To some people, the idea of travelling is a built in nature, almost like it is just a part of the day to day life. However, for other people travel does not come quite so easy. The act of travelling is not difficult, but the mental aspect of doing what is needed to plan, book and go might hold you back.

Today’s post though is for those people who just need that little nudge. Just a push in the right direction to get their travel dreams out of their head and into reality. If you are the sort of person that travels all the time, share this post with your friends who need to travel. If you are someone that does not travel much if at all, have a read and see if you can move just one step forward.

1. Dream

No matter who you are or where you want to travel it all starts with a dream. Well, it may start before this, but for you, the first time you realise that you want to travel it is dreaming of being somewhere different.

One day you might be thinking about life and suddenly realise you are thinking about visiting Japan or America. At first, you might brush the thought aside, but that thought that dream keeps popping into your mind.

It can be rather easy though to have multiple dreams that seem to be conflicting or wanting you to go everywhere all at once. It can sometimes take a little bit of work to pull out just which destination is the most prominent. But once you have got it, hold on to it for the next step.

2. Plan

At some point, you will need to start taking action on your dreams. A great time to do this is when one particular dream might start showing up in your thoughts over and over again. You may not even realise it, but instead of a whole lot of random places, suddenly one seems to stand out more.

At this point, you will want to start doing a little more to start working out just how you want to approach this. There are lots of questions that you can ask to try and get some more firm details down on paper.

– Where do you want to go?
– Is it somewhere local or far?
– Is it just one place or multiple places?
– How do you want to get there?
– Is it possible to be creative with the trip?
– Could you go via cruise ship?
– Do you want to go for a week or a month?
– Would you prefer a hostel or a hotel?
– Do you want to explore everything or just focus on one aspect of the area?
– How much time do you have?
– How much can you budget for the trip?
– Do you need to think about your family?
– Is there someone that would travel with you?
– Is this something you must do alone?
– Will there be a particular time of year you need to be there?
– Would an organised tour be better than exploring alone?

I could potentially keep going with more questions. But there is a good chance that you might already be getting overwhelmed. The great thing about the planning step is that you have all the time you need to work through it.

3. Book

Once you have taken some time and planned where it is you want to go. How you want to get there. Where you might like to say. How much you can afford and how long you want to go for. Then it comes down to booking it.

The third step is one that can be the most challenging for people because it is where it starts getting real. When you start taking steps to book your holiday in and start having to pay money to secure each of the aspects.

While you might have taken your time on the planning step. If you are ready to go, I will urge you not to hold back on the booking stage. I have planned a couple too many trips that just have not eventuated because I failed to book them.

Instead of having the plan in place and booking them I held back. There were various reasons, some more valid than others. In the end most of them I missed the chance. The good deal I found was gone, the price had gone up, the opportunity was time sensitive, and I missed it.

Ultimately if you are now ready to travel and you have planned a trip. Do what you need to do and get it booked.

4. Go

The plan is in place, and the tickets and accommodation are booked. There is still a little bit to do, but that is all relatively easy stuff. You have to pack your bag and get yourself to the airport.

You have come this far there is a whole great big adventure ahead of you. Exploring and discovering a new place that you have seen in your dreams, brochures and on the internet. But now you get to go and get to experience it for yourself.

5. Enjoy

The truth this last step should not be needed, it should go without saying. Once you are on the journey just enjoy the holiday. It is easy to find problems or things to make it seem hard or difficult. But seriously look at where you are, depending on where you were dreaming about it could be a fantastic place.

I have travelled to 35 countries, and right now there is not a single one that I would not return. Of course, there are some that I might not go back to right now, but in the future, everything is on the table, everything is possible.

So look at the good side of things and have a fantastic time travelling wherever you may end up.

Happy Travel

I hope that this little post might have inspired you or at least got you think about travelling. I know it is a little light hearted, but that is what travel should be. Travel to me should be a little light hearted and little fun. Giving you a story to share with friends and family. Why not scroll down and find the comments section below and leave a little comment sharing what you dream is.

It was somewhere around 9.30 pm local time in Vancouver, and I was sitting in my first hotel on my first every overseas trip. Some thoughts were running through my head, but the main one, “What am I doing here?” I was almost 12,000 km from home, and if someone had offered for me to be back at home right then, I would have taken it. But I am getting ahead of myself, let me share the story with you.

A Long Day Travelling

The morning seemed rushed, being up early to meet the suggested arrival time at the airport. Passing through check-in and customs did not seem bad at all and then just the sitting and waiting to board the plane. There was a delay due to a technical fault, but soon we were under way for the 13-hour flight to Los Angeles.

With an uneventful flight arriving on time in Los Angeles and a relatively easy immigration process, I had some eight hours to spare. Having done some research, I planned to spend the majority of this in the airline lounge for my onboard flight.

