I recently had an issue with my family’s lake home. We had flooding in the basement that caused quite a mess. It is a secondary home my family resides in during the warmer months in the Northeast, so my mother and brother came upon the flooding by chance during a routine inspection. This recent mess made me think of our readers, many of whom have multiple properties and commute or relocate for jobs. How does one balance family, properties and, when life gets hectic, an unfortunate occurrence like basement flooding?

My advice is to stay organized. Creating a system of both technology and people is not fool-proof but helpful. In a world where we have become so self-reliant and not necessarily the friendliest, it’s key to stay connected to one’s neighbors and friends to create a buddy system. There are security systems with additional monitoring tools to assist with measuring the temperature of the home while one is away, etc. Combining both contacts and tech connections is advisable.

Insurance policies vary by company, and it is important to know which plan will suitably cover the unfortunate incidents that can occur when one is traveling or absent. Make sure you take the time to really go over yours with a fine-tooth comb. Protecting your assets is something we discuss in our “Wealth” column of Global Traveler magazine monthly. Each topic is selected to explore subjects that relate to our audience of frequent travelers.

Balancing time to go up and help my family while living elsewhere for work and visiting multiple locations for personal and professional means can be daunting, but once organized, it is possible to live a balanced life as a frequent traveler. For more tips and recommendations for your traveling life, I highly recommend some of the amazing editorial content here on our site, globaltravelerusa.com. I promise you won’t regret it. Happy travels!

— Stephanie Makowski, account executive