Category Archives: Planning

A lighthearted look at what happens when you
don’t prepare for the unexpected before you go

By Vicki Barnes

When you’re planning for a trip like ours…two months on the road…budgeting is so important. Having enough money to do the trip is, of course, important. However, budgeting your time before you leave is nearly as important.

Of course, you have to make lists of what you need to bring and what still needs to be bought, borrowed or otherwise acquired. Then, you have to pack, measure and weigh your bags, repack, remeasure…

You have to go to the bank and make sure you have things in order there. You have to put the bills (all of them) on autopay. You have to call the credit card companies and let them know there will be charges coming from outside your normal purchasing area. Continue reading →

By Vicki Barnes

While people all over the world are very much the same, we are all in different circumstances that create some differences that must be understood.

When traveling abroad, you should get to know the countries where you will be staying so you can understand the people you meet. You should learn about their customs, their politics and their religions. All it takes is a little time  to research the basic facts. A little research can open doors you might not have known about and help you create lasting friendships wherever you go.

For the business person, a lack of understanding of the culture of the people with whom they are engaging can mean a loss of financial reward or worse, but for the vacationer or adventure traveler, the lack of understanding of the people they meet can mean a loss of opportunity to discover the local treasures or even cause them to pay “tourist” prices for daily items. At it’s simplest, a visitor ignorant of the local customs will appear, well…ignorant. Continue reading →

By Vicki Barnes
Headed on the vacation of a lifetime? These tips will help you rest easy while you’re gone.

If you’re traveling or not, the bills have to be paid, the mail has to be collected (or held at the post office), the plants have to be watered  and the pets have to be fed and walked. These things can be arranged with a little planning now that will save you plenty of headaches later.

YOUR HOME

Depending on how long you’ll be gone, you should arrange for a friend or neighbor to check on your house, collect the mail and do those basic feeding and watering tasks. If you will be gone for an extended time, you should (like we do) arrange for a house sitter or even consider subleasing your house or apartment.

Continue reading →