Where in the world would I go? Follow these three easy steps to narrow down the world wide opportunities
So you’ve convinced yourself that you really want to travel to a foreign country by yourself, now what?
The three steps outlined below will help you quickly narrow down the worldwide opportunities to just a few that fit within your criteria.
First up: Day dream
Close your eyes, use your imagination and visualize places you would love to go. Do this with no boundaries, no limits, no budget and no judgements
Open your eyes and write these places down
My list (in alphabetical order): Bali, Ecuador, Greece, Mongolia, Switzerland and Turkey
Second: Location must haves
Jot down a few things that you deem important for this destination to have. Do you prefer warmer or colder climates? Do you mind communicating using miming skills or do you prefer a country that speaks in your native language? Do you care how long the flight is?
These are my must-haves:
Warmer climate: Since I live in the Northeast of the United States, I prefer warmer climates.
Budget friendly: I want to keep my focus on my adventures and not the cost, so this is an important consideration for me.
Next up: Process of elimination
Compare your day dream locations with your must haves to get your short list.
Using my day dream list of Bali, Botswana, Ecuador, Greece, Mongolia, Switzerland and Turkey
I apply my must haves, warmer climate and budget friendly
Without a lot of research I can immediately remove Mongolia (too cold) and Switzerland (too expensive) from my list.
Two-fer:
Take a look at a world map and see if you can do a twofer.
Are any of your locations in close proximity to each other? Why yes! When I review my list and take a look at a world map, Turkey and Greece are practically neighbors. There is a good chance I can visit both countries without too many challenges. Now, my dream list has been narrowed down to three countries: Bali, Ecuador, Greece/Turkey.
Now hit google flights:
I love google flights when I am in the day dreaming phase of travel planning. Let’s try now!
Go to Google Flights
Enter your departing city
Enter the list of your daydream countries one at a time in the “Where to?” field
Next, click the calendar icon and pick a random departure date at least 6 months out
Google Flights will display departing flights along with a price
My results for my daydream list are:
- Bali: $775 – $2,300
- Turkey: $660 – 1,200
- Ecuador: $355- $477
And the winner is?
Based on my criteria: Warm and budget friendly, Ecuador is the clear winner
What places are on your short list?
Comment below:
