This is NPR's Life Kit.

It's time for a vacation. You deserve it.

Let's leave behind the drudgery and drain of daily life and do something different.

But if we're gonna travel, let's do it better.

Let's travel like professional travelers.

There's infinite ways to sort of enjoy yourself along the road and not get so frazzled by delays.

Good preparation gives you peace of mind and packing hacks will let you take what you really need.

Someone just accused me of having a Mary Poppins bag.

And yet still, carry around less baggage.

If you've thought about travel and you've actually worked out a way to do travel well,

then you have a lot more free time. You're not wasting energy. You know what you have.

You know that what you have is going to be enough.

We found road warriors in mind their experience to give you their best tips for packing and

planning for a trip. That advice is now on its way to you in this NPR Life Kit.

I'm Elise Hugh. I logged hundreds of thousands of miles a year as an international correspondent

for NPR. Going away was my job too. So whether it's a short weekend, get away, or a journey with an

indefinite end, we're gonna pack you up with knowledge you need to plan better and pack smarter.

So your trips go more smoothly. Learn how to pack and plan for travel like a pro.

After the break.

Hey, Jada. It's Elise over here in California. Hi.

For this episode, we're getting you prepared for a trip with tips from the pros.

One pro became pro through a job posting that sounded like a dream or a joke.

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