It’s that time of year again….VACATION, VACATION, VACATION! You’ve worked hard all year, it’s time for a break and time to relax. Well…don’t relax just yet. You’ve got some planning to do! Preparing for a vacation can be pretty stressful stuff but I’ve found that a little advanced planning, doing just a few things at a time and creating a checklist have been the key to ensuring a calm, stress-free vacation. I’ve created a pretty solid timeline below to help guide you with your vacation prep:
1 Month Prior:
- Double check Passports if traveling abroad: start application process no later than 1 month prior to your trip if this is your first time getting a passport.
- Make travel reservations: airplane, train, automobile, bus.
- Arrange sleep accommodations: hotel, campsite, RV site or with family and friends (be courteous and give them plenty of notice).
- Get vaccinations: update standard vaccinations and check into the need for special vaccines for international travel.
- Insurance: consider travel insurance and international motor insurance.
- Arrange for lawn care if needed.
- Arrange for pet care: make reservations at a kennel or with family and friends (again, give them plenty of notice so they don’t book other plans).
- Arrange for child care if heading out on a romantic vacation….wouldn’t that be nice!!!
- If traveling abroad, you’ve got to check out the US State Department Travel Website. It’s got some really helpful information about the the items mentioned above (passports, travel insurance, vaccinations, travel warnings and country profile) and much much more.
1 -2 Weeks Prior:
- Schedule a hold on your mail with the US Postal Service and newspaper (not only will this prevent your stuff from piling up, it also deters thieves…stacks of newspapers and mail is a clear sign that the home is empty).
- Prep your car if going on a road trip: get an oil change, rotate/balance tires, check/fill fluids, get car washed and stock it with a first aid kit, emergency crash kit, flat tire repair kit, basic tools, flashlight and road map/GPS.
- Start clearing out your fridge by eating leftovers (don’t open up anything new if you know you’re not going to finish it before you leave).
- Collect emergency info for you and for your family: Make 2 copies of your drivers license, travel itineraries, identification section of your passports, immunizations records, hotel reservations and credit cards (if you feel comfortable). Give one set of copies to your family/friends and keep the other set with you on your trip, separate from the originals. Again, check out the US State Department’s Travel Website for more information. They even have a cool feature that allows you notify them of your travel (this is extremely helpful if they need to notify you or help out in emergencies).
2-3 Days Prior:
- Clean your house (believe me…there’s nothing like coming home from a vacation to a nice, tidy home).
- Pay your bills: make sure everything is paid during your trip.
- Make a checklist of special items needed for the trip: luggage, camping supplies, sports equipment, swimwear, hiking equipment, etc.
- Conduct an inventory and inspection of those special items: You don’t want to find out the night before that you’re missing items or that something is broken and it’s too late to go shopping.
- Mow the lawn.
- Start laundry.
- Notify local police of your absence as well as the US State Department.
Day Before:
- Water plants (consider bringing them indoors or under a covered patio to protect them from the elements).
- Finish last loads of laundry.
- Charge all batteries and electronics: phones, laptops, cameras, DVD players, games, iPods/MP3 players.
- Print out travel itineraries or save to mobile device.
- Conduct early flight check-in if possible.
- Clear fridge of any food that will go bad and spoil.
- Take out garbage or ask neighbor to take it out.
- Wash dishes and run garbage disposal.
- Store/Secure valuables.
- PACK!!!
As You Are Leaving:
- Pack those last minute items: toiletries, electronics, etc.
- Turn off the water heater.
- Set heat or A/C to a money saving temperature.
- Unplug appliances that don’t need to be kept on: electric razor, electric toothbrush, chargers, small kitchen appliances.
- Lock ALL windows and close blinds/curtains.
- Turn off interior lights.
- Leave patio lights on (in front and back).
- Locks ALL doors.
- DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE ALL YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND IDENTIFICATION!!!
The last thing you need to think about when you walk out your door is: Did I turn off the lights? Did I lock all the windows? Did I pack all my electronics? Did I turn off the gas? Well, no need to worry. If you take care of everything on this list, you’ll be able to walk out that door and take your first step to a nice, peaceful, serene vacation. Ahhhhhh…..
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