With spring break quickly approaching and many students jetting off to the different corners of the earth, I wanted to share a few tips and tricks for effortless packing and travel through airports.

Throughout the last couple years I have done quite a bit of traveling, whether it be a weekend away or a couple weeks in a completely new place, packing and planning play a huge part in effortless travel. I have learned that there are a few key points to packing lightly while making sure everything you need is included.

To start make sure you grab your essentials. Even if that clothing item or toiletry is only used in the strangest of emergencies, grab it. This will help you to stay calm when you are finishing packing and know that you have something for everything that could go wrong and you aren’t forgetting anything.

Next it helps to lay everything out. Make a list. Go over it. This will help you to remember everything you currently have available for packing as well as help you find what you still need. As you are going through your list grab the stuff you probably don’t need and put it away. If you have even the slightest doubt about a certain item, get rid of it. This will help with over packing. Do these steps a few times so you are able to narrow everything down to what you absolutely need to bring with you on your trip.

Now that you have your bag packed, let’s talk carry on. I have found that the most convenient personal item carry on is a backpack. If you want to use something else, that is totally fine. In your backpack (or other bag) I like to include a few key things and then I also include a few things that are exclusive to my destination. First I am always sure to include my passport (if traveling out of states, and sometimes within the states) and a copy of my passport. I also carry my ID, some cash, a credit or debit card, my itinerary, and my boarding pass.

It is very important to have multiple copies of all of these. Keep the item and one copy in your carry on as well as another copy in your suitcase. This will be extremely helpful if you run into any issues while traveling. Pack a book or some form of entertainment. Flights can get long so it’s good to keep yourself occupied.

Always make sure all of your items are legal for the flight you are taking. The last thing you want is to be taken into airport security. I like to include a spare change of clothes and a swimsuit if I am going somewhere warm. This is in case my luggage happens to be lost in transit. I also like to bring a pillow for comfort on the plane. Also make sure to wear clothes that are easily removed so the security checkpoint is quick and effortless.

Now this isn’t a detailed list of everything you should pack according to destination, but these few tricks have helped with my packing in the past and I hope they help with yours as well. Happy travels.