A-Z of Travel Preparation (continued)

Continuing our summary of all that there is to do when planning a major trip and a long spell away from home. Our retirement is imminent and our lifetime adventure starts at the end of January. Amid the growing excitement, there is much to do, so many things to think of. Like.

E is for entry conditions. In some parts of the world, it’s not possible to just travel with an open ended stay and with complete freedom. We’re heading to South East Asia first, where 30-day visas are compulsory (although some can be extended), so it’s necessary to plan your departure as well as your arrival. In some instances, you can’t enter the country without providing proof of onward transit; we’ve even heard of instances where lack of such proof has prevented boarding the outward flight from the UK.

F is for family and friends. Without doubt we are going to miss an awful lot of people. Michaela will struggle without seeing her Mum; Phil has adult children, and two granddaughters. We have brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. We have many friends across the UK, many more at home and at our local pubs. We will miss them all, and have no idea how we will react to being away from everyone for four months or more.

G is for garden. There can be no clearer clue to the fact a house is left empty than a normally tidy garden becoming unkempt. It may not be quite so crucial in the early stages in the depths of the English winter, but that will soon change as spring arrives. We need to find someone we can trust to look after ours, something still on the to do list.

H is for health. Both of us have been extremely lucky in life, health wise, so we’re tackling our adventures with confidence and positivity on that level. But that doesn’t mean we can take unnecessary risks, so we’re busy checking our inoculations, getting the paperwork in order, arming ourselves with insect sprays, mosquito repellents, malaria tablets. And reading our Government websites.