Traveling

Traveling for dance or for any competition can be really stressful. You’re afraid you’re going to forget something, lose something, or forget something behind. We’ve all had those moments when you’ve left your hotel or competition and realize you’ve forgotten something there, and you have to make that crucial decision to either go back or keep going. Planning ahead and being organized are very key in making traveling easier and less stressful for you and the people you’re traveling with, whether you’re traveling by car, bus, plane, or train, etc.

I remember when I was at a dance competition and we spent a couple of night at a hotel nearby the competition. We spent the day at the competition and had fun shopping at the mall there. We got back to the hotel and we were getting ready for bed when I realized I forgot to pack my toothbrush. We’ve all had that happen to us. We’re thinking about so many other things while we’re packing that we forget about even the littlest, most practical things. Things that we normally would remember if we weren’t so rushed or stressed. In order to pack efficiently and successfully it’s important to plan ahead. Make sure you start to pack at least a day or a couple of nights before you’re supposed to leave. So you’ll have plenty of time to check your packing and make sure you have everything. I always seem to pack the night before and I end up rushing and forgetting stuff later. It’s better to have time to spare than to not have enough time at all. My dance coach has a check list of all the main things we’re supposed to remember, like our uniform and tights, and hands us this list a week before our competition. She’s been using this list for years now and I find it very useful. Being able to check things off the list while I’m putting them in my suitcase is really helpful. It helps me visual what I have and makes it easier to see what I have and don’t have instead of having to remember it in my head. Because when you’re rushed or stressed you definitely don’t remember things very easily because you’re so distracted. So I really recommend having a list that you can look at and go off of to pack from.

Being organized is really important in making traveling easier and more efficient. Being organized will really help in making things seem less cluttered and you won’t feel as stressed if everything has a place and is where you can find it. When you pack you make a mental list of where everything is, you remember where it’s at when you pack it. That’s good and will help you find things later but organizing your suitcase or duffel bag, folding your clothes, and putting things in in a neat fashion will make getting thing out and finding things later a lot more easier. Instead of having everything piled and shoved into a suitcase having it organized will make you feel more controlled and less stressed. Organizing will make traveling easier too. Having things organized will help in making repacking your suitcase when you leave the hotel easier. If everything has a place then it helps in repacking and fitting everything back into your suitcase later.

Planning ahead and being organized will really help in your travels as a dancer. You won’t forget things as much and will feel better about packing than if you did it the night before, last minute and rushed. You’ll have less troubles packing and traveling. Organizing and planning will make traveling easier and more efficient, and therefore more enjoyable you and your whole team or family. (626)