This may be less of a packing tip, and more of a “What Not to Wear to the Airport” tip.

This weekend I went to Chicago for my sister’s bachelorette party. I left for the airport about twenty hours after arriving home from Manila, so there wasn’t a lot of time to get ready. Friday morning was frantic, running around doing laundry, Scotch-guarding boots, running errands, and packing.  Let’s just say that I was running late. Very late.

Luckily, I had printed out my boarding pass ahead of time, and when I got to the airport (with about five minutes until boarding time) there was no line at security. Yes! I thought. I will make it, and maybe have enough time to get lunch. I go to the security line, get all my stuff (laptop, shoes, toiletry bag) ready to go in the bins. Send it through the machine. Go to walk through the X-ray machine and…..beeeeeeeep!!  Yes, friends, that was me, setting off the alarm on the machine, for the first time in possibly five years.

I look down and realize—it is my shirt. In preparation for going out to dinner straight from the airport, I had worn one of my favorite winter-time party shirts. It is a black V-neck, with a large black and silver brooch sewn into the middle. Yes, I literally put on a shirt made of metal and tried to walk through the machine at the airport. Did not even occur to me that this would be a problem.

So as the very nice TSA lady pats me down, I watched the first group start to board my plane. And the second. And I pick up my shoes and suitcase and run to get in line, gasping for air, as my group is about to board. I made it, barely. I’ve decided to blame sleep deprivation from the Manila trip for the whole debacle.  But don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson!!

So this quick packing tip is: Don’t wear shirts with metal sewn in them to the airport! It will slow you down and make things complicated.

Happy travels!