This article is a work in progress : Final version coming soon. Thanks for your patience!
"What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?" George Carlin
Grab a piece of paper, notebook, or organizer to help you create your vacation list, and stay focused!
I always start with a packing list, like the one I wrote about in my Travel Check List article (click bold text to access).
If your luggage is heavy and too worn out, you’re off to a much better start when you have a light, durable, well designed piece of luggage or a backpack made with the sturdy, waterproof materials. (like those on sale at Amazon — pictured at the left here).
A great organizing tool I find handy are packing cubes which really help me stay clutter free — like those shown to the left, sold at LuTreks Travel Shop.
Get Organized! Lay Out Your Items Before Packing!
You can find all this information at Holidays, Vacations and Traveling. Start your packing list which should include packing organizers, like the ones pictured to the left — available on sale at Lu Treks Travel Shop
2. Plan ahead for your wardrobe. Think about all of the activities you might do, and imagine what you’d want to wear for each activity. For example, on the beach you might want a swimsuit, cover-up, slip-on footwear or water shoes, a sun hat, sunglasses — my favorite are Oakleys (pictured left) … maybe even a face mask, snorkel, and some flippers. I love the full face mask sold on Amazon on the left. Very nice design.
Will the kids want shovels and buckets to build a sand castle? Do you need to supply your own beach towel, or will you be staying somewhere that supplies this for you? What about waterproof sunscreen? The more you can visualize yourself on the beach, the better prepared you will be.
3. Use a travel checklist. I’ve created a Packing List to get you started. Once you’ve tailored this to your needs, keep it in the travel file you’ve created. This will help you remember to pack both the basic necessities, as well as some of the more obscure things you might not remember but would want to take with you, such as a basic First Aid Kit like the one shown below  —  available on sale at Lu Treks Travel Shop.
Consider putting together or buying a simple First Aid Kit to have on hand during your travels
Click Here To See First Aid Kit
4. Family: Let children pack their own travel bags, and make sure their bag is small enough that they can carry it themselves. Help them select things they can do on the road or in the air: Walkman and cassettes or CDs, books, handheld video games, portable crafts, card games (like the one shown at left).
Another great idea if your child is old enough to read and write, is to get them a travel journal to record their own thoughts and experiences during their trips — like the journal shown to the left. In addition to getting them packed and ready, you may also want to talk to your kids about seating arrangements ahead of time to avoid conflict among siblings about who will sit where.
5. Pack a carry-on that is small enough to stay with you at all times — like the ultra-light carry-on shown to the left.
Include necessities that you must have, in the event that you get separated from your other luggage for a day. If you need to take medication on a regular basis, be sure this is with you, and not in your checked luggage.
 I like using small, brightly colored pill containers like the one you can buy on sale, at Lu Treks Shop. If you are combining a business and vacation trip and need something for a presentation the next day, take it in your carry-on rather than checking it.
6. Plan early to get the best selection and to get early booking discounts. Be sure to find a good pet sitter or pet boarding facility early! The good ones book fast! If you’re wanting to take your pet with you, consider getting a high quality airline approved pet carrier, like the one shown to the right. Never check your pet with the baggage! You’d never check your child with the baggage. Don’t do that to you faithful best buddy!! Many pets have suffered and died that way.
If you’re really adventuresome and are not particular about where you want to go, you can also book reservations last-minute. There is some risk involved in doing this, but you can also get some great deals this way. Find some great bargains for airline tickets, car rentals and hotels at Kayak.com or Travelocity.com .
7. If you’re driving, you may wish to map out your trip ahead of time and make hotel reservations along the way if you are traveling during peak vacation time. Mapquest.com and Google maps both offer helpful Websites for mapping out your route and estimating travel time under normal driving conditions. I discuss more travel apps in my article entitled “Mobile Apps For Travel”.
8. If you’re traveling to another country, check out the Currency Converter for International Exchange Rates. Amazon has a handy free mobile app that can be added to your phone for quick reference.
If you’d like to master a few useful phrases in a foreign language, visit the Foreign Language Assistance Website. It even contains some sound clips so you can pronounce words properly. For a portable foreign language pocket reference, Amazon has inexpensive choices like the one for Western Europe shown at the right.
9. If your vacation plans include staying home rather than traveling, plan how you will spend your vacation to rejuvenate yourself! My plan would include a lot of pampering, especially using a beautiful spa kit like the one shown to the left. You might also want to spruce up your home with relaxing colors, or decorations like the beautiful palm leaf wall paper — putting you in the mood for a future trip, or helping stir your imagination or feeding sweet dreams. I feel myself relaxing already!!
Perhaps there are some local attractions that you’ve been wanting to experience but have not had the time to experience. Are there people you want to connect with? Get clear about what you want to do and who you want to do it with, and then plan to make it happen. If your vacation includes having a friend or relative flying in to visit you, you can check the status of a flight to see if they will arrive on time.
10. This is the most important tip of all: pack the right attitude! Let go of the “what if” and enjoy the moment. Remind yourself what matters most, and focus on that. If this is a vacation to get away and relax, then focus on activities and thoughts that will be relaxing. If your goal is to reconnect with family and build memories together, that can be done regardless of circumstances (missing a flight, not getting tickets to an event you wanted to attend, etc.).
If your goal is to sight-see and take in some special attractions or shows, then plan ahead and make the reservations necessary to ensure that you can do what you want to do when you get there! Enjoy!
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