Pre-Trip To-Do List

🗓️ 1-2+ Month(s) Out

• Passport/ID Check: Ensure your passport has at least 6 months of validity and 2–4 blank pages.
• Health & Wellness: 
• Schedule any required travel vaccinations.
• Book any "personal care" appointments - hair cut? eyebrow wax? nails? doctor's visits?
• Refill all prescriptions and ask your doctor for a "travel letter" if you carry injectable or strictly controlled meds.
• Pet & Home Care: 
• Secure your pet sitter or boarding facility (the good ones fill up fast).
• Schedule any home care (i.e. lawn care) that needs to happen while you’re gone and make sure you’re up-to-date on important maintenance
• Financials: Check the expiration dates on the credit cards you plan to bring. If you're travelling internationally, make sure you have a card with no foreign transaction fees.
  
  
  

📅 2 Weeks Out

• Inventory Check: 
• Do you have travel-sized sunblock? Toothpaste? Mini shampoo and conditioner? Airplane snacks? Buy whatever you need now so you aren't paying $15 for a single Advil at the airport.
• Were you treating yourself to any new vacation outfits? Deal with that now to avoid the last minute Amazon package blitz. 
• Digital Audit: 
• Download your airline’s app,  the local transit app for your destination, as well as any other apps for hotels, cruise lines, rental cars, etc. 
•  Download "Offline Maps" in Google Maps for your destination city so you can navigate without using data.
• Communication: If you’re traveling internationally, check your mobile carrier's international roaming plan or look into purchasing an eSIM for cheaper data abroad.
• Check your phone’s storage; offload old videos to the cloud to make room for new memories.
• Verify your Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) settings. If you rely on SMS codes but won't have a local SIM, switch to an app like Google Authenticator.
• Paper Trail - Print a physical "Emergency Sheet" with:
• Hotel addresses and phone numbers.
• Your embassy’s contact info.
• A photocopy of your passport and insurance card.
• Service Holds: 
• Set up a "Mail Hold" with the USPS.
• Pause regular deliveries (milk, meal kits, newspapers).
• Home Prep: Schedule a "Pre-Trip Deep Clean" or do it yourself. Coming home to a spotless house cures 50% of post-vacation blues.
• Cash: Consider getting some cash out for emergencies or tips. (If you are traveling internationally, get cash at your bank OR use an ATM when you arrive - DO NOT change your money at the airport! You'll pay through the nose in fees.)

🧺 1 Week Out

• The "Eat-Down": 
• Stop buying perishables. Your goal is to have an empty fridge by departure.
• Wardrobe Prep: 
• Wash every piece of clothing you plan to take, plus your bed sheets. There is no better feeling than coming home from a trip to a clean bed.
• Check for missing buttons or stains on your "vacation favorites."
• Check the 10-day weather forecast for your destination.
• Car Care: If your car will be sitting at the airport or in your driveway, ensure the tires are inflated and you have at least half a tank of gas for the return drive.
• Bill Pay: Pay every bill that falls due within 5 days of your return.
• Automated Replies: Schedule your "Out of Office" email in advance so it doesn’t slip your mind. 
  
  

🔋 12-48 Hours Out

• Prep your “Personal Item”
• Ensure your chargers, noise-canceling headphones, and a light jacket are in your carry-on.
• Tech Charge: 
• Charge your "low-use" items: Kindle, camera batteries, noise-canceling headphones, and power banks.
• Make sure when you wake up on your departure morning that your most-used devices are also fully charged!
• Toiletries:
• Refill travel containers.
• Pack a "First Aid Lite" kit: Ibuprofen, antacids, Band-Aids, and any allergy meds.
• If you're going on a cruise, make this more robust! There's less access to these items.
• Kitchen Detail: 
• Run and empty the dishwasher.
• Clean out the sink drain.
• Take out the main trash and recycling.
• Wallet Clean-Out: Remove unnecessary library cards, gym fobs, and extra credit cards you won’t use. 
• Plants: Give your green friends a deep soak or set up your self-watering stakes.
• Hydrate! Drink more water than usual. Airplanes are essentially giant dehydrators. 
• Check-In: Perform your 24-hour flight check-in, save your digital boarding pass in your Apple/Google Wallet. Print if you want, but I also love just a standard screenshot in case your cell service is spotty. 

🚀 The "Departure Day" Final Sweep

• Finish any last-minute packing, especially the things you needed the night before (chargers, toiletry kit items, meds, etc.)
• Unplug: Toasters, kettles, coffee makers, and non-smart TVs.
• Water & Gas: If you are comfortable, turn off the main water valve to prevent leaks. Ensure the stove is completely off.
• Thermostat: Set to "Away" mode (usually 55°F in winter or 78°F in summer).
• Safety: Lock all windows, the garage-to-house door, and set your alarm.
• Check for the "Core Four" one last time:
• Phone
• Wallet
• Meds
• Passport/ID
• 💡 Take a 30-second video of your house before you leave. Walk through and film the stove being off, the windows being locked, and the iron being unplugged. If you get "anxiety brain" while boarding your flight, you can watch the video and relax instantly. Plus then if anything happens, you’ve got your video showing all of your possessions for your insurance company.