Beginners Traveling Guide:
Who, What, When, Where & Why
Traveling does take some planning. I have to admit I am the spontaneous one. I dream of the day that I just say let’s go to the airport with the clothes on our back and we will figure it out when we get there. Now, Keith, on the other hand, is my Boy Scout. For real, he’s a Boy Scout. He will give you his Troop number and two-finger salute thing. He needs order, control and decisiveness. Okay, I admit his way is the most logical. So, grab yourself a spiral notebook or a folder to help keep you organized. In this folder you will keep all your checklist, notes, email confirmations for hotel, flights, etc. The more organized you can be the more you can relax once you reached your destination.
The Early Educator in me just couldn’t resist the 5 W’s in relation to traveling. So, let’s put it together, shall we? If you are new to traveling there are may ways to get yourself started. Ask yourself these 5 questions…
Who?
You will need to decide will this be a solo trip or would you like the company of others? Solo trips are great for those… However, if you do not want to be alone, there is always a friend, a family member, a spouse, or pet that you can take with you. If you really want a challenge then go with a group. This group can be your family, girls/guys trip, or a traveling group. Planning who is going on this trip is important because time, cost, lodging and transportation need to be considered.
What?
This is a loaded question… What is the cost/budget? (email points info) What do I need to pack? (email check lists) What mode of transportation am I going to use (car, airplane, train, bus, cruise ship?) What kind of lodging am I going to stay in? What city/state will I travel to?
When?
Once you decide on a dope destination then you need to do a little research and decide when is the best time for you to go? (email on researching) Do you want to go someplace hot or cold, when is the rainy season, when is it too hot or cold for your comfort? Picking the right time of year and the right destination is crucial, the last thing you want to do is be stuck in a hotel because there’s a snowstorm or, better yet, stuck on a cruise ship because of a tropical hurricane (the worst)! “When?” also needs to include how many days you plan to be on your trip.
Where?
Once you have made a decision on when you want to go then planning on where to go will be fun! SuitcaseRace® recommends printing out a map. (include link) You can start with the whole USA, a particular state, or even a city. We like to print our maps out in a large format so we can see clearly, what’s nearby just in case we want to hop over to another city/state while we are close by.
Why?
Why are you traveling? Is it for fun, adventure, soul-searching, food, culture, history and/or to create new memories that will last a lifetime? Whatever your reason, be sure to keep an open mind as you learn and understand those new experiences. One thing that I can say as to why I travel is because, so much of who I am, is because of where I have been.
