Travel, no matter where you plan to go, is all about discovery. Discovery of the new, of the unknown, and of ourselves. That starts with a touch of inspiration and a lot of motivation. The thing is, unless you plan to ‘wing it’ (an approach most people struggle with), travelling requires a bit of effort to make it happen. There’s the saving to cover the financial aspect; the planning to settle on an itinerary; and the logistics, working out getting from A to B to C.
In the face of all that, travel can feel a little daunting. But when the opportunities for discovery on offer are so rewarding – how can you stay motivated to experience them?
Do Some Research
Google is your friend in this regard. If you’re inspired by something you’re doing online (e.g. reading a news story) don’t be afraid to get side-tracked and read more about particular places or attractions related to it. It sounds odd, but in practice it can be very inspiring. Even better, check out the enormous range of travel videos on YouTube!
Enjoy the travel pages
If you’d rather not do the searching yourself, check out some printed materials. Most newspapers and magazines have some form of travel section and these can be wonderful for highlighting ideas you might not have come up with otherwise.
Keep notes
Inspiration can strike anywhere and it often does daily, in a lot of small moments that are quickly forgotten. See somewhere on TV you liked the look of? Make a note of it on your phone and come back to it later. You’ll be surprised what you come up with!
Plan with a friend
Like exercise, staying motivated to plan a trip can be hard if you’re going it alone. If you have a friend you’d like to travel with, chat with them and swap notes on all of the above. New ideas will blossom from old ones, making the entire trip that much easier to assemble.
Speak to a travel agent
For anyone with a lot of ideas, but not as much organisation, a travel agent can pull together a lot of the concepts and fashion them into an actual itinerary. That’s a lifesaver when it comes to the planning stage!
