Ok, I'm in my country of origin, and I'm getting ready to leave for an international trip in a few weeks.

What I'm looking for is a comprehensive checklist of everything I need to do to prepare for this trip, from the moment the plane/bus/train ticket is purchased until the moment I step on said vehicle.

Some parameters:

- Since country of origin is sometimes a factor, assume that I am a US citizen living in the United States.
- The destination doesn't matter; this should be the generic list of things that apply no matter where I'm going.  Depending on the country/region/city, there might be additional things I need to do, but this list should be as widely-applicable as possible.
- Assume that everything applicable has already been purchased/booked, so things like buying plane tickets, planning the itinerary, buying climate-appropriate clothing, etc. has already been taken care of.
- Assume that US Dollars are **not** accepted as currency in the destination country, but it is safe to assume that I would be able to access ATMs during my trip.
- Assume that English is **not** widely-spoken in the destination country.

Some examples of items that probably should be on the list (i.e., things that you would most likely need to do before traveling anywhere):

- Inform credit/debit card issuers of your itinerary (countries and dates).
- Check to see if you need a tourist visa for your destination country (and transit visas for any countries you pass through to get there!).
- Learn the following phrases in the language widely-spoken in your destination country:  .....
- Write down address and phone number of hotel in destination country.