Travel To Do Before You Go
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A Checklist
1) Make an appointment with a travel clinic to get required
immunizations and/or perscriptions. Don't go crazy with the shots. You
really don't need a rabies vaccine ($300)! Though, you may wish to
consider travel insurance for emergences. Check the Lonely Planet
website for a price list.
2) If you'll be away for many months, schedule a check-up with your regular doctor and dentist. Just to make sure you're trouble free before you go and that there are healthy stats to compare your paracite filled body with when you return. ;)
3) Are you leaving your apartment? You should prolly tell your landlord.
4) If you're subletting or moving out, figure out how and where to store your stuff. Parent's often have basements that beg to be filled with your crap.
5) Tag sales are a great fund raiser and junk downsizer. I made $300 in one day. All I did was sit on my keester drinking mimosas while other people paid to haul my old shit away! It was Sawyeresque!
6) Are you leaving your job? Give notice.
7) Find homes for your plants and/or pets and/or unwanted room mates.
8) Figure out your money situation - I recommend just bring your debit and credit card and a not too hefty wad of cash. Our international withdrawal fees thru Fleet were an outrageous $5 for every transaction so we withdrew the max each time. Try to get a better deal.
9) Sell or store your car. It needs to be driven regularly to stay in good shape so if you want to keep it, find someone who can use it.
10) Research and buy plane tickets.
11) Work out a budget once you know how much you've saved. For two low maintenance peeps it was about $120 in Western Europe and Japan, $30 in Southeast Asia - that includes travel costs and LOTS of eating out.
12) Plan a rough route, not too detailed, just the highlights.
13) Get a Youth card from STA.
14) See if VISA's are necessary.
15) Make a small album with pictures your family, town etc. to share with folks you meet. I threw a couple photos in my journal which came with an envelope.
16) Set up a way for folks to contact you. Hotmail? a phone card?
17) Have your mail, magazines and bills forwarded to someone you trust.
2) If you'll be away for many months, schedule a check-up with your regular doctor and dentist. Just to make sure you're trouble free before you go and that there are healthy stats to compare your paracite filled body with when you return. ;)
3) Are you leaving your apartment? You should prolly tell your landlord.
4) If you're subletting or moving out, figure out how and where to store your stuff. Parent's often have basements that beg to be filled with your crap.
5) Tag sales are a great fund raiser and junk downsizer. I made $300 in one day. All I did was sit on my keester drinking mimosas while other people paid to haul my old shit away! It was Sawyeresque!
6) Are you leaving your job? Give notice.
7) Find homes for your plants and/or pets and/or unwanted room mates.
8) Figure out your money situation - I recommend just bring your debit and credit card and a not too hefty wad of cash. Our international withdrawal fees thru Fleet were an outrageous $5 for every transaction so we withdrew the max each time. Try to get a better deal.
9) Sell or store your car. It needs to be driven regularly to stay in good shape so if you want to keep it, find someone who can use it.
10) Research and buy plane tickets.
11) Work out a budget once you know how much you've saved. For two low maintenance peeps it was about $120 in Western Europe and Japan, $30 in Southeast Asia - that includes travel costs and LOTS of eating out.
12) Plan a rough route, not too detailed, just the highlights.
13) Get a Youth card from STA.
14) See if VISA's are necessary.
15) Make a small album with pictures your family, town etc. to share with folks you meet. I threw a couple photos in my journal which came with an envelope.
16) Set up a way for folks to contact you. Hotmail? a phone card?
17) Have your mail, magazines and bills forwarded to someone you trust.