So you may be wondering how it all went. “The Whitney Trip.” …it was life changing, as per usual with trips like these. The more nature and world I have the opportunity to experience, the more I wonder why more people don’t make time to be with Mother Nature. Key phrase being, “make time.” Each time I push past those hard limits, a new chapter opens in my life. I see things with new perspective, I understand myself (and my partner) in more in-depth ways. It’s something I think everyone could make a priority in their life, not just because it’s fun, but because it allows you to dive deep into the uncomfortable and truly discover what makes you human.

 

 

Why You Don’t Want to Forget Your America the Beautiful Pass

Speaking of human, I too, am one. Which means even though I had plenty of time to prepare, plenty of double-checking scenes, and plenty of reasons to question my overthinking, I still managed to forget a few things. None of them were essential to bringing with us, but they would have at least saved us a bit of time while on the trip and probably a few dollars. (time+money=wins for this gal)

For starters, I forgot the annual pass we acquired last year, which would have been applicable for this entire trip since it expired after September. Because of that, we had to purchase a replacement (conveniently, REI came in clutch for this since you’re able to purchase them at the counter!) 🙌

Check out this link though if you’d like to snag one online before an adventure.👇
Purchase your very own “America The Beautiful Pass”

Now, if you don’t have one of these, it’s no biggie. You can simply purchase a day pass at any of the parks you encounter, which is usually pretty reasonable at around $6-10. We have come across ones as hefty as $30 though, which is a little high if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time there. As you can see, if we would have purchased day passes for each of the parks in this recent trip, we would have spent well over the $80 that the American The Beautiful pass costs.

 

Forgotten Permits, UPS, and a Shampoo Snafu

Speaking of things that allow you to actually do what you set out to do…I totally blanked on bringing the permits. 🤦‍♀️ I even just finished fixing my printer the week before so that I could just print them out and have them ready to go. (I usually like to bring a small folder or laminated book (like this one) to keep them all in, so that they stay protected and organized throughout the trip).

Since I didn’t bring them this time, we chose to stop at a local UPS store in Fresno while stocking up on groceries and last minute gear, so that we could have one or two copies of each. This only cost $5.20, but spent about 30 minutes in time between finding it, parking, emailing them to the store, getting them printed, and heading back on the road to our next stop.

Many times, you won’t need an actual paper permit, but we like to print them out just in case since we don’t want to be caught mid-backpacking or hiking trip without passage through to where we need to be. 👀

AND! If you plan on just keeping them on your phone, (since some permits can just be viewed digitally), make sure you screen shot them or save them to a file (with a name you can easily remember) so that you can still access them without service! (Speaking purely from personal experience here…side note, Kings Canyon *does not* have public wifi folks).

The last kind of important-ish thing I didn’t bring along was shampoo and conditioner. I know, seems super ridiculous especially given the fact that we can backpack for days without worrying about this problem. However, your girl has thick wavy hair, which means that finally after 33 years, I’ve found a shampoo and conditioner that works great for me.
Check it out if you have time: 👉 Amika Normcore Set

So my point, is that it would have been hella awesome to have been able to use a product that I knew actually works when we finally reached a real shower after 5 days of planes, rental cars, sweaty hikes and campgrounds. I did opt for trying out a bar version from the REI store in Fresno, but unfortunately that worked very poorly on my hair. I’m jelly of the peeps that it works great for on YouTube, but for now, I’ll just make sure to include my cute little travel bottles of the stuff that actually works for me and my own hair. 🤷‍♀️

 

 

Pre-Trip Chaos, Post-Trip Calm

Now, some of the planning for our trip was to make life coming home just that much easier. Although it caused less naps, more chaos, and a plethora of messes lying around temporarily, it made returning a lot less anxiety-inducing.

I mean, how many of us look so forward to the vacation ahead, only to dread the day we leave because we know for a fact we’ll be 10x busier when we return home. It’s no fun knowing that the responsibility overload is about to hit as soon as the front door is open. 🥲

Therefore, after many years of failed attempts, I’d like to say that I might *almost* have this locked down. I try to do a little each day leading up to it, so that I don’t end up frantic at the end of packing. It still happens, though!

My best efforts are put toward making sure my home (and work) is clean and ready to start back to our normal routines, which includes the following to-do’s:

1. Tidy up flat areas and clutter piles (yes, mom, everything has a home now!!) 🙄
   1. Which pretty much means, do a basic cleaning job that consists of sweeping, mopping, dishes, laundry, pet areas, and garden to-dos.
2. Schedule any online work ahead so that it can keep running smoothly while away (you may have noticed we missed a week…like I said, we’re getting there friends) 😅
3. Finish up any work in-person that needs completed and turn on vacation mode to let peeps know we’re out of office.
   1. (Side note – if you have been following along for a while, you’ll know that ebay is part of my day job, too. Check it out if you have time and help support the travel tips) 🫶
      Store link 👉 Rooted Drawers Ebay Store
4. Download movies or Netflix shows that I plan to enjoy on the plane ride. (I usually forget until we’re in the airport and am forced to use their slower, more unreliable Wi-Fi). Boo to that.
5. Order any Amazon needs and grocery needs ahead of time or schedule them to be delivered around the end of your trip. (This works well since we usually have a dog sitter that can bring them in, or we just wait to have them dropped off as we arrive).
   1. My go-to apps are Instacart and of course Amazon for basic needs, and I’ll use the subscription option for many items to help save as well. We also usually hit up a pizza place on the way home for an easy supper, or use DoorDash if we want some broader choices.

 

 

More Chaos And Don’t Forget

I understand these things may sound mundane, but I promise, it’s been such a relief to come through the door with our suitcases and not see loads of clutter everywhere and know that there’s a pile of work to catch up on. It *almost* makes that rushing around beforehand worth it. (Probably because at that point I have an awesome trip to look forward to!) 🤷‍♀️

Now let’s talk about that pre-order panic. I don’t want to come home to an empty tube of toothpaste or nothing for lunches the next day, so I’ve begun ordering these things well ahead of time so that we can rest assured we won’t be out of what we need when our minds are still leaving the vacation zone.

One of my favorite ways to avoid forgotten-item chaos is to give myself a longer runway than I think I need. I’ve started keeping a running “Don’t Forget” checklist on my phone and fridge weeks (or even months) before a big trip. Each time something pops into my head, whether it’s shampoo, chargers, or the all-important permits, it goes straight on the list. As the trip gets closer, I gather and pack items in small chunks instead of one hectic evening. It’s not a perfect system (yet), but it’s saved us time, money, and a few unnecessary detours.

Check out the downloadable list (attached below) that I use for certain trips, and stay tuned for more tailored versions in the future. 😌 We’re all still learning, and trusting the process of getting to “expert level” a little at a time is part of the journey. So if you’re still tossing last-minute items into your bag hours before the flight, you’re not alone. Just keep doing your best, and make sure you’re enjoying the journey in the meantime. 🫶

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve forgotten on a trip? Tell me about it in the comments below! 👇

Ttys!! ✨

⬇️ Download Travel Checklist (PDF)

 

Thank You For Reading!

Thanks for coming along for the ride — chaos, America the Beautiful Pass, checklists, and all. 😉 Hope this helped you feel a little more ready (or at least more human) for your next adventure!