As I was packing to travel to New York City for my Young Artist Program auditions last year, my roommate walked into my room, and declared, “Holy Toledo!” My bed, reading chair, and virtually every other surface of the room, whether furniture or no, was covered in clothing. The only empty spot in the room was my suitcase, which lay open and contained naught but my travel toothbrush. I was in the midst of trying on a skirt I didn’t remember purchasing. “Help me,” I whimpered to my roommate as she slowly backed out of the room and ran away, screaming.
I have terrible travel karma. I am consistently lost, late, and anxious when I travel. I get lost easily, and often wander for hours just to find where I started—and that happens in the town where I live. My flights are often delayed, and it inevitably snows the day I need to go somewhere. I have sat on runways, run through airports to make a connecting flight in less than eight minutes, and been lost from the group in a group flight. I have taken more than my share of life-threatening cab rides, and I am nearly always that girl at the baggage claim whose suitcase has exploded, littering the carousel with my unmentionables.
I have begun to plan for my luggage to be lost. That way, if it shows up, it is a pleasant surprise. I have worked very hard never to check a bag, or, at the very least, to check as little luggage as possible. This is where I have the most control over mishaps. I have learned the hard way how to pack efficiently and lightly. When I say I learned the hard way, I mean the first time someone told me to pack light, I thought that meant I didn’t need to bring a sweatshirt to the beach—in March. I had to buy one there.
That being said, it is best to take only a carry-on for winter auditions. The longest you’re likely to be there is a week, and it is entirely possible to pack that much into a 22x18x10-inch bag and a personal item, such as a purse, briefcase, laptop, or backpack.
When you shop for a suitcase, check to make sure the size meets regulations. Important note: Expensive luggage implies expensive contents. It is a good idea to avoid drawing attention to your belongings, and designer names attract it. On the other hand, cheaper luggage is more likely to fall apart. Believe me, you don’t want your suitcase to split open or lose a wheel when you are crossing a busy intersection or rushing to make a flight connection. Get a decent, mid-grade suitcase from a reputable company. It will last for years, and you won’t have to worry about the airline abusing it too badly.
Plan to buy a suitcase that will last three to five years with frequent use. That way you’ll know you have a suitcase available for when you get a last minute gig—and you won’t have to borrow your boyfriend’s questionable looking duffel bag, which he’s kept under his bed since he was on his high school wrestling team. Some companies, such as L.L. Bean and other places that cater to frequent business travelers who need to dress professionally, offer carry-on suitcases that have a garment bag section. These are ideal for men who are planning to audition in a suit or women who have easily wrinkled dresses or skirts. You can also get a cheaper plastic garment bag and fold it within your suitcase.
So—you’ve got a suitcase. Now, how to fill it. Answer the following questions:
• How many days will you be there?
• How many auditions are you doing?
• What kind of weather should you expect?
Plan to bring one outfit for each day, aside from what you plan to wear for auditions. Depending on what you’re doing outside of auditions (seeing performances, shopping, visiting friends), the type of clothing will vary.
Bring two audition outfits: a primary you plan to wear for every audition, and a secondary for backup. Your primary should be an outfit that helps you look your best. The secondary is for when you forget to change back into your casual clothing and spill mustard on your primary audition outfit—and still have one more audition left to go. If you are from the north, expect New York during audition season to feel reasonably chilly. If you are from the South or the Southwest, expect it to feel unbearably cold. Watch the Weather Channel to be sure what conditions will be.
Plan to wear comfortable clothing on the plane, with comfortable shoes. Your suitcase should contain the following (for a donwloadable packing checklist, go to
www.classicalsinger.com/downloads/packing_list.pdf):
• Audition outfit No. 1
• Audition outfit No. 2
• Audition shoes (wear these only for auditions, just in case)
• Two pairs of jeans, skirts, or moderately dressy pants
• Ladies: extra pantyhose!
• Gentlemen: extra black socks!
• Two sweaters—cardigans are good for layers
• Two T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, or button-down shirts
• Undergarments for the number of days you will stay, plus two (hey, accidents happen)
• Pajamas
• Swimsuit. My mother told me to always bring one, just in case. You will be extremely disappointed if you don’t bring one and need it.
• Belt
• Hair accessories
• Travel alarm
• Safety pins
• Toothbrush
• Hairbrush
• Floss (travel-size)
• Contact case
• Razor (safety razors, including disposable razors, are approved by the Transportation Security Administration)
• Makeup—pressed powder, solid eye shadow, blush, and applicators
OK, so now we’ve covered clothing and accessories. On to liquid toiletries.
The Transportation Security Administration has a 3-1-1 rule for carry-ons: bottles and containers of liquids must be in 3-ounce containers or less, all containers must be in a 1-quart sized, clear, plastic zip top bag, and only one bag per passenger. Don’t think you can get around this rule. The TSA will confiscate and throw away even brand new packages of toothpaste or expensive perfume.
Bring travel-sized containers. Popular brands of travel products are available at any drugstore or area superstore. If you have to get three teenie-weenie bottles of shampoo to be sure you have enough, it’s better than slowing down the security line and having all of your shampoo confiscated.
Airports generally have extra quart-sized bags if yours breaks or is too big, but it is much better to have it packed already. Keep it close to the top of your suitcase, so that it is easier to remove when you go through security. Rather unfortunately, the regulations mean you cannot bring a bottle of water through security, but instead must pay the outrageous prices within the airport to stay hydrated on the plane.
Here’s a list of toiletries you should plan to bring. Remember, all of this must fit into a quart-sized bag “comfortably” (the bag has to be able to zip shut).
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Face wash/body wash
• Lotion/sunscreen/acne cream
• Shaving cream
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Contact solution
• Makeup: lip balm, lipstick, and mascara
• Tide to Go pen (a must for anyone who is accident prone)
Now that you know what to pack, the issue of how to pack arrives. If you’re picturing Jack Nicholson playing a man with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder packing for a trip in As Good As It Gets, you’ve got the right idea. Keep similar things close together. I recommend getting varying sizes of zip-top plastic bags, and keeping a sock bag, an underwear bag, a T-shirt bag, and so forth. This is worth doing for the look on the faces of the security personnel if they decide to search your bag. The confusion and delight they show when it takes 30 seconds to complete the search is wonderful.
Only one person has scoffed at the plastic bag extravaganza in my suitcase, a friend and travel companion whose bottle of shampoo in her suitcase wasn’t closed properly. Everything was soaked and she had to launder it all. Layer larger things on the bottom, and remember to keep your toiletries on the top for quicker movement through security.
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “Well, what about my music?” Bring double-sided copies (and be sure the bass line in the last system makes it onto the page), hole punched, in a binder, with clear labels so that you and the accompanist can easily find the next piece in your audition. (Do not use plastic page covers.) Rather than packing this in your suitcase, have it handy in your personal item (I suggest a briefcase or larger handbag). You can bring your laptop if you so choose, your binder of audition repertoire, any pertinent contact information for the audition, extra headshots, copies of your résumé, and reading material or iPod for entertainment on the plane.
Store your larger suitcase in the overhead compartment, and your personal item under the seat in front of you. That way, in the middle of the flight, if you become anxious about a certain part of one of your arias, it is within easy reach. When you are adequately, or in my case, over-prepared, you can rest easy on your journey, knowing that the only thing you have to worry about now is singing.
