Molly's Guide to Vacation Travel Prep

My name is Molly and I love vacation.  I'm now going to provide in gory detail all the things I'm doing to get ready and provide some friendly advice for vacation that may talk you into making an adventure for yourself.


We are looking at a good 10-12 hours in the car in one day with myself, my husband and a 3 year old.  Planning is muy importante! Here's how I'm rocking out this year.

Mental Prep.  Sometimes its hard to separate from the problems of life when we go on vacation.  I'm attempting to plan ahead in this regard. Here's how:

• Get the bills payed early so they aren't hounding you while gone or when you get back.
• Finish up big projects at work or establish a good stopping point, either way, leave it at work. No checking/responding to work emails.  Period.
• Clean your house: Nothing worse than coming home to a dirty house after a likely long journey.  We have house guests while gone, so it will be half dirty, half clean.  Oh well, can't complain with all the free dog sitting, which is a savings of about $500.
• Don't take an online class during your vacation.  Because it sucks.

Car and Travel Prep. In essence, hunting & gathering:

• Scrub out your car, inside and out.  Its very important to make sure the inside of your windows are clean.  They can get scuzzy and hinder your view, especially at night.  Your car is going to be a hot mess when you get back, but at least for the first leg of your journey, it will feel, look, smell good and you'll be able to see. 
• Plan & purchase your road food: This year, we are not eating out as much as we can help it.  I'm packing a loaf of good bread, lunch meat, cheese and condiments.  I might even throw in some pimento cheese. I'll make some sort of potato or broccoli salad. Apples, baby carrots, fruit leathers, water, cokes, juice boxes and maybe some homemade party mix or granola. Utensils, paper towels and many, many wet wipes.
• Kid stuff: Crayons, markers, coloring books/pages, movies, kid apps on the iPad, books, a few baby dolls, snuggle blanket, pillow...that should do it. 
• Adult stuff: I'm loading up the iPod with music (mine and my husbands), some podcasts, books and magazines and both digital and analog cameras to capture the amazing views and my adorable kid. 
• Navigation:  We don't have a fancy navigation device and I don't have a data plan for the iPad, so I'll be printing this info on paper.  Its so easy to make some maps on the computer with all of our travel info included.  I'm going to make a little booklet or three ring binder so we aren't fumbling with 15 sheets of paper.  and constantly wonder where we put it. 

What kind of vacationer are you? Once you get to your vacation destination, the rest is really up to you.  I've learned over the years that there are really two kinds of vacationers: those who chill and those who need constant activities. We are chillers through and through.  If my parents have taught me anything, its how to slow it down and relax while you can because when you go back, it all cranks right back up again.

Next up, I tell y'all how I'm packing the car.