Spring has finally sprung here in Coastal Virginia! The same can not yet be said for the mountains of West Virginia. My family spent the Easter weekend at my brother’s vacation cabin the mountains and with the exception of several red buds (which produce bright purple blooms) there weren’t very many signs of spring. While the wifi is strong, he says stronger than at his row house in DC, there is absolutely no cell reception. It was nice being able to disconnect for a few days and do some hiking, trying out the reported “best burger in West Virginia” and sitting around the campfire. For those who know me well, you know this is as close as I’ll get to camping!
With the fresh promise of Spring, this week I wanted to share some thoughts on how you can also refresh your travel gear to prepare for your summer vacation!
#1 – Check the expiration date on your passport. Remember, passports need to be valid for 6 months after you return from vacation. Now is a good time to pull that out and check the date. Passports for adults, 16 and over, are valid for 10 years and can be renewed by mail under most circumstances. For those under 16 passports are only valid for 5 years and can not be renewed, obtaining a new passport is just like when your child got their original. Both parents and the child need to appear together to get the new passport. We did this over Spring Break for our daughter. For those of you who are local, I highly recommend the main Post Office on Church St in Norfolk. You’ll need to make an appointment online, but they are readily available and offered every 15 minutes from 9am -3pm weekdays. When you arrive you simply stand in line for the postmaster. We were in and out in less than 10 minutes. The entire process was effortless.
#2 – Pull those suitcases out of the attic and check them out. Test the zippers, wheels, locks. etc. There’s nothing worse than getting your suitcase out to begin packing for your trip and discovering that you need a new one, or need a repair.
#3 – Perhaps your Summer vacation will have you traveling to a different climate. Now is the time to make a list of off season items you may need before you switch out your closet for Summer.
#4 – Make sure there is room on your phone, or camera for all those fantastic photos you’ll capture while you’re on vacation. There’s nothing that strikes fear into a photographer more than a full memory card! You don’t want to spend time deleting old photos as you are touring the Vatican Museums just so you don’t miss the next shot.
#5 – While you are checking your travel gear don’t forget to make sure you have the converters and adapters necessary for the countries you’ll be visiting. Dead batteries rank right up there with full memory cards with regards to striking fear!
So, now that you’ve checked your travel gear, maybe it’s time to actually start planning your next vacation! I’d love to help you get started, click here and we can start today!
Would you like to read more content like this?
Sign up here: