I would argue that there is rarely, if ever, a perfect time to travel. As adults we will always have responsibilities, families, bills, a job and some of these have to take priority. In my line of work though, I have quickly learned that tomorrow is not always promised, and I don’t live for my job. If you have a Pinterest board full of a destination, hundreds of Instagram reels, you search flights regularly to your dream destination but keep putting it off. I encourage you to revisit that planning for 2027.
The more I’ve forced myself out of my comfort zone, the more I’ve questioned whether we postpone adventures, because the timing truly isn’t right, or are we just looking for a perfect moment that may never come? I think some common reasons we postpone trips is looking for that perfect time, the perfect travel buddy, fear, or finances.
Looking for that perfect time is going to make travel hard, maybe perfect season, perfect adventure, or activity to plan around but life isn’t slowing down. Travel has to start being something that we plan, and plan life around if you are wanting to get the experience. I am just as bad at this. I have been so blessed to go to the places I have, but I tend to keep putting off my dream trips, Italy, Norway, and Antarctica. And when I look at why, Antarctica is the only one that some of these excuses are reasonable for.
Looking for a perfect travel buddy? They don’t exist. I have come to find my favorite person to travel with, still by the end of the trip we are excited to not have to share a room anymore. Different budgets, schedules, personalities, dream destinations may also all differ making finding a good travel buddy difficult. Sometimes, the best travel buddy is yourself. This allows you to plan a dream trip around what you actually want to do without taking others into consideration. In doing this, it also allows you to meet friends and connections all around the world. Traveling solo is wonderful, allowing you to not miss out on dreams waiting for others, but it does take time to feel comfortable doing. So start out small, you can start with small vacations within the states to get more confident.
Maybe fear, and uncertainty is holding you back. Navigating a different culture, language, and transportation system is and can be super overwhelming. But no amount of planning will prevent every bump in the road. If you plan your trip out and have done enough research beforehand you will make it through. Ask for directions, learn to use a translator app, maybe you will bump into someone that becomes a lifelong friend while you are navigating confusion. That confusion in the subway across the world will either become a great story, or a forgotten memory compared to all the amazing things travel will open your world to.
I know for many finances make travel hard, and I would be lying to say if that isn’t the reason holding me back on my dream trips as well. Travel is not the cheapest activity, but there are ways to make it cheaper. Flagging flights to a dream destination and purchasing when they are at low cost, making your vacation in the next state, road trips, setting small amounts aside instead of a coffee every day (yes that $8-10 Starbucks order adds up in a month) to go towards a flight. Find ways to make adventure cheap that way you are rewiring your brain, and not living to work.
What if someday never comes? I would not be who I am today if it wasn’t for travel, and I would argue this year alone I have personally grown more than any other year all thanks to travel. I am not saying abandon your responsibilities to chase every adventure, but I also don’t think our dreams should live on a “someday” list.
So how do you turn that someday into a plan? Choose your top destination you’ve been putting off. Is it a National Park, Boston, Scotland, Bali, Turkey? Choose one and stick to it. Now self-reflect and be honest about why you have been putting it off. Are you waiting for that perfect travel buddy that doesn’t exist, or are finances actually tight? With that in the forefront set a realistic travel time. If finances is the main concern, plan that trip 2 years from now, but write it down on a calendar. Start preparing, you don’t have to book the trip today, but request the time off. Set aside that $56 you saved from making your own coffee towards flights. As soon as you are notified about a cheap flight option, book the dang thing. You can plan, and book trips slowly and over time. This trip won’t magically happen unless you put the time in, face your fears, and make it happen.
So, when planning a dream adventure, remember it’s about experiences, growth, and opportunity. It doesn’t have to be a big trip, but you do have to say yes to the adventure. There will always be a reason to wait, and sometimes waiting is the correct thing to do. But don’t keep on waiting for the perfect time, or someone to go with, when you could be missing out on the perfect adventure that changes who you are to your core. With that, I will be making steps towards making Italy a reality, rather than a “someday”.
What have you been putting off, and to be honest, why?
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