Travel
10 Ways To Have A Worry-Free Vacation
From organized planning to relaxing your expectations, here are some practical tips to ensure your next getaway is everything you hoped for.
If you're planning to take a vacation, the first thing you'll want to do is make sure it's safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continuously updates its website with guidelines for folks who are fully vaccinated. The CDC recommends you stay updated on any restrictions by checking the state or territorial and local health department where you'll be traveling.
Once you're confident that your final destination is ready for you to visit, you'll want to make sure things back home are secure while you're away. For you to enjoy a stress-free vacation, it's vital to prepare your home for a vacation, too, so you’re not worried that you left the stove on or forgot to lock the door while you’re reading by the beach. Here are some great tips to help you prepare and leave your worries behind.
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1. Pause your mail.
According to USPS.com, you can ask your local post office to hold your mail for up to 30 days and can do so as late as 3 a.m. ET on the date you’re requesting the mail hold to start.
Pausing your mail offers a few benefits. Your mail person won’t have to struggle stuffing more and more letters in the box; you won’t need to rely on someone else to get your mail for you; and you don’t have to worry about lurkers stealing letters, bills or packages that may arrive when you’re away. Pausing your mail while you’re gone keeps your personal information safe and offers peace of mind.
2. Let a trusted neighbor know you'll be gone.
If you have a neighbor you know is reliable and trustworthy, let them know where you’ll be and give a number to contact you in case of an emergency in the neighborhood or your home. You may even want to give them a spare key if you accidentally leave a light on, window open or the air conditioner on too cool or too warm of a setting.
It’s important that you trust this neighbor implicitly. They should be someone you’re comfortable with, as they will have access to your valuables and your house.
3. Avoid posting too much information on social media.
In our digital world, it’s all too easy for criminals to troll social platforms and identify who is on vacation, when they’ll be back and how to get into their home. These burglars don’t have to be strangers either. It can be a friend or relative of your friend who likes a photo you share of the lake or cabin you’re staying in.
This doesn't mean you can’t post vacation photos. Instead, wait to post photos and share stories until you’re home. Avoid posting countdowns for when you’re leaving for the trip or coming home (as this gives thieves time to plan their break-in). It’s also smart to never post exactly where you are on any given day.
Though these suggestions may sound extreme or unnerving, it’s all in the best interest of your and your family’s safety.
4. Prepare your house.
Everyone has had that sinking feeling after packing for vacation, leaving for the airport and 30,000 feet up in the air wondering, “Did I unplug my hair dryer?”
Preparing your house for your departure is one of the best things you can do to ensure a stress-free vacation for yourself. If you’re leaving your home for four or more days, Popular Mechanic recommends doing some (or all) of the following:
- Turn off the water supply.
- Turn up the thermostat (especially in the summer).
- Unplug all electronics.
- Let your alarm company know you’re leaving.
- Add antifreeze to toilets if you’re leaving in the winter and live somewhere cold.
5. Set up a Ring Alarm Security System.
Installing a security system, such as the Ring 8-piece Alarm Security Kit, can help protect your home and bring you peace of mind while you’re away on vacation. The kit includes one Base Station, one Keypad, one Motion Detector, one Range Extender and four Contact Sensors. Setup is simple, and you can add more sensors and security devices at any time based on your security needs. Not only will you receive notifications for any open doors and windows or movement the Alarm picks up, but you can also customize your security settings, connect your Alarm to other Ring devices and control them all from the Ring App.
6. Pack the essentials.
While most travel blogs tell you to pack light, that’s hard to do for a trip consisting of five days or more. Instead, think through the most essential and efficient things you’ll need in addition to clothes and toiletries.
If you’re a fan of reading, opt for a Kindle Paperwhite instead of lugging several books to the poolside. The Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof — unlike paperback and hardback books — and holds eight gigabytes of stories and comes with Audible.
For those who value organization, a document holder like this one made with RFID blocking material can keep passports, flight tickets, hotel confirmations, medical information and more in one handy place. Be sure you always know where the document holder is in your bag — preferably in a safe place — and let the rest of your worries melt away.
7. Set up your smart lights, sprinklers and locks.
If your home uses an Amazon Alexa device, such as an Echo Dot, look into investing in lightbulbs, sprinklers and locks that pair with Alexa. At the touch of a button you can ensure that doors are locked, lights are off (or on) or sprinklers trigger on and off at the right times.
8. Turn off work emails and limit screen time.
Ensure you’re not too reachable on vacation — it’s called “time off” for a reason. In rare cases, some emergency issues may pop up to deal with, but for the most part it will serve your mental health well to limit time on your phone looking at emails or social media and instead be present in the moment with your family or travel companions.
9. Build in extra travel time.
One of the best ways to ensure you’re not stressed is to build extra time into your schedules — particularly when traveling. Rushing almost always means you’ll forget something. Even if you can’t remember what it is right away, the nagging feeling that accompanies forgetting something can ruin a vacation. Instead, make lists beforehand, check off each thing you do and budget an extra 30 minutes of buffer time to ensure what needs to be taken care of is done.
10. Accept not everything will be "perfect."
While telling someone to “try to relax” can be counterproductive, keep in mind that everything won’t be 100 percent perfect for your entire trip. Vacations are still a part of life and there are things out of your control. Learning to take deep breaths, roll with the punches and maintain a positive attitude through anything that does go wrong will keep your stress low and create memorable memories when you look back on the trip.