1. Prepare for your return before you leave
I always like to plan an extra day for vacations when I travel so that I have one buffer day between vacation and going back to work, but for a lot of people, they'd understandably rather use that "extra" day for more travel and vacation. In either instance, prepare for your return before you leave. Clean up your house before you go so on return it's not another thing you need to add to your list. Prepare your kitchen for a return meal. Have cold water or other beverages already in the fridge along with some sort to easy to prepare/microwave/or simply unwrap and eat meal so you don't have to worry about food when you get back. Lay out a towel, you're soap and some comfy pjs, so you can get back, disrobe, shower, and immediately get comfortable. You may also want to lay out your first outfit of the work week and have a ready made lunch so you don't even have to think about your first day back other then to dress, grab that lunch, and go.
2. Pack with travel cubes
These changed my packing life! It is like playing adult Tetris except you win every single time. Packing cubes ensure that everything you bring literally fits using every square inch of your luggage effectively. You can have a cube for all your shirts, pants, shoes, your kids, husband/wife, whatever if they are coming with you to. So incredibly convenient, and you never have to wonder if you can get all your stuff back in your bag.
3. Disinfect everything
Nothing sucks worse than being sick before, or during your vacation. Before you travel, eat plenty of fruits and greens, take an immuno booster, avoid sick people like the plague, wash your hands. If you're boarding public travel--trains, buses, airplanes, before you sit down, wipe down your seat with disinfectant and wash your hands. Take a few minutes in your hotel room to do the same with door handles, counters, remote controls, phones, etc. Just because they have house keeping, does not mean they are going in deep and cleaning up perfectly every time for everyone.
4. Bring Snacks
Often times you'll be waiting around for attractions and transport forever. Bring snacks. When you get hungry, you tend to get angry, and little things can set you off. Bring something to nibble on to keep your energy up. Make sure your travel buddies grab some too before you leave.
5. Enroll in STEP for international travel
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that allows U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad to enroll with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. This then allows you to receive the latest safety and security information for your destination country, helps the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency, and helps family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
6. Inform your bank
In this age of identity theft, understandably a lot of people are hooked up to their bank to allow for security alerts, and even for your cards to be shut down if they go over a certain amount. Make sure to inform your bank of your travel plans. If you don't travel much, charges in other states and other countries can trigger your banks security protocols and totally shut down your cards, and then it's a whole thing to call and have to remember what your security questions are and verify it's you in the middle of you trying to pay for dinner or travel from a to b while on vacation.
7. Don't post until you get back
Speaking of security, announcing to all 500 of your facebook friends and twitter and IG followers that you're going to be away for 2 whole weeks is not the best idea nor is posting a photo of your exact hotel room number or where you are on vacation every five seconds. You want to privately inform close friends and family of your exact travel plans, but leave the celebrating your vacation online publicly for when you get back because it is incredibly easy to find out where you live these days thanks to Google maps, or your own overshare and then you come home or to your hotel to a nightmare.
What Girls & Guys Said
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I traveling every year, but this summer 2020 decided to give up travel and went into full work and renovation. It is worth refraining from traveling now. For the future, informative advice.
Great advice!