Guest Post: Why Your Travel Never Works Out the Way You Plan
A traveler must plan less and travel more and accept any mid-trip obstacles as a part of the whole experience.
It has happened to the best of us. We create a Whatsapp group, adding all our friends with whom we wish to embark on the next big trip. Excited by the idea of traveling, the following weeks ensues textual discourses, intensive discussions and mindless arguments over each and every aspect of it. Eventually, most candidates drop out, as the remaining handful agrees to a concrete plan for the tour. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief as the frustrations of planning get replaced by the joy of travelling. As the trip commences, sooner or later, things start to go astray again, creating a deja-vu of the frustrations involved while planning them in the first place. The trip ends, and we return to our desk jobs, with mixed feelings about the whole experience.
The actual trip not living up to prior expectations happens not only to the occasional group travel-packs but also to a seasoned backpacker. While most see it as a negative aspect, pro-travelers consider such discrepancies as part of the whole experience itself. Understanding the basic reasons for such occurrence can ensure that you enjoy your travel and return home with a satisfied heart and soul.
You indulge in over-planning, creating high expectations
People, in general, hate uncertainty. This is the reason why, while traveling, they try to outline their schedule down to the last detail well before in advance. Once that’s locked down, they further indulge in micro-managing small aspects, mostly by gathering information online. What most travelers forget is that no amount of planning can prepare them for the various curveballs that a new and unknown place usually throws. While it’s advisable to plan most aspects of a trip in advance, from booking long distance tickets to jolting down a list of ‘must-see-places’, over-planning is a strict no if you don’t wish to see your plan crash later. Instead, you should create dynamic plans – asking locals and other fellow travelers about the places they have visited. This will help you discover new places you haven’t read about before, catering to the free and wild spirit in you.
Your plan is too rigid, with little wiggle room
Travelers like to see pretty much everything a new place has to offer in a relatively short period of time. They create a daily itinerary and cram it up with all the names of places they wish to visit. “It’s our last day in Venice. We should wake up early and visit two cathedrals and the beach, have lunch at the Atlantic Grill, and then head off to a nearby village before returning to the city at night to grab dinner at the Union Oyster House.” Traveling is all about embracing freedom from a daily routine and having such a list of ‘places-to-visit’ sucks the joy out by making it sound like a corporate project with deadlines. Instead, it’s advisable that you should leave plenty of room on your schedule – for relaxation, new recommendations and for unforeseen circumstances. This gives you the window to modify your schedule as you go and ensure that you are relaxed during your travel experience.
Unforeseen circumstances will pop up and you should be ready
Traveling is meant to take you out of your comfort zone. You stay in an unfamiliar environment, gorge on contemporary cuisine, travel from one location to the next and meet new and exciting people from various cultures. All of these are a perfect blend of surprise hiccups that are bound to arise. Health issues might emerge amidst your trip, and you should be prepared to tackle it with your own pack of medicines rather than spending time and money for a doctor’s checkup. You might fall so deeply in love with a certain place that you might end up spending a few more days there, which is why having a flexible schedule is also important.
As travelling consumes a major part of your trip, you can meet with a minor or major accident during that time. Making sure that you are insured for this duration will not just reduce unnecessary anxiety but also come in handy in the face of unforeseen adversities. You can refer to the Progressive Markets report on Travel Insurance Market to choose the insurance best suited to your form of travel. The report analyses the global travel insurance market by insurance cover, distribution channels and by geography – helping you to make an informed decision about spending the least amount of money for maximum coverage.
You should focus less on planning, and more on traveling
Seasoned travelers have one motto – plan less and travel more. It’s this mindset that helps them to thoroughly enjoy their trips. Instead of spending hours trying to contemplate the ‘best plan for the trip’, it’s much more advisable to just go with the flow when you are at your dream location. Along with that, a few precautions in terms of health and travel insurance, and accepting surprises as an element of traveling will ensure that you have the trip of a lifetime without any regrets. Always remember – it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.
Author Bio: Nisha Dodeja, is a keynote senior consultant on digital marketing at Progressive Markets. She has been recognized for developing a robust social network strategy for the company. Nisha has written several whitepapers, case studies, and articles. She is a visiting faculty member at various educational institutions and has expertise in Travelling.
