Everyone does it different but we’re willing to bet that you have a specific routine of things you do once you arrive to your destination on vacation. Maybe you unpack first, or maybe it’s getting some solid rest after a long day of travel? Maybe you put on a bathing suit before you even left home so you can walk right through the lobby and straight to that hotel pool. We don’t know exactly what it is, but we’re willing to bet you’ve done things, for the most part, the same way on all your trips. This doesn’t make any of it wrong, but what should your first concern be once arriving to your destination?
Much like the individual who leaves the house already in their bathing suit, we like to get right to the fun as soon as possible on our vacations too. Usually we’ve got a few things we HAVE to take care of first though. Before we even get to things like checking in however, let’s take a few extra steps back. On your way in, be it by plane or automobile, did you take notice of your surroundings and location? Chances are you’ll be taking that same route on your way back home. With us for example, how did you get into historic Beaufort and did you pay attention on your way in to get yourself back out when it’s the sad time to head home? It’s difficult enough to leave a wonderful vacation heading back to regular life, but if you start the trip home going in the wrong direction or you forgot where the rental car office was located at and, subsequently, make yourself miss your flight how much worse will that make the trip home? Paying attention to these details on the way to your destination will make life easier than you know when it’s time to head home.
Once you’re at your destination and in your room a smart thing to do before you unpack anything else or venture out on the town, is to secure your valuables. To give an example, I have a particular necklace and set of earrings I take with me almost every trip. Not because they’re particularly valuable themselves, but they look nice with a ton of different outfits and are extremely sentimental because they were my mothers. So, I usually put them in they’re own little bag and put them in my purse until we get to where we are going. This way, I could literally lose my entire suitcase but would still have these all important items. I would be devastated if I lost them so I keep them close for the journey, but I don’t want to carry them all over the place once we’re there. So the first thing I do when we get in a room is put them somewhere safe. It may be something more general for yourself, like a laptop or a checkbook maybe, but make sure they are accounted for upon arrival and they’re the first thing you find a home for when you unpack. It gives you some added peace of mind and reassures yourself that you’ll know exactly where the items are at when you want them the most.
There’s a little more on the general side of things that may be worth looking at in a different light, such as grabbing a bite to eat. Chances are you’ll need/want something soon after checking in, but you may be too tired from the journey to want to hunt very hard for it. In this circumstance most folks would probably just call down for some room service or maybe a nearby fast food joint. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in the age of the internet why not find something nearby that you’ll enjoy a little better? This probably wouldn’t be the best time to go check out the place you’re most excited about going to during the course of your stay, however for your first meal after traveling, you’ll appreciate the extra time you took to find something better than vending machine junk or fast food.
These are just a few tips but hopefully help shed some light on areas of your vacation you hadn’t put much thought into. They aren’t single handedly the most important aspects to worry about but could still save you an unnecessary headache or two by spending the few extra seconds of attention on. We also feel we should mention a few other simple things like letting someone know you made the trip safe once you get to where you are going. This could be a family member or friend back home. Just so everybody knows you’re not missing somewhere between points A and B. One more that’s nice to focus on is getting outside, be it right after check-in or maybe the morning after you’re first rest to just soak in the air and familiarize yourself with the immediate area. Most likely things will be different, the little stuff, like the smell of the air and the new surroundings and this is an easy way to push the reset button after being stuck in a car or airplane terminal all day. It gives you a chance to start fresh and put your best foot forward towards the rest of your stay. Even if that foot is pointing towards your nearest swimming hole.