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Hello, we're here for more Happier, a podcast where we get happier.
happier. Today we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes, our 2016 Travel Hacks Extravaganza.
And Elizabeth, our timing couldn't be better because very soon we are going on our first ever sisters reading retreat.
Yes, it's just the two of us, stacks of books and lots of time to read.
I can't wait. And of course, Gretchen, I've been thinking about what I need to pack, So this episode could not come at a better time.
Me too. And, you know, I went back and listened to this episode to refresh my memory on the hacks.
And I kept thinking like, oh, yes, about the power strip and the hotel bag.
And why did I ever stop doing some of these things?
It's just we got so many brilliant ideas from listeners, but you forget them.
I needed a reminder.
Yeah, it's funny how you can know something works, but then just forget to do it.
And these tips are so good.
They really are. Let's get into them.
Let's do it. OK, Gretchen, let's dive into our very special episode about travel hacks.
We heard from so many people, such amazing hacks that in a million years I never would have thought of, but makes so much sense.
This is really exciting.
Yeah. So many of them I've already put to use.
Now, the first one, the number one suggestion that we got from the most number of people was to make a list, make a packing list. list. But I have to say, Elizabeth, I have made a packing list in the past. And when I just came to LA, I forgot to check my list. And I didn't even think about it until I was on my way to the airport.
So you need to make a list and then also remember to consult your list. But that was the number one recommended hack.
And then the second most recommended hack was to create a travel toiletry kit.
So you don't forget something when you're packing up your toiletries.
Instead, you You have a complete set of everything you need whenever you need it, which I need to do.
I think this is, believe it or not, I don't do this.
And I think it is such a great idea, especially because, like, I need my insulin and my, like, test strips and these sort of various things that I live in fear of forgetting.
I remember when we were doing our live show in San Francisco and you had switched purses.
And you didn't have all that stuff.
And you were, like, freaking out.
out and we it all worked out fine but it was because of you didn't have your like go bag yeah so I'm gonna create this for myself this is great now one thing I've noticed Gretchen and maybe this is why you didn't even feel the need to check your list when you were packing for LA is that when you're traveling a lot it gets easy and it's when you rarely travel that it's more difficult yeah no I think you get out of the habit of it and when you're doing it a lot absolutely you get more in the routine of pulling what you need I think that's That's exactly right.
Now, Elizabeth, before we share more hacks from listeners, I want to offer up my own hack, which was one of my favorite things from when I had little kids, which was to have a fun bag.
And in our case, it was this clear backpack that was like child size.
I think a toy had come in it, but it was a really good backpack, so we kept the backpack.
And I would fill it full of little things like little figurines or like the nutshell library books books or like a little bag of goldfish or a little thing of crayons and a small pad of paper.
And I would sort of look out for things that would fit in that I thought my children and I would hold them back so they wouldn't see them all the time, but only when they had their fun bag.
And then when we would get on a plane or in a car, I would hand them the fun bag and then they would have fun sort of going through it.
And that was a really good thing to just keep them occupied while we we were traveling.
And Gretchen, I have to remind everybody about one of our hacks, um, which was a travel hack, which is the Ziploc bag for toiletries that you don't have to use a regular toiletry bag.
You can use a clear Ziploc bag and we do reuse them.
So we're not wasting.
Yes. These are yours.
I think you've got one from like 2002 in your suitcase.
Um, and it is, it's just nice because then you can just see what's there and if things spill it doesn't matter and it it's just a good hack they don't take up any room they're they seal yeah yeah i will post a photo of my ziplock toiletry bag so people can see i'm very proud of how battered it is but it's still going um and then another hack rush i wanted to mention is when you check into a hotel to ask Ask the person at the front desk, like, do I have a good room?
Does my room have a nice view?
Do you think it's a good room?
Because a lot of times if you sort of push the point, they will give you a better room.
Not necessarily an upgrade, but a better view, which is the main thing that I usually care about.
Oh, they just spontaneously say like, oh, let me see if there's a room like that.
yeah if you just say oh I really don't want to be looking at the parking lot they'll go well let me see what we have and then they'll go oh actually this is better this is closer to the pool and they'll switch it oh and usually I think they like a lot of times they'll just try to give you a bad room to just like fob off the bad rooms and then the people who push the point are the people who get better I literally have never thought to do this in my entire life so I'm going to try that out the next time I am staying in a hotel.
