Yes, that is my official title for myself:  The Micro-Manager of Preparation.  I very much dislike it.  So take the following evidence and try to formulate an alternate title to describe my packing behaviors.

To Do List To Prepare to Leave the House for a Trip (Minimum 4-Day Trip)

• Take out garbage
• Clean out fridge
• Throw out old fruit or fruit that will go bad
• Take out garbage again
• Change bed sheets
• Vacuum
• Sweep
• Clean bathrooms
• Dust
• Tidy up completely, including counters, closets, tables, shelves, etc.
• Wash dishes
• Wash sink and drains
• Set auto-response on emails
• Call credit card companies (Ok, that one is Chris)
• Contact post office to hold mail if trip will last longer than 8 days
• Update meds for Finley (dog)
• Pack enough food and treats for Finley for twice as long as we’ll be gone
• Send emergency contact information to parentals
• Paint toenails

Things That I Typically Need to Buy/Stock Up On for Trips

• Medications
  • Tums
  • Pepto
  • Aleve
  • Dramamine
  • Claritin
• Travel toothpaste
• Travel deodorant
• Travel body wash
• Travel shampoo/conditioner
• Travel make-up remover
• Travel lotion
• Loofah
• Razors
• All make-up
• Q-tips
• Travel mouthwash
• Travel facewash
• Gallon-size ziploc bags
• Chapstick
• Mints
• Bobby pins
• Protein bars
• Travel hand-sanitizer
• Travel journal/notebook
• Sunscreen
• Aloe
• Eye drops

And here’s where it may get a bit ridiculous…

The Packing Regimen

• For months before trip, mentally list all best possible outfits to take and all possible outfits needed.  Repeat for weeks until several days before departure.
• Several days before departure, wash all possible clothes that I may ever consider packing.
• Day before, begin laying out outfits, ensuring that all tops can be worn with more than one pair of bottoms and vice versa.  Narrow down to twice as much clothing as needed.
• Day before, decide no less than 4 pairs of shoes to bring.  Put on shoes for airport.  Debate possibility of blisters, stinky feet, clinking, ease in getting on and off during security checks, etc.
• Begin packing:
  • Neatly fold all articles of clothing.
  • Combine to create most-likely-to-wear outfits.
  • Roll all articles of clothing.
  • Place each rolled outfit into one gallon ziploc bag.  Squeeze bag to release excess air and secure.  Repeat for all outfits.
  • Sort outfit bags into categories (can be worn multiple times, nice enough to wear to dinner, for nice dinners only, comfort day wear, etc.).
  • Separate outfit bags in same category to create 3 piles:
    • Must Haves:  Pack in carry-on
    • Would Like to Have, Pile 1:  Pack in Chris’ checked luggage
    • Would Like to Have, Pile 2:  Pack in my checked luggage
• Repeat process for Chris’ clothes.  Become strangely territorial when he invades the “packing area”.  Silently consider blocking area off with caution tape, but decide against it because there’s only a few hours left before we leave and I would like to arrive at the airport no less than 2 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE TIME.

 Just Before We Leave the House

• Verbally call out list of things that should be packed with Chris.
• Repeat.
• Repeat.
• Try to repeat again, but it’s time to go, and Chris is no longer using any words besides “Let’s” and “Go”.  And sometimes “Leaving”.

And Most Importantly…

Sit uncomfortably tense and anxious in the car because I am absolutely positive we have forgotten something and until we have passed through airport security I refuse to relax because I’m sure the thing we’ve forgotten is very likely something we need that we can probably buy when we arrive but I don’t want to because I want the one that I have that I think I have left at the house.

What a joy I must be for fellow travelers as we embark on new adventures.  So yes, Micro-Manager of Preparation seems to fit.  Got a better description?  Feel free to leave it in the comments.