So I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning, realizing I have just a few more days in the United States! I've been planning and talking about this trip for a while but for some reason it just started to feel real. Before getting out of bed, I went through my mental checklist of what I've already done and what is left on my to-do list and thought it could be helpful to share for you future travelers!
What to do ONE WEEK before leaving:
- APARTMENT: Give mail key and rent checks to Lainie, my awesome nextdoor neighbor (who will be meeting me in Morocco in a few weeks!)
- ENTERTAINMENT: Download movies, TV shows and books - for all my trains, planes and automobiles. I'll be using my new Nexus 7 tablet for entertainment but don't want to use up all the space so TIP: I ordered a USB OTG cable so I can put a flash drive with all my media into the tablet!
- ENTERTAINMENT: Put music onto my Mophie case. Mophie came out with a new iPhone case that not only charges the pathetic battery on my phone with the flip of a switch, it also has storage for 16GB of media so I can listen to my iTunes library on the go without losing all the space on my phone.
- CREDIT CARDS: Call credit card companies to make sure they know I'm going to be traveling so they (hopefully) won't put a stop on my card TIP: always carry at least two credit cards so you're not stuck if one is disabled
- EMERGENCY CONTACTS: Give parents a copy of my rough itinerary as well as a copy of my passport- you never know
- BEAUTIFICATION: Mani/pedi (easy way to feel pretty kicking off 3 months of wearing the same clothes and also a good time to catch up with a friend before leaving)
What to do TWO WEEKS before leaving:
- HEALTH: Get in all doctor appointments and check ups while still on company health insurance (eye doctor, dentist, etc.)
- MEMBERSHIPS: Contact all memberships (gym, cable, Netflix) to cancel or put on hold for the duration of the trip
- PAPERWORK: Print out all reservations and confirmations that are booked and make a copy of my passport
- BEAUTIFICATION: Haircut and keratin treatment
- PHONES: Research international phone plans and ultimately switch from NYC's favorite carrier Verizon to the one with the best international plan: T-Mobile
- FRIENDS & FAMILY: Start putting close friends and family on the calendar so I can spend time and say goodbye before leaving
- PACKING: Mock pack to see how realistic my packing list is (not at all) and make sure I have everything I need
What to do ONE MONTH before leaving:
- HEALTH: Call primary care doctor to see if I need any vaccinations based on where I'm headed (luckily I'm all set!)
- HEALTH: Also ask primary care physician to fill all ongoing prescriptions, and call in new ones for "just-in-case" drugs like antibiotics
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Research and choose a travel insurance plan (I went with World Nomads which is way cheaper than most other companies and is highly recommended by the travel blogger community)
- WORK: Give notice to the company - I gave just over two weeks which gave me just under two weeks to get everything in order before leaving for my trip. TIP: Try to have your last day be one of the first days of a new month because at most companies your health insurance will last until the end of the month so you can squeeze in final appiontments
What am I forgetting!?
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