My Apartment – What I Do Before I Leave On A Trip

Ever since I graduated my life has revolved around travel. Whether it’s a work trip, travel home for the holidays, or a destination bachelorette, every three weeks or so, I’m off on another adventure.

Being the type A person I am, I cannot leave my apartment in any state of disarray. Coming home to a mess doesn’t feel good. No one wants to climb into an unmade bed after a long day of travel. No one wants to walk into the smell of the stale trash, or run out of clean plates. So if you’d like to come home to a zen-like space- follow this checklist before your next trip to the airport.

The Essentials

1. Make your bed. Open your blinds. I seriously do this even if it’s 4:30am and I have to leave by 5:00am. I can do it with my eyes closed and it allows me to stay in my PJs for five more minutes. Just do it.
2. Fluff your couch pillows and fold your blankets the night before. I always leave my couch in its best state. It’s the best feeling to come home and plop down onto a couch that looks fresh and inviting. It’s also amazing how a tidy couch can make a whole space feel cleaner and more put together.
3. Run your dishwasher. Seriously shove anything and everything in there that needs a wash (toothbrush holders can go in!) and run that sucker. Not only will you avoid any gross food smells but you’ll come home to clean dishes. Same goes for anything in the sink – wash it up. Oh and wipe those counters down – invisible crumbs are ants favorite treat.
4. Toilet seat down/drains plugged. Now that I live in a newer unit, I don’t plug my drains, but in my first apartment, I used to whenever I’d leave town. Bugs love crawling up them. Sorry – but someone needed to tell you. Close your toilet too. It looks nicer and will give you peace of mind.
5. Take out your trash. It will keep the apartment smelling fresh and pest free. Empty all your trash (under the sink in the bathroom, waste bins) into one bag and take with you out the door.

Extra Zen

1. Leave yourself a fresh towel. If you really want to make your homecoming extra inviting, leave yourself a fresh towel in the bathroom for your first shower back.
2. Plan for pasta. Yes, I love coming home and making pasta for dinner. It’s quick and easy, shelf-stable, and comforting to curl up with on your cozy couch.
3. Wine in the fridge – does this need any explanation?
4. File. If I come home from a work trip, I typically have paperwork and receipts I need to deal with when I get home. Making sure all of my previous paperwork is filed and taken care of makes filing the new stuff less overwhelming, and I’m more likely to do it.
5. Put all the shoes away. I make sure that I’m not struggling to open my front door due to my insane amount of shoes blocking the entrance. Just put everything in its place and you’ll walk into a calm space, ready to relax.

I manage to get through this 10 item checklist every time I leave for a trip. If you get into the habit, you’ll find yourself craving the order before the chaos that is airport security. And coming home will feel extra sweet.

If you liked this post and want to know what I pack in my carry-on for a trip, let me know!

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