From majestic mountains to historic cities, there are a lot of places to see both inside and outside the U.S. borders. Of course, with so many places to see it’s hard to pick the next one off the extensive list. Trip planning becomes highly essential.
Monetary Considerations
Since I’m based in the U.S., I must be mindful of the conversion rate of the dollar when thinking internationally. When a currency is strong against the dollar, it’s more expensive to travel there. Therefore, it’s in my best interest to look at countries that are weaker against the dollar. However, I tend to treat this as more of a tiebreaker condition rather than an absolute in trip planning. After all, the money is there to serve us, not the other way around.
One of the other significant monetary considerations is flights. On short trips, flights may wind up being the most expensive part. They’re typically pricey on short notice unless I’m willing to travel at inconvenient times. Of course, I could also get lucky on one of the many cheap flight applications, which track price fluctuations.
Practical Considerations
Realistically, we do not all work from home. In the U.S. two weeks paid vacation per year is standard. Managers are not obliged to give unpaid leave for vacation purposes. That usually means people save up vacation days for a few years to go on longer trips, or they take smaller trips to squeeze in as much as they can. Whether that works really depends on the destination.
Another consideration is safety. While terrible things can happen anywhere in the world, there are places where injury is more likely on account of race or gender. Like most women, I’ve learned to be alert while I travel, even domestically. However, this consideration has knocked some of the places I want to see further down my list, in hopes that time will improve things.
Long Term Planning
One of the things few talk about is how to actually pull together a string of trips. It takes dedication to make it work without a large inheritance. However, since travel is a priority, we make it happen.
One of the first steps is to pick a destination and decide how much of a budget to aim for. This really depends on how the trip is expected to go, from budget traveler couch surfing to luxury all-included. Then start putting money away for it in a separate account. However long it takes to accumulate is however long it takes.
The next step is to pick booking dates. Set reminders on those dates, whether it’s the flight, rooms, or even outings. This really helps keep the trip planning on track.
If the trip planning doesn’t come along as expected, I reevaluate where we’re at. At times, I’ve even moved trips back to account for planning delays. It’s one thing to want to travel, it’s another to do it at risk of sabotaging other pieces of life.
Parting Thoughts
Traveling is an enriching experience. Taking time for proper trip planning enhances the expedition and regular life. Consideration means coming back not only refreshed but in stable financial health as well. Picking up and moving across the world doesn’t work for most people, and shouldn’t be considered the only option.