Before getting ready for a trip — business or pleasure — do you have a set checklist?

Before I depart for a trip, I go through the same mental checklist before walking out the door. I go through all my work materials, followed by a quick list of personal items. I make sure all my shoes in the suitcase have a matching mate; I double check that I have enough suits to get me through a trip full of business meetings.

Does having this checklist always prevent me from forgetting something? Usually not, but it still gives me peace of mind. The last item, but certainly not the least, is my passport, which I make a point to physically and mentally check. Yes, I admit I did leave my passport at home once. I was headed on an international business trip with a colleague, and years later they have yet to let me forget it.

After forgetting my passport, I was given many solutions on ways to ensure it never happened again. One tip I’ll leave you with, as I found it humorous and extremely useful. It came from a pilot who once left his passport behind in a hotel room. To make sure he would never make the same mistake again, he always put one of his shoes in the hotel safe with his passport. The next morning, he wouldn’t be able to leave without both his shoes, and he would always have his passport.

– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

As Louie and I prepared for our annual January trip to New York for the GT awards event, the debate over luggage came up again. Do we check it or carry it on?

The question is more of convenience rather than cost. The $15 per bag charge wasn’t going to put a major dent into my 2010 budget. Still, it is always nice to avoid extra charges if possible.

The absolute worst-case scenario is to plan on carrying on my bag, only to be told as I am boarding that the overhead compartments are full and I need to check my bag. In that case, not only will I have to deal with luggage claim, but I will have to fill out the tags at the last minute. Plus, I could have used a bigger bag and just checked it at check-in. This has happened to me twice and is a major annoyance.

On the surface, it is easy to blame the passenger who brings on one bag (which is already questionably oversized), plus a personal bag (which is more like a gym duffel bag), plus a laptop case (which seems to be larger than laptops I have seen), plus possibly one more small bag for under-the-seat stowage. That’s four bags, by my count.

Don’t get me wrong, that person deserves some of your ire, but let’s put the blame where it belongs. The airlines need to enforce tougher standards for carry-on bags.

My longtime friend, Sky Torvis (former radio personality in Bisbee, Ariz.), once asked me why airlines don’t charge for carry-on bags. What a radical yet perfectly logical concept.

There should still be enforced limitations, but passengers should pay more for the convenience of carrying on a bag (or four). Wouldn’t that make more sense? At least I could get some satisfaction knowing that the luggage hog was coughing up some cash!

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

My younger daughter, Jenny, heads off for two-and-a-half months in Europe in January, and she has had no problem coming up with a lengthy wish list of items for Christmas and her January birthday. While she has let it be known that cash would be most welcome, she’d also be happy with a whole slew of seeming necessities for the journey: a new piece of luggage or two, a video camera, iPhone . . . you get the picture: some big-ticket items.

Since she reads this blog, I won’t reveal what has been crossed off her list, but let’s just say that I’m hoping to find some items for her that will prove to be extremely useful on her journey and a lot more friendly to my budget. While I’ve done some traveling, I haven’t had to live abroad for an extended period with only a couple of suitcases to hold what I’d need for that time. And I certainly wouldn’t claim to be aware of all the handy and ingenious gadgets out there that make travel in a foreign country easier or more enjoyable. In addition, I’m pretty sure that what I might consider essential would not necessarily match what Jen feels she couldn’t do without.

I always look forward to Alexandra Kirkman’s Tech Toys column in each issue of Global Traveler. She presents an amazing array of items which seem to answer a plethora of busy travelers’ needs. I’m not particularly technically proficient but can clearly ascertain the value of the most advanced of products she finds. And not all are of the high-tech variety, either, but each provides a solution for situations many travelers face. I’ve been skimming through past issues to consult the column and believe I’ve found a few surprises Jenny may be glad to have along with her.

