Before

by Helena Whyte

Created on: May 31, 2009

It is harder getting ready for a vacation than returning home afterwards. No matter how intricate the plan, I never get enough sleep the night before going on vacation. Something always happens at the last minute to use up the time planned for an orderly, organized packing session and departure. The vacation always begins in an exhausted state, on the last nerve after running like a whirling dervish to prepare to leave home.

The plumbing backs up the day before departure when the laundry was to be washed, dried, and ironed. Or the neighborhood child hired to walk the dog comes down with the chicken pox so a new dog walker/dog sitter needs to be found. And there is still the newspaper to stop, the mail to put on hold, the house plants to water, and the radio and lights to put on a timer so there are no signs that no one is at home. In such a frenzied state, the tickets or the e-reservation code, or the hotel reservation confirmation, or someone's swimsuit can't be found anywhere.

All this doesn't take into account the rest of the pre-planning that was completed before getting to the point of preparing to leave home. It doesn't consider how difficult it was to find THE week when everyone in the family could go on vacation. It doesn't consider the fact that reservations for everyone's second or third choice of the ideal vacation had to be made because the NUMBER ONE spot is booked for our week for the next 2-3 years. Then of course, there were only three seats left on the ideal flight instead of the five we need so we could all travel together.

Since 9/11 you can't make spontaneous plans to travel outside of the US. You can't cross the Canadian or Mexican border with just a birth certificate anymore. Everyone traveling must have a passport card or passport. If you have remarried, your children have to have permission from the parent traveling with the children as well as the ex-spouse to obtain a passport. That permission can take a lot of negotiating if the ex-spouse holds a grudge or didn't leave a forwarding address to avoid paying child support. It also takes more than sixty days to get the passport because of the numbers of people needing them.

Then there is the preplanning for activities the family will enjoy while on vacation so you'll know what to pack and what to pull out of storage ahead of time. The family will need fishing poles, hooks, waders, and clothing allowing them to blend into the landscape like chameleons if the family is going fishing. Reservations need to be made ahead of time if golf is planned. Snorkeling equipment and perhaps the boogie board need to be packed if the family is going to the beach. Backpacks and good boots are needed if hiking is part of the vacation. It really helps to know if the vacation resort rents surf boards, tennis rackets, or bicycles and where to purchase a fishing license and whether it is more economical to buy a one day or one week license. Sometimes discounts are better for extra excursions or theme parks if purchased on-line before leaving home.

And if the family is flying to the vacation destination, the first stop upon arrival must be a discount drug store. It will be necessary to purchase shampoo, lotion, make up, suntan lotion, mouthwash, disinfectant, insect repellent, and any other liquid you will use in quantities greater than one ounce during the vacation. The upside is that there is one less carry-on to worry about.

Coming home with your memories after the vacation is so easy. The dog walker returns your house key and the dog. The mail resumes after you remember to pick it up to stop the hold; there are no bills to pay until you do pick up the mail. The newspaper is delivered on schedule. The wilted house plants remind you it is time to water them again. The photos on the digital camera will stay there until they are downloaded before the family goes on its next vacation. That is one more thing to do along with purchasing batteries while getting ready to go on vacation.

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