Holiday Travel Prep
Don't let the whirlwind of gift shopping and holiday events derail your travel preparation. Create lists for all aspects of your planning then establish timelines for completion and execute.
1. Depending on the duration of your visit, you may wish to provide food beyond a contribution to the holiday meal. Pick up a couple of bottles of wine or beer from a local craft brewery. This is a great time to experience and highlight local foods. I'm from Wisconsin, cheese is ALWAYS a part of my holiday food plan.
Don't forget to consider the dishes needed to transport your food. Using containers that you don't want back makes cleaning and keeping track easier for you and your hosts. Make sure that you have a way to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
If you are going to need to do some prep once you arrive, let your hosts know in advance so they can incorporate that into their own planning.
2. A long journey whether by plane, train or automobile can require a lot of extras. With hours to kill games, books, playlists, etc are critical for maintaining calm. In addition, plans for having necessary refreshments and consequently rest stops also need to be calculated.
Beyond the creature comforts, have a plan for a delays or emergencies. Particularly important if you are traveling by car. An emergency first aid kit and basic car maintenance tools can save hours and stress from minor travel mishaps. A bit of antifreeze or a quart of oil maybe just what is needed to allow you to "limp" to the nearest garage. Don't skip this "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" step.
3. Who's watching the house? Beyond making plans to hold your mail and suspend newspaper delivery, will you need someone to shovel your drive, water houseplants and generally keep an eye on your home? You may wish to connect with a friendly neighbor and offer to reciprocate when they are out of town or pay a local teenager to be your caretaker. This is type of relationship can be used for many years and helps build strong neighborhood community relationships, not to mention giving you peace of mind to relax and enjoy the holiday.
Nope! We did not forget about planning for pets and kids. We gave them each their own holiday post. If you missed them you can find them in the recent posts section.
READY GO!!
Need more support right now? Contact P2G Consulting to learn more about our service options and to continue your journey to a relaxing and drama free holiday!
