Hearing from your credit card company that someone has used your card (in other words, the number was stolen somehow) only three days before a trip can be rather distressing. Especially when it’s the card you use due to getting miles and “pqp” from your airline. Being told that they will expedite the card to you is better. Hearing from your first hotel, telling you your credit card was refused and if you don’t replay and either provide a new number or get that credit card to work your stay will be canceled is more than distressing. Hearing back from them after you write, and having them tell you that under the circumstances you can pay upon arrival is a great relief.

But this is also why we travel with more than one card. In fact between the two of us we have five cards we could use.

We also have our debit cards through a company that will give back the fee we are charged when we take cash out. Having just read about all the tourists who were traveling and hadn’t thought to have cash on hand since most places accept cards and were pretty stranded during the power outage, we were also reminded to be sure and have at least some cash on hand.

Today I also heard from one of the train companies. Turns out one segment of a scheduled train is a no-go and for that part of the trip we will be placed on a bus.

I have been telling myself to be ready for these kinds of issues. They are bound to pop up, after all.

I think all of this is actually good for me: a reminder that I am really not in control, control freak that I am!

In other news: all bedding has been changed, the house has been dusted and vacuumed, bathrooms have been cleaned … and now I wait until we’ve both had our showers so I can get the towels washed and dried. I even, with all of this, managed to get a short walk in with my sister (a MUCH needed walk, and I’m glad to get to do this with her before we head out).

And here … have a photo of my travel PacSafe Purse. It’s cute. In case you can’t tell. It’s also pretty theft proof if I am smart about using it correctly.