When I say I packed, I usually mean I moved everything into the middle of the carpet and went off to meet friends in town.

There is a finesse to staying unpacked, and I have mastered it so quickly that I’ll have time for multiple beverages before anything lands in my luggage. If you’re also desperate to avoid getting ready for a trip, try the following:

1. Buy a new notebook and make a detailed list of the many things to do before departure.

2. Keep the list in your purse/backpack for several weeks. Once it has been suitably damaged, buy a new notebook and make another, more-detailed list of the many more things to do before departure.

3. Start a pile of items you might, maybe, consider bringing with. These should accumulate in a large, obnoxious spot in the middle of your bedroom floor.

3. Unzip your luggage and move the pile of belongings from the carpet to the suitcase lid. Leave for another week.

4. Once the pile collects dust, burn the list. It was fun to write and totally useless. Besides, everything’s already in your suitcase, sort of…

5. Leave without cleaning or returning library books; airplanes wait for no one, and readiness is over-rated.

**Somewhere out there, people  manage to cancel bills and empty fridges and wash their clothes before departure. If this sounds like you, the long-term travel experts at BootsnAll created an ultimate packing list with far better suggestions than I’ve just shared.**

How do you stay unpacked until the last possible minute?