Traveling with ADHD

[TLDR: My travel hiccups and a list of things that work well for the ADHD traveler like a packing list; a system for taking and tracking medication; journaling during the trip; using lots of clear, translucent, or mesh bags so that the contents are obvious; buying duplicate items that live in my travel bags; and dedicating a smallish drawstring bag to manage the contents of my pockets while going through airport security.]

Read more: Traveling with ADHD

I just got back from a trip and boy is my brain tired.

Despite an extensive packing list, I forgot things. Because of course I’d forget things. How could I not? On top of the fact that EVERYONE forgets things, I have ADHD.

I completely forgot to put my multivitamin into the pill holder (how did I do that? I successfully loaded it with the other 5 pills and capsules… the bottles are all together in the same place… how did I skip just one? Why?). (Please don’t cite studies about how multivitamins don’t work—whether it’s placebo effect or I’m in the minority, they help me a lot). Plus, my Tylenol was expired, so I picked up more of both of those at a grocery store. ADHD tax as I have plenty of both at home.

In addition, three days of my 7-day pill holder opened and my supplements spilled out, which wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that two of the supplements I take every day look exactly alike. I ended up throwing out 6 capsules and reorganizing the pill container so I skipped the “missing” supplements on alternating days.

I was in three different hotels over the course of the trip, so I had to unpack and repack multiple times. I kept spinning around the hotel room, trying to remember where something was or where I put things on any given day.

And to top it off, I got the bud of a Q-tip stuck in my ear. Sort of. (It fell off the stick on its own, I wasn’t being vigorous or anything. And yes, I know we’re not supposed to use them.) I ended up in an emergency room because the clinics were all full of people with respiratory diseases, so they weren’t accepting walk-ins. But, because the universe has a sense of humor, once I actually saw a doctor, there was nothing in my ear. How could there be nothing? Was the cotton bud never on the Q-tip stick and I didn’t notice? Did it fall out on its own? Who knows. Not looking forward to that bill arriving.

After all of that, what did work?

• Packing list. Even though I did forget things, having a packing list really helps me remember things I’d otherwise forget because I use them so regularly I’m practically blind to them, like my hairbrush. But I must check items off or my brain will lie and tell me we packed that when we just looked at it and thought about packing it.
• Medication system. Having a system by which I kept all of my prescription pills in a clear, zippered container so I could see what was in the bag and what was on my nightstand (to be taken in the morning).
• Using my Mood & Medication Tracking form, which I will share at the end of this month for the $5 folks, to track the pills I take on alternating days.
• A translucent mesh bag for my supplements and the 7-day pill holder (well, let’s mark this one as half useful, because it’s possible that the compartments opened up after catching on the mesh while shifting around in transit).
• Happy Ears ear plugs (I am not paid to say that, they just work well for me).
• A sleep mask to battle inadequate curtains/shades.
• Small zippered “cubes” with mesh on one side that I use for underwear and can easily see what’s inside.
• A cloth laundry bag for dirty laundry.
• A small drawstring pouch into which I can dump the contents of my pockets while going through security. It lives in my carry-on and this is its only job. It’s easy to put what I want back into my pockets after I’ve been cleared and leave the rest, like house keys, in the pouch until I’m home again.
• Journaling. I fill a small notebook with brief notes containing the names of places and what I did there, or what I ate there, for me to fill in the details later. Documenting the smaller details helps me fill out the picture when I have time later in the day or at night before bed. And keeping a journal helps me remember the good times in the future when I’m miserable and can’t think of a good memory on my own.
• Duplicates. I used to have a lot of duplicates when I traveled more, but not so much since COVID. For things that I regularly use, instead of having to pack them immediately after using them the morning of my trip, I have duplicate items that live in my travel bag, like tweezers, nail clippers, a toothbrush, small toothpaste, etc. I check expiration dates in the run-up to the trip.

In the evenings, I would take my nighttime medication from the clear container, take the pills, then put the pill bottles back into the container and pull out the morning medication to go on my nightstand. In the morning, after taking my medication, all bottles went back into the container so I didn’t get confused about whether I’d taken them or not.

Also in the evenings, I would look at any notes from my day and document what happened, what I saw, things I did, people I met, etc. I’m terrible with names, but I’m pretty good with faces, so I will literally draw the table and put the names of each person around the table so I can remember who was who. Or, if I’m watching a panel, I’ll draw a box and write their names in position from left to right. Making brief notes of the details like the name of the museum, the type of sandwich I ate for lunch, the guests at dinner help me recreate and document the day. This is also a nice and calming pre-bed ritual that I find helps me sleep.

On trips where we’ve spent time with other people, they often ask what I’m doing with my pen and notebook and I’ll explain. Usually, everyone’s kind about it. Occasionally someone sneers and I know that’s a person to avoid.

Those are my recommendations. Do you have any travel tips to share?