If you travel with me, you know I have strange rules. Rule No. 1 is that I don’t check luggage! This holds true for one night, one week, or one month of travel. I don’t like to wait at the luggage carousel. Plus, with all the airline issues these days, you don’t want your belongings going to a different city or country. Travel should be about fun, not drama.

Here are some of my tips to reduce the stress of packing: 

• Consider buying packing cubes. It keeps all your clothes organized and less wrinkled.
• Think about where you are going and the weather. Do you need a heavy jacket, long gown/tux or a swimsuit? Pull these must-have items first. 
• Chose a main color palette for your outfits, i.e. black, blue, red, or white. ALL clothes must coordinate with each other. For example, each top (shirt/blouse) must be able to be worn with each pair of bottoms (shorts/pants). Think of the combinations!
• You should pack just enough to wear — not all of your closet! Plan ahead. If you are traveling for one week, have one outfit that you wear on the first and last travel day.  Then, for a weeklong trip, I pack a change of clothes for five days. If you are going for two weeks, add one more top and bottom. For any travel beyond two weeks, follow the two-week model. Wash clothes in your hotel room or hotel laundry, as needed, or take them to a cleaners. 
• Pack your bottoms, tops and undergarments in separate packing bags. It is easy to pull an outfit quickly. 
• For evenings, I pack one nice skirt or dress, which I can change up with a scarf.
• Limit your jewelry. Never take something that you cannot bear to lose. I wear a watch and casual earrings on the flight. I take one nice set of jewelry for a special night or event. If I want more, I buy something. I now have earrings from more than 30 countries as special souvenirs.
• I love shoes, but limit the number of pairs when traveling. The max is three pairs: Wear a walking pair on the flight, then pack a nice dress pair and a pair for the beach/pool/shower, if needed.
• If you are staying at a hotel, don’t pack all the shampoo and shower stuff. They take up space and you are limited to 3-ounce bottles on the plane, so just use the free hotel brand if you can.
• Remember the 3-1-1 rule when flying with liquids. 
• I put an extra-large Ziploc or plastic bag in my suitcase to wrap dirty shoes or when taking clothes to the laundry.
• I place a xerox copy of all my special documents — passport, vaccination cards, visa, etc. — hidden in my suitcase. 
• Finally, leave extra space in your suitcase or backpack to bring home souvenirs. You will always remember the trip, not the clothes you packed!