Passport, Where Did I Put That

Finding the airport lounge turned out to be a little more difficult. It is never a good thing opening random doors in an airport, that is how alarms sound. Unlike some of the lounges in airports that are rather well signed, I could not spot any signs that stood out. It turned out this nondescript wooden door with a tiny plaque next to it was the door I wanted. Of course, it took asking for directions to come to this conclusion.

I thought nothing of what they may want to see when I entered the door; I just had my money ready. But the first question turned out to be unexpected and triggered a little panic. It went like this,

Clerk: “Do you have your boarding pass?”

Me: Why yes I only got that 30 minutes ago. But umm where did I put it?

Clerk: No problem I can reprint it what is your flight.

Me: No I need to find my copy because my passport is with it.

At this point, I was rifling through my passport wallet, backpack, carry-on bag, and jacket pockets. But no dice. I started running through my minute by minute moves over the past 30 minutes.

30 minutes ago: At the check-in counter with passport and boarding pass handed to me.

25 minutes ago: Passing through security with the passport for id and boarding pass to proof I was flying.

20 minutes ago: Went to the bathroom and placed passport and boarding pass on toilet roll holder….

…My heart skipped a beat and was racing a little at that thought. I had been on the ground in a foreign country for less than an hour and left my passport WHERE.

6 Hours In An Airport Lounge

A split second later my hand went to my waist and felt the newly familiar shape of the money belt there. Not jus the money belt but the familiar squarish shape of my passport. I am sure you can imagine the relief that washed over me at that moment. Of course, the boarding pass was right there with it, and soon I was able to relax just a little.

The next six hours passed I believe in much more comfort than if I had to spend it in the general lounge area. There was access to food and drink, plenty of seating, much fewer people and some freedom to move around. That is without a need to purchase supplies and camp out in one spot just to have a seat to sit on. Plus the added benefit that taking a nap was possible with a much-decreased risk of things going missing.

While the airport lounge was an excellent choice in this situation. The experience was far from perfect; the wifi did not work, the seating was just comfortable but not entirely practical. But I am still rather more happy with the experience over spending that much time in the general airport area.

Looking back now given the choice of a stop over like this or an overnight stay. I would and have chosen the overnight stay on multiple occasions. When you consider the difference in price between an airport lounge ($50) and a hotel ($100) to me the hotel is an easy choice. It is not about efficiency, but more about a comfortable experience and not wasting countless hours sitting around an airport.

Onto Vancouver

Eventually, the time came to collect my things and head towards the boarding gate. Compared to the last flight this was a nice short 2-hour 30-minute flight. The departure was on time, it was a smooth flight, and soon enough we were arriving in Vancouver.

I had collected my bag and on the way to Immigration. Everything was looking good for me to make the hotel transfer bus. The last one would be leaving in 25 minutes. There seemed to be a few more questions than Immigration in The USA but no problem. He marked my card and sent me on through the gate.

But it seems that was not the end of the process for me on this evening. At the last check before entering Canada, I was directed to more detailed questioning and baggage inspection. As I was standing in the line, I checked my watch and realised I would not be making the hotel transfer bus.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, the search ends up not taking more than 20 minutes. The officer sped up the process as soon as she realised I was much more tourist than anything else. I had all the papers for hotels and onward flights. The only thing I can think that triggered the search is being a young male travelling alone and the first time I had used my passport.

Getting To The Hotel

Soon I confirmed I had missed the hotel transfer bus, so I had to look at the options. Which came down to Taxi or train. The taxi would be the most direct, but I suspected would be rather costly. The train would find me around 1.3 km from my hotel.

I chose the train, and even though I don’t mind walking and exploring a city, this is not how I like to do so. By the time I got into the city and stepped out of the station, it was a few minutes before 9 pm. It was dark, there were a lot of people around, and here I was dragging a suitcase with a big tourist look to me. I tried to make it look I knew where I was going and end up heading the wrong direction.

But soon enough I checked the map, realised my mistake and was onto the right direction. Once I arrived at the hotel some 20 minutes later the check in was thankfully quick and painless. Which of course leaves me sitting on the bed at 9.30 p.m., wondering what it is I am doing here.

27 Hours Travelling

I had been travelling for some 27 hours on planes, in airports, a train and walking. Now I am sitting here wondering why on Earth I put myself through this. Right at that moment given a choice, I would have chosen to head directly back home.

But of course, that is not a practical option when you have another 40+ days of travel booked and paid ahead of you. Especially when the only way to get back home is to put yourself through all of that again. Being on the other side of the world away from everything familiar is a confronting experience. Especially when it is the first time you have taken that step.

But life must go on; I could have sat there all night questioning what and why I am here. That honestly gets things nowhere. So I did the only thing I could do, I got up and walked myself out to find dinner. By this stage, I was rather hungry. On the way back from dinner I stopped at a Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a chance to connect to the internet and contact home. Before heading back to the hotel to get some much-needed sleep.

