From Jetsetting Fools:
Travel inspirations – like movies filmed in far-away places and food from foreign lands – can have multifaceted affects. A film can spark wanderlust for places you never knew existed. A book can create excitement about an upcoming trip. Feasting on cuisine from another country can quell the urge to book a trip and sipping a glass of wine can bring back fond memories of previous travels. GK: the only movies or TV shows that inspired me were the Olympics. Places like Vancouver, Montreal, Rio, Tokyo, and Sydney!
With a good travel book – or a destination cocktail – in hand, we can virtually travel to cities around the world…even if we are currently stuck at home. I have read all the Bryson and Theroux books, always inspiring!
The thrill of a new guide book:
Yesterday, I actually walked into a bookstore and bought a travel guide for Greece. Though it sounds relatively mundane, I became excited today as I opened it for the first time. Realize of course, I have several books on travel in Greece, and subscribe to numerous travel websites as well.
I must tell you that it feels great to open a travel guide, after being confined to this county since last March. And after I get my second covid vaccination on Feb. 1, I might even dream about sitting on the beach in Santorini, or gazing up at the Acropolis while having dinner.
Perhaps I would not be as excited, if not for the pandemic. I guess we will all feel some degree of exhilaration when we hit the skyways or roadways again. I know I will, even if the first few flights are within the US. Right now, I guess it does not take much to get excited about travel. Or even going out to dinner.
When I learned Southwest Airlines begins flying out of my city, I immediately booked a $39 fare to Las Vegas. Not to gamble, but to visit dear friends. And I used a credit to book a flight to Phoenix in March. I feel liberated!
National Plan for Vacation Day (NPVD) is January 26—the day set aside each year to encourage Americans to plan their hard-earned time off at the start of the year for the remainder of the year. It’s an intentional step to slow down, unplug from work for a bit, and carve out vacation time in your busy schedules. Studies show that planners have an advantage over nonplanners, using more days to travel on average per year—but 28 percent of American households still don’t take the time to plan vacations.
On a personal level, I find that planning ahead for trips saves time and money. Last minute trips tend to be more expensive. The trade off, of course, is the spontaneity, or sense of adventure that comes with last minute planning or lack thereof.
One of the most beneficial aspects of travel is making friends around the world. Many have some great travel advice to share. This is particularly true when choosing a hotel location within a big city. Since I like to walk and explore, I like a hotel where walking is safe, and plenty of options exist for food and shopping. And most importantly, I like to be on a major bus or metro stop. Many thanks to people like Angela, Jason, Itsuyo, Danny, Barry, and Ric.
As time goes by, your network will become richer and more numerous. I would say, please take advantage of it. This has helped me in numerous places around the world, like Rangoon, Bangkok, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Quito, Sydney, and NYC, among other places. Never under estimate the power of local knowledge.
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