I’m a bit of a planning maniac and a fairly seasoned traveler. There are those that say plan for the best case scenario. Not me, my motto “Always have a back-up plan!”. On a recent overseas trip, my plan “B” turned a potential trip blowing upset into a couple of days of inconvenience. We arrived early and our room was not yet ready. As we often do, we left our bags with the hotel staff to wander while we waited for our check-in time. Upon returning to the hotel, we were shocked to discover that two of our bags had disappeared. These were the bags we carried on the plane for safekeeping and contained our iPad, camera, prescription medications, car keys, travel information, chargers, etc. Our excitement with our trip rapidly decayed into shock and hysteria. So, now what?

Our first task was to make a list of what was missing and it’s value. This is where emailing yourself information becomes vital. A copy of your packing list is a great way to wake up your jet-lagged brain and remember what was in those bags. Now it’s time to take an unplanned tour of the local police station to file a report. A police report is essential for filing an insurance claim. Next, determine what you need now and what can wait until you get home. For us, prescription medications were at the top of the list. We took a picture of our prescription bottles and emailed ourselves before leaving home. This photo, combined with the police report, enabled us to replace our medications at the local pharmacy. An afternoon at the hotel’s computer allowed me to reprint all of our travel information that I had emailed myself. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Easy access to your pertinent information truly can save the day and your vacation!