My stomach was churning in that pre-diarrhea way as a shiver ran up my spine, finger poised over the mouse. Even after I clicked the mouse, the cursor continued to hover over the “Confirm Booking” blue box, now grayed out, while I stared at the computer screen. I did it. I finally booked my next destination.
That pre-diarrhea feeling soon turned to elation as a big grin spread across my face. FINALLY! It was almost like I’d forgotten what that feeling was like. It has been waaay too long since my last solo trip, the last one being my jaunt back to San Francisco for Labor Day weekend 2016, where I discovered the beach, visited Angel Island, and indulged in my love of farmers markets.
Since then, my adventures have included road trips with my friend Ashley to Yellowstone, a last-minute excursion to Idaho to watch the total eclipse, a drive along The Extraterrestrial Highway, and countless trips to Southern California to visit family.
I was dying for my next adventure, eager to get out on my own and reground myself. In the USA, we have a holiday in February and I wanted to take advantage of having a 3-day weekend, but haven’t been able to build up my bank account after Christmas.
After some soul-searching watching Forrest Gump again for the umpteenth time, I decided I wanted to see Monument Valley. There. I got it: my next destination.
For me, choosing my next destination for an adventure is a pleasurable task.
I love perusing through blog posts, Pinterest boards, and my bucket list to find inspiration. I don’t always need a lot of time to prepare or change plans, nor do I feel bad about canceling all together if it just doesn’t feel right.
But it wasn’t always like this.
I wasn’t born with this inherent ability to make travel plans, research locations, or even make my own reservations. No, I was fortunate to have my very own travel tutor, so to speak. My friend Nikki and I worked together for years at the University of Utah, with desks that sat about 5 feet apart. I would listen to her travel stories with wild admiration at her adventurous spirit, and soon grew eager to start my own journey.
For kicks and giggles, Nikki would plan trips that together we’d never take, to destinations I’d never heard of. Her thrill was in the making of plans, as well as carrying them out. And to her, I will be forever grateful.
By her example, I learned how to search for the best deals on flights, signed up for Couchsurfing, applied for (and was accepted to serve in) the Peace Corps, and how to be open to adventure. Day after day, I learned little by little. I overcame my fears of the unknown, all culminating up to our trip to Hawaii together for a friend’s wedding and my eventual study abroad in Germany.
Now, I recognize that I had it good.
I was lucky enough to have a friend like Nikki who gave me so much guidance and had the patience of angels as I struggled to gain my footing in the travel world.
And every time I booked a vacation since then, I’ve had multiple people approach me with questions: how did I choose my next destination? Why there? How do I know where to go? How did I find out about that? It can seem overwhelming and a daunting minefield, filled with places to stumble, get lost, and ultimately give up planning a trip.
I get it.
And you know what?
You’re not alone. I sometimes struggle with narrowing down where I want to go, what I want to do. So in an effort to answer those multiple questions and essentially create a knowledge base others (and myself) can refer to, here are my steps to choosing your next destination!
#1 – What do you want to do?
Before you start to plan out your next destination, ask yourself: what do you really want to do?
Lounge on a beach, soaking up the sun and applying way too much sunscreen?
Embark on an epic road trip to nowhere in particular, just to be out on the open road?
Are you living in a really hot location and need to cool off?
Are you snowed in and just dying to get some Vitamin C?
I have a friend who likes to do the same thing every vacation: lay out on the same beach for days on end. Every now and then, he will break it up with a trip to a nice restaurant and/or concert, but not always.
I used to think he was crazy and wasting his vacation days…but then I realized that we all have our different desires, different ways to unwind and recharge, different dreams. And sometimes we just fall in love with a place and never want to leave it.
But what if you have absolutely no idea if you’d rather jump out of an airplane or hike to the tallest peak? Both sound appealing, but like a kid in a candy store, you can’t figure out which one you want first.
Don’t worry, it happens.
If you have multiple options, do what I do when trying out what to eat at a restaurant: choose the cheaper option and go from there. You won’t know until you actually make a decision. Or, you might want to look into a package tour deal with multiple options to get your feet wet.
#2 – Know your budget when you choose your next destination
Sure, we’d all like to have Daddy Warbucks fund our travels.
And it’d be super convenient to have a trust fund or be independently wealthy. For most of us, that’s just not the reality that we live in.
If it IS your reality, I applaud you.
Get it.
But for the rest of us, knowing how much we can afford to spend on a trip is essential to figuring out the what, when and where. Sure, I’d love to go to New Zealand for a few weeks, take the Hobbiton Middle-Earth tour, kayak the Milford Sound, and road trip around the South Island.
Financially speaking, I’m a good decade away from saving up for that epic trip. Do yourself a favor: whatever your budget is, just be smart about it. I try to plan my trips, or at least pay for them, right after payday. My big trips get booked after taxes, when I know I’ll have a little spending money to play with. Find a strategy that works for you.
