9 Steps to Getting There: Part 1

About a year ago I was just days away from embarking on my first self-sponsored adventure overseas. Naturally, I had a bit of a reflective/OMG moment – How did I even get here? I thought about all the planning and learning that I did to arrive at the cusp of this thing that I had dreamed about for so long. I was finally about to be there.

In this 3 part series, want to share the basic steps I took to get to my “there”. Notice I didn’t title this post “9 EASY Steps”…some of these are not easy at all. Some may take months of planning and saving, require sacrifice and powers of persuasion, or even tempt you to say “Screw it! It just ain’t happening” - but if you can push through, you just might get to your “there” and trust me, it’ll be worth it.

Step 1: What’s your motivation?

The desire to jet off to a faraway land may stem from any number of motivators. Maybe you watched a documentary about Fiji and became inspired to go see it for yourself. Or your cousin kept going on and on at Thanksgiving about his month in Belize and now you just have to top it before the next family gathering. Maybe the neighbor down the street is constantly out of town, working all over the world, while you sit in your cube wishing you could do the same. Or maybe you’re creating a bucket list and exploring Sydney is at the top of it.

Determining your motivation is key. If you’re motivated by jealousy or general malcontent, you may want to ask yourself what you’re really looking for. It’s a good idea to lay a positive foundation for your journey – you want your experience to be about fulfilling your dreams, not one-upping the Jones’. Besides, who needs the bad karma?

Step 2: Where is there?

You may already know where you want to go because you’ve always wanted to go there. Or you may know what country or region, but not have an idea about specifics. In either case, there are details to consider. This is the beginning of the research part that will both excite and drain you. 

If you’re not sure where to go exactly, just ask yourself this question: Beach, city, or countryside? If you want all three, there are places that cover them all in the span of 10 miles or so, but generally this will help you narrow it down. Also there are plenty of “Top 10 Places to Visit”- type articles out there for ideas. 

More realistically, you’ve already envisioned yourself in your dream destination. Learn as much as you can and take notes about the neighborhoods, the attractions, the transportation system, and the culture of the people. Brush up on the language a bit – it’ll be worth the effort.

Step 3: Who’s coming?

Once you’re good and passionate about your mecca, it’s time to scout out a travel partner. Though you can go it alone, I do recommend taking a friend if this is your first time out of the country. Put the word out, but don’t get too excited if a lot of people appear to be fired up at the idea of foreign travel. Once you get down to the nitty-gritty of budgeting and planning, many simply won’t be able to commit. But all you need is one for the sake of hope! When you find that one, be sure to stay open and flexible to your friend’s travel dreams as well – remember: two heads are better than one and two adventurers have more fun. And yes…I realize that was a bit corny!

[Next up: Planning your trip – starting with the budget.]