Time moves fast when you are having fun, and it moves even faster when you are constantly moving around. At least that has been the case for us! Usually, we try to plan out our trips in two-week increments. That is our sweet spot where we feel like we have just enough time for us to get everything accomplished without being perpetually in a rush. However, that isn’t always doable. 

There are times when one-week trips are necessary, whether for work or if we are passing through to get to another destination. While these short trips are a little more challenging and tiring, we have figured out ways to maximize the time we do have while we are there.

Order Mail in Advance

Amazon has become our best friend when we are in a pinch and need something fast, but sometimes it can’t make the quick turnaround. This is especially true when we are staying in small towns where the “one-day” prime shipping actually can take up to a week. That is why ordering packages and our mail forwarding in advance is key! Of course, this means having your next trip planned out, which we highly recommend to save money on the road.

Call Ahead

Our one major piece of advice is: call everywhere first! We know calling people seems like a foreign practice nowadays, but we promise it will save a ton of time – especially when running errands so you don’t end up somewhere that has closed, moved locations, or doesn’t actually offer what you need. This has happened to us on a few occasions – whether it’s gyms posting wrong hours/location or RV parks that won’t accept mail, it removes a lot of complications to just call and double-check, and when you only have a week, you don’t have time to learn the hard way! 

Realize 7 Days is More Like 5 Days

When we say we are going to be somewhere for a week, we used to automatically think that we have 7 days to accomplish what we want to accomplish. It didn’t take us long to realize that 7 days is actually more like 5 days when it is all said and done because driving to and from your location (including packing and unpacking) takes away those two days on either end. Understanding that we don’t have quite as much time as we thought has helped us to not delay on anything and do what we need to do or want to do right away. Which leads us to our next point… 

Do Stuff Right Away

We are ambitious people, and it can be hard to stay on top of everything we want to do in one week trips, but marking everything off of our to-do list right away makes it easier. We have mentioned this before, but it is imperative to seize the day! It is easy to say that we will do it tomorrow, but then before we know it, we are packing up to start the process all over again. We have learned that we don’t have time to both do our research on the area AND do all of the activities we want to do, so doing our homework and planning ahead helps us get started on the first day instead of the last day. 

Travel has made us think about time and life differently, and while it can make us feel tired or overwhelmed from this different pace of life, that’s also the beautiful thing about it. Life is short, so we can’t delay living it, and we have to maximize our time in the best way possible. Hopefully these tips help you do the same!