We have all had a year, give or take, of being at home and reflecting on our lives. For those of us with the travel bug, and in the industry, we are all itching to get out and play. The fact we can’t go everywhere we dream right now makes it much more acute.
As I’ve had a lot of time in my own head this year, I have been able to refocus on what I want most out of this life. As I have hit the big 3-0 the feeling of wanting to make sure I get out and do more is all the more important.
The time for reflection has allowed me to realize I need more of the following:
- Local adventures (even one night) to see much loved locations and ones I haven’t seen.
- I need to take more girls trips and laugh myself stupid over the whole time.
- I need to prioritize the locations I want to see and what I’m doing and when so I make sure it happens.
One thing I have learned in 11 years of solo and family travel is that it’s vital to commit to locations and make it happen. If you don’t start planning, it won’t happen. Which means, in this slow time of cancelled journeys and remote work’s growth, it’s time to hit the road and knock off some items of personal interest.
Not only is it the best time to start pinning down dates and getting your travel buddies on board, it’s also an ideal time to get excellent rates! While airfare hasn’t decreased consistently (especially international) tours and guiding are offering fantastic discounts for the end of 2021 and into 2022.
Prioritize What you Want
Even if discounts don’t apply, many destinations around the world are seeing the lowest tourism they’ve seen in decades! Which means photography and Instagram geeks are likely to have pristine locations to themselves!
Even if fewer crowds are not your goal, and you won’t be traveling for a time, it’s good to prioritize what you want out of life, including travel. I try to prioritize what I want to do by what will be easier as I am younger, IE backpacking trips or staying in uncomfortable rooms/bots etc.
While that’s not to say I can’t enjoy many things as I get older, it’s that with my already existing issues that things be harder. There is no point in spending thousands of dollars on a trip to be in pain and unhappy the whole time.
This means that I’m happy putting resorts, cruises etc. on hold until I’m older and less able to do “adventure travel”. While I’m still able I want to prioritize hiking, camping, backpacking, or other trips that are more intense on the body.
Other things to consider are elemental, are certain places going to survive climate change? What about areas that are influenced by different cultural or metropolitan changes? Not to be alarmist, but these are true aspects of our world.
Decide What is Most Important
Everyone’s bucket list is different for different reasons. If you haven’t traveled, you might want to see where your ancestors came from. If you travel a lot, you’re probably filling in gaps. You may only travel with a partner or friend, what do you want to explore together? If you blend trips between solo and companion or family – maybe you need to make several lists on what to experience on different ventures.
A good example is that my husband really want to do an Alaska Cruise, so that’s a trip we can do together. I really want to hike the Inca Trail, so that’s a solo trip I’ll take.
All around, if this year has taught us anything it’s that we should treasure all the fun we have and never take it for granted. My goal is to make that a permanent fixture in my life, for small and giant adventures!
Happy Travels!
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