How to Prepare for Longer Travel Trips

There are many fantastic benefits to traveling. It's an excellent way to take your mind off everyday stresses, discover new things about the world and expand your horizons in general. However, an extended trip can be extremely taxing on your body, mind, and spirit if you don't plan accordingly. While there can be some challenging aspects of traveling -- like being away from home or adjusting to different cultures -- with the proper preparation beforehand, it can be a life-enriching experience rather than an exhausting one.

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Here are some tips that can help you prepare for long-term travel and make the most of your trip:

Research the area(s) you're visiting.

The more you know about a new place, the better you'll be able to navigate it. This includes researching the area, the culture, and the climate. Regarding the climate, you'll want to know the average temperatures. You'll also want to know what the weather patterns are like and whether there are any natural disasters in the area that you should be aware of. The culture of the area will also be essential to understand. You'll want to know about their customs and norms. This will help you avoid embarrassing faux pas and make for more enriching interactions with the area's people.

Ensure your physical and mental health is in tip-top shape

You're less likely to become exhausted during your trip when you're in good health. Make sure you visit a doctor for the appropriate vaccinations and that your vaccinations are valid for at least the time you travel. When you're at the doctor, ask for a physical check-up to determine if your vitals (such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels) need to be adjusted. You may consider conversing with a therapist online to keep costs low and allow easy access.

Learn some essential words in the native language of your destination(s)

You can find a free online language-learning program to help you master a few useful phrases. This doesn't have to take up much of your time, but it can make a big difference. It can be a great icebreaker and show you're interested in your surroundings.

Set aside emergency funds

While there's no telling what will happen on your trip, having a backup plan is always helpful. If you get sick on your trip, there may be no affordable way to get treatment from a doctor. If you get robbed, your belongings may be gone forever. You may have to pay for repairs out of pocket if you get into a car accident. It's never a bad idea to set aside an emergency fund just in case something goes wrong unexpectedly.

Take care of any loose ends in advance, such as putting your stuff in storage.

You must ensure your home is safe and secure for your trip to avoid burglaries while you are away. Arrange for your pets to be taken care of if you have any, and inform your bank and credit card company that you will be away so they know to expect transactions from your destinations too. Finding storage for your valuables using StorageArea can help you locate a suitable unit, as can installing home security systems.

Conclusion

Traveling is a fantastic way to get out of your comfort zone and experience new cultures. But it can be daunting to travel for extended periods because you have to pack everything up, deal with jet lag, and find a way to make ends meet when you're abroad. Preparing in advance can increase your chances of success and make the most out of your trip.

(Literal) Travel Nightmares

Happy Spooky Season! I have decided to kick this month off with a thematic post:

A lot of things can go wrong when you travel, and learning to roll with the punches is a valuable skill, but what if the problems you have are literal nightmares and not real at all, because you have weird anxiety? I know it's not just me, but I'm the first to raise my hand and admit that when my anxiety is climbing, I have travel nightmares or inconvenient travel scenario dreams. 

The second I feel like something in my life is out of my control, I have weird travel dreams. Like, anything that can go wrong on a trip will and there's nothing I can do about it. I often have reoccurring dreams in this category, so I know where I am, but still can't fix my own issues. Here are my most common:

Where's my boarding pass?

I have this dream a lot. I'm at the airport, in line at security - which I can't get out of - and I don't have a boarding pass. I know I have a ticket for a flight I'm about to get on. I know it's an international flight. I know I'm in the right line. Somewhere along the way I've either never printed my boarding pass, lost it, or never gotten it and now I'm in a line and have to explain to some stranger that I'm an idiot. 

Why didn't I pack?

I wake up, realize I'm headed on a trip, I'm late, and I grab my carry-on, only to realize that I haven't packed. I throw in everything I can find, which isn't much. I end up with 3 mismatched shoes, a shirt, a pair of shorts, and no underwear or phone charger. How tf am I supposed to survive for any amount of time with these things and what I'm wearing? I don't know, but I freak out the entire time I'm leaving, because I can't do anything about it. This dream might be the reason I pack and repack 3 times before any trip and make packing lists and also start packing a month before my travel date.

You're going to ask why I can't just buy what I need when I get to where I'm going, but this dream usually coincides with the next one:

Where's my money?

I'm on my way to a trip of varying length and my bank account has, literally, $12 in it. Sometimes I don't even have a bank account and I'm just relegated to the 3 one-dollar bills in my pocket or purse. Why didn't I prep at all for this trip? Sometimes I know I planned it myself and other times the trip is a total surprise, but I always have pretty much no money to sustain me more than the trip through the airport. 

So, now I have no money and no stuff. 

None of these things have ever happened to me when taking a trip, but I continually subconsciously worry about them anyway for some reason. Maybe it's not about being prepared for a trip at all, but a metaphor for life in general, but easier for me to understand in dream form. Usually, I figure out that something in life is stressing me out and address that, then I move on with my day. 

