New Year, New View: How To Set & Meet Your Travel Goals For 2016

 

A new year is finally here! Time to set new goals for things you want to accomplish. A great way to feel more connected to self and others around us is to get out and travel more. If your goal is to do just that in 2016, here’s what you need to do, starting right now, to make it happen.

Ready, Set, Goal

Deciding where to go first can be overwhelming if you haven’t had a burning desire to travel to a certain destination all your life. Don’t sweat it! Take some time to reflect on the purpose of your travels and begin there. Are you more interested in seeing historic sites, infusing yourself into a certain culture, checking out a popular annual event (like the jazz festivals in Paris), or just relaxing on a beach with pina coladas? Next decide what criteria are most important in your decision – climate, region, peak tourist season, travel cost, etc. Because if you’re looking to go somewhere cool and lively you don’t want to get all excited about flying down to the Dominican Republic in June only to find its unbearably hot and dead quiet cause its out of peak season.

An awesome site to check out for ideas is Living Social, where you can find out the hottest places to go and how much it may cost you. Once you have narrowed it down to a few ideas, keep the momentum going by finding a reliable travel agent. An agent can offer more suggestions according to your initial ideas and criteria. They can also get you some sweet deals, set you up with activities once you get there, and share knowledge of the region to help you prepare.

Plan to Be There

Don’t stop there. Its time to put your plan in motion to make it happen! Are you going to travel with a partner or make it a solo journey? Inviting friends can make or break your whole operation, so choose wisely. Give them a deadline to decide by and put up the money.   Time waits for no one. If your chosen travel buddies are dragging their feet, plan to proceed alone and go ahead with booking your flight. Don’t forget to put in for your vacation time well in advance, as necessary.

Saving Money

Now comes the most important part, and that’s planning how you will foot the bill.   If you are not prepared to pay now, you need a savings plan. Break down the total trip cost into monthly chunks leading up to when it has to be paid in full and compare it to your current income minus expenses. If you can fit it in, great! If not, find unnecessary expenses to eliminate, and cut back in other areas like eating out.

All your hard work and discipline will be worth it to take some time off and see something new and exciting.   Good Luck and Bon Voyage!

Written by Leslie Matthews, Staff Writer, Modern Domestic & Creator of ThatGirlWrites