I fly to visit my in-laws in Florida once or twice a year. One change has made our family's trips wildly easier.

• I regularly travel by plane from New York to Sarasota, Florida, to visit my in-laws. • Packing stressed me out until I realized I could store essentials at my mother-in-law's place. • Now, my husband and I travel light, and I worry less about packing and checking bags.

A few years ago, my husband's brother and his family moved from our hometown in New York to Sarasota, Florida. Some time later, my mother-in-law and aunt-in-law followed.

Now, my husband, our two daughters, and I travel to Sarasota at least once a year, sometimes more.

I'm always excited for my kids to see their grandmother and spend time with their cousins, and I enjoy hanging out with my in-laws in the warm weather, catching up on each other's lives. We shop, laugh, eat, and laugh again.

I love these trips — but