Ahhh the dreaded Monday morning has arrived! As your colleagues race to grab their morning cup of coffee in hopes, it gives them superpowers to deal with the upcoming stressful week, and they notice your grin. What’s up with you, they ask?
Your desk is plagued with piles of paperwork, and you’re feeling pressure from tight client deadlines as well, but this past weekend you gave yourself the ultimate superpower.
While reviewing some of your vacation ideas you noticed a deal that was too good to pass up. You ended up booking a vacation!
With the knowledge that in a few weeks, your toes will be covered in sand with a pina colada in hand, your attitude has changed.
How To Maximize Your Next Vacation?
Since scientific studies have proven the benefits vacations have on our mental and physical well-being, I began to wonder…. Is there a possibility to prolong those benefits?
In other words, can we replicate the emotions we felt knowing a vacation was in our future after our vacation had ended?
This past weekend I arrived at my conclusion – the answer was yes! Photographs are our return ticket to a moment frozen in time.
And until they invent the time machine, we are going to have to settle for second best.
How did I arrive at my conclusion? Well, I’ll sum it up for you. I had a stressful week; I’ll spare you the details, and decided I needed an escape, so I began reviewing pictures of my last few vacations.
The Result Of Seeing Pictures From Past Vacations
My mood was immediately lifted as I was transported back in time, and soon my worries didn’t seem so overwhelming.
Further, I began to recognize the reason people use their work desk and cubicles for displaying their photos. It brings them happiness and reminds them of what’s truly important.
Vacations can be really amazing, memory-making occasions. Since most of us already document them with pictures, maybe it’s time to begin displaying those memories more prominently throughout our homes.
Imagine sipping on your morning coffee while catching a glimpse of a fantastic sunset in another place of the world you had the privilege to capture during one of your last vacations. Suddenly, you recall how insignificant you felt as you watch the sun, a star located almost 93 million miles away make the grandest exit you would ever witness.
Photographs allow you to hit the replay button and start your day on a happier note.
Should you wait for the perfect time to plan your next family vacation?
Life is full of unexpected circumstances, so plan accordingly. Several years ago our family received horrific news when we lost one of our family members in a tragic accident.
We found a degree of comfort that a few months before his untimely death his four brothers planned a surprise visit to see him. Those photos are now beyond priceless.
Here’s a sad reality some people wait until they retire to enjoy traveling only to find out they are now limited by their energy or health. Or worse, they have lost their beloved partner or friend to an untimely death, and they now regret not enjoying life to the fullest years ago.
So, let me help you out by telling you to begin planning now. Listen, a wish without a plan is just a dream. Don’t dream – plan!
# 1 Write Down Your Vacation Ideas
Make a list of several destinations you would like to visit. Try to include vacation ideas in different climates, length of travel, and that range in price points.
It may seem to be the easiest and most exciting part of the process, but nonetheless, it needs to be done.
It will help you answer the following questions:
- What’s the budget?
- Do you fly, or can you drive?
- Length of the vacation?
Why not begin by exploring your state of residence as a tourist?
# 2 Create a Budget
Here’s the beauty of planning and budgeting before taking a trip. Saving for a future vacation can provide your family with a goal everyone can work on together.
In an attempt to make vacationing more of a priority, we decided to include a monthly budget for future trips. Some financial advisers have even encouraged naming your bank accounts. For example, if Italy were your next destination, you would call your bank account Italy.
This will force you to appreciate that if you make it a habit to dip into your Italy fund, you run the risk of never taking that trip!
The reason most people don’t plan this way is they want the instant gratification. Enjoy now and worry later. That’s a sure way to keep recalling your vacation…bills. There is no joy in paying for a vacation months after it is over. No, thanks!
# 3 Seek and Find Vacation Deals
As your funds grow to the desire budgeted amount keep on the lookout for travel deals. If you find that you need a weekend getaway book that instead for the time being.
Hey, it’s your life, and if you feel you’re at your breaking point, it’s time to get some relief. There is a reason why I had you outline a few vacation ideas as this will allow you flexibility and keep things exciting.
When researching future vacation destinations, it’s helpful to review the information provided by local people.
As an example, my colleague runs a niche blog covering every aspect of Amsterdam, which can be found here, the best places to eat, budget travel tips, and so on.
# 4 Enjoy Your Reward
You have taken the right steps and paid for the trip before you get to this part. So, while on vacation, enjoy every minute of it! Take it all in.
# 5 Take Pictures
Trust me on this, take meaningful pictures. Take a few moments to pull your car over and photograph the sunset with the beautiful view.
Okay, I’m a bit of a photography critic, so I’ve created a few free lessons to help you capture incredible images using your smartphone.
Is there anything else you can do to enhance your enjoyment of vacations? Yes, take more of them and use the photographs to take you back in time until your next adventure. Now, let’s put into practice what you have learned.
Review some of your photos from one of your trips and print one or two photographs to re-live some of those moments.
Next, begin collecting your vacation ideas and destinations on a Pinterest Board and share this post with several friends you may want to invite on your vacation.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, you are now motivated to implement a few of these vacation ideas. If so, let us know where your next trip is taking you? If you need help creating a gallery wall with some of your favorite photos please read, How To Create a Family Gallery Wall.
By the way, it’s bad manners to keep a vacation waiting, so get to planning. Who knows, you maybe even inspired to create a family gallery wall with your next vacation photos.
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