Do you feel that? It smells like the holidays…
They are here with us once more. Everybody wants to travel and there is no greater favor you can do yourself than to travel while still young. You will never run out of stories to tell. Your mind will grow immensely and your body will glow with new energy.
But… before you get carried away with the thought of traveling, let’s have a look at some of the things you should look into before you hit the road.
Planning Your Trip
Most people think, planning to travel, is packing their bags, taking a shower, and leaving. However, there is a lot to look into when planning to take a trip.
First, you need to consider your budget. How much are you to spend on transport, upkeep, and emergencies?
Once you come up with a clear budget and feel satisfied that you are able to fund it, find out if you need to apply for a visa.
That might seem obvious, but there are two more important things you are likely to forget or ignore.
- Travel Insurance
You never know what might happen to you in a place far away from home. Travel insurance helps you to recover from losses incurred during your travel. It’s very important to have someone covering your back. Don’t take chances.
2. Informing Your Banks of Your Travel Plans
Making a transaction from a foreign country might be translated as a fraud. Seriously… you wouldn’t like the idea of your only source of money getting locked while you are a thousand miles away.
All set? Great.
It’s about time to get an idea of where you are headed.
Conduct proper research on the place you intend to visit. It’s important to know exactly how to get there, where to stay, and the places to visit.
This brings you satisfaction upon getting back, having fulfilled your mission. But…
Don’t plan rigidly, leave room for unforeseen changes that might still leave you with a better experience than intended. For example, you might visit a place and learn of a better place to visit in the country you are touring.
Once everything is set, book your ticket (don’t forget to check when the rates are lower). Make reservations with a hotel or the hostel you intend to stay in and start packing.
Now, on the packing bit… pack only what you need.
If you are to travel for less than a month, consider having everything in a carry-on. It’s less bulky and thus will bother you less.
Remember to keep time. Don’t miss your flight. Well… it’s less likely with all the anticipation that comes the night before travel, but it happens. So, don’t mess with your alarm.
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In a few Hours, you Will Land in Your Dream Destination Confused and Naïve. What Next?
Let’s look at the things you need to do to ensure you enjoy your trip to the fullest.
1. Have Important Documents Close to you.
Whenever you leave your room, make sure you have all you consider important with you at all times. That should include your money, your visa, and your credit cards. Ooh! And your camera.
It will be very unfortunate to lose any of your documents. That can ruin your experience.
The more credit cards you have the better. Have at least three. Leave one in your room, carry two. One in your backpack and one in your wallet or pouch. That way you have back up in case you lose the other or your transactions with one card get a hitch.
2. The Camera.
Ooh yes, the camera! You can’t afford to leave that behind. How will you capture all those amazing memories?
Have a good camera with you, and with sufficient memory. Remember to keep it charged at all times.
Take as many pictures of yourself in the places you visit as possible. Some people only take pictures of the places they travel to. Please don’t do that. Ask your travel partner or the locals to take pictures of you too.
And when it comes to capturing great pictures, here is a guide on how to go about it.
3. Enjoy Local Dishes.
You have probably heard a lot of scary stories of why you should always eat at home ranging from getting poisoned to getting ill. All these might hinder you from enjoying new dishes.
It’s about time to let go of all that. You are already away from home anyway. So, just try them out. Eat the street foods, eat what the locals eat, you might just come across a new favourite dish.
4. Learn a new Language.
The easiest way to mingle with the new people you meet is by learning their language. Strive to at least say hello in their language, thank you, beautiful… Keep learning.
It makes them feel you want to be part of them. It will also be easier for you to make friends and to seek help. It goes a long way even with something as simple as asking for a glass of water.
Lastly…
Enjoy to the Fullest.
Let go of your fears. Make the moments count. Seize every opportunity.
Bottom-line
A journey of a thousand miles starts with preparation. That’s the first step.
Make proper preparations for your trip. Keep your documents safe and have several sources of cash. Take travel insurance and inform your banks you intend to travel.
Go enjoy your trip, learn some new language, enjoy the dishes, and don’t forget to capture the memories.
Brendan Rodgers once said, the experience of traveling, getting familiar with other languages, and other cultures definitely helps. It makes you a better person.
You definitely don’t want to remain the same, so take that trip.