As I sit here and begin this blog post, I have about a million things going on in my head. I leave to teach my private lessons in an hour … I still need to look up exactly what I want to and need to see in Lisbon this weekend … I should probably post a photo to my Instagram. Now is a good time as my American followers are likely all waking up and starting their days while my European followers are going about their days. More eyes to see … oh and have I done laundry? … oh and my room is a mess.
I think we all know this feeling well. We have a lot to do and then we’re going on vacation. This coming weekend is what they call a “puente” here in Spain. Puente literally translates to bridge in English. However in this context, it means having several days off of work or school usually in regards to a holiday. This puente means I have next Monday and Tuesday off work. So I decided to take a trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Since Lisbon involves a bit more travel time, I figured a four-day weekend would be best.
For this post I’m also teaming up with Quill.com. They have provided me with this lovely graphic and have some awesome tips on how to prepare ahead as it relates to a more traditional 9-5 job in the United States. I, however, do not have one of those because a. I live in Spain and b. I do not work 9-5 hours. And I love it. I still do work, though. Between teaching English at an elementary school and private lessons with different families in Spain, I work about 30-35 hour work weeks. Between that and blogging, my life is still rather busy. So I thought I’d share with you some of my tips to plan ahead as they relate to more of your personal life.
4. Do your laundry a week ahead
The worst thing ever is to be stuck the night before you leave wanting to pack that dress or pair of pants that are still in the laundry. You don’t exactly have time to wash them, especially if you live in a culture without dryers (like I do in Spain).
The best thing to do is do a load of laundry a week to at least a few days before you leave. Even if you think you have enough clothing, taking the time to go through everything that’s in the hamper can be a life saver. You may find that sundress you forgot about that would be perfect for your beach trip or those super warm socks that would be perfect as you spend hours walking through Europe.
3. Bloggers: schedule, schedule, schedule
One thing us bloggers can get into the habit of is not putting the computer or phone down. There will forever be one more thread to join in a Facebook promo group, one more Tweet to send out, one more Facebook post to make, etc. And the last thing that you want to do is be on your laptop while on vacation. Trust me … I’ve most certainly been there.
Thank God for technology and the power of scheduling. Before you go, write your blog posts in advance and schedule them to post. Then go onto your Facebook page and schedule posts for the entire time you’re on vacation. Also with sites like Hootsuite, you can do the same with Twitter and Pinterest. Basically, schedule as much of it as you can … and then leave the laptop at home. While you’ll of course still check social media because you are you, not having that laptop with you will stop you from wasting a morning blogging when you really should be relaxing or seeing the sites.
2. Clean and organize your room
When you come home from a trip, you have a lot of stuff to reorganize and put away. I know I for one usually just dump everything on my bed and then sort though it. It can feel overwhelming if you still have a mess to clean up. So take a bit of time to put everything away and make it orderly.
1. Get rest!
When on vacation, your sleep schedule can get a little messed up. Sometimes in a new place, I don’t sleep well the first night. Or perhaps your vacation involves a time zone change or two. Or perhaps you stay out late while on vacation. Whatever happens, your sleep schedule might not be exactly normal. So try to catch as many zzzzz’s the week before.
Quill has also provided us with this lovely graphic.
