If you have read my bio, than you know I love international travel. Most of my friends perk up when you simply mention the word "travel" in their presence. For most people traveling is a break from their ordinary routine, a chance to retreat and regroup, or simply a change of venue that gives a person or family the opportunity to refresh the mind, body, and spirit.

There is one frequently overlooked aspect of travel that can make or break your trip, and I can sum it up in one word: Luggage. The beginning of all great international trips starts with the right luggage, and strategy for packing your belongings. There are so many things whose availability we take for granted while at home, but whose absence in a foreign country can put a major crimp in one's vacation. In this hub I will share my strategies for efficient and effective packing. Did I mention that it all starts with the right luggage? There are three essential pieces or bags that will allow you to cover most of your travel needs. I will go in order from smallest to largest.

The cosmetic bag. This little baby is like your personal valet. Here is where you stash all your frequently used medicines such as pain relievers, antihistamines, tummy tamers, sleep aids, eye drops, antibiotic crème, and band-aids to name some. Don't forget a spare pair of contact lenses, tweezers, manicure kit, and toothbrush. Add travel size mouth wash, toothpaste, liquid soap, shampoo, baby powder, hair gel, contact lens solution, brush and comb. Going somewhere hot? Bring along sun tan lotion, mosquito repellant, and a topical anesthetic for bites and scrapes. You can easily fit all this in a bag that is a mere 12" x 7" x 5".

The Carry-on Bag The key here is compartments. Enough to help you segregate items so that they can easily be retrieved, but not so many that you can not keep track of where you put things. Spend the extra coin to make sure that the bag is sturdy and has indestructible zippers A good carry on is soft sided, expandable, has rollerblade type wheels, as well as adjustable shoulder straps for when you want to use it as a back pack. Now that many airlines are restricting or charging extra for each additional piece of stowed luggage, the carry on has become an even more important piece of your luggage solution.

So what do you pack here? The carry-on is your bridge from one location to the next. It should contain your cosmetic bag, as well as one day's change of clothing a small towel, and a bathing suit. Why? Very simple. There are two major reasons. If there is a major delay with one of your flights, or - don't even think it - the airline misplaces your main luggage, you will at least have all the essentials you need for that day. Second reason is to save time. You just checked into your hotel and want to jump right into your first fun activity. Unzip the main compartment, grab what you need, and go. You can unpack your main suitcase later on.

Other items for your carry on are good reading material, maps of your destinations, scrap paper and a 2 pens (one always doesn't work, or gets lost), a hard case for your sunglasses, cell phone and charger, and a couple of bags of your favorite trail mix to help tame the munchies when food is not available or outrageously expensive as in most airports.

Your main suitcase: Here is where your O.C.D. will be tested. Can you resist over packing? Naturally all trips are unique, and no two itineraries require the same clothing, so here are some general guidelines. A good main bag will be wheeled, soft sided, and light. A large 28" Pullman or a 30" duffle can do the job quite well. You are best served by a piece with three compartments. Also bring a couple of high quality plastic draw-string garbage bags. You will see why in a minute.

The smallest section, which will often have its own side zipper access, will be for your shoes. This allows you to keep your other clothing clean and separate from footwear.

The next compartment or area, generally found in the expandable lid of the Pullman, or sub compartment of the duffle, will be for your better or more formal clothing. It will typically have some sort of accordion apparatus that will allow you to tri-fold suits or dresses, and then secure them with straps or hooks. The apparatus will usually be removable so that you can take it and transfer your hanging clothes directly from the suitcase to the closet. Neat.

The main section is for everything else. Fold your items and pack them vertically so that they can be cleanly removed from the suitcase when it sits open in front of you, without having to dig under layers of stuff to find that favorite pair of shorts. Now as the trip progresses, you will begin to have more dirty clothing, and less fresh clothing. Bag the dirty clothes in a garbage bag. When you need to pack up and leave to your next destination, place the sealed garbage bag where the clean clothes had been by shoving over the remaining vertically packed items, and inserting the bag. It works.

Wow. I feel like writing this piece was a quick getaway. Hope all your travels are trouble free.