Summer Adventure: 3 Locations + a Short Term Storage Guide

Summer is the perfect time for an adventure, and life is too short to always play it safe! If you’re yearning for a travel destination this year that gives you all the thrills and frills of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, here are 3 spots you won’t want to miss! After that, we’ll take a look at how to prep your apartment for short term storage during your summer adventure! 

Summer Adventure #1: Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Komodo National Park Indonesia

Indonesia is a location that attracts many visitors all year round for its beauty and culture but is also the perfect destination if you’re in search of an exciting adventure. Komodo National Park consists of three major islands and its major purpose is to conserve the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon, and its habitat. It’s protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you’ll find everything from colorful fish to huge manta rays, sea turtles, and many species of sharks. GPS Point, one of the best dive sites in the area, often has schooling groups of hammerheads hanging around. Head out on your own to explore the underwater world or join a liveaboard wooden Pinisi boat, either way, you’re sure to have a trip of a lifetime!

Summer Adventure #2: Costa Rica

Costa Rican Waterfall

The Costa Rican rainforests are next on your bucket list of adventures. Although the capital of San Jose is bustling with culture and history to check out, the real experience is in the action-packed activities that are available in this country. Volcanoes, pristine beaches, and lively rainforests make this a go-to spot. If adrenaline is your thing, you will definitely want to take part in whitewater rafting, surfing the coastline, and ziplining through the canopy of the jungle! There’s also no limit to the abundance of native wildlife found here including sloths, tapirs, Capuchin monkeys, toucans, and scarlet macaws. Experiencing the unique biodiversity in Costa Rica is really an adventure in itself, and something you won’t want to miss.

Summer Adventure #3: New Zealand

New Zealand Mt. Cook

If you’re ready to take some time away for the adventure of a lifetime, the Flying Kiwi Ultimate Explorer Tour in New Zealand is what the adventurer’s dreams are made of. This 28-day escapade through the beautiful country starts in Auckland or Christchurch and loops around, allowing you to explore all the best spots and activities in one trip. Not only will you be staying in all the most breathtaking and remote locations, including 7 National Parks throughout beaches, lakes, mountains, and forests, you’ll be taking part in some of the most exciting activities. Skydiving, glacier hiking, and swimming with dolphins is just the beginning! With the abundance of adventures to take part in each day and spectacular landscapes to feast your eyes on, this really is a trip of a lifetime.

How to Prepare Your Apartment for Summer Adventures

If your apartment is left unattended during your summer adventures, you might not like the mess you come back to. That’s why we included this guide on short term storage while you’re traveling outside the US.

Empty and Clean Your Refrigerator

The last thing you want to find when you return from a trip is gross, moldy food in your fridge. That’s why you should empty the fridge completely, or at least get rid of anything that can ‘go bad’. Fresh food, including meat, fish, veggies, and fruit, should be eaten before you go. As for non-perishable food, that’s your call. Ketchup (aka catsup for some), mustard, mayo, and more won’t go bad. Neither will things like pickles, relish, soy sauce, and quite a bit more. Those foods and condiments can be left for when you return.

On the other hand, you may want to complete the purge and give your fridge a deep cleaning. If yes, you can give those food items away or toss them if there’s not much left. If you purge the refrigerator, make sure to unplug it and save energy while you’re gone. Also, place an open box of baking soda inside to absorb odors. (It really does work!)

Give Your Apartment a Deep Clean

Arriving back home in a messy, dirty, or gross apartment is no fun. (You’ll likely be exhausted and have jet lag.) That’s why it’s better to deep clean your apartment before you leave. That way, when you get back, it’s clean and organized, and you can relax immediately. Here are a few things you should do before you head off on your next adventure:

  • Vacuum your entire apartment.
  • Give the bathroom(s) a deep scrub.
  • Clean all your laundry.
  • Pull all bed linens and wash them. (Then make the beds too.)
  • Clean the kitchen thoroughly. (Make sure to put away any dry food to prevent vermin and insects from snacking on it.)
  • Dust!

Bring Outdoor Furniture Inside

Depending on where you live, you may want to bring your outdoor furniture inside while you’re gone. That way, it will be protected from things like the weather, animals, and anyone who might want to steal it. (Sadly, it does happen.) Make sure to clean everything off first to get rid of dirt, cobwebs, and insects. (It would be beneficial if it were all dry as well.)

Purchase Some Automatic Lights

Traveling can be a fantastic adventure. Coming home to an apartment that’s been robbed, not so much. That’s why you should purchase some automatic lights and/or automatic light switches. That way, your lights will come on automatically when you’re away and fool any robbers into thinking you’re home. There are many new advances in this type of lighting, by the way. For example, lights that plug directly into a socket and can be controlled by your smartphone. (From, like, anywhere. It’s pretty amazing!)

Have Your Mail Held Until You Return

Nothing tells people you’re away more than a mailbox filled with mail. That goes for robbers and thieves, also. To make sure they don’t know you’re gone, ask your mail delivery person to hold your mail until you return. It’s easy, safe, and doesn’t cost you a dime. Better still, it won’t be a signal to criminals that you’re not home.

Rent a Storage Unit for Ultimate Safety

If you’re traveling for more than a few days, you may want to consider renting a storage unit for all your things. That way, they will be  100% safe and protected. It’s the ultimate safety measure for your stuff. (24/7 video cameras, on-site managers, and keypad-controlled front gates see to that.) Also, it’s easy and affordable. Storage units have month-to-month leases, so you won’t have to pay for an entire year. If you’re gone for a month, you’ll pay for a month (or two, or three, etc.). 

Have Fun On Your Summer Adventure!

Now that you know where to go, what to do, and how to properly prepare, we want to hear all about your summer adventure! Let us know what you’re doing in the comments below! 

This post was published 06/27/2019
It was updated 12/11/2020

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