Getting Excited for an Upcoming Trip? (FF-003)

Originally Published: May 22, 2023

Revised: June 18, 2025

If you're planning a fun trip this summer or fall, I'd love to hear where you're going and what one thing you are most looking forward to doing during that trip.  

Please contact me and let me know!

The rest of this blog has important tips to prepare for a productive and stress-free trip!  Specifically:

• Vacation Packing List (download it for customized and evergreen use)

• International Travel: 

  • Passport Renewal Tips 

  • Mobile Passport Control

  • Planning Travel in Uncertain Times

Vacation 🌅 Packing List

Save time, stress less, and remember more!

Whenever we travel ✈, the running joke in my family👪, if we forget to pack something, is to ask each other: "was it on the list?"  Not that I am keeping track, but my husband forgets items a lot more frequently than I do.  This is because I use a Packing Checklist. 

For every trip, I print this checklist (yes, I like it printed) and then I update the checklist as I think of things I need to bring.  When packing, I cross off items that I have already placed in the suitcase💼.  I'm including a link to download the Vacation Packing List to help you with your next vacation!  I recommend saving and customizing it to suit your specific needs.  Enjoy!  

And let me know how it helped you when you use it on your next trip!  Email me at sarah@firm-focus.com

Traveling Internationally?

Time-Saving Tips for International Travel

Recently, I have heard numerous horror stories about the stressful and inefficient passport renewal process.  The normal 16-week processing time for a passport renewal is now an arbitrary period.  It is taking longer than that.  Additionally, poor planning has led many to realize that their passports expire earlier than they had thought.  Yikes. 

Contacting government officials, traveling to your local passport office, or visiting an embassy in an attempt to rectify the situation leads to wasted time and a very stressful experience. 

It doesn't have to be that way.

• Remember that passports typically expire every ten years for adults and every five years for children.  

• Check your passports regularly for expiration dates, not just when you have an upcoming trip.

• Put a reminder in your calendar or your Trusted System right now for all passport expiration dates.  I've included details about what I do below.

• If your passport is expiring and you have an upcoming international trip, I recommend paying the expedited processing fee.  It is worth the cost of that now vs. the anxiety, stress, and cost of resolving it as you get closer to your vacation.

Tracking Passport Renewal Dates

Make it easy on yourself!

It's a terrible feeling to suddenly panic and think:

"Oh [fill in swear word of choice]!  When do our passports expire?"

That often leads to frantically searching for the passports and then checking them for their expiration dates.  Often it is associated with an upcoming travel date and leads to anxiety and stress.

It may not surprise you that I have an effective and easy system to track this. I use Microsoft Planner as my project management software. In my "Tetlow Household Misc." plan, I have a task called: "Passports: Expiration Dates" (see below). I simply put the expiration date of each of our passports and then move the deadline to the next date that I need to take action. Notice my son Keegan's passport expires 12/9/2023 and I have the deadline scheduled for 6/1/(2023) to schedule the appointment with the passport application center.

For more information about Microsoft Planner, including how to access it, overview on how to use, and best practices from a productivity expert, download our guide at www.firm-focus.com/resources 

International Travel: Mobile Passport Control

Skip the Customs line!

When my husband and I were returning from an international trip, our flight came in just behind a large Boeing 777 at Atlanta Airport.  As you can imagine, the customs line was extremely long.  We were lucky we had plenty of time for our connecting flight; however, waiting in line at customs is never a fun use of time.  As we were waiting, we learned of the Mobile Passport Control (link in the photo below).

While waiting in the regular line, I downloaded the app, filled out our travel information, and received a QR code for Mobile Passport reentry.  This saved us at least 45 minutes of waiting in the US Customs line. 

I recommend downloading this app and using it on your upcoming trip.  If you're curious about how it compares to global reentry, I can say that a colleague mentioned she and her husband split up and tested it, and they experienced a similar wait time for both.

Note: There are other options as well, such as the Global Entry option.  My recommendation is for those who do not travel internationally often enough to apply for the Global Entry, and/or if it is already too late to do so.

Planning Travel in Uncertain Times

As many of us look forward to summer travel—whether for rest, reconnection, or a well-earned reset—it’s important to acknowledge the rising unease for some travelers about leaving the United States. With recent headlines and political rhetoric surrounding immigration enforcement and deportation, many individuals—documented and undocumented alike—are feeling uncertain about their ability to reenter the country or travel freely. These concerns aren’t just emotional; they impact real decisions, daily mental load, and planning strategies.

As a productivity coach, I believe that clarity and proactive planning are essential, especially when the stakes are high. If you or someone in your household has concerns about traveling due to immigration status, it’s critical to factor that into your travel prep with the same diligence you’d use for a business trip or tight itinerary. 

Identify your resources, documents, legal guidance, and worst-case scenario plans before booking. The ability to anticipate and manage emotional and logistical risk is part of managing time, energy, and focus. Travel should restore you—not leave you more frazzled. Thoughtful preparation is the most productive strategy of all.  If you need recommendations on attorneys to speak to about your travel concerns, reach out to me, and I am happy to connect you with an Immigration Attorney in my network.

If you need any additional support, or would like to explore whether Firm Focus coaching is a good fit, please contact us for a complimentary and no-pressure discovery call.