YOUR MAIL CAN FOLLOW YOU ON VACATION

In the good old days, when you went on vacation you called the paperboy to stop delivering your newspaper for a couple of weeks. You asked a trusted neighbor to come in to water the plants and feed the cat. And you contacted your local Post Office to request them to stop delivery of your mail until you got back. And then you could pack. Whew!

It just got easier.

If you’re going to be away at least two weeks—or for as long as a year—you can stay current with your incoming mail. You won’t miss your Time Magazine or the “Please send more $$$” letter from the kids at camp.

While the new Premium Mail Forwarding Service does not replace traditional forwarding or change-of-address services, it can provide some relief for those who experience severe vacation “mail withdrawal” symptoms.

To register, contact your local post office. Fill out some paperwork. Pay a modest enrollment fee and expect a $10 charge for each weekly shipment.

In return, your delivery point post office collects and boxes your mail, then ships it to you at your designated temporary address. The handsome and impressive priority mail pack will arrive at your hideaway in a day or two, so you can get away but still be “in the loop.”

Caveat: if you’re on the road without an agenda, this may not be a great solution for you, as it requires a designated delivery address. But if you have a campground spot or a cabin in the woods or a beach resort, this is a solution for you.

Now you can be on retreat in Shangrila and still know about that sale at Walmart…you’ll know all the local news because your local papers will come to you…and think of all the time you’ll save when you get back home! No more sorting through obsolete mail stacked up on the diningroom table.

So while there may be better ways to keep up to speed on your pending book deal or corporate merger, for folks with curious minds or for those who just can’t seem to get the knack of relaxing well, here’s a new USPS service option.

Control freaks and Type A personalities, celebrate!

But don’t forget to call the neighbor to take care of the cat.

Ellen Paul

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Ellen Paul owns Paul & Partners, Inc., a full service production provider in Northern Virginia. Contact Ellen at (703)996-0800.

43670 Trade Center Place, Suite 150, Dulles, VA 20166

Phone: 703.996.0800 Fax: 703.996.0888

www.paulandpartners.net travis.boaz@paulandpartners