Happy 2021 beautiful people of the internet!!
It has been a hot dang minute since I've posted on my blog but I am backkkkk babyyyyyy. I apologize for being MIA; however, long story short. - 2021 did not have the grand entrance I had hoped for. Within the first few days of the new year, I lost my Papa. My Papa {my dad's dad} was an incredible man and NEVER left a room without making sure everybody smiled. He was always full of compliments, funny remarks, and incredible wisdom. He definitely left a mark on EVERYBODY'S life {and I'm lucky to have had him around for 25 years of mine}.
NOW -- Let's get to it.
I know much like myself, a lot of people transitioned into 2021 hoping for a brighter and better year than 2020. Trust me, I am manifesting an incredible job opportunity, the chance to travel, and good health and wealth for all my family and close friends. Following the death of my Papa, I actually scored my biggest. brand deal yet so I'm excited for what this year holds.
First stop for me -- HAWAII
I am soooooo excited for my FIRST trip of 2021. This Saturday I am heading to the North Shore {Oahu} for just over a week... Crazy to think it's almost been an ENTIRE year since I have stepped foot on a plane.
{NEW cover photo graphic design}
Let's be honest, I am NOT the best traveler. Yes, I LOVE it {and the airport makes for some amazing people watching} BUTTTTTT I am typically a professional over-packer and procrastinator. I'm going to help you get your life in check before departure and provide you with some killerrrrrrrr lists to help you with your packing.
5 TIPS FOR VACAY PREPARATION:
1. GET YOUR ADMIN // OFFICE WORK IN CHECK
NOBODY wants to get stuck working when they're on vacay... The whole point of going on a trip is to give yourself a mental break from stress and worries at home.
I personally haven't had a long-term "real" job BUTTTT I do know that if and when the time comes, I want to go somewhere tropical and have a piña colada in my hands at all time {or check into a cabin somewhere snowy with zero cell reception} SOOOO I want to have my sh*t together before departure. Considering I am working full time currently just on social media and on my blog, my work can basically be done anywhere I want.
Before departure, I review all my contracts for the month, deal with my bills, deposit partnership payments, and make sure I don't have to worry about any reading or any financials while I'm away. If I am working with a company {or multiple companies during a trip} I make sure I email them prior to departure and inform them of dates that they can expect content from me... I also make sure that ALL things needed for vacay content are charged: DSLR camera, phone {always}, vlog camera, GoPro, computer, etc.
2. CONTACTS CONTACTS CONTACTS
In a way contacts can relate to what I said above: keep in touch with work prior to departure and make sure your company // colleagues {that may need you} know where you're going and how long you're gone for.
Let's talk contacts in other senses though:
FAMILY -- If you are going somewhere with friends, or a boyfriend, or alone, make sure you tell AT LEAST one family member where you're going when when you plan to return. Considering I went to school in Texas {GO FROGS!!} and I did a LOTTTTT of back and forth between Texas and Los Angeles, before going on a flight, I would always screenshot all my flight information and send it to my family's group chat. It's always nice knowing someone knows where you are JUST IN CASE something were to go wrong.
BANK & CREDIT CARD COMPANIES -- I am not joking when I tell you, we have had SOOOOO many damn issues with our cards. Either our information gets stolen from us, a card gets declined if it's "two places at once" {for the cards that are shared}, a card denies a purchase online if it doesn't recognize the retailer, etc. I promise you, NOTHING is worse than traveling and having all your cards get declined {that happened to me in Spain and it took about three days to get sh*t together}... OR having your phone pick-pocketed in a foreign country {that happened to me at a club named Fucking Mondays in Spain as well}.
PHONE COMPANIES -- Speaking of foreign countries and going abroad and whatnot, make sure you inform your phone company you will be elsewhere. Prior to heading out of the country {although, who knows when that kind of travel will be "normal" or allowed again}, look into your phone company's travel plan. You may not know it {or realize it until you return back home to a BUNCH of bills} but international plans are pricey af and definitely add up depending on your carrier... Honestly, it may be cheaper to purchase a whole new carrier {i.e. T-Mobile has an incredible international plan} when it comes to international travel and data plans.
