How to have a blissful holiday

You have decided to embark on a new adventure, your mind is full of checklists, you're merely hoping you won't forget something. I get it. A trip can be stressful which is ironic considering it’s about vacating your life right? Here's how to distress, kick back, and relax on a holiday.

1. Remove all alarms and reminders associated with work and schedules. You cannot have a vacation if your mind is still in your normal routine.

2. Unfollow Facebook groups (but stay joined) that remind you of work or home. You can always follow when you return from vacation.

3. Set your email message to 'I'm on  vacay.' Do the same for your phone.

4. Book the first few and the last few night's accommodations.

5. Travel with enough spending money & use cash wherever possible. This will save you exorbitant fees from your bank or financial institution. 

6. Hire a house or pet sitter. If you are worried about your house and pets while you are away and you want them to have proper love and attention instead of being put into a kennel, hire a house sitter that can look after your pets. I recommend Trusted Housesitters, I have used this myself as a housesitter in Australia and the United Kingdom.

7. Pack early and plan your outfits. It is so easy to travel with too much gear. Sending souvenirs or clothes home from when you spent your holiday costs an arm and a leg (generally speaking), so plan and pack early. Extra tip- roll those clothes don't fold them.

8. Carry some local currency, this will help minor unexpected things like organizing travel cards, paying for painkillers for headaches or any other little things to be covered easily.

9. Organise your phone to be unlocked and buy a SIM in the country you are visiting. I have traveled 26 countries, people have often told me that you don't need your mobile phone but for safety, I personally believe it’s necessary to at least have data to connect to the internet- access maps when you need, especially if you are a solo traveler. 

10. Don't book out every day of your trip- it’s not for business its for leisure, treat it like that so you don't come home and feel like you need a holiday from your holiday.

11. Have a realistic must-do list for the time frame you are away. This way if things outside of this list get done you feel great not burdened by what you didn't do. The best way to do this is to think about the things you would be most disappointed about if you missed them. Do these things first, anything else is a bonus.

12. Get out from behind your camera. Photos are great but you cannot relive countries without spending thousands, be present.

13. Try different foods. Travel is all about new experiences so tempt the taste buds.

14. Talk to people, you probably won't get to see them again so why not right? Take a few extra risks knowing the potential embarrassment is far less than taking chances in your home town.

15. Enjoy yourself, care little about what others think. Explore life as you want to explore it, do something a little risky if you want to, or play it 100% safe either way remember it’s your holiday make sure you honor yourself by the way you spend it. This way you'll have fond memories for many years to come.

Do you have any travel tips? Please share them below in the comments, I'd love to hear them!