No Watering Required

The clip from The Wedding Date with Debra Messing and gorgeous Dermot Mulroney always pops into my head when I think of international travel: running around the house panic stricken, in search of passport, all five suitcases and sticking plants in the sink. It always makes me laugh and be thankful….that we don’t own any plants!

 

I’m happy to say that as of yet, this scene has not transpired in our home; due to my chronic list-making addiction, of course. I do feel however, a bit on the clock to get all the “details” taken care of. Not to mention, this will officially be the first time I meet my in-laws! No pressure. I found this checklist from STA Travel quite helpful and almost relaxing.

With this as a guideline, I’ve created my own that will hopefully be helpful to all of you Nomads out there as well…

• Put mail on hold at USPS and resume on day of return. Give yourself a little gift and have all of your magazines waiting for you!
• Turn off alarm clock- or don’t be surprised to receive some seriously dirty looks from your neighbors.
• Set up bill payment online: rent, credit cards, utilities, etc.
• Make a copy of a key for a close friend or family member.
• Clean out fridge and stock with water- you’ll be happy you did when jetlag kicks in.
• Water all plants- or place outside and hope for rain.
• Call your bank and let them know you will be travelling out of the country or out of state. Nothing worse than missing out on that vintage find due to a hold on your ATM card.
• Make copies of passport, all insurance policies, credit cards and bank phone numbers. Make one additional copy of your itinerary for a family member. One person should always know your trip details and whereabouts.
• Turn off all lights and air-conditioning/heating, or lower them so that you don’t come home to a painfully high utility bill.
• Get all prescriptions filled a month prior to your trip and check for any necessary vaccinations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Weigh your suitcases and bags and make sure they meet travel requirements on TSA.
• Place an out-of-office email; try to squeeze in your destination so that all your coworkers can be extremely jealous.

Finally, a bit of eye candy for the day. This beautfiful photo of sunrise/sunset (you choose) over Istanbul gets me excited to be visiting such a magical place! Soft oranges and turquoise blues mimic the sunsets and the Bosporus, where the East meets the West. From day to night, dinner to sightseeing, this is a perfect color palette.