Encuentro Guadalupe, El Porvenir, Mexico. Photo by Manuel Moreno.
It’s been a cold and rainy winter, but soon (very soon, if you believe in the prescient abilities of a certain Pennsylvania groundhog), the sun WILL come out. Picture the future—it’s a good way to survive the present. Think VACATION. Where will you go? What will you do? It’s time to start thinking about your summer vacation.
Start with the basics: who will I be vacationing with? A spouse? Children? Extended family—siblings, grandparents, in-laws, grandchildren? A few close friends, or a big friend group? Maybe you want a vacation to get some much-needed alone time. If you’ll be with anyone else, be sure you consult with them. It’s helpful to have them on board…and irate teenagers really bring down the vacation high!
Step two is to decide what type of vacation you and your co-vacationers will enjoy. Adventure? Maybe an archeological dig. Outdoorsy? Hike the Alps, or for those who are allergic to exercise (no judgment here), try “forest bathing,” the Japanese practice of spending quiet time outdoors. Healthy? Detox at a spa in Bali. Or maybe you’re just craving a classic Hawaiian beach vacation.
Grindelwald, Switzerland. Photo by AC Almelor
Step three: get out the calendar. There’s no such thing as blocking out vacation days on your calendar, your family’s calendar, your boss’s calendar, and your pet boarder’s calendar too early. Even if you aren’t ready to nail down exact dates, at least narrow it down. Mid-summer with the kids? Beat the crowds and the heat in the late spring? Fall when the leaves in the Scottish Highlands are at their most breathtaking?
When you’ve got your answers to these questions somewhat decided, move on to step four and start the prep work. Later you will thank yourself for building a slow, non-orange spray tan and working out to ensure that walking around Europe won’t leave you too exhausted to enjoy the sites. Research is underrated prep work. Learning about food, activities, customs, and language in advance can enhance your vacation experience. Speaking of languages, is your passport up-to-date? Do you need any vaccinations?
In a nutshell – start mulling your summer vacation now. Not only will you end up enjoying the perfect trips, but you’ll also have the perfect vision to pull you through these last few weeks of winter. And when you’re ready, please give us a call or shoot us a note to start building the plans that will bring that vision to life. Happy planning!
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