By Rachael Funk
Travel anxiety is very real. When you're investing your precious time and hard-earned money into a trip, you wanna make sure it's going to be spectacular. While nobody can predict the future, here are a few ways to tell if the choice you're making is the right one!
You've evaluated your motivation for the trip
What's the purpose for the trip? Do you want to spend the week relaxing at the beach? Get your photo taken while hanging upside down, kissing the Blarney Stone? Are you visiting family in another country? People have tons of great reasons to travel. For a truly satisfying trip, do some soul-searching and suss out what your #1 most compelling goal is for the trip and... go do it!
It doesn't conflict with your travel style
The saying “old habits die hard” is especially true while abroad. Though it's absolutely true that travel is transformative and life-changing, these things usually happen at least a few days after check-in.
Don't pressure yourself into situations you don't enjoy, imagining that they will somehow force you to become a heightened version of yourself while you're away. That's just a recipe for misery. Do a little research and take it easy on yourself. Need air-conditioning? Double check that your accommodations offer it. If you hate stair-climbing at the gym, consider that carefully before you book Greece. If you want to avoid a language barrier, Ireland or Scotland could be the right place for you. Being honest with yourself about what makes you comfortable at home will help identify the things that will keep you happy abroad.
It interests you
All this is not to say you shouldn't expand your horizons - quite the opposite! Once you've laid the groundwork for a home base that matches your travel style and meets your personal needs, you can abandon yourself to the the business of exploration!
What have you heard about this destination? Does it make your heart race? Have you been talking endlessly about it to all your friends? Is your Instagram feed suddenly full of photos of this destination because you've been following every hashtag related to this place? Yeah, you picked the right place.
You're traveling!
Listen, we know we like to wax poetic about all the reasons why traveling rocks, but that’s because the list is virtually endless! If your fear of choosing the wrong destination is causing you to put off the trip, just pick a place and go, man! By its very definition, travel is just as much about the journey as it is the destination.
More likely than not, your vacation will be exquisitely shaped by the people you meet and the memories you create, not solely by the place it happens. If you want to go and boldly explore the world, connect with its inhabitants, indulge in its joys, and soak up the knowledge it holds, any destination can be the right destination. All it’s missing is you!
