Where Should I Go? Part One: Are You Ready for Informed Travelling
by Joodie • September 1, 2011 • Featured Post, Planning and Preparing • 1 Comment
Becoming Informed
This is part one in a guide for making informed decisions on travel, and understanding what’s holding you back from the trip of your dreams.
Let’s move forward under the following assumptions:
- You want to travel
- You have the financial resources to travel
- You have the time to travel
Maybe you think you’ve gotten over the all the major obstacles, but have you? The answer is… probably not.
The key missing component? Location.
Where will you go and why? Overcoming all of the previously mentioned hurdles can be a daunting task, that can take time, and a lot of persuasion (i.e., saving money, getting out of commitments for your desired vacation dates). Let’s say that’s all finished, or workable for you, now how do you choose your destination?
Some people have huge lists of places they’d like to visit before they die, while others simply desire to reconnect with old friends or have time away from their day-to-day situation.
Stop. Read This: I’m going to narrow this article down even further, those of you with friends/family you’d like to visit, stop reading, you don’t need this guide. Those of you re-visiting an old favorite spot, stop reading, you don’t need this. And finally, those of you who have booked your flight, hotel, and feel unstoppably confident in your ability to survive anywhere, go ahead, stop reading.
Are you still here? Then you need to make a decision. You haven’t decided where you’re going yet. You haven’t committed.
You need information.
Though many times not the case, I like to think of “travelers” as creative and resourceful people, with an abundance of confidence and survival skills. However, when heading somewhere you’ve never been before you will have moments, days, months, years of feeling the complete opposite: unsure, confused, hesitant, and ill-prepared. Usually you’ll be easily swayed by the opinions of others and minor commitments; we do this because these things feel familiar to us and it’s okay to stay inside the proverbial “box” sometimes.
But you want to travel. (Remember, you told me at the beginning of this article.)
So guess what: the wiffle-waffling ends; now.
You have the courage and the resources to be an informed and confident traveller. You will arm yourself with facts. If you don’t want to step outside of your comfort zone, stop reading, you’re not ready for this guide right now. For those of you ready to make a commitment to the trip you dream of, get ready for part two, in which I will tell you how to make an informed decision on where to go.
Where Should I Go? Part Two – How Do I Become an Informed Traveler is coming September 4th!
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