Who else is dreaming about leaving their home for a prolonged time? I know I am.

With more and more people getting their vaccines, the ability to travel safely again is getting closer to becoming a reality.

There are several things I like to do before leaving on my trips. Some of these tasks are to ensure there are no hiccups along the way as I travel to my destination. Some of my to-dos are to ensure that my return home from my relaxing vacation will be as stress-free as possible.

The airfare and hotel are booked; now what?

Check if your IDs will still be current for the trip. When traveling to another country, most require passports not be set to expire for 3 months after your arrival date. With the processing time for passport renewals and the slowness of the Post Office, it's best to give yourself as much time as possible to take care of this task.

Have pets? Make sure they will be well taken care of by booking pet sitting or pet boarding services at the same time you book your trip. This will ensure your furry friend will be well taken care of, and you won’t be scrambling at the last minute to find accommodations, especially if you travel during a popular travel time.

Four - two weeks from take off! I can feel the antici…pation!

Book any personal services. Whether it’s a haircut, manicure, or waxing services, you'll want to take care of these before you take off. Sure, you might have access to these services while you're on vacation, but they are likely to be more expensive and will eat into your sightseeing time. Depending on what grooming you need to be done, there is sometimes a time frame to let things "settle down" before hopping in water or just looking their best.

Pull out any seasonal clothes you may need. You'll want to make sure that you have what you need and that everything fits appropriately. If you are missing or need to replace a piece, you want to ensure you have plenty of time to acquire new items.

Delete unnecessary files from your phone. When was the last time you deleted extraneous images and videos off your phone? You don't want to get caught with no memory available for all the photos you'll want to take while you are out and about.

Order any foreign currency from your bank. The best exchange rates are usually available at your bank, but they don't keep stashes of non-US legal tender in stock. So make a trip to your bank to order the amount of cash you think you'll need (1-2 days for my bank, yours could vary) and wait for them to call you when it's ready to pick up.

One week left, my brain is already on vacation!

Clean and put away laundry. You’ll want to ensure you have enough of the essentials on your trip. Also, ensure that anything you don’t pack with you gets put away. Do you really want the first thing you see when you get home is laundry baskets full of laundry to deal with? Give future relaxed you the gift of not worrying about the laundry immediately upon your return.

Clear out the refrigerator!  Make sure you each up anything perishable and toss out any food that will rot away when you’re gone. You don’t want to come home to any science experiments growing in the fridge!

Check your prescriptions. You don't want to run out of vital medications while away from your home pharmacy, so do a quick check of your medicines to ensure you have enough to last you through the vacations, plus a dose or two for when you get back. If you don't, you'll want to contact the pharmacy right away to get refills taken care of. If you are far off from your

Start packing! No need to wait until the night before. Start packing items you don’t need before you leave. You’ll be able to think more clearly about what you need and don’t need. List items that you will need to pack later, such as toiletries, as you go.

The night before!

Wipe down the kitchen counters as well as clean and put away dishes. This is another of those tasks that I do to alleviate stress when I arrive home from vacation. Nothing says “welcome back” like clear countertops and plenty of dishes available for your first meal back. Plus, the plates are just easier to clean when they haven't been sitting with stuck-on food for several days.

Take out the trash. Make sure you don't come home to foul stenches by taking out the garbage.

Charge up any devices. Make sure your extra batteries have a full charge as well as any other devices such as your phone, wireless earphones, and e-readers.

Get a good night’s sleep. Especially if you leave on an early flight. Traveling can be exhausting and stressful, so start off on the right foot by getting your eight hours of sleep (even if you have to go to bed early).

All you should need to do the day of is finish packing! Refer to any lists you made of items you had to wait until later to pack. And don’t leave home without your passport or pertinent ID.

Do you have any pre-travel tasks on your list? I would love to hear some of your tactics for preventing stress while on your vacation, as well as when you get back home!