You can be F.R.E.E.R. when planning your travel! Use this travel planning framework details a simple process to create your best travel experience!
Travel planning doesn’t need to be overwhelming. You can streamline it by just breaking it into 5 simple steps.
Table of Contents
Focus
In this edition of the newsletter, we kick off the first step: Focus👁️🗨️
Creating your best travel experience requires focus. Focus, when it comes to travel, means something a bit different. It is when you zero in on yourself and really contemplate what you want to get out of your next trip.
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- Focus on the style of travel you most enjoy (adventure, solo, retreat and relax, or the great outdoors)
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- Focus on the desired feelings you wish to get from the next adventure (refreshed, educated, rejuvenated)
The more present you are while planning, the more likely you are to get the outcome you want. If you focus on what you want out of the trip you are more likely to create experiences that are aligned.
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Research
Your second step in the travel planning framework is Research. And I’m not talking about research in that college dissertation kind of way (though if that moves you, get on with your bad self).
For our purposes, we’re looking at something a lot more enjoyable. I’m talking about how travel Research can get you that much closer to your ideal experience. It’s time to hide away for a bit and just imagine your ideal. I know it’s hard to even find the time to think. So get isolated for a bit (yes, you’re worth it) and just let your mind imagine the ideal adventure.
Once you can see it, smell it, once you’ve got a taste for it, do a bit of research and find out how much of that ideal is within reach (probably more than you thought).
There is not just one way to travel, there’s not just one way to see the trip! Have fun researching all that is possible.
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- Google Maps, Street View, YouTube, and Instagram can initiate you to the possibilities as well as specialized blogs and travel apps aligned to your ideal location
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- VRBO, Airbnb, or even Luxury Retreats can show what’s possible for home or villa stays
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- WithLocals can help you imagine amazing activities, tours, or experiences
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- Skyscanner or Google Flights can help you decide how to get to your destination
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- Fill your Kindle instantly with the guidebooks of your choice.
Have fun with it! The world is literally at your fingertips. So let your imagination run wild and in the process refill your soul a bit!
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Exploration
Building from our previous travel tips on how Focus and Research can help you get more out of your adventures…
Now let’s take a look at E: Exploration
Explore how your trip will flow from one day to the next. As you begin your draft itinerary consider the following:
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- Prioritize – what can you absolutely not miss? Separate that from the second choice and backup plans in order to gain clarity
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- Community impact – how might you benefit the local community and environment while they host you in this new space
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- Cultural differences and similarities – teasing out cultural differences can influence everything from how you pack to what snippets of the language you choose to learn
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- Budget opportunities – where will you want to cut back and where do you want to be sure to splurge? Gaining clarity on this will make sure you put your hard-earned dollars exactly where you want them to go
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- Push yourself out of the ‘zone’ – this is a chance to get to know a new side of yourself. Do not sit on the sidelines! Take a small risk that pushes you a bit farther than where you were willing to go yesterday and you will be sure to return feeling proud and a newer version of your best self
We’re not suggesting that you plan to the point of choking (you can read more about our hard-learned lesson here). Actually, the more you articulate what you want the more likely you are to give yourself downtime and enjoy the unexpected magic moments as they arise.
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Engagement
I’m not one for rushing into commitment so don’t get carried away… I didn’t mean that kind of engagement. 😜
Continuing our deep dive into the FREER framework, now we’re looking at E: Engaged
Yes, there are magical moments when you travel and they can be captured if you choose to stay present and engaged as you enjoy your new location.
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To highlight what I’m talking about let me share an exclusive sneak peek into my upcoming eBook, Travel with Intention.
📖Here is a brief excerpt:
I remember our trips in terms of moments. My youngest, who fears the power of gravity like no other, ziplining over a canyon in Hawaii. My husband with tears in his eyes as he kneeled at the Vatican for the first time. The smile on my oldest’s face as we walked along a beach in California. An ice cream vendor in Paris who smiled and encouraged me as I tried to order in French.
These are the things that stand out to me when I remember each of these trips. Not momentous in and of themselves except they are special to me. They are not the whole picture of a trip but that is what makes them beautiful. They are personal, fleeting moments, and allow me to carry the essence of that experience in a wonderful memory.
Michelle, Travel with Intention
Not every moment of your trip will be magical. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself! When I say engage, I’m a big believer in the 5/95 rule.
Only 5% of a trip is made up of magical moments but that 5% will make up 95% of what you remember. It’s not every second of every day of your trip! These moments are special because they don’t happen all the time.
And you are more likely to create these ephemeral moments if you are willing to deeply engage with your itinerary.
Get in there! Get your hands dirty, learn, play, and interact! Gently push yourself out of your comfort zone (I had never ziplined before either, but hey give me a gentle push and I’m out over the abyss!) and you will not regret the joy you bring home through those memories!
Reflection
I recently experienced the luxury of a massage. It was revelational! I don’t say this to be hyperbolic. With my masked face stuffed facedown into a pillow, the masseuse worked my muscles to solve problems I didn’t even know I had.
She promised me I’d be almost an inch taller after seeing her because I’d been so tense (all 5′ 2″ of me was grateful).
Reflecting on the experience I realized I need more of this self-care in my life. I work hard for my money! Hell, I learned from the best. My parents were baby boomers (the OGs of defining the self through work accomplishments). Can you say “latchkey kid”?
So maybe I can set aside a bit of time and money to fit this luxury into my life more frequently.
But don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t the first massage I’d ever had in my life. This was just the first time I reflected on what I was allowing work to do to my body. I’ve lost the balance between work and life and I need to get it back! I work to live not live to work. So I can prioritize bringing a bit more self-care into my routine in order to keep that balance.
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That my friends is the power of Reflection. Bring that power into your travel experience as well in order to have more of your ideal.
R: Reflection – you can take a moment to check in with yourself and others on how you might fit more travel into your life. This can be as simple as a single question at dinner, or as detailed as a journal entry. Reflect however and in whatever style you want. Just do it!
Because taking time to touch base with how the luxury of travel can be more frequent in our lives allows for course correction along the way. You bring yourself that much closer to the luxury of all that is travel, that ideal experience.
Whether it be crystal clear ocean water views, mountain top air filling your lungs, or a cityscape from a hotel balcony ~ carve out time for the luxury of travel.
Whether it is a quick weekend away, a drive down the road to a part of the city you’ve yet to visit, or a flight to an international locale, take the time to give yourself the benefit of travel:
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- stronger relationships
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- amazing memories
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- educational experiences
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- relaxation and personal time
You work hard for your vacation dollars! Make sure they give you the biggest bang for your buck! Give yourself the luxury of reflection and check in that the experience is giving you all that you wanted. You deserve it!
By following this travel planning framework you can create the best travel experiences for you and your family. Every. Single. Time.