Finally, you can forget about deadlines, financial reports and even about your annoying boss and his continuous complaints. You are going away for a couple of days or weeks and you plan to relax, get that beautiful tan you’ve been yearning for all winter and maybe even meet some interesting people. But, before you can go enjoy your perfect vacation, there are some things you must take care of.
First of all, clean up your home: empty your refrigerator and toss out perishables, take out the garbage, do your laundry and change the bed linens. Taking care of all these chores in advance may seem useless now but it will look like a wise decision when you return. There is nothing better than getting home, after spending a couple of exhausting hours in the car or on a plane, and finding a freshly made bed waiting. A quick shower, a good night sleep and you will be ready to jump back into your daily activities.
Arrange for someone to take care of your pet while you are away. Also, ask a neighbour to come every once in a while to water your plants and check the house. If possible, ask him or her to come at different hours instead of establishing a tight program. This way people will see activity inside the house and will know someone’s home.
Pay your bills. The last thing you want when returning from your holiday is to deal with penalties. Plus, you might find yourself facing the uncomfortable and embarrassing situation of your credit card being rejected while you’re shopping or dinning out. This could really ruin your party mood.
If you are going abroad then you really should consider getting both health and travel insurance. If you’re travelling within the EU, apply for your European Health Insurance Card. It enables you to access state-provided healthcare in all European Economic Area countries and Switzerland at a reduced cost or sometimes free of charge. Still, it is not a substitute for travel insurance. You also need one of those, it’s practically a “must have” when traveling abroad. It will save you a lot of trouble and money in case your flight is canceled, your baggage gets lost or you encounter unexpected problems when getting to your hotel.
And last but not least, make a list of things to check right before you walk out the door. It must include: turning off the gas, switching off electrical appliances and locking all doors and windows. In all that excitement, you might forget one of these small things and you don’t want to spend your entire vacation wondering if you locked the front door, do you?.
