Travel Where You Want
Want to Tavel Where You Want?
Aim before you shoot.
So, you’ve decided that 2010 is going to be a travel more year. That’s great. But where?
You read this site, so you have some good ideas and by checking out the super specials you have even more – at great prices.
But these are all external suggestions. They are the opinions of others. People with possibly wildly different personalities from you, who may love what you hate and hate what you love.
As with everything that involves opinion and subjective appreciation, there are fads in travel. When I was finishing high school in the late 1980s the cool pre-university journey was a Eurorail pass across Europe. Seven years later as I finished my Masters, Europe was out of fashion and everyone was going scuba diving in Thailand or trekking across India. In my circle of friends it seems that Argentina, the Inca Trail and other parts of South America are the current it destinations.
In other circles cruises are the only vacations worth taking while others think cruises are floating environmental disasters. Skiers will choose mountains whenever possible and surfers beach destinations. Some need adventure while others think anything other than relaxing by the hotel pool is not a vacation. And people with a variety of passions will chose a different vacation every time they travel.
Travel Where You Want is starting to sound like a vicious circle of opinions.
The question is what do you want?
No Good or Bad Choices: Travel Where You Want
I’m one of the latter types. I love all-inclusive deals and I love dropping myself in the middle of a foreign culture and struggling to be understood. I do have my limits, however. I hate large crowds and it’s not a vacation if I don’t have basic developed-country minimums of running water and flush toilets.
That doesn’t mean that camping vacations or travelling to developing countries are bad vacations or that I’m a bad person for not wanting to shoehorn myself into the streets of Seoul.
You may disagree with me but then we don’t have to go on vacation together.
Figuring It Out
So what do you like? And how do you know? One way would be trial and error but that could lead to some really horrible experiences that feel like a huge waste of money (although it could also lead to some wonderful surprises – I suppose it depends on how risk-loving you are).
There’s another way, one that you’re already doing. You read this site and contribute your thoughts (via comments, article round ups or guest posts) and pictures (via the STE Flickr Group). As you get more involved with the community here you’ll discover what types of travel experiences attract you and which you skim right over. Determining where you want to go is the one time I’ll recommend being an armchair traveller. Fly around the world from within your browser and find what excites you and what turns you right off.
And if you really want some personalized help figuring out where would be the ideal destination for you, check out STE’s super-customized travel concierge service where you can get not just a great recommendation but where all the arrangements can be made for you.
No matter what you choose, you should travel where you want. Otherwise, where’s the fun?
Alex Fayle, of Someday Syndrome, is a former procrastinator who uses his visionary ability to uncover hidden patterns and help people break the procrastination obstacle so they can finally find freedom and start living the life they desire, with lots of travel being part of the life he's always desired.
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February 6th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Before I met my wife, I had never traveled outside the US. Since meeting her, I’ve been to London, Morocco, Mexico, Bermuda, and Italy. Then we didn’t travel outside the US for a few years while the kids were young (well, OK, one overnight stop in Mexico on a cruise ship, but I didn’t even get off the boat.
Now that they’re old enough that we can think about traveling again, I want to think about where I might want to go, and also where I’d like to take my kids. Italy is at the top of both lists, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.
Reading this post has inspired me, though, and I guess it’s time for me to become an armchair traveller for a few months. Thanks for the great post! I’ve bookmarked it so I can come back when I need to remind myself that there’s more to life than work and Cape Cod.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:00 am
Good post. Don’t let anyone dictate where you want to travel. Travel is a personal choice and it is different for everyone. Just because someone loves a place doesn’t mean that you have to love it too. But on the other hand, it is great to get advice and inspiration from other people’s travels. You just don’t have to feel bound to go there if you are not interested.
And we are just like the author. We love to mix it up. We love to backpack and stay in fancy hotels. Just the other day when we were sitting on the beach and touts stopped by every few minutes to sell us something, we were discussing how an all inclusive resort would be heaven right now. We could be sipping our pina coladas in peace:)
Then again, when a local comes up and we have a wonderful conversation a few minutes later, we say…”ah we could never get this experience in an all inclusive resort”
But I think that is what life is all about, mixing it up right?