Leave your life behind

The luckiest thing to have is a trustworthy person back home who is willing to help you out while you are gone. Leave the best idea of your itinerary with that person, as well as any phone numbers you might have of places you anticipate being. Leave your return flight information too. Leave emergency phone numbers (insurance, traveller's cheque and credit card cancellations, government hotlines, etc.) Leave a copy of your insurance policy should something go wrong.

You will likely have monthly credit card and calling card bills to pay, and if you are maintaining your place of residence while you are gone, you may have rent and utility bills to pay too. Arrange with each bill issuer how you will handle the regular payment for the duration of your trip. You may be able to prepay bills, post date or pre-authorize bill payments or simply put money down on the accounts ahead of time. You may be able to pay bills as they come via the telephone or internet. Set up the necessary accounts and PIN numbers to do so before you leave. Remember though that accessing bank and other account information over the internet requires a secure connection which you may or may not find on the road. You may also find that international phone calls are not always possible no matter how many ways you try to carry out your telephone banking. Toll-free numbers only work from certain countries - find out from your bank and credit card agents which toll-free numbers are valid where, and whether or not they accept collect calls to carry out banking transactions. Talk to your bill issuer about late payment fees. Your other option is to leave that trustworthy person back home in charge of making sure your bills are paid from your account.

If you are leaving your residence, you will have to put your possessions in storage and temporarily pawn off plants and pets on your most co-operative friends and family members. You may just find upon your return that nothing much has changed!!!

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