Sample To-Do List
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If traveling outside North America and Europe, call travel clinic to check on inoculations
and anti-malarials.
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Renew medical evacuation insurance if it won稚 be valid for the whole trip.
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Select guidebook(s) and cut out selected sections. (Or buy and download chapters from Lonely Planet and print selected
pages.)
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Borrow books on tape from library and load iPod.
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Buy international SIM for unlocked quad-band cell phone, or check that old one is still working.
(Or plan to buy country SIM on arrival.) Charge battery.
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Find camera and charge batteries.
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For a trip less than a month, tell post office to hold mail. For longer trips, have mail forwarded to a friend, and write
checks so said friend can pay credit card bills. (Can now tell post office on-line, but it costs $1.00.)
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Prepay any monthly bill not on bank draft (yard maintenance) or write checks and stamped envelopes and add to credit card
checks
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Get nice new $100 and $50 bills from bank for emergency stash and move enough money into checking account to cover
expected ATM withdrawals
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Tell bank and credit union I値l be using my ATM cards abroad, and confirm non 1-800 contact phone nos.
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Call credit card companies (at least two different cards) to tell them I値l be using my cards abroad, confirm non 1-800 contact phone nos.
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Deal with taxes if I値l be gone over April 15th
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Confirm reservation at first hotel.
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Check flight reservation and seat selection.
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Make copies of list of important numbers, passport, ATM, credit and insurance cards (both sides), airline tickets,
rail tickets, etc. and put copies in backup money belt.
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Suspend newspaper delivery.
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Return Netflix DVDs and put membership on hold.
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Return library books and put any orders on hold.
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Clean out fridge and take out garbage and recycling.
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Give house and car keys to the friend who痴 keeping an eye on the house and taking the car out occasionally (to keep the
battery charged and the tires from going flat).
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Set thermostat.
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Throw circuit breaker for electric water heater.
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Turn off water at meter (the town says I知 not allowed to do this myself, but they charge to turn it back it on!).
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Check I知 carrying passport, airline ticket, ATM and credit cards...