That is excellent. Let me know.
Let me know if you feel like you've got a better room.
Excellent. Okay. And here is a hack from a listener.
Sarah from Vassar, Michigan.
My travel hack is to pack a 13 gallon size trash bag and use it as a hamper for your dirty laundry.
When you pack up, it keeps your clean laundry separated and fresh in your suitcase.
When you get home, take that bag straight to the laundry room.
Thanks. That's a great idea.
Great idea. Adam will love that because he hates having the dirty laundry mixed in with the clean laundry.
There you go. Problem solved.
Now, Barb writes, we've taken many long, memorable road trips with our kids from the time they were tiny until now when they're in their 20s.
And we listen to an audio book the whole family can enjoy.
She lists some of their favorites.
Terry Pratchett's The We Free Men.
The sequels are also good.
Harry Potter, of course.
Roald Dahl. The Gregor the Overlander series by Susan Collins.
That's the series she wrote before The Hunger Games.
Yeah, I think this is great.
I love listening to audiobooks in the car.
And there are many books that both children and adults can enjoy.
So that's a great hack.
And Lisa has one that I did just use on my trip to L .A.
She says her favorite travel hack is to fold clothes in plastic dry cleaner bags before putting them in my suitcase.
This does an amazing job of preventing wrinkles, even with the most wrinkle -prone fabrics like linen and cotton.
I do that. I have like one dry cleaner bag that I keep reusing that I will use to pack, and it really does help eliminate wrinkles.
So you had a wrinkly outfit, and you felt like it was okay?
I did. I had linen pants that were very wrinkly, and I used this hack.
But I also used another hack from this listener.
Let's listen. Hi, Gretchen.
Hi, Liz. Kelly from Elizabethtown, long -time listener, second -time caller, traveler packing for San Diego.
And I have another great hack, which is to pack Downy Wrinkle Releaser.
It's perfect for if you have like wrinkled t -shirts or pants or whatever, you just spray it on and hang the clothes up and the wrinkles vanish.
It is magic. Thanks again.
Bye -bye. So, Elizabeth, I went out and bought Downy Wrinkle Releaser in a travel size to use on this trip.
And I have to say, between these two hacks, I was absolutely flawlessly unwrinkled in my clothing.
I've never even heard of such a thing.
I'm going to order this the second we're done recording because I need this at home.
I mean, so many clothes I have get wrinkled, but they really could be worn again, but I just have to get them dry clean because they're too wrinkled so I'm very excited this is like beyond travel this is a just a hack this is just a hack Courtney says anyone who is a runner should check in at the front desk of their hotel for any suggested routes or places to avoid I was at a beachfront resort for a conference with my husband recently I had planned a running route just along the main road but before I set out I happened to asked the front desk and the woman gave me a small map that had a suggested
running route i was treated to a beautiful view of the ocean instead of just the fronts of hotels and restaurants this is also hotels often have maps if you need any kind of map that's something i've only discovered in the last few years they they often will give you maps of all kinds of useful things um and gretchen here's another caller with a hack hi this is sarah from arkansas and i have I have travel hacks for traveling with a family.
We recently drove to Colorado with a six -week -old infant, and instead of panicking about the quality of gas stations that we found, I just set up a little tailgate diaper changing station with a quilt to put the baby on, diapers, wipes, all the things that you need, and it was just so calming to me.
I just felt better, even if a little odd to some people, to keep the baby on the back of my car so that I did not have to worry about cleanliness and having such young infants.
All right. Y 'all have a great summer.
Bye. And then Gretchen, Leah told us that she used to pack earplugs for loud hotels or trying to sleep on an airplane, but she's discovered that the White Noise app is even better for drowning out loud noises, including a seatmate talking or a bedmate snoring.
differing so elizabeth i i downloaded uh an app for white noise i didn't use it but i downloaded it so that i have it at the ready and someone right before we recorded this sent a hack about white noise that they were traveling with their dog and although their dog doesn't usually bark he was barking in the hotel because there was so much news new stuff going on so they played the white noise app in their hotel room and that meant that their dog didn't bark so that's another way to use white noise while traveling.
So yes, explore the world of white noise.
Oh, that's great. And then a hack from Andrea is to travel with a power strip.
This is really helpful, especially if you're in a rental home that might not have that many outlets.
You know, now when you're traveling, especially if you're traveling with other people, there's so many devices that need to be plugged in.
