Surprise, surprise. This is what my dining room table looks like lately. I know it’s only February, but I’m busy plotting out our spring and summer trips. I study maps, calculate driving distances, check airfare prices, and I love every minute of it. Almost.
While it’s true that I’m a bit of travel nerd, I’m also a bit indecisive. I think it’s hereditary (but I’m not pointing my finger in any specific direction). Some trips I decide on quickly and never waiver. Then there is the rest of them. For example, my spring break is five weeks away and I still haven’t set my travel plans in stone. I was actually starting to feel successful today, because I narrowed it down to three trips. And they’re all in the same general region of the United States. I’m making progress, for sure.
So how do I finally narrow down my choices and eventually pick the final destination? While it may be less complicated-but not nearly as much fun-to just throw a dart at the map, there are some other ways I make these important family vacation decisions.
I check my bank accounts.
That automatically eliminates about half of my options. See that was easy. All kidding aside, I do have a travel budget. I plan one big trip a year, and then all the other trips have to stay within a very small budget. Since my travel wishes are generally bigger than my salary, I find that I often need this budgetary reality check. But just in case, I go check my mailbox to make sure that I didn’t get any new checks in the mail from the travel fairy.
I include my child in the process.
I try to include my son in the planning discussion. I sit him down next to me and begin pulling up sites on the internet to show him pictures of the places in the final running. But I’m a little wary of having him help with the decision making. I mean, if I let him make all the choices around here, we would be up ’til midnight watching Spongebob every night. So why would an eight-year-old be helpful in making the choice between the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe? Saguaro National Park and Petrified National Forest? But I show him pictures anyway. He humors his increasingly flustered mami and takes a look at some photos of the Grand Canyon. Then he says, “cool” and “there is nothing else to do there but look at it”. Ahem. Some trip planning sessions with my son are more fruitful than others.
I consult the guidebook gods.
I like to make an informed decision. The problem with this approach is that it can be very time consuming. I spend hours poring over guidebooks and clicking away on my laptop. Then I get mad at myself because, after hours of doing this, I am often not any closer to making a decision. What does often happen, is that I just come away from all of my research with even more trip ideas. Oy.
I throw a dart at the map.
No, not really. I told you earlier that would be very uncomplicated, so therefore very unlike me. What does happen, somewhere between hour seven and eight of a trip planning session, is that I have my moment of clarity. I realize that the answer has been there all along. And also that it’s about the journey not the destination. But mostly, I realize that this will not be the last trip I take (not if I can help it) so I need to just throw that dart on the map and go.
You are way more organizing and decisive than me.
I love the travel budget idea. I just wish I can stick to it.
I also love the travel planning part as well. It’s so much fun trying to read up all the information about different locations. Can’t wait to hear about your spring break trip!
Although we’ve already picked our spring break destination, there’s still the planning of what we’ll do once we get there! I love your process — mine is fairly similar.
I would add that I check out blogs with posts on the places I want to visit & try to see if anyone I know has been there before. I’m discovering that with kids I seem to prefer trips that include local hot spots versus more touristy sites (although you can’t miss those either). Can’t wait to hear about your adventures in Arizona!
I like all of your options! Personally I would go Grand Canyon and Santa Fe because both are high on my to do list! We went to Sagauro last year (I posted on it. If you click on Arizona in my label cloud you will find it) We are going to AZ at the end of March. Mostly for Spring Training but I am sure we will do some outside stuff in the Phoenix area too. My problem is not indecisivess but trying to pack too many trips into one year. I have too many ideas and can’t do them all. I think I just need to be on vacation full time. LOL.
PS- I laughed at your “possibly related stories”. I love how random those can be.
@Sharlene I don’t get the possibly related stories, one thing I don’t like about wordress.com
And I also suffer from too much of a good thing, hence the indecision. You gotta pick one trip over the other.
Going to check out your Tucson blog posts. Thanks.
Last time I asked Noelle, she said Paris (well, sure, she’s a little brainwashed). So yes, I agree with #2… involve the kids!
Lorraine, Well if they suggest Paris, then by all means #2 tip is very useful.
so where did the dart land?
PS: unrelated to this post but i’ll tell you: i was watching Celebrity Jeopardy (in passing, not on purpose, of course) and the question was something along the lines of you can ride this or something something at Balboa Park. Immediately, a post of yours came to mind and I blurted out trains or San Diego or something like that, and sure enough, I was right. And that tidbit, I remember from a post of yours? See? I coulda won the big bucks on Jeopardy bc of you!
I thought it landed in Arizona, but now on reflection it may land in Utah. Chances are it may land a few more places still.
I’m just so useful and informative, I bet all Jeopardy champs read me.
I love the idea of asking your child and including them in the process. It makes so much sense, but I can see how in the midst of planning a trip in the middle of the rest of life, it’s easy to forget.
I’m also impressed by how organized you are. You say you’re indecisive, but seems to me you’ve got it all covered. We tend to leave a lot to the last minute, and then basically make a random choice from the list of things we want to do. It works for us, but i still aspire to be a bit more of a planner.