September 2019 |Issue No. 5
THE CHARTROOM
Twice a month travel news from Charting Memories Travel
OMG! My vacations starts when? Now What?
I love vacations. It does not matter if I am going a way for the weekend or for a month. Next week I am heading to Mexico on a 5 day cruise. It is partially for training that is being conducted by Carnival and partially to spend time with family and to make some new friends. This trip has been scheduled for about 9 months so I have had plenty of time to get ready but…
Let’s be real, we are not all good about completing things in advance and there are always some things that we don’t think about. Today I want to share a few simple things that we need to take care of before we travel to make lives a little easier.
If you are leaving the country get a passport even if you don’t need one. The cost is minimal when you consider that they are good for 10 years and they worth every penny if you have to fly home unexpectedly. Make sure that it is current. Many places require your passport to be valid for 6 months after travel.
Let your bank know that you will be out of town. It is really annoying when your bank puts a hold on your credit card because it looks like someone else may be using your card. They do it for your protection, but it can be very inconvenient and embarrassing when you can’t pay your bill. It takes a quick phone call or most banks let you notify them online.
Make arrangements for your mail. Have a trusted neighbor or friend empty your mailbox or have the post office hold it for you.
Paws to Pavement – My pet sitter of choice
Don’t forget to make arrangement for your pets. If you have to board your dog be sure that you make reservations in advance. This is especially important if you will be gone on a holiday when spaces fill up. Check to see if their vaccinations are up to date. I ended up a my vet’s office at 9PM on a Friday night getting shots for my dogs so I could fly to a wedding the next morning.
This trip I am using a pet sitter. Even this took some pre-planning because my boys are not well socialized. You may get to read more about this at a later time.
Let people you trust know that you will not be home. It is nice to have someone check in and if you can it helps to try to make your house look lived in. Thanks to Alexa I have some lighting routines and cameras set up. Not to mention that there will be someone living here.
Pack the little things. We all go nuts when we don’t have our phone chargers, camera batteries, water shoes or our favorite pair of sun glasses. Keep a small day bag so that your most important things are with you. Have some singles for tips or snacks.
Don’t stress. If you forget something I bet you can get a replacement along the way.
I’ll be on the Carnival Paradise so expect to see updates from the ship as well as Cozumel and Grand Cayman. If you want pictures of anything specific just let me know and I see what I can do.
Keep Charting Memories
Drew
