Are you going on vacation this summer? Taking any flights? Driving anywhere? I know how hard it is to pack everything you need into the little suitcase your mom is limiting you to. It is especially hard for those who suffer from pack-a-lot-of-useless-items-for-no-particular-reason syndrome. (I myself have been professionally diagnosed with this illness.) But back to the point. Is there a cure for over-packers? Scientists are desperately working on a million-dollar cure, but for now, we’ll have to settle for a few helpful tips…

Tip #1: Roll Up Your Clothes

SO much simpler than stuffing all your clothes in a 2-by-2 box. There is only so much crammed stuff you can squash into a suitcase, isn’t there? On second thought, jumping up and down on your suitcase to squeeze it closed for some last-minute aerobics before you sit on a plane for five hours may help those who are restless…

Tip #2: Bring a Carry-on

The perfect place to put little things like your toothbrush or comb. Also, you don’t have to constantly be O.C.D. worrying about all the babysitting money you saved up for the gift shops and malls! (Yes, boys, I’m sorry to say that a carry-on is usually a purse. Either man-it-out, or suffer a ninety pound suitcase….)

Tip #3: Attempt To Pack Light

I know, the whole reason you need packing tips is because you CAN’T pack light. It’s not in your nature! You still pack your thirteen-year-old stuffed bunny “Bonjoe” and three thousand Q-tips for only-God-knows-why! (Assuming you do this, your room is probably askew with stuff you forgot you even had…so a little cleaning is helpful as well.) If you would like, you can hold a little good-bye ceremony for the non-essential items you would like to bring but you can’t bring them. I understand, but it’s time to move on!!!!!!

…Now that you have suffered through “packing light”, let us hope that your plane doesn’t crash or something, and make your difficult packing event worthless. Without further hesitation, I wish you a happy, heavy-suitcase-free vacation!