Singapore trip without my iPad. I read books and blogs, watch movies, write blog posts, work on lectures, and play games, all during the epic flight. It’s also so much easier to carry around once I arrive on the island. I try to teach from it as much as possible. When I travel domestically, I only take my iPad. I’m just not brave enough to leave my laptop at home when I go overseas.
I always run the battery dead on my iPhone (See, I need a Mophie!), probably because my phone is just the easiest device to get out of my bag. I usually am texting, emailing and (I’ll be honest) Facebooking until the mean flight attendant makes me put it away.
For whatever reason, I don’t like having my music all on my phone (Maybe because I just like carrying things?). So, I always have my fully-loaded iPod.
2. Noise-reduction Headphones
There are people who want to talk to you on planes. There also are kids who want to cry for 16 hours straight. I sleep through most of that, thanks to these.
3. Books
I, like Gini, never have a time when I’m just reading one book. I usually have a digital book going (Right now, Evil at Heart) and have several other books in my carry-on (Choices for this trip are: The Effective Executive, Work Happy and Compassion Fatigue). It’s not unheard of for me to read three or four books during the flight, all while wearing my headphones and pretending I’m all alone.
4. Highlighters
I mark up my books — a lot. There are always highlighters and pens in my bag. These are my favorites.
5. Flash drive and external hard drive
I’m obsessed with making sure I have every resource possible to pull from for my classes. Because of this, I carry my flash drive (with my last semester’s coursework) and my Lacie (with my life on it). Ironically, everything on my Lacie also is on my Dropbox.
6. Notebook
I am a writer, which means I like to actually write things down. I always carry a small, spiral-bound journal with me.
7. Toiletries
A girl’s gotta have her hygiene gear. I specifically carry a toothbrush and toothpaste, hair ties, Advil, and lip balm. You must have these things on a long flight.
8. Lifesavers
I don’t know what the connection is between air travel and Lifesavers, but I must have Wintergreen or Peppermint Lifesavers on the plane. I also usually have a bottle of water, just so I don’t have to wait for the flight attendant when I want a drink.
When traveling domestically, I par down my “Apple Store” by leaving my laptop at home, limiting myself to one book and ditching my external hard drive. Everything else keeps me prepared and entertained during any flight. It’s a good checklist when packing a carry-on for conferencing and/or business.
Let’s Talk Nerdy!
What did I miss? Do you have travel essentials that must be in your carry-on bag?
annedreshfield says
Nice list! Gotta love Gini. I’m the same as you — I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my laptop behind if I were traveling for that long and that far away, unless it was only for a vacation that was purposefully an “unplugged” vacation! My internship gave me a MacBook Air (I have a 15′ Pro), and I am loathe, I repeat, LOATHE to give it up. This thing is a piece of beauty. I’m now 100% convinced that I’m going to replace my Pro with my Air when the time is right. Safe travels!
profkrg says
@annedreshfield I appreciate that great Air recommendation. I seriously think it’s my next purchase. I’ve never had an unplugged vacation. Maybe I should try that? I’m pretty sure I would go crazy!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Kenna
ginidietrich says
I love this! In fact, I am writing to you from 35,000 feet right this second. I have the noise cancellation headphones on my list. I just haven’t gotten them for myself because they’re kind of big to throw in my purse. But it sounds like the pros outweigh the cons on those and, like you, I’d prefer not to talk to anyone while I’m flying.
Have a great trip!!
profkrg says
@ginidietrich Gini,
I have noise cancellation earbuds. I’ve used the headphones before, and they are awesome, but they are bulky. The earbuds work just as well and are much more portable.
Thanks for the great recommendations. Happy travels!
Kenna
Mooseville says
I would also add Valium in there somewhere, maybe as a subset of toiletries? Nothing says to strangers “don’t talk to me” like being passed out cold wearing an eye mask and those perfect noise-cancellation headphones for when you do wake up.
Prof KRG says
It helps that I’m not at all approachable to strangers, but there’s always someone who thinks I want to chat. No. Just no.
thebarefootceo says
I can so relate to traveling with a virtual Apple store! Ha! Your list looks a lot like mine. (but with chocolate) I always have several books going at once too – but never schlep actual books around anymore when flying now that we have our beloved Ipads. Great post!
profkrg says
@thebarefootceo I still love the actual book. I just can’t help myself. Marking them up is a form of learning and retention for me. However, I do read most of my “for pleasure” books on my iPad or iPhone. It’s crazy to most people that I read on my phone, but it’s just always there. Why not, right?
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Kenna
thebarefootceo says
@profkrg I don’t think it’s crazy at all – I have read entire books on my iphone too! As a fellow highlight lover you might like the iPad function that lets you highlight in books and tab sections – lots of great features. Thanks again for turning me on to the Mophie 🙂
akwallace says
RT @thedomesticexec: Packing the Perfect Carry-on http://t.co/v4O7WJXn via @profkrg