what are your travel habits/quirks?

just the hits #35

I took two trips this week (a family reunion in Vancouver, a day trip to DC to meet an investor). It got me thinking about my many opinions about packing, and travel in general:

I rarely use packing cubes. The only times I use them are for a multi-city trip, or when I’m packing my kids.

I’m a self-proclaimed slutty packer - I roll some items, fold others, and stuff my underwear and socks into whatever nooks and crannies are left between my larger items. I personally am a fan of rolling full outfits (usually my first few outfits of the trip), to minimize wrinkles and to make unpacking easier.

Fabric refresher spray is the best invention. I don’t know why more people don’t use it.

I usually pack one workout outfit (mostly because my best intended plans to hit the gym are abandoned when I actually get to my destination). If I do make it to the gym, I’ll wash the outfit in the sink and hang it to dry (or I’ll use the aforementioned spray).

My shoes always go into a shoe bag before I pack them (please stop raw dogging this part of packing, your clothes and your suitcase deserve better).

I keep these slippers in my suitcase (I don’t trust hotel carpets for a second), and a jersey robe is the first thing I pack for a trip (I also don’t trust hotel robes). In short, I don’t trust most hotels’ cleaning standards. And yes, I wipe down all the frequently touched surfaces with sanitizing wipes when I get on the airplane and into my hotel room.

I make my bed when I’m staying in a hotel. I don’t know why.

I don’t use refillable toiletry containers - I’ll either refill a travel size with my main sized products, or buy a new travel sized one. I restock my toiletries when I’m unpacking from a trip and toss the bag back into my suitcase before putting it away.

Rhaki loves helping me pack and unpack - and I happily accept the help.

Window seat, always. I have way too many pictures of city skylines or pretty clouds in my camera roll, and I’m not mad about it. I get my best writing done with a view.

I wouldn’t say I love a red-eye, but I’ll almost always book it so I don’t lose an entire day in transit. This eye mask, this neck pillow, and whatever shawl I toss in my suitcase make it tolerable (as does an acupuncture session the day I arrive).

Tell me your packing and travel quirks - the weirder, the better.

Catch up on the latest posts:

the plan - may 2025

the best of 5SR, vol. 1

simple things that make my life easier

On Instagram, I shared why you should purse competence over passion, my review of Splendid Spoon’s 5-Day Detox (hate the word detox, but love these meals), and my simple-and-good-for-your-skin makeup routine. Over on Threads, I ran my mouth about the hypocrisy of MAHA, my unhinged redeye hack, and my morning conversations with Rhaki.

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• I’m so glad that I ordered Splendid Spoon’s 5-Day Reset this week. After traveling and getting through the end-of-school madness and summer packing, it’s so nice to not have to think about my meals.

• This might be the best Thread. Ever.

• If you blazed through Wear Whatever the F You Want and need more

  Stacy London
  in your life, I hope you know about her clothing line. I just picked up this lace blouse, this sweet tank and this fun menswear top.

• Is that person difficult, or just annoying?

• It’s another incredible week for book releases - Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli (an immediate addition to my comfort re-reads list), Ride with Me by

  Simone Soltani
  (read it in a day!), and Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander. I also picked up Carley Fortune’s One Golden Summer while shopping at Indigo with my niece and nephew.

• Just call us cringe - we millennials have survived worse.

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I hope you have a wonderful week.

xo,
HPN