Libby Kinder. I have learned a thing or two during my many years of travel. There are so many details to attend to when we leave home, and one misstep can surely put a crimp in your good times. Here are five tried and true travel tips to guide you toward smooth sailing. Have your passport rea dy. And make sure that passport stays up to date! We’ve all heard the horror stories: “Oops! I’m leaving the U.S. tomorrow, and I just discovered my passport expired two months ago. Now what?” A family member was getting ready to leave on a trip to the Bahamas. Upon tracking down his passport, he found it had expired months ago. After a harried trip to the passport office in Denver, delaying his trip a day, and paying exorbitant fees, he was finally on his way. All was avoidable. Another reason to keep your passport current, and also to have one in the first place, is because you might have some kind of emergency that entails leaving the United States.  Friends were faced with this dilemma when their daughter became ill in Australia. They were finally able to travel to Australia after frantically reaching out to various government offices for assistance.  Pack like a pro. I have strict rules for myself when I pack for a trip. First of all, I have to be able to handle my luggage by myself. If I do have carry-on luggage, I have to be able to hoist it into the overhead bin without help. On two recent international trips, lasting two weeks each, I took a standard-sized suitcase, a medium-sized backpack and a small purse. Thank goodness for rolling suitcases. To pack, I put everything out that I think is necessary for a trip, and then I put half of it away. Of course, I pack to dress in layers, and the goal is to wear every piece of clothing that you take — several times. It helps if you can do laundry once during longer trips. You probably don’t need to take those cute sandals, that cashmere sweater, or three pairs of jeans. Whittle it down. Many of us love bringing home mementos and souvenirs from our travels, so be sure to leave a little (or a lot) of space in your luggage. On one international group trip we took, one tiny woman brought a suitcase that she herself could have fit into. It was crazy! I wondered just what she had in there. When traveling, the last thing you want to worry about is managing an overload of luggage. Keep it simple. Know the rules for what you can bring in and take out of countries you are visiting. There are often strict rules about taking money, food, plants, medication, etc. in and out of a country.  There are also regulations about paying duty charges when you return home. Do your research ahead of time to avoid any hassle.  On our last trip out of the country, I saw two large bottles of hair products being tossed in the trash, much to the chagrin of the unhappy traveler. Once, my husband forgot about a small pocket knife he was carrying. Luckily, I had time to run it back out to the car in the long-term parking lot, or it too would have been tossed. We take our dog with us when we drive to Mexico. Although we have never had an issue, we are careful to have the appropriate documentation handy if asked for.  Make arrangements at home before you leave. A willing neighbor or even a service can be a godsend when you travel: someone to watch your house, water plants and pick up anything left on your front porch. Also, here in Colorado, you want to keep your driveway and sidewalks shoveled if needed, so nasty crooks can’t easily assess that your home is unoccupied.  Check out the MPC (Mobile Passport Control) app. Download the app to save time when you re-enter the U.S. after international travel. We were able to whiz through customs upon returning after our last trip.  Relax and go with the flow: There will almost surely be a hiccup when you travel. It’s not the end of the world, so just deal with it. The hope is always that troubles happen at the end of the trip, not at the beginning. Some years ago, we had to sleep on the floor and uncomfortable seats at the Dallas airport due to weather cancellations at the end of our trip to Alaska. We survived, and it made for a pretty good story! Bon voyage and safe travels! ...read more read less