Now that my travel plans, tickets and itinerary are in place, I am starting to work on the packing.
Today, I called my credit card companies to let them know when charges from Kota Kinabalu or Hong Kong show up, they are not to panic and cancel my card, as happened to a colleague on her first day in Australia. It only takes a minute or so, and saves a lot of hassle down the road.
I stocked up on film the other day -- I allow one roll per day. Some days I use more, but other days, like travel days, I take few pictures, so it balances out. While film is usually readily available, it's just easier to get most of it at home instead of wasting travel time looking for a store or getting local currency to pay for it.
Tomorrow is set for doctor's appointments, to renew my prescriptions and get a new one for malaria (just in case!) And maybe I will have another go at buying a new pair of travel pants. I found a highly-touted source a few days ago, but they were double the price I planned to pay, with so few of the features I want, that I gave them a snort of derision. (Hmmph! You call yourself 'travel pants'? You don't even have a zippered front pocket. The velcro-closing one you *do* have is so deep, the contents would be clearly visible on my leg.)
With three weeks to the day until I leave, I've started the travel pile: All the bits and pieces -- toiletries, outfits, meds, food -- get heaped up until a few days before the trip when I start to pack. If I have forgotten anything, then there's still time to get to the store.
Much of my travel check list is posted at Snapshot Journeys Before You Go and Snapshot Journeys What to Pack.
