How to Plan a Vacation

Well, now it's my turn for vacation. Here's how I (a planner/scheduler in my past life) plan a vacation:

ID / PRIORITY: Need to plan 4 days worth of meals for a camping trip. Highly critical. Could even be a safety issue if not performed properly.

PLANNING: There are several things to consider. Buy-in from everyone involved in the trip is also very important. Not everyone likes Tofu. Make a note whether or not we will have electricity. This will impact what food is brought and how it is to be prepared. I account for each and every meal from day 1 until we return home. See my scratch sheet. For example, the first day we will leave home around noon, so breakfast and lunch will be eaten before we leave. This is a good day to use up any leftovers in the refrigerator that you aren't "planning" to take on the trip with you. I then continue to plan every other meal through the remainder of the trip. Depending on the mood, however, the "planned" meal may be prepared on a different day. Does this mean my schedule is now out of compliance? I guess so.

SCHEDULING: This takes time, too. We (my husband is an excellent resource) must pre-determine the right time to turn on the refrigerator in the camper. Based on this information, I set a date for doing the grocery shopping.

EXECUTE: Shop & Stock!! A little advise: Do NOT take any "helpers" to the grocery store or you WILL come home with excessive inventory!

GO CAMPING!

FOLLOW-UP: Results are based on my "happy-campers".
ANALYSIS: Review any gaps. If anything was missing add to SOP that will be used for the next camping trip!