Once in a lifetime
Saving up isn’t easy, but when it’s for something huge and once in a lifetime, finding motivation to keep putting away the pounds is much easier.
Holidays to the far flung corners of the earth are exotic, alluring, and usually expensive, but are they worth it? Certainly! Saving money on the smaller parts of your travel plans will mean more to put away, and in situations like these, every little really does help.
To cut out stress and tiredness, which is all important when flying long-haul, I regularly drive myself to the airport, taking my time, and booking airport parking with Airparks for my car’s own little vacation. Stansted parking is one of my regular services, and you’ll probably find that flights from the capital to some of the world’s more unusual and exotic destinations are cheaper, so look into this idea and book extras to save money, and make your journey easier.
Whether you head off to one of the mysterious Asian destinations, jet off the USA and tour around, go south and sample one of the beautiful South American countries, sail around the Caribbean islands, safari it up in Kenya, volunteer in Africa, or work your way through spectacular Australia, maybe stopping off to visit the marine-life of the crystal clear Indian Ocean, surfing it up in Hawaii, and going tech-crazy in Japan … the choice is endless, and the destinations diverse. The only question to ask yourself is this – what do you want to see?
The Canadian Rockies, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, Iceland, Table Mountain, Sydney Opera House, the Petronas Towers … I’m just name dropping now!
The further away exotic destinations in the world may require you to have a visa to visit, especially if you’re heading into America, where you’ll need to apply beforehand for an online ESTA. Check any visa requirements with the consulate of the country you’re heading to, and they all have official websites where you can find out such information. Be sure that your passport is valid and has plenty of time left on it too. As for health and safety, check if you need any immunisations or anti-malaria tablets well head of time, and ensure you’re in good health and fit to travel. Long-haul travel is tiring and heavy on the body, so don’t put yourself on the back foot before you start. If you’re high risk for DVTs, remember those compressions stockings, and if you must hide them, wear them under trousers or a long skirt!
The first time I travelled to America, I really did think it would be once in a lifetime, so I documented my time with a scrapbook, and found it a wonderful way to relive my memories once I returned home. Whether you blog your travels, do a photo diary, scrapbook like me, or just take thousands of photos and organise them on a memory stick – I definitely recommend doing some sort of visual memory bank to remember your time, and to tell tales of your travels to your future grandchildren.
Travel really does broaden the mind, make sure you remember it for the rest of your life.