Let me begin by saying that where ever your travel destination takes you, be it floating through the canals in a gondola in Venice Italy, flying through the jungle on a zip line in Boquete Panama or sitting in quiet contemplation basked in the wonder and beauty of the Taj Mahal in New Delhi India, travel can be one of the greatest pleasures in life. In my opinion there is absolutely nothing like traveling thousands of miles to experience the history, the culture and the people of other countries. I have been to more than a few countries that I have always dreamed of traveling to and have seen some truly amazing and unforgettable places. Travel opens up your mind and lets you experience the world through the eyes of the locals. It is said that traveling can be good for the soul and it can be great therapy to deal with the crazy and negative things that clog our daily lives. For my twin sister and me it was the fact that a milestone birthday was just around the corner. We were both feeling thoroughly depressed because we had watched the years come and go and had not done the one thing that we had dreamed of doing for as long as we could remember, which was traveling. There was always a reason why we could not or should not do it. So with that came our decision that it was high time to do something about it, to plan a trip that would be so amazing, one that would make this birthday the best one of our lives.
What we did not realize however was that having never really traveled before we did not have any idea as to what was involved in planning such a trip. For someone who is a novice and has absolutely no idea where to begin, the process of planning a trip can be a bit over whelming but let me tell you, it is not as hard as you think. It’s not rocket science and anyone who has a computer and an internet connection can do it.
First, you have to ask yourself, what exactly are your expectations for your trip? Once you figure that out then you can begin the process of planning your adventure. While some people prefer to go through a travel agent letting them do all of the research and booking for them, I prefer to do it all myself, being in charge of every aspect of every decision of the planning process. The internet is an awesome tool and has a wealth of information on trip planning and did I mention it can actually be fun! For someone who has never planned a trip before the internet will help you find information on requirements for passports, tourist visas, customs and vaccinations. You can also find great tips on things such as money matters, safety, health issues and what to pack for your trip. My packing tip to you is, pack light! There are also many great websites for finding and comparing the best prices for flights and many of them offer options for customizing your trip by adding hotels and purchasing tickets for services and activities such as airport shuttle service, events and shows, car rentals, tours and sightseeing, theme parks and many other things. This can save you money in the long run rather than if you book everything separately.
After figuring out what it is you want to see and do once you reach your destination I recommend that you do further research on the place your are traveling to because chances are that you will find a few more things that will spark your interest. I do this with every trip that I take and have found some truly amazing things to add to my list of things to see and do. So take full advantage of the internet and do lots of research to help you make your trip everything you expect it to be and more. Great planning makes for a great trip and before you know it, your departure day will arrive and you will be on your way to your travel adventure of a lifetime.
Let me end by saying that the decision to take the bull by the horns and plan my first trip was one of the best decisions of my life. It opened up a completely new world to me and started a domino affect in that once I started to travel I did not want to stop. The places that my travels have taken me to have definitely had a deep and profound impact on my life and I regret that I did not discover the world of traveling sooner. The one constant thought on mind now is where in the world am I going to go to next.