A few weeks ago I went on my first trip in five months. I was pretty anxious, but had a plan in place. I was going to re-read some key blog posts, give myself extra time, figure out the “new-mom” stuff, and make a very specific list of what to pack. I was only gone for one day, so didn’t actually need that much clothing. That made it way easier than it could have been!

Suitcase:

• Outfit for work (black pants, nursing shirt, cardigan, black coat, pink flats)
• Travel outfit (jeans, sneakers, gray tee, maroon long sweater)
• PJs (yoga pants, tank, long sleeved tee)
• Toiletries, makeup, curling iron
• Jewelry (turquoise necklace and earrings)
• New-mom stuff
• Pump
• Tablecloth for trade show
• Chargers

Purse stuff:

• Pashmina
• Knitting
• Thank you notes (sigh, still trying to finish them)
• Book
• Wallet, keys, lip balm
• Computer
• Cooler, bottles, ice packs
• Office supplies (notepad, pen, usb key, headset)
• Comfort items (tea, Splenda, Emergen-C)
• Magazine

Honestly, it was a tight fit. My pump took up half of my freaking suitcase, and I had to fit the cooler in my purse. If I have to bring clothes for more than one day I will have to be super creative about getting everything in. My trip this week is two days, but since I’m wearing my work clothes on the plane I only have to pack enough for one day. We’ll see what happens on my first longer trip….

Next week, I will take my first business trip in almost five months. That is a long time for a Road Warrior to be grounded! I am looking forward to getting going again, but apprehensive about a few things too. Will it feel weird to be back in action? Will I remember to pack everything? What about changes in airport security or my airline? (Plus I know I’ll miss my baby, but knowing he is in good hands at home with Daddy eases my mind.) Here is how I plan to prepare for the trip:

Read my blog. Whenever I review my blog, I am surprised by how much I’ve written. There is a lot of helpful stuff in here, if I do say so myself, and I need to go back and read some of it. Especially the security and packing tips!

Make a list. Before I pack, I am going to make a very detailed packing list—way more so than usual. It would be super lame to get to my destination and not have something critical, like my computer, work files, contact solution, etc.

Give myself extra time. In the past I’ve gotten the whole getting-to-the-airport thing down to an exact science—it used to take me 27-30 minutes to drive to the airport, park my car, ride the shuttle to the terminal, and go through security. For this first trip, I’m going to give myself a time cushion just in case I can’t do things as quickly as I think I should.

Figure out the “new mom” stuff. There are a specific travel issues that go along with being a new mom—pumping on the road and transporting breast milk, for starters. Not to mention figuring out how to minimize disruptions for the Mini Warrior at home, and dealing with my own sad feelings to be away from him. (Look for a post on this subject next week.)

So, Readers, that’s my plan. Any suggestions for stuff I missed?

Texas has finally cooled down a bit. This week we have sunny skies and temps in the mid-eighties. Woohoo, fall is here! It makes me dream about driving around the hill country, enjoying the scenery and lovely weather. This, in turn, has got me thinking about cars in general. I love, love, love my Prius. But I also love being able to try out different cars when I’m traveling. Of course I usually have to take whatever my company allows—I’ve spent a lot of time in Ford Focuses (Foci?) and the like. But I’ve also been lucky enough to get randomly upgraded on a pretty regular basis. Most memorably I’ve driven a Dodge Charger (that baby has some power!), a Mustang (bright yellow, not subtle), and a convertible Beetle (because in beautiful California, why not?).  If I had to choose a favorite, I’d choose the Charger, as it was super fun to drive.

So, because I’m curious, and in honor of our current contest, I want to know what type of rental car you would choose if it were up to you (and not company policy). If you want to leave the specific model in the comments that would be great!

 Loading ...

Don’t forget! Win a Traveler Truth Prize Pack valued at $499 from National Car Rental. Today is the LAST day to enter!

Follow Road Warriorette on Twitter!

You guys have been a huge help while I refine my packing strategy for my long conference next week. But in addition to packing for 12 days, I also have to prepare to be out of the office for nine working days. And by out of the office I mean virtually unreachable, not just somewhat unavailable like normal. This has been making me pretty anxious over the last few days. There are a lot of projects that I’m in the middle of that I just won’t be able to work on for almost two weeks! So I’ve had to develop a strategy for making sure the office runs without me. With a few adjustments, it would also work well for a long vacation, or maybe even a long leave. Here are the steps I’ve been taking to stay sane:

1. Communication. Everyone I work with on a daily basis, and many people I work with less frequently, knows that I will be out during this time. All of my customers know as well, and know who to contact while I’m out. I have been reminding people for probably two weeks now, and will send out a final round of emails before I leave. I don’t want anyone to be caught unaware!
2. Checking-in. I have checked on the status of more action items in the last three days then in the past month altogether. This way I know everything that I need to have done before I leave is done, and things will continue on track while I’m out.
3. Lists. Lists, lists, and more lists of current projects, action items, status updates, and general customer information fill my desk right now. I’ve been keeping a running list of everything that must get done before I go, and everything that can wait.
4. Preparing for coming back. I’ve set aside several hours on my first day back to read and respond to emails and voicemails that came during my absence. I’ve also got (yet another) list of things to do and check on once I return.
5. Out of Office. I used to work with someone who never used her out of office, and so people had no idea that she was on vacation for a week. My out of office will be very clear, and include the dates I’ll be out and information about who to contact for urgent matters.
6. Let things go. There are a few things that just won’t get done before I leave, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to just let that go. Everyone knows I’ll be out, and if they can’t get back to me before I leave then it will still be here when I return.

Whew! It does actually help to have everything written down. It sounds crazy, but even with all of the travel I do I’ve never been out of the office for nine days before. But I’m sure everything will be fine!

Readers, did I miss anything? What is the longest you’ve ever been away from the office?

At a recent party, a friend told me stories about her first few business trips. “It was so tricky! I would never know ahead of time if I had to wear a suit or not, because all of the locations were different,” she said. After a few visits, she figured out strategies to deal with this. Because, as she says, “You don’t want to be the only one not in a suit, but you also don’t want to be seen as the ‘corporate overlord’ visiting from headquarters.”

Here is how she dealt:

• Before you go, ask. Ideally, you will be in communication with someone at the location where you are visiting. Ask them directly what the dress code for that office is. This doesn’t always work, but if you can get a straight answer it will save a lot of headache while packing.
• Pack suits that don’t have to be suits. If you arrive at an office and no one is in a suit, make it simple to slip off your jacket.  Bring suits with pants/skirt that look great whether the jacket is on or not. Wear tops that have sleeves, so if you take your jacket off you will still look professional. A dress suit is a great option here, as long as it has sleeves.
• Take a cardigan in your bag. If I am wearing something short sleeved, I will often bring a (wrinkle-free) cardigan in my bag. If I get to an office and feel like I’m showing too much skin, I can easily put my cardigan on. This is also helpful if it’s warm outside but AC make the inside frigid.

Caveat: It’s not always possible, or advisable, to align your level of formality with that of the place you are visiting. I often go to locations where the employees are in jeans and t-shirts, but there is no way I will wear jeans while visiting a client.

If you are concerned about not knowing if you need to wear a suit on a business trip, there are ways to deal. Wanting to look professional but not stiff or awkwardly formal is a balancing act, so preparation and flexibility is key!