This is the story about a man who had an impulsive idea the night before he and his family took off on an extended overseas trip.
First of all, you must understand this is a smart man. He’s an entrepreneur who started his own business from a home-office that paired as a guest room, and which was sandwiched between his young daughter’s bedroom and the master. The cacophony of shouts, singing, crying, stomping, et cetera, could have thwarted his enterprise, but he prevailed. Soon his business grew, and his home-office moved to a new part of the home, separate from the bulk of noise and activity. He got himself a nice workstation, including a moveable desk and an oversized monitor.
This man who can take his business wherever there is Wifi, is doing final packing for the family’s big trip. He will be bringing his work with him, of course. With this in mind, he is suddenly prompted to pack his 24 inch monitor—he can be much more productive this way, he reasons. He lugs the big green suitcase down from the attic. The monitor fits in easily. He shoves in a couple of pillows for protection. “It’s worth the risk of it breaking,” he says.
The monitor cracks on the first leg of the trip. It may have been due to an overzealous Uber driver swinging and slamming the suitcase into the trunk of his car, but who’s to say? On the next portion of the trip, the suitcase loses it’s handles. The only way to pick it up is for two people to lift each end. Twice, at two different airports, the family waits over an hour for the hideous green bag to appear on the baggage carousel.
Well, obviously, we are not going to make this mistake! There will be no checked bags on our upcoming trip to Central America. My daughter will use a rolling backpack, and my husband and I both have wheeled carry-ons with detachable backpacks. We can fit seven days worth of clothes and toiletries in our carry-ons. Backpacks, while unable to contain 24 inch monitors, can easily accommodate laptops.
Sometimes you’ve just got to learn things the hard way, but if you are planning a family trip, there are tons of tips that can help prevent common mistakes! You can find packing tips (with links to luggage options) and much more in Practical Tips for Planning a Family Trip. This is a FREE guide when you subscribe to the email list.