Things I must have when I travel

I've been doing quite a bit of traveling around lately. Every time I have to jet off somewhere the next day, I usually leave my packing till about a couple of hours before I have to make my way to the airport (don't ask.. i don't know why i don't do it earlier). So it usually ends up to be a bit of a last minute frenzy and in most cases I almost always have left something behind. The last time, we were 1/2 way to the airport, before I told Pete to turn around as I had forgotten something.

I could almost still hear the groaning. "Arghh ?! Not again...%*#@"

Its a good thing I only live 10 mins away from the airport. :)

Pete requested I come up with a list of things I must pack (and made sure that I have packed it) before we leave the apartment.

So here is my list (and reasons why):

• My Toothbrush and Colgate Toothpaste - There is a good reason for this. They aren't available at most hotels. The last time I forgotten mine, I had to fork out $25 for a new toothbrush and toothpaste at some $#@%@ hotel's lobby shop.
  
• My Ceramic Hair Straightener - Most people don't know this, but I have natural curls. In a bad way. My hair gets so curly and frizzy its practically out of control. This is what I made Pete drive back home for the last time. I could probably survive 2-3 days without it, but not 2-3 weeks.
• Shampoo & Conditioner - Ok. There are only a couple of shampoo & conditioners that work for me, and a lot which don't work for me. My curls are sensitive and have a mind of their own (see above). Lets just leave it at that.
• Thongs - I mean 'feet wear' thongs. I used to come back with a new pair of slippers or thongs after every trip. I'm not good on heels if I have to walk in them for over 4 hrs a day. I usually just give up, pop into the first footwear shop I can find, and buy a new pair of thongs and wear them around instead. Instant relief for my flat feet. On last count I have 5 pairs of thongs which I've to store away because I don't wear them anymore (And so Bunny doesn't start chewing on them). Therefore, to prevent further additions to my collection, I have to remember to bring a pair along.
• DS + Charger - Nintendo DS ~~! I can't survive a 30 min train ride without my DS, so there is no way I could survive a 13+ hr flight without it by my side. On one of my last flights back home, the entertainment system died, which meant no movies. There is no way I'm even going to risk it.
• Phone Charger - I have accumulated 4 phone changers at home, one in the office and another one at home with a 'Singaporean' plug. See the last sentence on my note about Thongs above.
• Cold & Flu Tablets - Preferably something that contains Pseudoethedrine. I couldn't get my hands on any of this stuff at Walgreen in the States (was actually told it was illegal ?!).. BTW, I actually did have the flu. And I had no idea what it was in Japanese when I was in Japan with the flu again.
  

Thats about all I can come up with. Everything else, I believe I could buy (at a reasonable price). Anybody able to think of any other must-need-to-pack necessities ?