Heading into a new year, most people are making their New Year’s resolutions for 2015, and we’d like to suggest making a resolution to travel. Travel is healthy, it’s good for you, and can be an enriching and spiritually rewarding experience that will provide you with memories that will last a lifetime.
Committing to a vacation now, for all these reasons, will not only give you something to look forward to, but will give you enough time to plan appropriately and make sure all the details are covered to give you the vacation you want.
Here are our five New Year’s Resolutions for taking a vacation this year.
1. Leave Your Comfort Zone
Vacations can be relaxing and comfortable, but one major reason to take a vacation is to invigorate yourself for the rest of the year. Choosing a destination where you can do something new or unfamiliar can be challenging in a way that’s energizing.
Pick somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but have never been able to. Don’t be afraid of any challenges it may pose; you can learn something about both the world and yourself by immersing yourself in a new surrounding.
2. Make—and Stick to—a Realistic Budget
This is one of the most important reasons to start planning your vacation right away. By establishing an amount of money you’re willing to spend, you can begin setting parameters on your vacation and start saving up for one now. You’ll probably get better deals on travel by booking earlier, and in addition, saving now means you won’t be shocked by the costs when they come due.
Of course, it’s important to be realistic, both in terms of what you can afford and what various expenditures will actually cost. But this preparation, done well, will allow you to have one area of your vacation covered and one fewer source of stress.
3. Commit to Unplugging While Away
One major reason people fail to get the most out of their vacations is that they don’t completely commit: They keep a foot tethered in their workaday lives, checking for e-mails, calls, and any work assignments that might come up in the meantime. According to TripAdvisor, 77% of American vacationers worked on vacation in 2013.
To get the most out of your vacation, and to avoid burnout and guilt, stay disconnected. Make it clear to your bosses and colleagues well in advance that this will be the case, too, so they know what to expect.
4. Support the Local Economy Wherever You Go
This resolution makes sense for two reasons: It not only supports the culture and region you are visiting, whose existence has made your travel possible, but it’s also the best way for you to have the most unique experience you can on that vacation. You’ll get a lot more out of a vacation, and learn a lot more out of local customs, if you visit local restaurants and markets and buy souvenirs from local artisans and craftsmen. Look for local inns and mom-and-pop type places to stay and spend your money, as well.
5. Choose the Right Travel Companions
What makes for a good friend or partner doesn’t necessarily make for a travel companion. To get the most out of your vacation, it’s important to travel with people who have similar goals and expectations as you, and are of a similar mindset and budget. Communicate well with the people you intend to travel with, at every point of the process, to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Finding the people in your life who make the right vacation partners for you is a process, and like most processes, the sooner you start it, the sooner you’ll finish it.
For help with all of these points, and more, contact AffordableTours.com and allow their expert travel partners to help you plan your vacation from start to finish.