How to Get Out of the House on Vacation!

You have planned the perfect vacation! You have everything ready to go! You just need to get in the car and leave!

That is when it happens. The PHONE CALL. It does not matter who it is but that 5 minute phone call is going to cost you both time and money. Plus put you in a mood that kills your first day of vacation. It does not matter who you get that call from. If it is family, then you might even have to delay a day or two. If it is work, then you might have to deal with someone or something that you don’t want too.

This happened to me just as I was leaving for Maine, or at least to Pittsburgh to drop off Olive Oil, the Pug, and then go towards Maine. I should not have answered by that ended up being an hour long call. Then things at the house just snowballed. Everything that I needed to do to get out of the house that should have taken 5 minutes turned into not leaving until 1 pm.

With Olive Oil standing at the door, the cooler packed up, and everything ready…I left. I should have just waited that extra day. Because it meant that I would have to get a hotel for the night because I was not going to make it to Pittsburgh that night. But I thought I would just see something along the way. Find a camping spot or get a hotel closer to Pittsburgh.

My mood was a bit off because I hate leaving after 9 am because I had a few things to do in the morning. Plus I was allowed to sleep in by a kind well meaning person but it did not help my mood. It cuts down on the places that I can see along the way. But I was willing to run with it. It turned out that as I was driving along, I saw a State Park sign on the road. Pipestem Resort State Park. It was a great find.

The resort itself looked nice but dated as did the cabins. But I could see myself taking one of the cabins for a weekend or week trip in the summer or better yet in the winter with the snow all around and just looking out the window as the snow comes down. The view is incredible looking down at the valley to Bluestone River Gorge. Me and Olive Oil took the tram down to the bottom and walked around a bit.

But getting out of the house on time is so important to me. That I was a bit sour all day long. You can stop this from happening to you:

1. Make sure that you personal set the alarm and put it across the room. Then set your phone for 10 minutes later! So, well meaning people or persons are not allowed to let you sleep just a little longer, i.e. 3 hours longer!
2. Complete all your packing before bed and have it in the car ready to go. Last minute items tend to be forgotten! Buy extra toilettes for your trip. It is not like you only use a tube of toothpaste once every year. It just means that you have it for when you run out next time. Or for me, I just leave them in the garage for the next trip.
3. Set out everything the night before including your outfit, towel, and other personal things.
4. Have the coffee pot ready to brew so you only have to press a button in the morning. Think about a quick breakfast which is microwavable or dishes that can be thrown out, i.e. paper plates or bowls. Or run through a drive thru in the morning!
5. Take the trash out the night before and again as you are leaving the house.
6. Place your wallet, passport, purse, and other valuables by the door. Or I some times will put very important things in the car the night before or in a bag with handles on the door knob to ensure that I don’t forget them in the morning.
7. Get ice the day before and put it in the freezer. Put the cooler in the car before bed, after all, one more night on ice really should not be an issue for your cooler food or drinks. If it is, then you should not be taking them!
8. Make sure that anything and everything that you need is either in the car or by the front door, the night before.
9. Most importantly, don’t answer the phone until you are at least 2 hours out of town unless you are a lawyer with a death row inmate that need a stay of execution. If that is the case, you might not want to leave town. Most people will understand and will not make you come back!
10. Do a head count before you leave the driveway.
11. Also, before you hit the freeway or are 5 minutes out. Make sure you did not forget a child, dog, or other person. I was left at least two or three times as a child and so how it was my fault! Do have a Kevin situation! (Home Alone for those of you that are very young. Great Christmas movie!)

Getting out of the house is one of the most important parts of going on vacation. But for me, leaving late in the day kills my mood and stress me out. Taking that phone call is usually what gets me out of the house late. Clients, i.e. I do accounting on the side if any one is looking, or family.

We should have waited an extra day because that day was a rush. I am not sure Olive Oil, the pug, would have allowed me too.