Section #3 – Last Minute Preparation & Last Minute Gear

Last Minute Gear & Travel Prep = Less Travel Stress

     This section is written to help you avoid the very annoying 6-letter word, STRESS. When you arrive at the airport and remember you forgot to turn off your bathroom light it can be quite the annoyance, but it does not mean you need to get stressed out and lose your cool. However, if you forget to put your mail on hold and you are leaving for three months you may have quite the issue unfold. Forgetting to not check all the essential last-minute gear you may need can come pack to bite you in the rear end. The following 4 topics are all travel issues that I have personally dealt with that caused unneeded stress in my past travels. Learn from me and do not allow yourself to be inconvenience by these travel issues that have simple fixes.

Hold All My Mail

     Put your mail on hold. If you are leaving your city for more than four weeks, then you need to put your mail on hold. You can visit usps.com or call the United States Postal Service customer service phone number and ask for your mail to be put on hold while you are traveling. If you want to get a post office box here is a great trick. You can buy the smallest box and use it no matter how long you are gone. The post office will not send your mail back if your postal box fills up. I have personally tested this out at my local post office multiple times. They always give me my mail and a look of annoyance because they know I know the system. They just smirk and hand me my garbage bag full of mail ha-ha.

Travel Bank Notifications

     Put in your bank notification. Do not forget to let your bank know you are leaving for a trip. You can visit your bank or use the mobile banking app to fill out banking notifications. You want your ATM card to work when you get to the new country. Even if you do not plan on taking money out at the ATM you still need to have the ability to use it just in case. Do not put yourself in an awkward position because you were too lazy to contact your bank.

Unplug Everything

     Walk around your house and or apartment and unplug all the appliances. Before leaving your home try and make sure that you unplug all electrical appliances like the microwave, air-conditioner, and other electronics. This will help save money on your next electric bill. The most important suggestion for unplugging electronics I can give you is to unplug the WiFi router. This ensures that no one can hotspot off your connection. This can easily be done even if you are password protected. I have seen this happen where someone was gone, and their WiFi was used to engage in prohibited and illegal downloading. The last thing you want to come home to is a bunch of letters on your door saying that your internet has been shut off because of the activity that was conducted while you were gone.

Learn Some Local Language

     Attempt to conquer the language barrier or at least try. When you arrive in the new country you want to learn a few important phrases in the local dialect to avoid any potentially unsettling situations. You can use Babbel, Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, and the iTranslate app for learning these phrases. Each of the mobile applications has a free version and or a free trial so you can get a headstart. Some important phrases you should learn are:

• Can you help me?
• I think I am lost.
• Where is downtown?
• Where is the bus station?

     Try not to get nervous when attempting to speak the local language, In many instances, I have tried to speak the local language and after a few attempts, they chuckle a little bit and speak English to me and point me in the right direction. If you do not try, then you will probably stay lost until you eventually make it to where you could have gotten in a fraction of the time. Remember, you are traveling abroad so try to get out of your comfort zone and ask for help.

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