Where do your journeys take you?

Where you travel can be based on external factors and dates – conferences, jobs, book signings, guest appearances, visiting scholar activities, field trips, family visits on holidays, sporting events, or cultural events.

But where would you go if YOU could choose?

Would it be the paradise that is Fiji? Skiing in the Alps? Driving Route 66? Would you head to Tokyo to get great sushi from the source? Or to Egypt to see the pyramids, Greece to see the Parthenon, or London to soak in the history?

Would you travel based on how good the food is?

Would you base your travels on literature, movies, or music?

Would you travel to visit friends or family?

Do you prefer an active trip – scuba diving, zip-lining, white water rafting? Or would you prefer to slowly amble around town, soaking in the essence of a place?

Do you take all of your camera gear, get up early to catch the best light, and find the most scenic areas where you are? Or do you prefer to take family photos, and focus on the experience of being together in a new place?

Would you revisit places you love, or would you strike off and explore somewhere new?

The world is such a big place (at times), that we can do much of the above in one trip (maybe even one place) – finding great food, literary places, wonderful music, adventure, cultural activities, and learning from locals - all in the same spot. Then again, it might be TOO MUCH to have all that on one trip, in one place.

How do you plan your vacation travel? What do you focus on? What makes your family happiest?

My suggestion for the best possible journey?

Ask your family (or whomever you are traveling with) what they’d like to see and do. What they’ve been inspired by, or have a great longing to see.  Ask what makes the perfect trip, for them. Once this is all written down, see what the common points are, and what you can combine to create a trip that pleases everyone. 

Location, activities, where to stay, even how to get around (has someone always wanted to ride in a tuk-tuk?) – these all matter. Once you’ve gotten the essentials down for your journey, it will all flow more smoothly for your entire family.

For our family, we love great food, being next to the water, cultural activities, traveling slowly to learn a place in-depth, and meeting locals. Everything else is just gravy.

Where do your journeys take you?