I hope that by sharing my personal
experiences, you will avoid learning similar
lessons the hard way. And it goes to show that
those little details in the planning of a vacation
can make a huge difference in the outcome. You can
make your next vacation relaxing and enjoyable by
following these simple vacation planning tips.
1. Keep your vacation planning information
in one place. Create a labeled file folder
("Hawaii Vacation") and use it to keep your
airline, hotel, car rental information, as well as
maps or AAA guide books, tourist information,
contact information for people you know in that
city, etc. You can find all this information at
Holidays, Vacations and Traveling
2. Plan
ahead for your wardrobe. Think about all of the
activities you might do, and imagine what you'd
want to wear for each activity. For example, on
the beach you might want a swimsuit, cover-up,
slip-on footwear or water shoes, a sun hat,
sunglasses... maybe even a face mask, snorkel, and
some flippers. Will the kids want shovels and
buckets to build a sand castle? Do you need to
supply your own beach towel, or will you be
staying somewhere that supplies this for you? What
about waterproof sunscreen? The more you can
visualize yourself on the beach, the better
prepared you will be.
3. Use a travel
checklist. I've created a Packing List to get you
started. Once you've tailored this to your needs,
keep it in the travel file you've created. This
will help you remember to pack both the basic
necessities, as well as some of the more obscure
things you might not remember but would want to
take with you.
4. Let children pack their
own travel bags, and make sure their bag is small
enough that they can carry it themselves. Help
them select things they can do on the road or in
the air: Walkman and cassettes or CDs, books,
handheld video games, portable crafts, card games.
Talk about seating arrangements ahead of time to
avoid conflict among siblings about who will sit
where.
5. Pack a carry-on that is small
enough to stay with you at all times. Include
necessities that you must have, in the event that
you get separated from your other luggage for a
day. If you need to take medication on a regular
basis, be sure this is with you, and not in your
checked luggage. If you are combining a business
and vacation trip and need something for a
presentation the next day, take it in your
carry-on rather than checking it.
6. Plan
early to get the best selection and to get early
booking discounts. If you're really adventuresome
and are not particular about where you want to go,
you can also book reservations last-minute. There
is some risk involved in doing this, but you can
also get some great deals this way. Find some
great bargains at airline tickets.
7. If
you're driving, you may wish to map out your trip
ahead of time and make hotel reservations along
the way if you are traveling during peak vacation
time. Mapquest offers a helpful Website for
mapping out your route and estimating travel time
under normal driving conditions.
8. If
you're traveling to another country, check out the
Currency Converter for International Exchange
Rates.
If you'd like to master a few
useful phrases in a foreign language, visit the
Foreign Language Assistance Website. It even
contains some sound clips so you can pronounce
words properly.
9. If your vacation plans
include staying home rather than traveling, plan
how you will spend your vacation to rejuvenate
yourself. Perhaps there are some local attractions
that you've been wanting to experience but have
not had the time to experience. Are there people
you want to connect with? Get clear about what you
want to do and who you want to do it with, and
then plan to make it happen. If your vacation
includes having a friend or relative flying in to
visit you, you can check the status of a flight to
see if they will arrive on time.
10. This
is the most important tip of all: pack the right
attitude. Let go of the "what if" and enjoy the
moment. Remind yourself what matters most, and
focus on that. If this is a vacation to get away
and relax, then focus on activities and thoughts
that will be relaxing. If your goal is to
reconnect with family and build memories together,
that can be done regardless of circumstances
(missing a flight, not getting tickets to an event
you wanted to attend, etc.). If your goal is to
sight-see and take in some special attractions or
shows, then plan ahead and make the reservations
necessary to ensure that you can do what you want
to do when you get there.
Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized,
specializes in helping busy executives,
professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter their
schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified
business/personal coach and professional
organizer. Contact her at mailto:orgcoach@gte.net
or visit her Website at http://www.orgcoach.net/ and
learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds -
Guaranteed!
Article Source: AllWomenCentral.com
