One, Two, Three, Four
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. It was beautiful, it was relaxing and it had a great spa. It was also our first trip just the two of us. I was down for days of sitting by the beach until I felt too salty and needed to head to the chlorine of the pool. A massage
really mixed up my days. What I was going to drink next (pina colada or mojito) and what I would wear to dinner was all I was concerned about. That was perfect for me. Mat on the other hand had a 45 minute chill meter that when up meant a walk down the beach, swim in the ocean, finding a boogie board, doing laps in the pool or asking me questions so I couldn't read. He needed to do something, anything, besides sitting. We travel differently the hubs and I. And I would assume that you and your travel partners be it spouses, friends, or family have differing views on what makes your time away from home ideal.
Though we have had few “incidents” over the past five years we have worked out our travel differences. We understand one another and work to make sure both of us feel like our time spent away was well worth it. But before we could find travel harmony we had to know our own travel identity and ask the other what kind of traveler they needed to be. If your travel gang doesn't leave home like you, that’s ok; but it will all go smoother if you know that they expect you to spend your days climbing to waterfalls when you were thinking a nice lunch in the shadow of the mountain would do you just fine. If you know you can work it out.
I've put together six questions to help you pin down your travel identity. It’ll do you good to know how your travel gang answers them as well.
What Do you Want to Do? This is a big question. It’s the question of what types of things will fill your time. You could probably take the below answer options and rank them to get a better idea of what is most important to you.
Why Do You Want To Do It? There is a reason for how you fill your time the way you do. It’s important to know this so you can make sure everyone leaves happier than they arrived.
How will you get the important stuff done? This is a big one for me. This either induces a lot of stress or sets the stage for lots of travel enjoyment. I need a flexible plan – even if the plan is stay in bed all morning. We can change the plan but we need to start out with one. How you get it done matters as much as what you do.
What Pace Do You Move? Another really big one for me and one that can cause a lot of friction in your traveling gang. I am a Stop and Go person but Mat tends to be Always On. We make it work.
How Do You Spend Your Money? Some of this is determined by your actual bank account and some is determined by your temperament. If you over or under do here you’ll be disappointed. Travel Finances are not the most fun part of travel to talk about with your travel gang but certainly a necessity. Dolla Dolla Bills Y'all.
Knowing your travel identity is really the best place to start any trip. So know your core traveling persona and that of your traveling buddies. But don’t be too rigid. Each trip will get you thinking a little differently than the last and this time you may be prioritizing something new or spending your money differently. Clear expectations make you all the more wander ready. You'll be Wanderful when it' time to get the heck out of your home town.
