Making Travel Dreams Reality- 7 Steps to Stop Dreaming and Start Packing

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When I created this blog, my goal was to inspire others to travel, encourage people to live out their travel dreams. It was my hope, that by sharing my experiences and photos that people would be intrigued, excited and set out to visit these places for themselves.

I get many comments from readers saying how much they would love to visit _________ one day, and how I give them so many places to dream about.

It got me thinking…why does it have to be a dream? Why just dream about these places when you could go visit them?

I am glad I have been able to spark an interest in people, which is what it takes to first get travelling. However, unless people actually get out there and go and visit the places they’ve been dreaming about, then I’ve only accomplished half my goal.

I know there are barriers to travel, money and time being two of the biggest. Yet, I firmly believe that those barriers can be overcome, but only if you really want to overcome them.

Priorities and Choices

I believe if something really is a priority, or of value to someone, they will make it happen, no matter what it takes. Travel is no different.

I value travel, therefore I make it a priority. I choose to have experiences rather than have “stuff”. Since travel is of such importance to me, it doesn’t seem expensive or inconvenient. The rewards I get from travel, the joy and happiness it brings me, far outweighs the challenges. Buying new shoes on the other hand, is something I consider a hassle and too expensive, but that’s because I don’t get satisfaction from things like that.

If you don’t value travel, it will never be a priority. If travel is not a priority, it will always fall victim to “The Excuse”, being pushed aside, saved for “One Day”.

Take Action- Simple Ways to Get Started Travelling

Once you’ve decided to make travel a priority, the excuses will stop and you can create an action plan that will make your travel dreams become reality. Here are some ideas to help get you started travelling!

1.  Look for Inspiration– I get a lot of my travel inspiration from looking at photographs. I’ve discovered so many new places from looking at travel photos and made a lot of trips to places just because I saw a beautiful photograph! Creating a vision board on Pinterest is a great way to organize your travel inspiration and see what types of places you gravitate towards.

Reading travel blogs is also a great way to discover new places and get a first hand account of what visiting that place is really like. Many blogs, like this one, also include some helpful advice for planning your travels.

Friends and family can also be a source of travel inspiration. Ask them to share their thoughts on places they’ve been and places they hope to visit one day.

Once you’ve settled on a destination, do some preliminary research. Look into airfare and accommodation fees, as well as food prices. This will give you a rough idea of what the trip will cost so you can set a savings goal, which is the next step.

2.  Start Saving- Once you’ve decided that travel is important to you, it’s easier to save for it. All of a sudden, forgoing that expensive cup of coffee doesn’t seem like such a sacrifice.

Cutting your daily expenses can be a quick and easy way to save money for your travels. Simple ways to reduce expenses are eating out less often, walking/biking more and driving less (or carpooling), cutting back on expensive drinks whether it be coffee or alcohol, and renting movies instead of going to the movie theatre.

Once you’ve started cutting back on your expenses, you can put all that money you’ve been saving into a high interest bank account where your travel fund can continue to grow. While we were saving for our honeymoon, Mike and I actually collected all our spare change in a shoebox and were able to save over $800!

3.  Sign up for Rewards Programs- There are so many different rewards programs available, whether it be frequent flyer programs or credit cards that award you points redeemable for travel. Use these points programs to your advantage. By using a travel credit card for your daily purchases, you can accrue miles and points that can be cashed in for free flights and free hotel stays.

4.  Look for Deals- Sign up for travel newsletters so that you can have good deals delivered right to your inbox, saving you time searching the web. It’s also a good idea to follow airlines on social media because they often post deals or limited time sales to their accounts.

5.  Consult Professionals- If you find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of options available when it comes to travel, or just don’t have a lot of time to plan a trip, try using a travel agent. We’ve used them in the past for things we didn’t want to do ourselves, like arranging car rentals and flights. Plus, by using a travel agent, you have the peace of mind knowing that someone will be there to help you if things go wrong during your trip.

6.  Start Small and Stay Close- Travelling doesn’t have to mean going to some exotic location halfway across the world. It can be getting away for a weekend and exploring places close to home. You don’t have to wait until you have money for your dream vacation to start travelling. I think any trip is better than no trip! Mike and I really only take one big vacation a year, but we try to go on a few smaller, local getaways in between our big trips.

travelyesplease.com | Making Travel Dreams Reality- Seven Steps to Get You Travelling
Marble Canyon- British Columbia, Canada

7.  Use Your Vacation Time- It’s called vacation time for a reason…use it to go on a vacation!

While it’s great to dream, it’s even better to LIVE your dream. We hope you are able to use these tips to make your travel dreams become reality! Happy Travels!

If you’re ready to book your next adventure, check out the resources we use to make our travel arrangements!