If you polled one million random people in various parts of the wold about something they would want to do, if money were not a factor, there is a good chance that travel would be near the top of that list. We understand that the world is much bigger than the 20-mile radius we inhabit for most of our lives. It is just a matter of finding the best way to explore and experience it.
Even experienced travelers need help figuring out new ways to get the most out of their passion. Traveling is nothing like it is depicted on your favorite TV shows. Here are a few reality checks and tips to ponder before packing your bags:
Expense
To say travel costs money is an understatement. Travel is brutally expensive. The most expensive part of truly exotic travel is getting to and from your destination. One of the things that makes a trip exotic is that it is far away from what you are used to. But one tip to consider is that travel does not have to be far away to expand your horizons.
You can save a lot of money by going to places that don’t cost an arm and leg to get to in the first place. For instance, if you live in the southeast United States, you might want to look into a Palm Springs family resort near you. If you live in Atlanta, Palm Springs is a whole other world. Yet the plane tickets will not require you to take out a second mortgage.
Safety
Travel shows can take you into some pretty rough territories. But what you don’t realize is just how much protection those hosts have while on their adventures. They carry more than a camera crew. They have people looking after them and paving the way for the adventures they bring to you every week. You don’t have any of that.
So make sure you make safety your first priority. Your favorite travel show host is not likely to get robbed and knifed while on a shoot. But you very well might. Be careful where you use your fancy camera gear. And getting lost in the wrong place could mean the difference between life and death. So rather than just going where the spirit leads, be sure to develop an itinerary, and stick to it.
Itinerary
You know what else your favorite traveler has? An itinerary. That’s what. They know exactly where they’re going, and what they are going to do when they get there. You will notice that most of them even have a local tour guide who knows the area and speaks the local languages very well. They may tell you to get off the beaten path. But they travel a path well beaten by them, and more importantly, their guide.
When you get off the plane, there is no producer, no camera crew, no dramatic music, no interpreter, and no one to direct you to where you should go and what you should do next. That is where this tip comes in: A great travel adventure is a well-planned travel adventure. Leave without an itinerary, and you are better off staying home.
Sharing
It is natural to want to share your adventures with friends. The mistake is doing all that sharing while you are traveling. If you post every moment of your trip on social media, you are advertising to everyone that you are not at home, how far away from home you are, and where they can find you at any given moment.
A better way to do it is to collect all those photos, decide which are worth sharing, do your edits on the way home, and share all the photos and details when you get back. Only a few trusted people in your life should know that you are away. They are the ones with keys to your house who will walk your dog and check your mail.
Travel is not like a TV show. So spare some expense by saving money on airfare whenever possible. Make safety a priority. Develop a solid itinerary and stick to it. And share responsibly.