If you have a power strip, you know, you're going to be able to have outlets for everything.
And also, you don't run the risk of forgetting a device because you put it off often some, faraway corner because that was the only place you could find an outlet this way everything's all consolidated in one place so pack a power strip that's a great hack.
Well Gretch that's a great idea because I mean any family these days has just like so many devices yeah one outlet is not enough you know now a lot of backpacks and carry -on bags even have plug -in outlets you have to of course charge them up but that's another sort of convenient way to plug stuff in.
Yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, because it's something that we all need to take into consideration now.
Now, Suzanne had a great idea, but I have to say I would put this in the category of advanced hacks.
This works if you're pretty organized already.
So her hack is for when you have a car full of stuff on a family driving trip.
If you have a one -night stopover on your way to the final destination, pack a hotel bag.
One suitcase that will come inside the hotel.
Each family member puts pajamas, tomorrow's outfits, and toiletries into that one bag.
That way you don't have to unravel the entire car for that one night.
That is a great idea, but you've got to have your act together pretty seriously to do that, but it could save you a huge amount of time and annoyance than to bring in every single thing in your car.
Yes. Gretchen, coming up, Odelia, our producer, is going to weigh in with her travel hacks.
But first, this break.
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I love being in Vancouver.
It's so gorgeous. Very different from L .A.
Really fun. But when TV people are away, their houses and apartments just sit there in L .A.
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And we're back. So, Odelia, you've got a couple of travel hacks you want to lay on us.
Yeah, I have some travel hacks.
I've learned so much by the way my mom travels out.
And I always think about her when I'm traveling because she is such an expert and she has her whole routine down.
The one thing that she always does is she always brings snacks.
And so I have copied her because it's often a lot healthier and cheaper than what I can get on the plane.
Yeah. So I usually go and make a quick Trader Joe's run because they have such good little things to snack on and they're all so fun.
And I did that last time I traveled with my boyfriend and as I was going through and shopping, I was just like, well, I'll pick out all his favorite treats.
I know he loves peanut butter cups and I know he loves – or like he likes the wasabi seaweed.
weed. So I had a lot of like little fun things for us to kind of eat.
And it ended up being like a little airplane picnic.
Oh, I love that. Yeah, it was really cute, actually.
He still talks about it, which is really funny.
Oh, it's very romantic.
The airplane picnic.
Yeah, it was kind of surprisingly romantic.
It's it was a very yeah, it was a little too cute.
But yeah, Yeah. That's cute.
That's right. That's a great hack.
Yeah. Thanks. And the second thing that my mom always does that I really admired was my mom always has several like beautiful, glossy magazines that were an extra special treat that she would just take with her on the plane.
And she always would hold off.
So she wouldn't open them until she was like waiting for the plane to take off.
She just would just save them.
And she would sometimes get me one and the rest of the kids.
So we always had something to look at.
And as I've traveled as an adult, I kind of take that and I put my own spin on it.
So I try to have like a great novel to read.
So last year I read Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels while I was traveling.
I don't know if you've read those.
But they're just such – they're big books, but they're also just such a fast read and so entertaining.
painting and it just made the whole, gave the whole vacation a feel.
I feel like when you read a great novel, it makes everything so memorable.
Well, I do that. I will save a novel to read on an airplane because, because I do a lot of, I love to read on airplanes, but there's a certain kind of book that works really, really well on an airplane.
And so I think that's a great idea.
And also the magazines.
We used to do that when our daughters were smaller, they, we would never buy the magazines except in the airports.
And so it felt like a real luxury to them.
And then of of course, it's something to make the time more fun as well.
Those are great hacks.
And I like the idea of it being a long book because I hate being on an airplane and being worried that I'm going to finish my book before the plane lands.
Yeah. It's good to have something really, really good to sink your teeth into.
Yeah. Excellent. Thank you, Odelia, and also Odelia's mother for these great hacks.
Thanks, mom. Gretch this next travel hack comes from Jill she says I have one for traveling solo with a pet several times a year I drive from Maryland to South Carolina to visit family in the summer driving long distances with my dog Oscar was a challenge animals aren't allowed inside rest stops or gas stations and it's dangerous to leave pets in the car in the summer heat I had the idea of looking for pet smarts and pet codes along They are often in shopping strips right off the highway.
Pets are allowed inside, they're air conditioned, and have clean public restrooms. The dog can come with me on my breaks instead of waiting in a hot car, and we both travel much happier.
What a great idea. Yes.
And I think a lot of those places also do have some human snacks by the register.
Yeah, while you're at it.
And now here's another call -in from a listener.
Hi, guys. My name is Sarah, and I'm from Richmond, Virginia.
And my happiness hack for vacation travel is grocery pickup service.
I can't tell you how many times I have done this at home, and it has saved my life.
And I thought, I wonder if this would work when I'm on vacation.
And sure enough, a lot of grocery stores offer local pickup service at their store.
So while you're on the road, you can place your order and then just pull into the grocery store parking lot, pick up all the groceries that you need for your trip, and you can be on your way.
So thanks so much. Love your show.
Yeah, this is the thing that more and more stores let you place your order online and then schedule a time and go pick it up.
I never thought of using it this way as like you're in a new city and so you're going to stock up for whatever you need for your vacation.
vacation. Yeah, it's funny because I actually find the whole trip to the grocery store at the start of a vacation like a barrier to entry for renting a house.
I hate that trip to the grocery store where like you want to start your vacation, but first you have to spend like an hour in the grocery store.
So I think this is fantastic.
Well, it's funny that you say that because Jamie, literally his favorite part of that is the trip to the grocery store.
He loves that. He loves spilling up the card and like oh we need ketchup and oh I mean he loves it so he would never do this because he loves the trip to the grocery store but this is a great example like if that part is not fun for you there's a hack for that.
Okay Gretchen our next hack is from Emily she says I have a great travel tip for you borrowed from a blog the Disney tourist blog.
They suggest packing a room spray or air freshener in a scent you haven't used before and using it in your hotel hotel room when you return from the trip spray the scent or light a candle with the scent at home and you will have memories of the vacation i first did this four years ago and still whenever i light a meyer lemon candle i recall precious memories of my daughter's first trip to disney world well i love this one because it's about smell which of course i'm obsessed with and also memory and it's interesting other listeners suggested using like a scented lotion or perfume kind of of in the same
way, like this was my honeymoon perfume, or this was the lotion that I used, you know, when my daughter was first born or something like that, as a way to use smell to make a specific time or trip or vacation or place, like to have it help it trigger those memories.
So I love that use of smell to make traveling more fun and more memorable.
Yeah. And Gretchen, that hack is a good illustration of this hack, which comes from From Heather, she said, as for my favorite travel hack, read travel blogs.
I have found so many neat local gems doing a little research prior to arriving in my destination of choice.
That's a great idea.
Yeah, it makes a lot of sense.
Sunny wrote in with a great one.
She said, we're on the road now in an RV in Montana.
Here is a tip for traveling couples.
Learn to play cribbage.
We play almost every day.
It's a lot of fun, and we have to face each other, which is great after days of being side by side while driving.
This is a great idea, and it reminds me of a friend of mine told me that her grandmother's advice was that every couple should have an indoor game and an outdoor game that they played together.
I will say that Jamie and I have neither an indoor game or an outdoor game, but maybe we should learn cribbage.
Yeah, Adam and I don't have a game either, Gretch, indoor or outdoor, but Jack and I have recently started playing Uno. no. Oh, I love UNO. That's the only card game that I really like.
And it's super, super easy.
This is a great family game.
This is okay. Like here, spontaneous hack, UNO, fun for the whole family, even if you don't like card games.
Yes, excellent. And Gretch, here are a few hacks related to the same travel challenge, which is figuring out what to do and who gets to decide.
This was first inspired by our Know Yourself Better in episode 174, when we asked what's more important to you, the company or the event?
Sharon writes, when traveling with my spouse, friends, or our adult children, we have each person select one or two must -do's for our trip.
It is okay if people share the same must -do's.
Examples include places to visit, specific restaurants or specialty food items to eat, hikes or tours.
That way, each person is guaranteed to do at least one thing they want to do, even if it is not particularly important to the others.
And then a variation on that, Gretch, Emily described something similar as the three choices game.
When making choices that involve others, where to eat dinner, which movies to watch, where to go on vacation, etc. One person suggests three choices and the other selects just from those three.
This way, you're both sharing the burden and making the choice and it guarantees that you both actually like the choice.
Well, I think these are great ideas because first of all, there's the decision problem when And people are like, well, what do you want to do?
I don't care. What do you want to do?
And that can become tiresome.
But then it also can become a problem if somebody feels like their desires aren't being taken into account or somehow getting overlooked.
And from my observation, this can sometimes particularly be an issue with obligers, especially if you have many obligers who are all trying to meet each other's expectations.
This way, you make sure that everybody articulates their list and everybody's list gets taken into account and respected.
And so I think all the variations on this really can work well for making sure that everyone has a good time and no one's choices get overlooked.
And here are some hacks that just seem very useful and practical.
Frankie says, I live in a vacation destination and I am always seeing tourists surprised when it rains.
It's summertime in Florida.
It rains here almost every day.
My travel hack is to check the weather for your destination and plan accordingly.
Raincoats, umbrellas, even a poncho will keep you and your stuff dry while you wait out the storm.
Now, I don't know why I find this so difficult, but I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that the weather is going to be different where I go.
Even if I know it's going to be radically different, it's very hard for me to really wrap my mind around the idea that it's going to be hot or it's going to be cold or it's going to be raining.
So, I really have to observe this.
Another good one from Nancy was to put strips of colorful duct tape on the sides of otherwise boring black luggage to make it easier to spot.
I think that's a simple solution for a common problem, which is just like picking out your bag if it looks like everybody else's bag.
Yeah, I'm seeing more and more people doing that, whether it's the duct tape or tying a ribbon, a colorful ribbon around the handle.
Or buying like one of the things for the handle that's like a bright fluorescent circle or something.
thing so it's very yes a luggage tag a very just that's what i try to do distinctive luggage tag yeah now here's the secret of adulthood that i think is very applicable in this travel hack which is if possible leave room in the suitcase you're always happy if you have a little extra room in the suitcase and i mean literally and figuratively but in this okay in this context literally it's good to have room in the suitcase yeah oh yeah that way if you buy souvenirs it's It's not, you know, packing them doesn't become incredibly stressful.
And then just getting your clothes back in the suitcase is so much easier if there's room there.
Yeah. Sarah says, always pack a pair of warm socks, no matter where you are going or what season it is.
If the hotel room is freezing or over air -conditioned, warm socks will save you.
They are also great for red -eye flights on freezing airplanes.
Well, this is a great idea.
Yeah, I've never once done this, and I think this is fantastic.
I dress for Arctic temperatures when I'm traveling.
Like, I find planes insanely cold.
I always, we talked about our Uniqlo jackets a while back.
Elizabeth, I always bring my Uniqlo jacket.
Even if I'm going someplace, you know, in the hundreds, I know that the airplane is going to be cold, and so I always bring it on the plane with me for exactly that reason.
And I think warm socks are a great idea, too.
Yeah. Because a lot of hotel rooms have robes, but very few have slippers.
yes yeah yeah correct here robin has the travel hack um that embraces whimsy she says i wanted to chime in on your idea of planning a little surprise my husband and i have the opportunity to take two mini vacations this summer when we tried to plan them earlier this year we kept losing steam when we were both involved in trying to plan the trips we were both so easygoing and and accommodating that it was actually hard to commit.
So we each took ownership of one trip.
Then we decided to keep each trip as a mystery for each other.
The planning of the mystery trip, anticipating what the other person has planned, and the going on the actual trip has literally quadrupled the pleasure of these trips.
I love this. Yeah. I bet they're two obligers.
Back to this idea of how do you accommodate people's things.
This is so fun. I love the idea of a mystery trip.
Now, Barbie also, like, very practical.
She points out that the number one thing that people leave behind in hotel rooms is cell phone chargers.
And she says that if you're, like, getting ready to run out at 10 p .m. to get a new cell phone charger, if you just ask at the front desk, they can often lend you one overnight so you don't have to make a special trip to get one.
You can just wait until you're out and about the next day.
That's, like, a nice little tip.
That is a nice tip.
it. Gretch, on the subject of leaving behind, you left behind something that I don't think a lot of people leave behind.
You left your whole suitcase when you and I were in Santa Barbara together.
Yes. Oh, my gosh. I remember we were just pull after the long drive home.
We were just pulling up into your in front of your house.
And it was at that moment that I realized that I had never put my suitcase in your trunk.
Oh, but the things that go wrong often make the best memories.
And We will be laughing about that for the rest of our lives.
But yes. I had my cell phone charger, but not my suitcase.
And here's one nice last hack from Megan, who's an anxious flyer.
So this is a great hack if you're an anxious flyer.
While trying to park, get to the terminal, navigate security, and get on the plane, I make a conscious effort to find 30 opportunities to be kind.
Trying to jam 30 opportunities into this short time frame really occupied my mind and kept me from focusing on my anxiety.
Some of the moments were very small, such as not crowding the poor mom in front of me who was trying to get her kids and stroller through security, smiling at her rather than joining in the scowls of the people behind me.
It really made my trip that much better.
Actively doing something was a really effective way to harness my emotions rather than to just try not to be anxious.
That's a great hack.
That's very nice. Thank you, Megan.
Yes. It made her travel easier, and it made a lot of other people's travel much nicer, too, I bet, as well.
Yes. So, thanks everyone for these incredible hacks.
I'll be using a lot of them.
Yes. And coming up, we've got our travel -related demerits and gold stars.
But first, let's break.
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We're back. Okay, it's time for Demerits and Gold Stars.
And Elizabeth, this is an even -numbered episode, which means it's your turn to do a demerit.
Yes, Scratch. So here's my travel -related demerit, which is that we promised Jack a trip to Legoland this summer.
and I have not booked that trip and I am terrified it might be totally sold out the hotel there and so I've been afraid to look but of course every day that I don't look and don't book a trip it becomes more likely that it's sold out so I'm creating my own vicious circle here I have done this so many times why is that it's like you're so worried about a bad news that it gets worse Or it's like I so dread making airplane reservations that I want to wait and wait.
And the places just go up.
Yeah. Oh. So I don't know.
I've got to do it. And also it involves, like, figuring out a good time.
Yeah. And now my work is so intense that it's like I feel like I don't know what weekends I'll have free.
So it's that sort of added thing of feeling like whatever I plan is going to end up getting totally messed up anyway.
Yes. And I suggested to Jack, I'm like, maybe you should just go with dad during the week because that's much simpler.
But Adam doesn't like to ride the rides that I will ride with Jack because Jack's becoming a roller coaster kid.
Oh, so he needs me there to be his his ride buddy.
Ah, oh, that's hard. Oh, I know that feeling when you're like, whatever I pick, it's going to be the most inconvenient time possible.
so you just don't want to pick.
I know that feeling.
But Gretch, you have a gold star.
What's your gold star?
Yes, I have a gold star and it involves challenging a limiting belief.
So as I've mentioned, I recently went on a business trip to Los Angeles and I did not get to see Elizabeth, which was sad, but I was in Los Angeles.
And just like sometime before that trip, a friend of mine had to reschedule a lunch that we had planned together because she said, oh, I decided to bring my daughter on this business trip with me.
And so she's going to be at work with me, so let's have lunch another day.
And I thought, oh, I never bring my children on a business trip.
And then I was like, why don't I bring my children on a business trip?
And so Eliza had just – her internship, her summer internship had just ended, and there was time to get her a plane ticket.
And I thought, well, why didn't she just come to Los Angeles with me?
Now, part of the draw was that we were going to get to see you and Adam and Jack.
But we – she and I had an amazing time.
It was really fun for me to have her there.
there we had a wonderful little kind of uh mother -daughter adventure i didn't actually have that much time i had to do like three meetings but that's not that much time in terms of like a whole span of days and uh it was just like she'd never been to los angeles before so i was like wow i just had this limiting belief i never bring my daughters with me and it's like well i could if they don't have to be at school or you know working or something so i did and it was so great Yeah.
And it was just, and as Eliza pointed out, you don't have to be gone for very long before it feels like you really got away.
Yes. We felt like we had been gone a long time by the time we got back to New York.
So it was great. Even though we didn't get to see you, we had an amazing time.
I know. And I watched your trip in the photos you sent.
It looked great. It was fun.
fun. Well, we hope you're feeling happier after this episode.
I am definitely feeling more prepared for our reading retreat, Elizabeth, next week.
But I had to laugh, you know, listening back, we did not even mention packing cubes.
This had not even entered our consciousness at that time.
I know we hadn't discovered them yet, which is hard to believe since we've talked about them so much and I have given them to so many people as gifts.
Yes it's funny to think that there was a time before packing cubes.
It just goes to show how much great advice we are always adding to the mix and if you try any of these travel hacks or have a favorite of your own please let us know.
We always love a new travel hack.
Yes we do. Remember the best time to start a happiness project is 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.
From the Onward Project.