I travel A LOT in the summer.  By a lot, I mean that I've driven over 4,000 miles in the last 2 months.  I love traveling, but what I don't love is preparing to travel.  That's kind of the worst.  But, as the proverbial 'they' say, practice makes perfect.  In line with this sentiment, I have developed...

a kind of adult's list of things you must do before going on a road-trip:

1. Clean.  This is the most easily skipped step, BUT DO NOT SKIP IT!  Things will end up disastrously if you skip this step.  You must clean all surfaces ensuring that you remove all of the remaining bits of sugar left on your counter from the morning's coffee, which was surely assembled in the approximately one minute you didn't actually have on the way out the door this morning.  Ants love sugar, but they are evil.  Evil ants are evil!  This also includes the sink which must be void of all dishes. Yes, those dishes.  The ones that have been mounding like Mount Everest since last weekend.  Ants love old food mountains. The floors must also be swept.  Ants love the scraps that fall from your not-so-rich woman/man's table.  So essentially, if an ant likes it, get rid of it.  FYI, old coffee grounds get moldy after sitting for two weeks, but ants do not like moldy coffee.  Learned that one the hard way.

2. Discard all perishables.  You know that moldy coffee I was talking about?  Yeah...imagine that all over your refrigerator.  Unless you want to come home to a UFO (Unidentified Fuzzy Object) in your refrigerator that may be a cucumber and may be a mutant caterpillar, throw it away.  Another alternative is to make a giant saute of all of the potential UFOs-- a martian meal if you will.  This will either end with a wonderful masterpiece to be featured in the next edition of Martha Stewart Living, or in a disaster the likes of the War of the Worlds. Proceed with caution.

3. Pack.  This is a complicated job that requires subsections...as all complicated jobs do.
     a.  clothing and essentials.  This is pretty self explanatory, but don't make the rookie mistake of      
     forgetting underwear.  That's bound to end poorly...or in a week of going commando.  Actually, now that      I think about it, maybe you should 'forget' the underwear. Also on the frequently forgotten list: toothbrush,      razor, sneakers, bras (again, nice?), contacts.
     b.  food.  I tend to think this is the most important step.  Long trips always require food.  If you're like me      you will pack enough food to last you through a blizzard stranding, despite the 80 degree weather.    
     Food is essential--more essential than underwear...obviously.
     c.  work...and stuff.  This is what I mean by the "kind of adult" referred to in the title of this list.  You
     know there's work you should do while you're away. You also know that it won't be touched.  Pack it
     anyways "just in case" you feel the sudden urge to write some emails or crunch some numbers. Delusions
     are okay sometimes.  Maybe you'll be productive by proximity.

4. Pack your car.  Attempt to pack the night before leaving, but know that this is never possible.  Packing the day before inevitably leads to forgotten toothbrushes.  The only thing that will make it to your car ahead of time will be your dirty laundry which, like your Everest-like-dishes, will be almost unmanageably large.  That's okay.  Does "it's the thought that counts" apply to this situation?

5. Hide stuff.  Yeah...I don't really know either, but I think this is something that real adults do.  Just tuck your "No Strings Attached" and "Hit Me Baby One More Time" CDs under a couch cushion.  They're collector's items after all.  I also hear that cereal boxes and cookie tins are great, but those are going to be in the car with me (see item 3c).

6.  Call/Skype your parents.  They like to get in one last call before you disappear forever into the abyss that is the great unknown highway.  Just in case you vanish, they want one last pixelated and randomly cut-off discussion.  They raised you!  Give them this one pleasure in life!

So there it is, your six must-do's before going on a road-trip.  Happy traveling and 'forget' your underwear.

Keep on thinking,
Josie