The Travel Woes

Anyone else not a frequent traveler and go into PANIC MODE when travel comes up? Like making packing lists weeks, even months in advance? Then when the day comes to leave you freeze at the door? Because let me tell ya, I'm right there too (mostly because I'm such a homebody and I stress about leaving my pets more than anything…). And with all the traveling I personally have coming up this year, this week I figured I’d cover some tactics to prepare for any kind of travel.

~Make a rough itinerary. 'Rough" meaning a basic outline of certain things to do each day you're away, but not on a timeframe.

~At the same time, understand ahead of time that things may not always go as planned. The rough itinerary is a good guideline, while not having "exact" times is important, because you never know what other travel delays you may run into: flight delays, train delays, traffic, etc.

~Do your research ahead of time. Look at restaurant menus (no one wants to be on a hangry food search!). Plus if you have dietary needs this will be a huge time saver! This also applies to any attractions you want to see, hotels to stay in, and other travel options (rental cars, train/bus passes, etc.)

~Have pets? You also need to research here: boarding, house sitters, cat visitors. Also, reach out to people you trust and who your pets know (there is nothing more agonizing than thinking a "stranger" is taking care of your fur babies).

~Make those lists and pack extra! I am the queen of over-packing, but there have been plenty of times where I had that extra top or pair of shoes for someone to borrow. I am also the queen of lists: toiletry list, medicine list, outfit list. If you think you'll need it, list it and pack it.

~Give yourself plenty of time. When it comes to traveling by any mode, if you're "on time" you're late. Better to be early than sorry!

~Come up with an away routine ahead of time. I have a relatively set routine when I'm at home, so being able to implement some of those things when I'm away helps to keep some consistency. This can be tricky when traveling with multiple people, so try to be flexible, because there's a good chance they're being flexible with you, too.

Overall, just remember to have fun enjoy yourself! Vacations and traveling are meant to be exciting joyful! So let yourself enjoy that!!! Happy travels!