If you're traveling this weekend or during the holiday season, here are a few tips and reminders to make sure your journey is a success before you even leave.
1. Fill up your tires. As the weather (presumably) will get colder, your tire pressure will change. Before leaving for a long car ride or even just the ride to the airport, make sure your tires are full. It would be a disappointment to have to change a tire on the side of the road or to come back from your trip and see your tires flat in the parking lot. A tire gauge is $2 and worth it, even if you have tire pressure sensors as a feature in your vehicle. Other car maintenance like an oil change or a car wash can't hurt either.
2. Figure out what to wear. While it is important to figure out what you'll be wearing for the holiday festivities, it is also important to figure out what to wear in the car or on the plane. A belt is a hassle in both scenarios; either it's leaving a dent in your stomach in the car under your seat belt or you're having to remove it and put it back on when going through airport security. Comfortable, yet classy. Relaxed, but not sloppy. Thinking about not just what your clothing will look like but how practical it will be is a good rule of thumb when preparing what to wear on the journey.
3. Pick up your house and water your plants. When the stress of having to pack and coordinate travel plans gets overwhelming, you may have the urge to leave the mess for when you get back. Do yourself a favor and pick up out of place objects, do the dishes, wipe down the bathroom, take out the trash and water your plants. Imagine coming home completely exhausted, having piles of laundry to do, emails to check and your house is a wreck. You don't need to deep clean before you leave but tidying up beforehand will help you in significant ways when you return.
4. Give a spare key to a neighbor that you trust. Fears of "I forgot to turn off the..." or "I forgot to feed the..." will be settled more quickly when you have someone to check on things while you're gone. If you're going to be gone for more than three days, you might even ask them to turn on your living room lights for a few hours each night. Trustworthy neighbors are indispensable. Jump on the opportunity to return the favor for them so it's a good deal for everyone involved.
5. Take a break. Give yourself a time limit to get all of your travel prep done. Then take a few hours just to enjoy being home before your trip. If you are high stress up until the minute that you leave, chances are, that stress will carry to your destination. Holidays are supposed to be a time to step back and enjoy blessings with family. Give yourself the grace to let things be undone and less than perfect before you leave so that you can get excited for the real purpose of the traveling, spending time to celebrate.
What are your must-dos before you travel?
Happy Thanksgiving from the Jared Van Cleave Real Estate Team!
No comments:
Post a Comment