Trip Planning. Yay!

Could it be?

In the past few days I came across an article saying that according to research, planning a trip brings more pleasure than the actual vacation itself. Apparently anticipation releases more endorphins than being on that beach, that mountain, that cruise ship. I sort of get it: you dream of sitting on a sun sundrenched beach with a mai-tai, but the reality also brings sand fleas, clouds, and crowds. Well, I’m going to put that information to a test.

I’m about to depart on a five-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. Alone. Mostly. It all started when a friend and former coworker informed me she was moving to Australia to be with the gentleman she has been traveling with the past few years. She asked if I had a list of the dates for countries we visited together on a cruise from Rome to Dubai. She needed the dates for her application for a permanent visa in Australia. Now THAT was an epic trip. And yes, I had all the dates in my diary. I sent the information, and jokingly said I was going to have to come visit. Yes, she replied, we do have a guest room. You should come. This was a short time after I lost my husband, and planning a trip was just the distraction I needed, so I took her up on her offer.

I quickly realized that if I was going to sit on a plane for 15 hours, I was going to make the most of it. I told another friend, an inveterate traveler, that I was planning to take three weeks and go to New Zealand also. She suggested three months! That wasn’t in the cards, so I compromised and expanded the trip to five and a half weeks. As I was working in Alaska most of the summer, I was doing my research and planning whenever I had a bit of free time. I also ended up revising my itinerary several times as I met some Kiwis here and there-a wine rep doing a tasting at our favorite hangout, three gentlemen on vacation in Denali, Alaska, a lady who also loves to travel.

So I’m heading to Australia, first to attend my friend’s wedding and celebrate with some of my former coworkers from Alaska. Then on to New Zealand. Planning has been a challenge: six flights, three trains, two rental cars, and a ferry! Not to mention hotels, motels, and vacation rentals. My mantra will be: Take a deep breath. Things will go wrong. Go with the flow and take advantage of the unplanned joys.

Oh, and the photo shows some books of Scotland and Ireland. That’s next. And then…Hungary, Austria and Germany?

Author: Billie Hyde

After retiring from a career in sales and marketing, I decided to do what I really love: Travel. Photography. But I like to write, too. Well, I really like to do a lot of things, and I'm sure they'll all show up at one time or another in my blog. Happy reading! View all posts by Billie Hyde