,
Why is it
that no matter how far in advance you plan for your next adventure, something
inevitably gets left off the list? Even if you’ve double, triple and
quadruple-checked, made certain that your passport hasn’t expired, have booked
all of the planes and trains, yet the week before you’re scheduled to depart
the country, you realize that your hotel reservations are valid not for July
2013, but for July 2014. Yup, you read that correctly. Yikes!! How does this happen? Well, actually,
quite easily, as a matter of fact. You know the small calendar that pops up on
the hotel booking websites, where you have to choose the month and date and the
“helpful” arrows
(<<July>> for example) allow you to click on the desired month and
day, yet somehow, inadvertently, I just happened to click on the arrows that
changed the current year to the following one – consequently ensuring my pink
sneakered feet accommodation for next year but unfortunately, leaving me
homeless for this year’s upcoming trip. My one saving grace was that I have
made it a rule to always book hotels that have a cancellation policy in place,
just on the off chance that I find a better, more ideal, economical and
picturesque one in the meantime. Luckily
for me, that scenario worked out just fine in the end, allowing me to cancel my
2014 reservations and re-book for this year. Phew!! Crisis averted.
On that note,
I felt it necessary to share my pink-sneaker “travel planning” tidbits of worldly wisdom with you.
Pink
Sneakers on the Go Helpful Tidbits of Info on planning, packing and organizing:
Always make a
list and check it twice! List everything that you will need for your upcoming
adventure, from bug spray to sunscreen to extra toilet paper. Hey, you never know.
Check with
the hotels to make certain whether or not they accept either cash or credit
card payments. You don’t want to have to traipse to the lone bancomat machine
out in the boonies of nowhere, as I had to, when staying in my suburban Roman
hotel.
Make certain
that your passport has not expired. Not sure about other countries, but Canada
customs will not let you go anywhere if your passport is expiring within 6
months. This recently happened to a friend of mine, whose passport had expired
and he was leaving in 2 weeks. It’s quite the scramble to have to worry about
yet something else in the midst of planning for your next adventure. You don’t
want to have to end up spending your vacation on your sofa, crying hysterically, a
river of tears spraying your picturesque travel books - kicking yourself that
you have now foolishly forfeited your long anticipated holiday – all because
you didn’t check your passport expiry date.
Contact your
banking institution and advise them that you will be out of the country so that
you don’t run into issues while attempting to withdraw cash at foreign
ATMs. Your pin number should be four
digits, no more, no less.
Leave all of
your valuable jewellery, designer outfits and handbags at home. You don’t want
to be a “showy, conspicuous” traveller,
a visible target for random thieves and pickpockets.
Wear
comfortable (hey, they don’t necessarily have to be ugly) shoes or sandals. You
have no idea how many times I’ve cursed my shoe-wear, wishing that I’d opted
for that hideous “grandma” style of
sandal instead, my bleeding feet almost permanently disfigured with open sores
and blisters – hence, my chic pink sneakers. With age comes wisdom.
And last, but
not least, pack light – especially if you’re globe-trotting around the world,
dashing from airplane to train to ferry. If you’ve ever even remotely
considered “kicking your luggage to the curb”, then you’ve packed too much.
Did I cover
all of the necessary points? Hopefully I didn’t forget anything and if I did,
all that I can say is Yikes!!!!
Come
schlep all of your worldly belongings around the globe with me…as you
contemplate the complete insanity of cramming your goods into just one lone
backpack. Like, seriously??
Next week
– I’ll be traipsing around the world in search of new travel adventures and
will return to weekly Wednesday blogging on July 17th. If I happen to come across Internet along the
way, then will try and post some pictures and entertaining tidbits of info.
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