Other nightmare scenarios:

On our trip to France, I was so tired most days that I just fell into bed and slept the second my eyes closed and had dreamless sleeps, but near the end, probably because we had a few snafus with checking in online with our airline and me low-key freaking out about nothing important, like buying a metro ticket for our ride from Paris to Disney, I had a travel dream with all new problems all in one night:

• My phone developed a virus and was unusable. Hilarious, since I have extra virus protection and a VPN on it. 
• Eric got bitten by a snake and we had to go to the ER in a foreign country. This took much too long to do and we never actually got there in my dream and in real life he would have died if the snake had been venomous.
• Our flight home got cancelled and we had no options. Well, I'm not sure if we didn't have any options, but none were presented to me. I just got an alert, apparently on my unusable virus-having phone, while we were trying to figure out how to get to the ER. 

Waking up, I realized how stupid it all was and I didn't feel like I was stressing too hard about anything, except getting up on time to get to Disney early for our Extra Magic Hour, but it may have been because this was the first time in a long time that I didn't plan out our Disney days. I just made reservations for dinner and decided to see how things looked and figure out what to do in the moment. 

It turned out fine, because we were there for 3 days and the Paris parks are smaller than Disneyland at home, so we basically did everything we wanted and ate all the food and did all the walking and were more than happy when it was time to head out. 

Of course, maybe some of it was a bit of foreshadowing, because on our trip back I had a fight with the lady at check-in for our flight and unexpectedly had to check a bag (for free, at least) and then had to go to the counter during our short layover to get our next set of boarding passes printed, and our bag, which did make it to Baltimore with us, came out on the wrong carousel. But again, none of it was a big deal and everything was fine in the end and now we're home and still have everything we left with.

I know my brain likes to keep me guessing and give me a little extra anxiety from time to time. The key to it is to not let it get to you and learn to breathe and assess the situation.

Do you also get stress dreams? Are they travel-related? Please share so I know I'm not entirely alone.

How to Plan a Fun-Filled Vacation in 5 Steps

Do you find planning vacations as stressful as it is exciting? The thought of booking flights, hotels, and excursions during peak season can leave anyone dazed.  And, let’s face it - vacationing is extremely expensive these days, and the costs will only continue to rise. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take time off work and explore new places. You just have to be smart about how you do it. A little bit of preparation can go a long way when trying to save money for a vacation and ensure your vacation is stress-free. 

To make things easier, here's a 5-step plan to help you organize your next vacation from start to finish:

Step 1: Decide on a destination.

When deciding on a destination, there are various factors to consider. First of all, you should consider the climate as well as your interests. For example, if you’re going on a family vacation, you may want to consider a destination that offers activities suitable for kids and adults.   Additionally, you should view the event calendar of the goal as well. For example, suppose you’re visiting during a season where significant festivals or events occur. In that case, you may want to consider vacationing during cheaper months as it could raise the cost of your vacation.

Step 2: Estimate how much you can spend

Before booking hotels and flights, you need to estimate how much you are willing to spend. This way, you can avoid booking the most expensive flight or room simply because it’s convenient or available. Also, if you’re traveling with a group, you should all sit down and decide on a budget together. This will help avoid conflicts and disagreements when booking.

Step 3: Find the best travel deals

Now that you’ve decided on a destination and have a general budget, you can start looking for travel deals. There are a variety of websites that offer travel deals and discounts for flights, hotels, and excursions. These websites have tie-ups with travel agents that provide exclusive deals to their customers. You can also visit the websites of airlines and hotels to see if they offer any discounts. It’s also a good idea to subscribe to travel newsletters to be among the first to know about special offers and deals.

Step 4: Book your flights and accommodation

Once you’ve found the perfect flight and hotel deals, you can book them. It’s a good idea to book your flight tickets as soon as you find a good deal as seats get reserved quickly. The same applies to booking hotels and excursions. The earlier you book, the more likely you will get the best rates.

Step 5: Plan your excursions and activities

Plenty of online resources help you plan your itinerary and discover local attractions. You can find information on the best times to visit places, as well as information on festivals and events taking place. You should ensure everyone on your trip is satisfied with the activity plans and make compromises if not.  For example, if you’re traveling with your children and you want a relaxing holiday, but they want something interactive and stimulating, you could consider planning for a day at this interactive aquarium in Virginia.  In a setting like this, you can relax and watch while your children enjoy the more interactive side of things.  Or, you could plan a day doing activities that you are interested in and another day for people in your group with different interests.

Conclusion

These five steps will help you organize your next vacation from start to finish so you can enjoy every moment. If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to save money, avoid last-minute stress and have a vacation you will remember for years to come.