Travel More!
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Every year, my husband and I told ourselves we were going to travel more. We went to Costco to ask about travel packages. We browsed through all the beautiful destinations. We visited websites and talked about our preferences. The excitement of a new adventure would keep me up at night, as I imagined every possible place we could visit. I felt like a kid dreaming of her first trip to Disney World. However, every year, we found ourselves committing time to other projects. Every year, we found ourselves on a trip planned from a point of pure exhaustion and not the fun adventure we had in mind. What were we doing wrong? My husband and I considered every possible reason we’d been failing in our goal. We soon discovered that, as we began planning our trips, we were missing two important ingredients: commitment and priority. It was easy to talk about where we wanted to go, but we needed to make a commitment and prioritize these goals in our relationship. The first step was figuring out what we wanted and committing to it. We agreed on planning a few small mini-getaways and one nice vacation to one of our dream destinations. The next step was scheduling it in our calendar before it booked up with other events or tasks. The second step was figuring out how to make it happen – the planning process. We looked at our budget and made a few financial adjustments so we could add more money into our vacation savings account. Together, we began to look for great deals online until we found one that fit our budget. We booked it right away. We discovered that many travel packages, if booked in advance, will allow you to make payments towards your vacation instead of paying it all upfront in one lump sum. I’ve found that these few adjustments allowed my husband and I to put ourselves first. They allowed us to evaluate our priorities and realize what our needs are as a couple. By committing and prioritizing this shared goal, we’re able to invest in ourselves and get the greatest return - quality time together, creating wonderful memories. I am so excited to begin tackling these new adventures and experiences with my husband. Not only for the adventures themselves, but because it is the best legacy I can leave my children.