Prepare yourself for travel: Pack a great attitude!

Vacation dreams: Sunny skies and smooth sailing!

When you prepare ahead, just a little, those disasters won’t ruin the trip.

We look forward to vacation, whether the dream getaway or a weekend to unplug, and all the wonderful promise it holds. We expect the picture postcard trip. Then reality strikes: lost luggage. The car breaks down. Emergency trips to the hospital. Bad weather. Flight delays. We have a choice: let the bad stuff ruin the trip or grin and bear it.

Travel tips for when things go wrong

Keep your cool. When you stay calm, you think more clearly, which is important for handling crises or other inconveniences. Besides, if you blow up, you’re probably screaming at an employee as frustrated as you are — and who cannot fix it no matter how much they want to.

A sweet surprise! Snow in July!

Be prepared.  Travel with emergency contact numbers for family, doctor, credit cards, hotel, travel agency, car and airport. When trouble strikes, you will have the contacts you need to make adjustments. When traveling internationally, register your trip with the State Department for better help in case of emergency.

Expect that things might go wrong. We returned recently from a dream vacation to Paris. Normally, Paris doesn’t get much rain in April, but we tend to attract it wherever we go. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I packed for rainy weather. I imagined myself with soggy feet and wet hair. We were pleasantly surprised to have rain only two evenings the whole time. The actual weather far exceeded my expectations. If you “imagine” perfection, you can only be disappointed. When you envision what could go wrong — not to the point of dwelling on it — your trip will invariably go better.

Learn from your mistakes. Did you forget to pack underwear? Head to the store, buy more and move on. You will remember to check (recheck and check a third time) to make sure you packed underwear in the future. Life happens, even on vacation, and we can learn from our mistakes.

Don’t let the little things drive you crazy!

Choose to be happy. We’ve all seen them, the people who complain to the hotel desk clerk, the waiter, the lifeguard, the bus driver… and everyone else. Grumpiness doesn’t accomplish much, though, and it certainly won’t create memories people want. Choose to be happy, even if the weather closes the amusement park or the snow melts right off the ski slope. (You can apply this to family reunions, too!)

Have fun!!! You’re on vacation.

Packing a positive attitude improves any vacation!