hello all-
This is my first post. I have a terrible short term memory and when I am at home I always lose keys,notebook,purse etc and just forget things alot. I am curious to know if there is anyone else who has this problem and what succesful strategies have they developed for dealing with this while traveling solo.

Thanks

in a word -- routine.

have a specific place for everything you own. always put it back in that specific place.

make a mental checklist of what you have in your pockets. that way you can check them faster and more easily.

i once heard of a hitchhiker who left her daypack with her passport/credit cards/etc in someones car. by the time she realized her mistake, the driver was already gone. this is why before i move anywhere with my bags, i always run through that mental checklist i have.

yeah, i get kinda O.C.D.about double checking to make sure that i haven't left anything behind. usually gets strange looks from friends when doing this, but leave your wallet in a cab at 1am after
just getting off a plane in a new city and you'll learn your lesson.

double checking never hurts but a stolen credit card will.

The more things you have to carry seperatley then the better chance you have of loosing something. When I was little I would always wear sweatshirts and jackets whenever we traveled by plane or train. I'd take off both of them because I'd get so hot, then I'd leave the sweatshirt. I think that while traveling if you can somehow contain everything that your bringing along with you, you have a better chance of remembering it. And as for small things, once you use them, put them back into the bag! Only get one or two things out at a time. Saves time when its time to pack up and shove off too.

One essential rule: whenever you get out of a car, taxi, bus, boat, train, plane, camel, oxcart or whatever, ALWAYS look on and under the seat you just got up from. Whenever you check out of a hostel, hotel, guesthouse, campsite, flophouse or friend's spare room, ALWAYS give the entire room a once-over before you leave, including under the bed.

Make this a habit. By doing this I've prevented the loss of numerous important items; and by not doing this, I have lost, among other things, a pair of Dr. Martins, US$100 in cash, a camera and several rolls of undeveloped film, a pillow, a jacket, a compass, and a flashlight. It's the film that pains me the most.

Also, don't count on your travel partner to check; they may be counting on you to check. That's how we ended up losing the camera and film in a Hong Kong cab.

Bubbha,
I can so relate about losing the camera. I came about as close as one can to losing a very expensive favorite camera when in Halifax last fall. I thought my travel companion had it and they thought I did. It was sitting on the front seat of the rental car. Needless to say, moments before boarding the plane I had to sprint a mile back to the car to collect it. Thank God the car wasn't locked. It would have been a terrible tradgedy if it had been left. I totally sympathize, Bubbha. I am extreamly concious about my stuff. Always keep the keys in your hand when you lock a door. Double check to make sure you have everything. Keep a mental check list. Always look around a room before leaving.
Jet

I agree with having a routine. My short term memory is crap so I'm always working on ways to remember things and routines help out a lot because of the repetition which helps store it in long term memory. Another thing that helps is notes. Place a checklist somewhere you'll be looking all the time. For instance, laminated and attached to the main zipper of your pack or even around your neck. When you see the list it will say.. "Check for camera, check for keys, check for wallet"... etc etc..

Bubbha, I completely agree with you on checking pockets before leaving a place. I left my wallet on a city bus once because it fell out of my pocket. Now I always try to check my pockets, and I still leave stuff all over the place.

Don't leave your bag at an internet cafe either. I did so just the once. Bizarrely enough I was carrying an empty bag for some reason (usually carry the camera & water in it)
Still remembered quick enough to go back and get it.

I actually have the same problem and found that writing lists work. While in Cuba I lost my passport AND my visa. While staying in a church, I lost my room keys every day and if it wasn't for my roomate, I'd still be in Havana (which may not be a bad thing).

I've also found that streamlining works wonders. I used to have just junk that I'd travel with. I spent a bit of money finding stuff in a travel supply store and now keep my passport, visa, and other important small docs on me. In my convertible duffel/handbag I stow my camera, batteries, mobile, tour books, journal, keys etc. Learn to sew! Buying a few scraps of fabric and sewing new pockets into old bags has done me a world of good.

Good luck

Work with numbers. On every trip, I count the number of luggage we have. I recount them everytime we make a move.

Everytime I go to work-and come back home- I need to have 5 items.(Wallet, keys,
cell phone,glasses, and work i.d.) I know this on a daily basis.

The reason this works is you don't have to memorize each item, just a number.

the search every time you leave a car (oxcart, etc.) or hostel (or whatever) is key. I also make sure that my bag is between my feet, especially if I've been drinking. And if I'm really drinking, I put one of those little caribiners on the bag and thru the laces of my shoe. Sure, I fell down in a bar in Cuzco, but I really wouldn't have remembered the bag otherwise.