It’s happened to everyone; maybe even you. You pack up to leave your hotel room, go out the door, fly to your next location, and as you unpack you realize that the power brick for your laptop is gone – you must have left it on the desk in your room. Or you forgot to grab the khakis you wore last night and threw on the chair. Or you left your electric toothbrush in the bathroom.
The first time I ever went on vacation as an adult, I realized when I got home that I had left my nightshirt on the bed. I remember it was a white nightshirt and I had thrown it on the white sheets; easy to miss.
Not me & not the nightshirt or bed sheets in question 😉
It wasn’t a big deal to me; it wasn’t a very expensive nightshirt and I had others. But from that point forward I made sure I checked everything before I left a hotel room. And to make sure I didn’t miss a nook or cranny, I had a special way of doing it…
The technique
To make a long story short, I started in one part of the room and worked my way around until I had gone through everything. It was simple, it took about a minute or less, and it worked.
Fast forward a couple of decades and I discover that someone at USA Today has roughly the same “check the room” habits as me. Who woulda thunk?
Here’s what Christine posted on USA Today:
I find a starting place, usually the front door, and I walk through the room, checking the floor, surfaces, and any closets or drawers as I pass, making sure to look under things like beds and tables.
Because I’m usually staying in a normal-sized hotel room (pity the poor fool with a suite; they would need at least half a minute for this), this process takes about 15 seconds. I’ve then got another 15 seconds to head into the bathroom and look everywhere—the counters, any drawers, the bathtub (sometimes I forget that I’ve hung laundry there to dry), and the back of the door.
In 30 seconds, I’ve just cleared the whole room and gathered any straggler items (there’s usually at least one).
I can confirm from many years of experience that Christine’s method works. 😉
Oh, and to make sure you don’t leave anything in the safe? Do this. Works every time!
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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