7 Things To Do RIGHT Now If You Want To Travel More

“Life is too precious and short to dare to waste it on mediocre dreams.”  ― Edmond Mbiaka

Life is short and too much time is spent dreaming, not doing.  If all your life you’ve dreamed of travel, there’s no better day to start making that dream a reality than today.  Here are 7 things you need to do right now if you want to make travel a priority in your life.

Create A Travel Dream Journal.  Quit dreaming and start planning.  Sit down, pen to paper and make a promise to yourself.  That you will one day see  (insert your dream destination) with your very own eyes.  Educate yourself on the cost of flights and accommodations, figure out what is realistic for you and set some goals.  Having your dreams written down on paper makes it much more tangible.  Besides, half the fun of travel is the planning.

Start Saving.  Create a savings account, a sacred piggy bank for spare change, give up your daily Tim Hortons fix, and funnel all of these funds into your new travel account.  Want more tips on saving for vacations?  Read this. You will be surprised how quickly this money adds up.

Consider Your Options.  Perhaps it’s time to be flexible.  Travel doesn’t have to be traditional.

• Do you have a friend from College who now lives in Europe?  An Aunt who moved to Texas?  Visiting family and friends in far-flung places is a great way to see the world.
• Consider a volunteerism trip.
• Teaching abroad is an incredible way to immerse yourself in another culture and see a different part of the world.
• To save money, research a house swap or look into a stay at an Airbnb.

Hunt For A Flight Deal.  Sign up for airfare e-mails and watch for those seat sales.  A couple of favourite sites include Google Flights and Hopper which will alert you when an airfare you are watching drops.  If you can be flexible about your destination and/or your dates, even better!

Collect Those Points.  There are SO many incredible credit card and loyalty programs out there that reward the buyer with flight miles and vacation dollars.  Spend a little time deciding which credit card or program best suits your lifestyle and sign up!  The points often add up quickly and can result in entire flights covered for your trip.

Embrace The Staycation.  A vacation doesn’t have to mean you travel far and wide.  When was the last time you explored your own neighbourhood?  There is something quite decadent about a weekend at a hotel in your very own city and of course, the traditional week at the cottage is always a good idea.  It’s the escape from the every day that makes it magical.

Just Do It.  We all get caught up in thinking that we are too busy, the kids are too small, our business or workplace couldn’t possibly live without out us for a week or two.  LET THAT GO!  This is your life and you only get one shot at it. There will never be the “perfect” moment to go.  You have to carve out the time and just do it.

Life is short, eat the cake, buy the shoes and travel often!

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