Be prepared for everything, she says...

Guess what? This is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK. You cannot be prepared for everything, and, in attempting to do so, you will stress yourself out to the point where even your animals begin to lose their hair. My tip for you is not to try and prepare for everything, but, rather, be ready for anything.

Of course, there are common sense tasks that everyone should see to before setting off on a traveling endeavor - Passport? Yes. Money? Oh god yes. But when it comes to packing every little thing you might need should some unidentifiable situation arise, stop, drop, and let go.

Seriously, it's not possible.

But what if I find myself surrounded by Pygmy warriors with a thousand poison arrows aimed for my throat? It's not a question I'm often asked, but I'm sure there are travelers who have concerns along similar lines.

I'll tell you what, in a situation such as that, the tube of Neosporin and package of band-aids isn't really going to help you. And the machete you forgot to pack probably wouldn't have done you much good either.

There are going to be situations along the way you could not have possibly prepared for, and some, for which you have prepared, will never take place. Things that may take place, like losing your luggage or surviving a hurricane or earthquake, you can prepare for by thinking smart. My best advice is to take care of the important things before departure - like automatic billpay because we don't want to default on the mortgage. But leave the nit-picky neuroses at home.

I guarantee that, if you are bleeding, someone will turn up with disinfectant and bandages.

If you are lost, someone will give you directions.

And if you try to do it all on your own, you're going to have a hell of a hard go of it.

The kindness of strangers, especially fellow travelers, will surprise you - it surprises me still. 

So leave behind the fully prepared self-sufficient you and be open to whatever comes. You might, at times, feel disoriented, but you certainly won't be alone, and at least you'll make friends along the way.

So how do you prepare for travel? Share your ideas in the comments. Find us on Twitter or Facebook and let's start talking!