There’s nothing like a to do list (if you’re Gemma). And here’s ours…
First things first
Decide where to go
Book flights
Book volunteer projects
It’s all in the detail
Think about budget (realise we should probably have thought about this before we booked it)
Travel DRs appt
Order passport
Sort out driving license (so it doesn’t expire mid trip)
Buy netbook
Buy ipad
Give landlady notice
Create spreadsheet with intended route, important information (contact details, insurance details, passport information) on it to leave with family and friends
Packing lists
Buy backpacks
Book first night’s accommodation
Sort out bank that doesn’t charge for withdrawals/figure out what’s so great about the STA cards (they are better than a regular bank card, but only just)
Vaccinations
Tim gig (so that he remembers his stand up set when he gets back)
Tell bank where we’re going (there’s nothing worse than getting cut off mid trip and having to convince the bank you’re not a fraudster)
Arrange goodbye tour of the UK (family and friends just can’t get rid of us)
Sign up to FCO things?
Look up which visas we need (then panic that we haven’t done it sooner)
Create blog
Hand in notice at work (Freedom!!!)
Insurance
Visas
Packing practise
Copy Passports/flight details/insurance and scan a copy to save online
Cancel direct debits
Change money
The last minute
Move house stuff
Pack
Put car up for sale/scrap it/give it away
Inca trail
Music on phone/iPod/iPad
Get on plane (not sure this needs to be on a list…)
Plan how much we need to have left at the end of each country/daily budgets/weekly budgets (we’ve already made a trip budget, we just need to make sure we break it down to make it easier to manage)