3. PLAN FUN SH*T
Along with my love for lists, I am a sucker for a schedule... Since middle school {and assignment notebooks} I have absolutely LOVED being on a schedule down to the half hour and when it comes to a trip, down time is always good BUTTTT I also love things that keep me busy and exploring.
Whether it's a helicopter tour, a hike you find on instagram {tagged locations are the best locations to check}, a special restaurant, ATVs, or anything else, make sure you research the places you wanna see and do prior to your vacation because a lot of the time places book up and need reservations WAYYYY in advance {especially with COVID}.
My printable planning sheet below will hopefully help y'all so make sure you check it out!!
4. CLEAN & CONFIGURE HOME NEEDS
I personally do not like coming home to a messy house, apartment, or room after a vacation. My suitcase that's going to remain unpacked for the following week or so is messy enough so before leaving I make sure I do an EXTREME deep cleaning day. I literally dedicate {or would when I lived in my own place in Texas} about eight hours the day before {or two days before} to make my place look as though it's going to be a part of a photoshoot for Pinterest.
I clean out the fridge cause I don't wanna come home to anything spoiled or stinky {also what if there ends up being a power outage?}, I stiffer and vacuum the floors, I break down all my boxes from the week and empty all the trash {that usually happens right before leaving my place}, AND I wash all my laundry and sheets. I swear, coming home to a clean smelling home // apartment with freshly washed sheets is THE BEST.
NOW -- If you have a pet, some more thinking and planning will go into your home pre-departure needs. Either find a trusted neighbor to stop by your place and take care of your furry friends ORRRR find a nice pet hotel // boarding center {we usually check our pups into the doggie hotel but we have left them with my boyfriend once}... Honestly it was so nice having Chase just stay at our home when we were away cause it gave my fur babies someone to always be with BUTTTTT the doggie hotel we check our pups in also allows us to Skype them whenever we want to {yes, I know that sounds crazy} and also allows us to tap into the video cameras at the facility to see what they're doing.
In regard to home safety, make sure you leave AT LEAST one light on. We personally keep our stairwell light on and the two main lights in front of the house; however, it is also possible to set your lights up on self-timers if you are worried about using too much power and electricity while you are away. Dark homes are more prone to burglary {you'd know that just from watching Home Alone lol}.
5. THE ULTIMATE PACKING LIST
Guys -- I am a SUCKER for a good list... My notes on my phone are FULL of lists {from what I have to do in a day, market lists, upcoming collars, etc}. If you're like me though and typically overpack, you're going to want to check out my lists and download them for yourself. I promise you, this list will make sure that you don't leave ANYTHING behind that you want // need, which obviously we ALL stress out and feel like we're forgetting something.
You can definitely make your own spreadsheet or create your own list on your phone if that's easier for you BUTTTT I think I have thought of it all and included everything that you could imagine. You can find printables for both packing and planning down below!!
PRINTABLES
I swear I inherited the need for a packing spreadsheet from my dad. When we started traveling as a family when I was younger, my dad would print out specified excel sheets of all the packing necessities and hand deliver them to my brother, mama, and I... I have been using packing lists for YEARSSSSS {plus I made them all cute and aesthetic-y for y'all cause that obviously makes it A LOT easier}.
If you're feeling extra boujee too, you can either print them on projector paper, white paper and put it in a sheet protector so it's reusable, OR print and laminate the sheets... Make sure you use fine tip whiteboard markers though {thick pens are ugly and messy}.
One printable is for packing and one printable is for planning. The packing list is in a format that will allow you to mark off the items as you pack them {with a few blanks if you think of more to pack} and the planning one will help you get all your travel details and festivities in check.
Now that it took me FIVE-EVERRRRR to put together this blog and make those downloadable travel guides, I am off to find something to munch on until my mama comes back for dinner. All I've had is my Starbucks pink drink and a yummy cucumber salad {I'll post the recipe soon for y'all} today since I've been a lil preoccupied.
Make sure y'all follow me on insta cause I'll have some fun travel content when I head to Hawaii this weekend and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel; I have started posting every week. If you want to check out my most recent video, I'll link it below for y'all. It's from back in October when I went with Chase to Utah and I JUST edited it this past weekend.
xoxo V
