How NOT to plan your trip

Hi Everyone,

Planning a trip can be very stressful.

Where do you start?

What do you do first?

Will everything work out?

You're probably in the middle of planning your trip right now, and I'm sure the immense amount of information you are coming across is leaving you scratching your head, wondering what to do next, or just plain ole' confused.

A recent study showed that people spend over 42 hours planning for a week-long trip.

Most people will look at up to 20 websites while researching their trip. A typical person spends over 40 hours planning before they even book anything!

20 WEBSITES! 40 HOURS!

Information is power, but in our information-overload society, we can quickly get overwhelmed. 

It doesn't matter how long you are going away for. Two weeks, two months, two years — we all are trying to devour too much information.

Today, I want to put it all in perspective.

Today, I want you to just breathe and relax.

I understand the anxiety you feel — because you want to make sure everything goes right.

I, too, was overwhelmed when planning my first trip. I had every guidebook under the sun in my room. I had spreadsheets. I had maps. I was constantly worried about having "the perfect trip." Who doesn't want their trip of a lifetime to be perfect and life-changing?

I spent more time planning the perfect trip than I did anything else.

And it was a giant waste of time.

The more you plan your trip, the more anxious you will be. You're going to overwhelm yourself with so much information that you're going to do nothing but stress instead of looking forward to your adventure.

I can say from vast experience that your plans will change anyway.

Someone will tell you about a new destination, and you'll race off there instead of going to Amsterdam.

You'll wander the streets and into unfamiliar restaurants.

You'll meet a group of people who will convince you to stay on that tropical island just a little longer.

Plans change, so don't go overboard making a schedule. Have a general idea of what direction you want to go — plan your first few stops and then just let the wind take you.

Don't make a lengthy plan.

You won't follow it anyway.

First itinerary through Europe should look like this:

Oslo >> Prague >> Milan >> Cinque Terre >> Florence >> Rome >> lots of Italy >> Naples >> Corfu >> Metorea >> Athens >> Greek Islands >> Sparta >> Athens

So breathe. Relax. Buy a book to pick up some general knowledge on how to travel and prepare for your trip. Read a guidebook on your destination and get a good idea about where you're going. Do your research. Create a checklist for before your departure. Develop a general list of things to do and then revisit it when you're on the plane ride over.

But don't let trip planning consume you.

------> Here is a printable planning checklist to help you get organized. Print it out, go down the checklist, and spend less time worrying and more time enjoying the pre-trip process!

Take it from someone who has been there. Everything will work itself out and, in the end, you'll wonder why you stressed out so much in the beginning.

Thanks,
Ashish Baweja (@thatfashionisttraveller)