In our house, May is a month of travel this year. Earlier this month, Josh, Belane, Marcus and I traveled to Chicago, where we attended a fundraising event for HIV+ adoption. I was a speaker at the event and Belane was a guest of honor. (You can read more about it here and here on my personal blog).

We just got home from Chicago this weekend and unpacked, and now are gearing up for our big trip to Disneyworld, Universal Studios and Sea World in Florida, thanks to Make A Wish (and to Belane, who wished to hug a princess). You can read more about our trip here.

So with all of this packing and unpacking, it has me thinking about our adoption trips, and all of the packing and unpacking we have done for those in the past year or so.

If you are traveling soon, here are some tips on how to pack for your trip adoption trip. While some of this is more appropriate for parents adopting internationally, a lot of it is also helpful if you are traveling for a domestiv adoption.

- Know as much as you can about where you are going.

When packing clothes, ask what the weather will be like. What sort of dress is appropriate? Is there laundry service available or can you reasonably do laundry in your room? How long will you be staying?

Also know what supplies will and will not be available to purchase in country, what types of food will and will not be available, if a stroller or car seat are necessary or not, if your room will have towels and sheets or not, etc.

Knowing this stuff in advance will help you travel as lightly as possible, while also ensuring that you are prepared.

- Know what the luggage weight limits are for the airlines you are traveling on. Fines for bags that are too heavy can be quite pricey.

- Find out what type of currency is used, if you will have access to ATM’s, if it is possible to use credit cards and if it is more appropriate for where you are traveling to bring cash or travelers’ checks. Also find out early if you there are any special money requirements (for instance in Ethiopia, they will not take any $100 bills from 1996).

Bring more money than you think you need (especially if using ATMS's and/or credit cards will not be possible), and split it up into several different places either on your person on in your carry on luggage.

- Photo copy all of your important adoption documents, your passport and visa and your planet tickets. Leave one set at home and pack one set separately from your originals.

- Put anything you are bringing that has the potential to leak in a ziplock bag (or two).

- Bring plenty of over the counter medications for colds, fevers, diarrhea and other common maladies when traveling internationally, and also make sure you bring OTC meds for your child, as well as any prescriptions your doctor may think you should need. Many doctors prescribe an antibiotic or other meds for adoptive parents to bring on their trip, just in case. Also, don’t forget medicines for lice and scabies, which are common in orphanages.

- Don’t forget donations. Many orphanages rely on traveling parents to carry over needed supplies, as shipping supplies to other countries is often cost-prohibitive and less reliable. Ask your agency early on what supplies are needed or if they have supplies ready to be carried over, and remember to leave room in your luggage (which can be refilled with souvenirs for the trip home.)

- Talk to other adoptive parents who have recently traveled. Ask them what they brought and didn’t need, and what they didn’t bring and wish they had. Also ask what they couldn't live without.

- Keep a list of things you have packed and things you need to pack. I also keep lists of things I need to purchase for my trips and check them off as I buy them and pack them. Lists are good, especially when your brain is going a thousand miles a minute and is flooded with emotions, as it often is right before an adoption trip.

More on packing and preparing to travel –

My super detailed, kick-butt adoption packing list

Tips for your Adoption Travel - part one

Tips for your Adoption Travel - part two