Chapter Four: Choosing Your Setting & Navigating the Journey
This next chapter is where our first specific decisions come into play. Not only will you choose a destination, but first we must decide when you want your trip to begin. No, I’m not talking about specific dates, although that is important, but rather when you feel like your vacation actually begins. Is it when you get to the airport for your flight, the second you get in the car, or when you arrive at your final destination? Is the journey to your destination included in your vacation in your mind, or is it a means to an end? More than anything this will tell you the level of importance you place on how you decide to travel to your destination.
If you decide to take three weeks in Europe but know that part of what you want out of this trip is to do some genuine relaxing then you might choose to fly straight to your destination on the way there (when you have energy to explore seven cities in 14 days) but take a transatlantic crossing on a cruise ship for your return. Those seven days on the ship without constant stops at ports is the perfect time to relax and recharge while getting the full experience and returning home without any jet lag.
Is the journey important or just the destination? Knowing this means you may be willing to spend less on a lower class of airfare so you might have more money for excursions, or you might decide that flying in style is the only way you can arrive refreshed and ready to explore. Wherever you go make sure you know how you’re going to get there when you choose your destination.
This is also one of the first places that a traveler can make a mistake—even a seasoned one! In addition to respecting your budget, choosing the wrong destination or even too many destinations can really come back to get you. A trip that has no breathing room is stressful, and scheduling too many destinations or activities can easily change an amazing vacation into something you wish was over.
We recommend making a list of three to five things that are “must-dos” on your vacation. These are things that are the most important, and if you did not accomplish anything else on the trip it would still be a success because you still had these particular experiences. Once your list is made, ask yourself if these things go together. Now, now, we aren’t judging your choices, because an eclectic trip can be amazing. Rather, we’re trying to identify if one or two things don’t make sense on this particular trip. This is where it is easy to realize that four of your choices are doable but the fifth would require 6 hours in the car one way. Even though you desperately want to do it, it might not make sense to include it on your “must-do” list this time. We’ve all been there! I try to console myself with the thought that the second time I visit a place I will be more familiar with it, and will have created a “must do” list for my second trip while actively on my first trip.
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Designing a balanced itinerary that leaves room to breathe is an art form. If you're trying to narrow down your "must-do" list or want to weave an elegant journey—like a relaxing transatlantic crossing—into your next adventure, you don't have to map it out alone. Let's design your story together. Click “Begin Your Journey” at the top of the page to fill out our inquiry form!
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