#3 – Length of time available
I work a standard 8-5, Monday – Friday with a few holidays smattered in between. I accrue paid time off, but nothing extraordinary. I have to be smart with my travels, and I bet you do too.
Do you have a bunch of time off coming up that you need to use? Is there a holiday or extra day you can take off? I’m all about taking full advantage of those 3-day weekends, holidays, and paid days off.
Can you leave the night before to get a jump start on your trip? When I drive to Southern California, you better believe I take off straight from work and get as much driving done as I can before I turn in for the night.
Sure, there have been times I’ve slept in my car at a truck stop. Sure, there have been cheap motels I’ve stayed at when the weather is bad. My goal was the arrive at my destination as early as possible to squeeze out as much time as I could.
Lemony Snicket once said, “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” Not all trips need to be epic adventures spanning weeks or even months. Some of the best trips I’ve been on have been weekend jaunts. Your next destination doesn’t need to be on the other side of the world…maybe it’s going to be a Stay-cation!
#4 – Consider the travel trends when you choose your next destination
This might seem weird, but let me explain.
Almost every destination in the world has a peak tourist time. Florida and the Caribbean are jam-packed during Spring Break. Germany is flooded during Oktoberfest and Christmastime. Thailand? Full-moon parties. Olympics. World Cup. Independence Days.
When you start to narrow down the destination you’d like to visit, ask yourself: will there be an influx of visitors to this particular location? Or am I fortunate enough to travel during the shoulder-season (off-season) where there are fewer travelers?
If traveling during the shoulder-season, double check to see if the attractions and sites you want to see are open. Some destinations are only open at certain times during the year. Wanting to stay in a hostel?
Traveling in the off-season would result in fewer people and less opportunities to meet gobs of people, if that’s your scene. My friend and I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the off-season and almost had our hostel to ourselves. If we were flying solo, it would have been a different experience, for sure.
Traveling during summer or high-season? Maybe check the travel trends online to see exactly what you’ll be getting yourself into. The more information you can discover, the more prepared you are and the less likely you’ll be to freak out with surprises!
#5 – Do your research after you choose your next destination
Once you finally settle on your next destination and a time of year, start figuring out what offers are available at your destination.
For example: I’ve (fictitiously) decided to travel to Vancouver, Canada, for a week in the early summer, around the beginning of June. I would first consult Pinterest and search “things to do in Vancouver, Canada.” My feed would explode with colorful pins that linked to helpful blogs with itineraries, advice, points of interest, things to avoid, etc.
The wealth of information would be slightly overwhelming, but take it slow. Everyone has their own opinion and I don’t have to do everything others suggest. I use this as a starting point. Are there any activities, museums, points of interest that are appealing to me?
Another trick I use is Google – but being a little more specific. Instead of just Googling “Vancouver, Canada,” I would use phrases like “top museums in Vancouver, Canada,” or “food tours in Vancouver, Canada.”
I love reading about other travel bloggers’ experiences in various destinations, so I might even go as far as Google “Vancouver, Canada travel blog.” Or go to a specific blogger’s website and do a search if they’ve traveled to a destination that I’ve decided to visit.
Ask you friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors. Believe me, people come out of the woodwork when you start asking questions about travel.
#6 – Figure out who the travelers will be
Flying solo? Girl’s trip? Family vacation? There are so many different styles and preferences when it comes to traveling, that sometimes it can be a little frustrating to iron out details. Who are your travel companions going to be?
Group trips can be fun and never have dull moments…but they can also destroy relationships. Solo trips can be liberating and fancy-free, but can sometimes be lonely and stressful if you’re not comfortable being by yourself or making all the decisions. Family vacations can be a headache and the best time of your life.
Bottom line: there are pros and cons to every combination of travelers you choose to include. The only way you’ll figure out which style fits your mojo is by trying it out. What works for me might not work for you.
Remember what Mark Twain said: “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” Choose your travel companions carefully.
As a side note: I sometimes plan my next destination based on who I’ll be traveling with. If I’m traveling with a new friend or group of friends and am a little hesitant, I might choose our next destination to be someplace close or for a short duration. You know, just in case I need to make a quick exit.
#7 – Go for it
Tony Wheeler, the powerhouse behind Lonely Planet, once said “All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over.”
Oh, how true are his words. Like my finger hovering over the computer mouse, poised to pay for something, schedule a hotel, or book a flight, there’s always that moment of hesitation. Will this be fun? Will I cry the whole time? Am I going to get lost?
Millions of questions shoot through our mind and the worst possible time, right before we begin preparations for arriving at our next destination. Ugh, curse those self-doubting moments. We all feel them.
Just like standing at the edge of the high-dive platform over a pool, poised for a gargantuan leap, take a deep breath.
It’ll be okay.
Or if not, like a blind date, you’ll have a great story to tell!
So where is YOUR next destination taking you?
PIN ME