Nevertheless, I’d welcome hearing from those of you out there who travel often and have suggestions for those don’t-leave-home-without-it items. Whether it be the right kind of shoe for navigating cobblestoned streets, a readable travel guide — or even what NOT to take — I’d appreciate the input. Actually, any sort of travel tips aimed at a young woman traveling in Europe and staying in hostels with friends would be great. Fellow GT blogger and staffer Kim Krol has already graciously and generously offered Jenny some great comments and observations from her own study and travel abroad experiences. I think that’s one of the most admirable characteristics that I find the majority of global travelers possess: an eagerness to share with and assist fellow wanderers in their explorations of the world.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I can’t believe Thanksgiving has come and gone already. The remainder of the holiday season is in full swing and 2009 is quickly wrapping up. Wow! And as the temperatures continue to drop, I am reminded of a mid-October jaunt to Houston, where the weather was unseasonably hot.

My colleague and I were shocked when we stepped out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Heat hit us in the face like a ton of bricks. Temperatures were reaching the mid-90s while our friends and family at home in PA were experiencing chillier than normal, wet weather. I had attempted to pack for the heat and have warm clothes for the return, but I just ended up getting it all wrong.

Houston, in my opinion, is an odd city. It does not have a very city-like feel because of its widespread area. The downtown is far less populated than in other cities, and it seems more city action takes place outside of the city’s center. Our trip started with a visit to the downtown area, where the convention center, baseball stadium and several hotels and restaurants reside.

A trip down the highway took us to the Galleria section, where high-end shopping reigns supreme. The area is full of hotels, stores, restaurants and shopping centers. It seems to me this is also a more popular residential area than downtown. To be honest, downtown seemed dead. No one was wandering around, but we later learned this is because of an underground tunnel system that allows people to move around the area and avoid the oppressive heat. Apparently, underground is quite abuzz with activity.

Our hotel, the brand-new Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE, took us to the newest up-and-coming area of the Texas city, located across from the Energy Corridor. The area is full of restaurants, business, condos and activities. People from all over the city flock to the new sushi place, high-profile chefs are moving restaurants into the area, and I suspect that on my next visit, the CITYCENTRE will be packed with people.

Having sampled each of these three areas, I see the appeal of each and I understand why people rave about Houston, but I think the city’s layout would definitely take some adjustment. One thing that takes no getting used to is the hospitality and kindness of the Houstonians. Everyone I met was so friendly and more than willing to help or chat. I will return to Houston in August for the annual NBTA Convention. I look forward to learning more about the city. However, I have to admit, I am not looking forward to the summer temperatures!

 – Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

At last the week has arrived which I have been looking forward to all winter. On Monday evening my husband and I are catching a red-eye out of Seattle for our spring break trip to New York City. The main focus and highlight of the trip will be Global Traveler’s Anniversary Celebration at the Renaissance New York in Times Square on Thursday evening. I’m really looking forward to meeting face-to-face all of the GT staffers with whom I’ve been working and communicating for a year via phone and email.

Of course, Harry and I are also anticipating the time we’ll have in the city before and after the event to play tourist. We have each been to New York, but not for a whole bunch of years, and not together. My one visit occurred in the summer of 1979 when my college roommate and I treated ourselves to a graduation gift of a week in the big city, seeing seven or eight Broadway shows, visiting museums and the Statue of Liberty and generally kicking up our heels. Harry and his brother attended one of Wine Spectator’s “wine experience” events in 1993 (and never fail to rave about the Carnegie Deli ever since). We’re eager to rediscover the city as a couple and know we’ll  have no trouble filling our four days there with all kinds of great experiences.

Before we get there, though, I must forge through the one aspect of travel that I least enjoy (yes, even less than red-eye flights in coach): packing. I will admit that I spend an inordinate amount of time dithering over just what outfits to pack and how many pairs of shoes I’ll really need (invariably, I always haul along more than I’ll actually wear). I check weather forecasts for my destination and pray that over the course of a few days I won’t be faced with extremes of snow and 30 degrees followed by “unseasonably warm” temps. That inevitably means I’ll be adding more clothing to my suitcase than most seasoned travelers would pack for a month, knowing even while I’m doing it that I probably won’t wear half of it. I think the only solution for this problem is longer, more frequent trips to more wonderful destinations, so that I can really get the hang of this packing business!

Okay, I’ve put it off long enough; back to the closet and suitcase I go. Wish me luck, and if you’d like to weigh in with any suggestions on what we should see or do this coming week in New York City, please leave a comment here (packing tips would also be appreciated!).

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader