Episode 1 – Packing for a Short Business Trip (And Being a Super Wife to the eyes of your Husband) 😊

What are you most excited about when you go on a trip? Me, packing! Woohoo! Of course, I would always love to see the world and experience new things with my loves. But, nothing beats the challenge of packing for a trip. It’s like a puzzle which challenges me both intellectually and emotionally.

I remember a trip to Spain we did some years ago, and our bag then is this big cloth luggage my husband used to have back when he was still wakeboarding. This big, irregularly shaped bag which I used to fit everything for the two of us, was one of my greatest packing achievements. But our lady guide in Sevilla didn’t appreciate it at all! She was a bit distressed pulling the 30kg bag along the cobblestone streets of the city! So we invested on a new set of luggage bags. But that’s a story for another episode. I just want to remember that feeling of accomplishment when I was able to successfully fit everything in one bag!

Which is why I’m writing this as a series for the purpose of documenting all the intricacies (and joy!) of packing that perfect luggage! So let’s go to our first episode – packing for a short business trip.

When the husband goes on a business trip, I’m used to packing his bag for a 1-day or even as long as a 7-day business trip. One of the first concerns of wives who does this for their husband is that they are not sure if the clothes they have picked are something which their husband would like to actually wear. At first, I would always ask him to do the picking already, I’ll just focus on packing. Throughout the years though, I learned to do it myself and got a higher success rate on what he would really like. I always get “kilig” whenever he gets surprised because I pack all the things he needs, even those which he didn’t know he needed before flying out. Oftentimes, its as easy as him rolling his luggage out and just have that feeling of comfort and pride that he is all set, even without lifting a single finger in packing. He is a spoiled traveling husband really, but he appreciates it a lot. And I enjoy it a lot too!  So here are a few things to consider:

1. Folding the Business Shirts and Jacket

One thing that comes in handy is the Pack-it folding board and sleeve. It is the perfect guide to evenly folding clothes. Video on how to use it below.

This allows your shirt bag to be compact and easy to handle. Of course rolling it is still a good option, but my husband doesn’t want to roll everything out and stack it one by one in the hotel closet. He wants to get the pile out of the bag and put it in the closet in one go… easy!

2. Have separate bags for different types of apparel or personal things.

You can see the above photo of my husband’s luggage to give you an idea on how to pack for his trip. ☺️

Clothes – includes everything that he will wear except for business clothes. Business clothes are separate because he wants it more presentable when he wears it. As such, I put it in a separate bag. Put in an extra shirt and pair of short pants to make him feel more at home by having options, and hopefully have a more comfortable sleep. Add in those gym clothes in case he decides to destress in the gym.

Undergarments – make sure you add in an extra pair or two for those gym or swimming sessions that he would always want to do but couldn’t. 🤫

Slippers and Shoes – I know hotel slippers are often available, but my husband’s big foot seems to destroy these super cheap ones that most hotels have. So throw in his favorite slippers, again to make him feel at home and not miss you too much. 😳

Suit – packing a suit is a bit tricky. You want to make sure that there are no fold lines and the suit remains fresh and prim when he uses. I have this quick guide from Brook’s Brothers, which I saw from the net.

How to Pack a Suit

Toiletries – Lucky my husband wants to make sure he has everything in his toiletry kit. From razors to medicine. This is his. I cannot give you more tips aside from me pulling this bag from our bathroom storage and packing it neatly. Maybe one day I can ask him to write a blog about it.

Electronics – oh that charger! That phone charger! If you miss packing this, that’s it! Your reputation and all your past accomplishments go down the drain! Luckily, my husband cannot complain for the only reason that I will not pack his bags again if I’m pissed. But anyhow, make sure he has all the chargers and the battery packs. At least it’s for you too, no reason for him to say “Babe, my phone will die soon… talk to you in 3 hours!”

Lastly – make sure the bag is a good and sturdy one. Doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be easy to handle, have zippers inside, possibly more compartments, and most importantly, properly tagged and labeled. You don’t want others getting your own bag or worse, getting another person’s bag.

That’s it. Long post but I hoped you learned a thing or two in this episode.

Soon I will be showing you how to pack for a family of 5! 😁😄 now that’s an even longer post!

Stay Neat everyone!