It is not easy to live out of a suitcase, so DON’T do it. When you arrive take that suitcase and Unpack It! Your new word for the day is “knolling.” Have you ever heard of the “knolling” process?
Here is how knolling can be applied to traveling. In essence, start with scanning your hotel room or apartment, wherever you are staying – look to see if there are closets, hangers, dresser drawers, nightstands with draws, storage in the bathroom…
When you arrive take advantage of the closet and dresser space and unpack. You will be glad you did.
Leave things in your suitcase you are not going to be using at this stop, say perhaps information about the prior city you visited, things you only use when flying, souvenirs, that bathing suit you can’t use at this location…
Group like objects such as underwear, shirts, blouses and pants, in stacks on the bed.
Then put everything right into those closets and dresser drawers. It really only takes a minute or two.
You end up having your clothes and things put away in an organized fashion, easy to find when you need them. No more rutting through that suitcase.
By doing this when you first arrive, you will find yourself more relaxed, which will make yo
u feel great for the rest of your stay.
Mr. Adam Savage, from the TV show Mythbusters, is a huge fan of knolling, including when he travels. Mr. Savage said, “the first thing I do when I arrive at my hotel room is dump the contents of my bag on the hotel bed.” Then he sorts it out and puts everything away. He says the process is almost like meditation for him – it relaxes him.
Remember, if you try to live out of a suitcase it will probably get more messed up each time you change clothes and it will become more frustrating. Why start your day trying to find something to wear when it could be neatly hanging in the closet.
Every time I unpack my suitcase I feel more at home. It doesn’t take long to do and will make a world of difference. Please try it and let me know how it works for you.
Side note – More about the origin of “knolling” –
Andrew Kromelow, a janitor at Frank Gehry’s furniture fabrication shop, first used the term in 1987.
Definition – Knolling is the process of arranging related objects in parallel or 90-degree angles as a method of organization.
