I had a very “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” kind of day with my long term travel planning. If you aren’t familiar with the books by Laura Numeroff, that’s the kind of day where you start out doing something that leads to chain reaction of events of doing something completely different.
My day started on hold with a company who insists on charging me interest for something I paid for in full. Rather than be a slave to the muzak, I decided to jump online and check out my mail forwarding options. I learned that I could set up my mail to be forwarded to my in-laws beginning on our leave date, so I set that up while I was thinking about it. Setting our mail to forward reminded me that I better pay some medical bills if I didn’t want my in-laws to receive my medical bill late notices. Paying medical bills reminded me that I hate medical bills and that I probably needed to make doctor and dentist appointments for the kids before we left. Making appointments for the kids reminded me that I needed to call the vet and make sure the dogs were up to date on their shots. Talking to the vet reminded me that I needed to find someplace for the hamster to reside while we were traveling. That made me start to wonder if “Franken-Rat” was going to live forever, and if I should get some kind of prize for keeping a hamster alive so long. When I finally got around to speaking to a human on my original phone call, I had completed an entire list of long term travel tasks, and had a whole new list of things to tackle.
Because I know you love lists like I do, here are a couple of lists of things involving healthcare needs and paperwork that need to be done before a long term trip.
Health Considerations Before Long Term Travel
- Doctors appointments and check-ups for all family members to deal with any need vaccinations or other outstanding health issues.
- Dentist appointments and teeth cleanings for all family members.
- Optometrist appointments for glasses wearers. Be sure to make a copy of glasses prescriptions and carry it with you while you travel in case glasses are lost and need to be replaced on the road.
- Find out your prescription medication options. Some medications can be filled in three month increments for easier traveling. Sometimes doctors can offer you a prescription to take with you on vacation to make it easier to fill a prescription while on the road. Call your doctor and your pharmacist to check on your options, but rest assured that most medicines can be filled anywhere in the country.
- Make a plan for healthcare needs while on the road. Do you have a nationwide plan? Would it be wise to purchase additional insurance? Are there low cost clinics available in the places you will visit if you don’t have insurance or you aren’t covered? Do some research and make sure you have your healthcare needs covered.
Next Up: How to prepare your pets and paperwork.