Vacation De-Stress Checklist

First of all, I leave for Scotland with my boyfriend and his parents on Sunday…YAY!! I haven’t been on a trip in forever, so I am mega stoked.

HOWEVER…I am a high stress gal, and while a vacation is meant to be relaxing, I find myself full of anxieties before I leave. Aside from the obvious (packing…), one of my main priorities in getting ready for a trip is making sure that my home is safe while I’m away, and that I’m coming home to a ready-to-live-in space. 

I was making myself a checklist of things to remember before I leave, and thought “why not make this a blog post?” I’m sure lots of these things are common knowledge, but consider it your own personal pre-travel de-stressing tool. Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips I should add to my list!

1. Eat like it’s the Last Supper 
But seriously, how many times have you gone away and forgotten about the bananas on your counter or the eggs in your fridge? It’s depressing that you wasted the food, and you have to deal with the aftermath. In the days leading up to your trip, DON’T EAT OUT (I already broke this rule, oops) and make do with what you have! Time to snack on all of the fruit and veggies in your fridge and get creative with perishables.

2. 10 Second Tidy 
Again, common sense. It may be too much to ask to do a deep clean, but it’s totally reasonable to quickly run around your place and clean up the major messes. Wipe down your counter space, deal with any dishes, clear appx. 100 bobby pins off the bathroom counter (just me? Ok…) and hang up the clothes on your floor. Knowing you’re coming home to a livable space is such a relief!

3. Clean Sheets, Full Heart, Can’t Lose
Is there anything better than clean sheets? I know it sucks, but strip your bed before you leave and throw some clean sheets on there. When you get back a) jet lagged, b) hungover, or c) all of the above, you’ll give your past self a big ol’ high five before passing out into the coziest of slumbers.

4. A Picture is Worth 1000 Worries
Like I said, I am crazy nervous about leaving my stove on (or any other fire hazard). How do I avoid the instant worry that I forgot something? Snap a few pics. Right as I’m leaving the house, I pull out my phone and take a picture of my stove dials, my bathroom plug, and the candle I most recently had burning. That way when my stomach drops and I think “….omg I left it on…” I can look back at the photos and be assured that nothing will light my condo on fire. It’s psycho, but it works!

Care to Follow Along?