What am I bringing with me on this trip?  I normally travel a couple hours to the same office locations inside the United States, so this is a big jump for me.  I like to travel light, but when planning for a couple weeks in another country, it seems like I should spend a little effort on this!

First, I think I should list out some of the things that I have read that concern me:

• Food – The food there will be different from what I normally eat, and there could be some “issues” according to some travelers.  I am adventurous and like different types of food, but I also have to be presentable and productive in an office environment, so some caution might be wise.
  • My solution:
    • I will eat locally at reputable-looking busy restaurants, and I will bring a few items from home to make sure I have some familiar and soothing things in case I need to dial-back my food adventures for a day or two during the trip. Instant oatmeal packs are light, cheap and easy to prepare, so I will bring some of those to keep a morning routine that is familiar most days.
    • I will bring some protein bars which will give me something mellow but nourishing if I need to not eat local for a day or so.  I am confident that I can find a banana or similar items locally to supplement these backup plans.
  • Water:  Drink bottled water brands I know, purchased from reputable places, like my hotel.
  • I will carry some Pepto type tablets to soothe stomach issues, just in case.
• Clothing –
  • For working days, I will be in a business environment, so I am guessing that my normal office clothes will be OK.
  • For weekend and sight seeing, I think casual pants will be fine but not shorts to avoid mosquito bites.  Still, I might opt to not wear blue jeans and sneakers, in a hope to blend in a bit with locals.  I am thinking cotton or linen pants, maybe some light weight chinos for non-working days.
  • I am not going to bring that much with me.  I like to travel light, and I can buy clothes if I see something I like, or I can get clothes laundered at hotel.
• Security –
  • I will be accompanied most of the time by team mates from the company that is hosting me in India, so not much to worry about generally.
  • Still, some precautions might be good.  I will probably lock my passport in the hotel safe if it looks sturdy to me.  If not, I will carry on my person in a deep pocket or hidden neck pouch perhaps, under my shirt.
• Electronics-
  • Cell phone will be set for roaming, so that should be good…hopefully it works well.
  • Work laptop – I need this, for obvious reasons.
  • Personal devices – I am always doing things online, and I have a great MacBook Pro that I use daily.  I would be very sad to have replace such an expensive device if damaged or stolen during the trip, so I am leaving it at home.  I should do more looking around in person than online while in India, still  I cannot quite cut the cord.  So I acquired a very nice little ChromeBook in case I need to do something.  I have found this beautiful little device will let me go online, terminal into a server if needed, and even access a MySQL database if an issue pops up that I need to address.  All for under $200 and about 2 hours of setup time to find all the tools I might need, and set them up!  If it gets damaged, I could replace it cheaply.

I think that is enough planning for now…please check back for updates and the next chapter!

My employer has asked if I am willing to travel to India.  I have a development team there.  Meeting them would be nice.  Still, I am not an experienced world traveler, so I have some doubts.

There is a lot of planning and paperwork to do, even if my employer points me to the proper procedures and places to help.  Here is a short list of the main steps needed to prepare:

• Get a passport if you need one!  Actually, this was probably the easiest step.  I had to run to the drugstore to get a passport photo, fill out the application, and go to the post office to send it in, but not too hard.  I had my passport in less than 3 weeks, because I chose expedited processing.
• Talk to your doctor about what shots and medicines you should take in preparation for your trip.  For me, I ended up getting the following vaccination/medicines:
  • Hepatitis – Accelerated vaccination schedule, one shot per week for four weeks
  • Typhoid – one pill every other day for 4 doses
  • Prescription for Malaria prevention – start taking 2 days before trip, every day during, and for 7 days after returning
  • Z-Pack or equivalent prescription to be taken in case it is needed during the trip
  • Over the counter Pepto or equivalent tablets for mild stomach issues
• Start visa process.  For my trip, I needed:
  • an invitation letter from the hosting company in India
  • Fill out online application
  • Send all the stuff in to be processed. I highly recommend using a service such as VisaLady.com to help get things done.
• Book the trip
• Check your phone plan or company provided cell phone plan for details about international roaming
• Are you taking a work laptop?  Do you need any approvals from your security department to transport and use the laptop?

All these steps are done now, so next I will look up what items I might want to bring with me!

Please check back for next edition soon!