Going on a vacation has several benefits. It reduces stress, improves your health, and boosts happiness. Even planning for a vacation makes us happy, doesn’t it? But when you’re in the mood for a long vacation, planning may not go as smoothly as it sounds. With too many errands to run before you go, some important tasks can easily slip your mind.
Here are some practical tips to take some stress off the planning of your next long vacation.
Don’t Overload
Your trip may be long, but you won’t have enough time to visit every attraction in the country. If you try to cover all the highlights, most of your time (and energy) would be wasted commuting.
Vacation is a time when you get to chill out. Don’t rush it and put yourself in a hurry with a tightly packed schedule. Trust me, it’s not worth it.
Look up the highlights of the place you would visit and circle a few major ones. Ensure you get ample time to enjoy the little moments.
As a safety measure, after finalizing your itinerary, share it with family or close friends. But refrain from announcing your travel plans on social media.
Prep Your Home
Nothing is worse than coming home to see your appliances broken or your Amazon package stolen. Some prep can keep such troubles at bay.
Clean your fridge and clear out the perishable foods. Unplug all the appliances. Turn off the water supply. Fix any repairs or leaks before you take off.
Wash your car and park it in the garage. If you’re going away for more than a month, disconnect its battery.
Subscribe to a package storage service to avoid missed deliveries or package theft.
See that your security system is up to date and lock all the entry points (doors and windows) to your home.
Know What Not To Plan
Too much of anything is not good. It holds for planning as well. Vacations are meant to be relaxing. Don’t stress yourself out by planning every single thing.
Avoid planning every outfit. Go for a mix-and-match method with your basics.
Instead of planning every meal, you can try local food from the neighborhoods you visit in a day. After all, vacation calories don’t count. So, there’s no point in fretting over it.
Don’t stick to your itinerary verbatim. Be flexible. Appreciate what comes your way and live in the moment.
Check Your Reservations
Though you can figure out a few things after landing in a new place, I recommend taking care of your accommodation in advance. A couple of days before your journey, check your flight bookings and hotel reservations. If you need more information or have a query, don’t hesitate to get in touch with them.
You can take snaps of all your bookings and tickets, store them in a folder on your phone, and keep them handy. Paperless and effortless!
It’s Time To Pack
Packing at the last minute may work well for a short trip, but for a longer vacation, it is better to start packing at least a week before. Check the weather and plan your outfits accordingly.
