There are some trips that I’ve been planning for years. Our group trips are often like that. I’ll be sitting down with someone, dreaming about destinations or experiences and suddenly we have an idea for a group trip one or even two years before we leave. That’s part of the fun. We get to dream together, count down the months, and feel the excitement build as the trip gets closer. I love that kind of planning. But every once in a while, something completely different happens.
You know that feeling when you just get the travel itch? The kind where you start looking at maps for no particular reason or catch yourself wondering where you could go if someone handed you two plane tickets tomorrow? I’ve had that feeling lately. My next vacation wasn’t until October, and for someone who spends every day talking about travel, researching destinations, and helping clients plan incredible adventures, October felt like a long way off. Then an opportunity landed in my lap.
I was invited to experience the Canyon Spirit train journey from Salt Lake City through Moab and Glenwood Springs before ending in Denver. I didn’t have days to think about it. I barely even had minutes. It didn’t take long for me to decide though. I knew almost immediately that I had to go.
Now, I will admit I’m just a little curious to see how a girl from the Twin Ports area (that’s Duluth, MN and Superior, WI for those not familiar!) handles the Utah desert in August. 😄 I may melt. If that happens, someone may have to stick me in a freezer like Frosty the Snowman until I recover.
But I also know I’m about to experience scenery that most people never get to see because it simply isn’t visible from the highway. That’s one of the things I’m most excited about. It’s about slowing down and seeing a landscape from a completely different perspective. It’s about a break from my daily reality and the ability to experience something new.
Kendie enjoying coffee with a sassy cup
As I thought about it this week, I realized that so many of the conversations I’ve had with clients recently started exactly the same way. One family couldn’t stop thinking about Costa Rica. A group of college girlfriends imagined reconnecting at a luxury all-inclusive resort with good snorkeling. And a man is dreaming about a fishing getaway with friends and a solo excursion snorkeling with sea lions in La Paz, Mexico.
Every one of these conversations started with curiosity and ended with excitement. They each started with someone saying, “I’m imagining getting away to…” I think that’s how the best vacations begin. Not with a specific plan. Not even with a destination. Just with that little feeling that keeps coming back to your mind, saying “I think it’s time.”
I don’t think we ever outgrow that feeling. In fact, I think it gets stronger as we get older, and the possibilities get bigger. When I was younger and I wanted to get away, a beach and a week of sunshine sounded perfect. These days, I still love a beach vacation. But I also find myself drawn to new places because of their history, their culture, or simply because I want to understand them better. That’s exactly what happened with Japan a few weeks ago. Planning a client’s itinerary completely changed the way I looked at a destination that had never really been on my radar.
Travel has an interesting way of expanding your world, even before you’ve packed a suitcase. So maybe that’s my encouragement for you this week. If there’s a destination that’s been quietly tugging at you lately, don’t ignore it. You don’t have to be ready to book it tomorrow. But consider looking at the map, starting to ask the questions, chatting with friends about the possibility, and just dream a little. Because sometimes the trips we remember most are the ones that begin with nothing more than a little curiosity and a travel itch that simply wouldn’t go away.
If you’ve got one of those destinations floating around in your mind, I’d love to hear about it. Maybe it’s been on your list for years, or maybe it surprised you just like the Canyon Spirit train trip surprised me. Either way, let’s talk about it. Sometimes one conversation is all it takes to turn “someday” into a date on the calendar.
Until next time,
Kendie
