Mary Beth Bond has an excellent blog post in today's Vibrant Nation called check list: day before travel overseas. In it she lists several things that we often forget to do that can make a trip go more smoothly, such as notifying your credit card company and bank that you will be traveling, adding an international calling plan to your cell phone plan, buying travel insurance, remembering to pack certain items. But this approach isn't just useful when women travel overseas. I always say that the worst part of any travel is the day before, when I am stressed, running around, and wondering if its worth it. But once on the plane or in the car, I never ask myself that again.So for any woman who travels at all frequently, I have two major pieces of advice:
1. Create your own checklist. Keep it on your computer and add to it whenever you travel and wish you had done something you didn't do or had brought something you didn't bring. Print it out 2 weeks before your trip and put it on your refrigerator, or wherever you will see it. Aim to get everything checked off at least 3 days before you leave, if not sooner.
2. Get your suitcase packed at least a week before the trip. That way you won't forget something because you are in too much of a hurry. More importantly, if you don't have something you need because you've lost it or it is worn out or stained, you have plenty of time to replace it.
Travel is so much fun! Now if we can just make that pretrip day go a little more smoothly...