Waking Up To A Brand New Day

The next morning I woke up, got dressed, had breakfast and headed out to explore the city. It seems the sleep had helped to push away the feelings I had from sitting on the bed the evening before.

I figured I was here I might as well get used to it and make the most of the time I have in Vancouver. The more I explored, the more I found that my choice to travel was an excellent choice. It just comes down entirely to your perspective on individual situations at a given point in time.

The previous evening my feelings, point of view and perspective was very much guided by some factors. There was a lack of sleep, a change of plans, an unexpected situation and trying to recover the situation. But in the light of a new day, these are not problems, they can be overcome, and they do provide a valuable learning experience.

Situations May Be Bad, Travel Is Not

I am very glad that I gauge my experience by all the good things that have come from travel. Even more happy that there was not a choice or option to turn and run home on that first night. There are so many experiences that I would never have had the chance to experience. So many friends that I would never have met.

I would never have been able to visit some 35 countries. The vast range of experiences that come from visiting so many countries is invaluable. It very much leaves you a different person than before you left your home country.

I would never have been able to cross two of the world’s great oceans by cruise ship. First, it was the Pacific Ocean, visiting many little island nations. Followed closely by the Atlantic Ocean spending some eight days on the ocean without sight of land.

Everyday Is A First When Travel

Of course, these are the bigger achievements; there are small things every day that you travel. The first time that I purposefully visited a church to see the building for its beauty. That first time I walked on ground that is over 1900m above sea level. The first time I faced a language barrier.

There are just so many different things every day that you travel that you experience for the first time. You just do not even realise half of them when you are there doing it. But now trying to think back to share a list, they just do not even seem that important or significant.

Travel Is A Great Adventure

So I hope that while I might have given you something to be concerned about with travel. I very much hope that you can see the positive side of travel now, even though there can be a downside as well.

Of course, there might be situations that are bad or days that seem like the worst thing you have ever experienced. But at the same time, these are the times that build who you are as a person. They test you and try to break you, but when you come though to the other side. You realise that maybe it was not so bad after all.

Go out there and travel, dream of something different, explore the world and discover yourself for the firs time.

It is not always easy dealing with long distance travel. With the idea of sleeping on planes and the uncanny ability of no actual optimal time for a flight to arrive and depart. Many people end up dealing with the one outcome of experiencing jet lag.

Jet lag is encountered when flying either east-west or west-east crossing multiple time zones. It is the result of your bodies circadian rhythm being out of alignment with the actual time zone you are in currently. For example flying from New York to London, put’s you off by around five hours.

Some people seem to be able to adjust very rapidly and exhibit minimal detrimental effects. However, many people will likely take a couple of days to adapt to the new time zone their body is in.

I believe that there are some ways you can avoid or minimise the impact of jet lag. However, before continuing, please understand that I am not a doctor or health care professional. I am purely relaying some ideas that have worked for me. It is important that you consider your situation and discuss it with professional if needed.

Consider A Stop-Over

Sometimes when you are going to be travelling long distances, you might find yourself crossing many time zones. Such as travelling from Brisbane to London there is a 10 hour time difference.

If you can split the number of time zones, you change over multiple travels days can help. So for example, if you were to make a stop in Dubai on the way to London. Making this stop gives you a chance to stage your body changing time zones, instead of moving it a whole 10 hours all at once. You first change it by six hours to be at the same time as Dubai. Followed by a four-hour change the following day to match London.

A stop over such as this can be an excellent option for people who have trouble sleeping on a plane. It allows for sufficient rest during the travel, as opposed to one long travel period.

Depending on your intended plans you can even make this stopover multiple days. It can give you the option to explore a country you might not have otherwise visited.

Sleep Your Normal Times

One of the most effective ways I have avoided jet lag is to only sleep on my regular times. But I am not suggesting that you sleep every 16 hours. What I mean is that some days when travelling I might be awake for closer to 30+ hours.

Let’s consider if I was travelling from Australia to America. The flights I have taken often leave around 10-11am local time in Brisbane. With the flights arriving in Los Angeles around 6-7am local time. Ideally, if you were going to sleep on the flight a few hours towards the end would be best.

However, this poses problems for those who cannot sleep on planes. By the time you arrive in Los Angeles, you are likely pretty tired. I know at this point in the trip I am like already near to 16 or 17 hours awake. But I do what I need to push through and not look at going to bed until at least 8 or 9 pm that evening.

Obviously, if you are taking this approach, there are some considerations to make. Being awake for this amount of time is not recommended, but I have found it to be possible when needed. Additionally, under these circumstances, I would not even consider driving any vehicle.

But most importantly I let my body decide how much sleep it needs that first night. I do not set any alarms or make any engagements on the first day after arriving.

Sometimes You Just Cannot Avoid Jet Lag

Even with putting things into place, for some of us, the ability to avoid jet lag is just not possible. The only option may be to accept it and build a couple of days recovery into your travel plans.