Step one: Time

Everyone starts their trip planning slightly differently and probably has their own insight into what works and doesn’t work for them. When I was preparing for my first trip I was anxious and worried and thankfully had a well seasoned traveling mother to help me through the packing and planning stages. I was grateful for the help but in the end I had to make my own decisions.

Almost two years ago now, when I was 25 I left for South America for 6.5 months. Each stage of planning brought new idea’s and worries about what was to come and eventually when traveling brought things into perspective and also contributed to new ideas that had not occurred to me so I wanted to put together my thoughts as I plan for my next trip.

I want to break down fully how I plan a trip so you can get an idea of how I make decisions and plan for a big trip.

Time:
First, I decide on an area and an approximate length of time. Included in this is the time of year I want to go and whether or not it suits the locations I want to go. The past year I have been living and teaching in South Korea so it was a no brainer for me to stick on this side of the globe. My contract ends August 31 so starting the first week of September made perfect sense. Additionally, I have not been home for Christmas in two years so I am determined to be back right before Christmas. That gives me about three and a half months, give or take, to work with.

In the past I have not worried about time and bought a ticket to a destination and traveled until I was tired or low on funds and found a return ticket home. This is the first time I am restricted by the length of time. Now that I have an idea of the approximate time the next step is location or destination.