How to Plan Your First Dream Vacation

Have you ever said, “One day I will go to (insert dream vacation location)!”, and you never go? Well this travel blog is about turning that dream vacation into a reality. You don’t want to get to the end of your life and regret never going. Our time here is limited, so why not make the best of it and make it happen! 

I didn’t really start traveling until 2018 and I wish I would have sooner. The reason I didn’t start sooner was because I didn’t know how to travel and I was intimidated by it. My first two international trips were to Guatemala back in 2006 and 2015, but my parents planned all of it because that’s where they are from. I kept trying to convince my friends and family to go somewhere new but there was always an excuse, such as they don’t have the money or time. I had dreams of going to all of these different places but traveling seemed like a giant mountain to climb, so it always stayed on the back burner.

Planning Your Trip

One day I finally decided to do something about it, so I built up the courage to try. I decided to do a test run by planning a little trip to California. I started off by doing a lot of research on flight deals, packing, lodging, agenda planning and transportation. At times it felt overwhelming but I quickly realized that organization is key. To help me get organized, I created three different spreadsheets. The first one I created was for places I would like to visit in Los Angeles and San Diego and ranked them on a scale of 1-3, with 1 being a spot I don’t want to miss and 3 being filler or backup. I also added a column for cost and for the average time someone spends at each location. I then use this data to create my second spreadsheet.

The second spreadsheet is the actual agenda which was broken down day by day and hour by hour. Breaking it down like this will help you see what you can actually fit in your agenda. After my first and second trip, I quickly learned the hard way that you need to space out your activities and leave plenty of time for transportation. At some locations I only scheduled an hour but ended up taking two. Sometimes getting from one location to another also takes longer. You don’t want to stress yourself out by rushing everywhere, especially in an area you are not familiar with. To help you be time efficient I strongly recommend grouping your agenda items by area. For example, day 1 in Los Angeles might be areas in northeast LA, such as downtown LA, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Hollywood, and the Griffith Observatory. Day 2 then might be areas in northwest LA, such as The Getty, The Getty Villa, and the Santa Monica Pier. If you pull up a map, you can see that they are relatively close to each other which makes for a more efficient and productive day.

The third spreadsheet is a list of items to pack for your trip. You may think this one is not a big deal, but just wait until you forget something crucial that ends up causing issues on your trip. I once forgot to pack socks and I had to go out of my way to buy some, which ended up stressing me out and caused me to waste time. Preparation is key! Now, the question is what should be on the packing checklist? Obviously there are your clothes, toiletries, electronics, documents and so forth. However, it’s important to point out some items that you may have not thought about. I always recommend taking a battery pack in case you don’t have access to an outlet to charge your phone or other electronics. This is especially important if you love taking photos and videos on your phone. Another thing to point out is that if you’re traveling internationally, you will want to also get a travel power adapter to be able to charge your phone and electronics since they use different kinds of power outlets. I made this mistake in Hong Kong and I had to find an electronics store to purchase one. On occasion, hotels and Airbnbs carry these to help guests that forget, so don’t be shy to ask if you do forget.

Choosing a Luggage Size

Making this list will also help you decide which luggage size you should take. You generally have 3 sizes, the small 20 inch, the medium 24 inch, and the large 28 inch. The small 20 inch is considered a carry on so you can carry it with you onto the plane. The other two larger sizes will require you to check your bags in, which may cost more depending on the airline. Keep in mind that you can also carry a backpack with you, on top of the carry on. Other things to consider when selecting a luggage size is, how much weight can you carry, the length of the trip and if the trip is domestic or international. Generally speaking, for a one week domestic trip, I usually take a small 24 inch carry on, and a backpack. It’s light, easy to move and fits a week’s worth of clothes. If the trip is longer than a week, then you will for sure want the medium or large sized luggage. For international trips I also recommended the bigger sizes because generally you will need to take more and you may buy some things while you are out there.

One last major thing to point out is that you’re limited on the size of your toiletries if you choose the small 24 inch carry on and don’t check it in. I one time took a brand new tube of toothpaste on a trip. When I went through security with my carry on, they made me throw it away on the spot. Not only did I lose out on a brand new tube of toothpaste but I then had to waste time finding a spot to buy some toothpaste at my destination. According to the TSA, “You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item.” This makes it a bit of a pain because most of your toiletries are most likely in bigger containers. The workaround for this is to either purchase travel size toiletry products or you can purchase empty travel size containers and fill them up with what you have. You can find both at your local department store or online.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it may seem like a lot to take on but if you plan properly and early, you can break it down into smaller steps. Yes, you will make mistakes along the way, just as I have. However, the pay off will be great. Once you have your first successful trip, you will be craving to go on another. It’s time to make your travel dream become a reality!