Summer Travels

So you've had a few weeks away (from me) and you are preparing for your summer excursion.

(do you know this word? there are definitions below)

Have you prepared your itinerary? 

Have you prepared your personal budget and specific objectives beyond the itinerary? Any souvenirs or gifts you wish to purchase? Any other expenses planned?

If you have any free time outside the official itinerary, what do you hope to do? If you plan to travel using local transit, do you know how? If you plan to drive, do you know all the requirements and "rules of the road"?

Is your passport and international credit card ready? Travel insurance? Appropriate luggage? Clothing?

Do you know the Customs limitations for each country (including return to Korea)?

Do you need any innoculations or preventive care before traveling? If you need to carry any medications, do you know the rules for this?

Do you have your foreign currency (currencies)? How much will you carry? Any Traveler's Checks? Do you know how to more safely carry money? Do you know how you can access more money while traveling if you want it, and what fees will be involved? Will your Bank ATM card work overseas? Will your Debit Card work overseas?

How will you use your phone? Local country SIMM card, or Korean roaming service? Local free wifi? No internet connection? Does your phone take good pictures?

== DEFINITIONS ==

excursion - a short journey or trip, especially one engaged in as a leisure activity

itinerary - a planned trip, or, the document describing that trip, the various destinations and means of transport, including an approximate schedule

souvenir - something kept as a reminder of an event or destination

luggage - suitcases or other bags in which to pack personal belongings for traveling

Customs - the limitations and fees (duty) for travelers as they enter a country, and the government office/station that inspects travelers as they enter

innoculation - an injection (shot, needle, jab) that helps to prevent disease

medications - medicines, whether a doctor has chosen these or you got without a prescription

foreign currency - cash money of a different country than your own

Travelers Check - a type of money issued by a travel company or global bank that requires a signature and ID to spend, and usually only "tourist" places or banks will accept it.

debit card - a bank card that immediately takes money directly from your bank account ("cash card")