What to Check Before Leaving for Vacation (Quick Checklist)

Vacation forgetfulness is predictable: you’re packing, multitasking, and breaking routine—exactly when prospective memory gets weaker.

Four pre-leave checks:

Travel essentials

ID/passport, tickets, payment method, charger.

Medications/health kit: Public health travel guidance recommends preparing needed health items and being mindful of medication rules in some destinations.

Home safety/security: Lock up, secure valuables, reduce signs of absence. Police and travel-industry guidance commonly recommend routines that make the home look lived-in and reduce obvious cues (like accumulating mail).

Mail/deliveries: If you’re in the U.S., USPS offers a Hold Mail service for short periods, which is one way to prevent buildup signals.

A vacation checklist isn’t “extra”—it’s cognitive offloading: moving key intentions from memory into an external reliable system.