Don’t Just “Share” Your Travel Plans, Live Them

Wanderlust is a great thing when it leads us to experiences that open our eyes, changes our perspective and brings us to places we could never imagine in our wildest dreams. It can also be just that: lust. It can start and end right there.

Sharing a video of an isolated natural wonder on Facebook or following an Instagram page of swimming pigs in the Bahamas (guilty!) alludes to the fact that there is an interest in visiting such places, but in reality, it doesn’t get us one step closer.

Don’t get me wrong, I think social media one of the best tools out there for sharing ideas, especially travel-related ones. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has started planning a vacation because of a particularly enticing YouTube video. That’s the beauty of being able to share media at such a rapid pace: it exposes people to places they previously didn’t even know existed. But when we “share” so many potential travel plans, it’s as if the reality of each of them diminishes in our minds. We couldn’t possibly see every one of these places, and on this budget? So we slip back into complacency, simply viewing these images on a screen, imagining that we get the gist of them anyway.

That’s the problem: “sharing” isn’t the same as doing. Tagging somebody in a post doesn’t mean you’re going there with them. Just because our friends see that we “like” something doesn’t mean that it’s on our calendar.

It is impossible to see everything, but why not start to try?

Yes, much travel requires a lot of planning and saving, but not all of it does. (Check out these cheap trip ideas.) And personally, I think that the planning and saving is exciting in and of itself. It builds anticipation and reminds you of the prize at the end of the road.

I urge you to make your next travel plans, and make them now. (Carpe diem, am I right?) And while you look great, let’s be honest, you’re not getting any younger! If you plan on traveling with anybody else, talk with them and see what destinations and dates are in the realm of possibility. From there, I suggest talking with a travel agent. I’ve planned my own trips in the past and prefer working with a travel agent because they bring the multiple components of travel (transportation, accommodations, excursions, etc.) together, take some weight off of your shoulders and allow you to pay in installments. Not only will taking these steps give you a clearer picture financially, but will make those dreams real.