When you need a holiday but you can’t have one!

Cherryl 76 Comments

These are the difficult times when we’re still saving up for the next getaway, or maybe it’s just that the timing won’t allow for holiday at the moment so we have to be patient and wait. The agony!

Maybe you just got back from a nice escape and you’re trying to grapple with a range of trying and testing withdrawal symptoms – like constantly staring off into the distance and finding yourself back on that beach watching the sun glistening on the waves – “sorry I just drifted off there for a moment ” you’ll find yourself saying.

Or perhaps it’s the tragedy of having to slip back into jumpers and winter coats while you look longingly at your bright, light and breezy attire. The sun hat and flip flops are now sadly redundant as you shelve them away until that ‘happy day’ when you’ll flip open that suitcase once again ready for another escape. Roll on sweet day, roll on.

Many of us have been here haven’t we? We know the pain.

There are a few things we can do to help us with this anxiety, things that will keep us going until we get our next eagerly awaited chance to jet off:

Research

Decide where you want to go next (whether it’s this year, next year or in three years time) and make it your mission to research your destination inside out. Buy books on it, watch youtube videos on it, read blogs on it, weave your way through lengthy Google searches on it and become a ‘little know it all’ about your target destination.

As well as countless travel sites (like Rough Guides), get yourself signed up to, and make good use of online travel forums like Lonely Planet, Fodors, Facebook, and other similar groups.

Lonely Planet Forums

Fodors Forums

Travel Forums

Facebook Travel Groups

The information you gather will make you feel connected to the place and the experiences you are looking forward to having.

The videos you watch will quite literally take you there and feast your eyes through other people’s experiences. Learn from the experiences of others too – ask questions and gather feedback to help mould your own plan.

Travel magazines might also add a sprinkle of inspiration, along with a few travel themed DVDs (and books) – have a browse on Amazon.

Make a list of questions you think you might want to ask locals or guides when you get to your chosen destination – this will also make for some useful blogging material later on.

Construct a plan

Begin to put together your own personalised itinerary for this fabulous holiday of yours! Map out how you might want to organise your time on this trip – the order you’d like to do things in, sights you want to see etc….you might find you need to add a few more days, or maybe you’ll run out of things to do sooner than you thought you would:

Day one – that waterfall and zip lining
Day two – such and such beach/snorkelling and swimming with sharks (if you must)
Day three – jeep safari tour – dinner at that highly recommended local restaurant
Day four – that hike, up that mountain you were reading about
Day five – people watching and cafe/bar hopping in the local town – with a bit of shopping (mustn’t forget the fridge magnet)

Et cetera, et cetera…

Find out about tour guides and organised excursions, car/ bike hire, whatever suits your plan – find out who other traveller recommend the most.

Of course, there’s a really good chance you won’t stick to any of this perfectly planned itinerary, and end up doing all sorts of completely different spontaneous and unplanned things….which is absolutely fine! At least you’ll have ‘something you prepared earlier’ should the need (boredom) arise.

Become a hotel inspector

Since you have all this time to pass before you can even grasp at your suitcase, you might as well start researching accommodation options, with a fine tooth comb – from a range of review sites, and hotel/accommodation and travel agency websites – again, ask questions and try to gather first hand accounts of what other people thought of each place. Begin to rank your top 5 ‘Yes’ choices followed by your 5 compromises (just in case). By the time you’re ready to book your next trip you’ll know exactly who you’re targeting – all you’ll need to rack you brain over is choosing your flights.

Start researching accommodation options online and draw up a list of Yes/No/Maybe options with plus and negative points to reflect on when making your final choices later Source

Pack it in

If it makes you feel a bit better, there’s no harm in packing things in advance – save yourself some trouble later. Take your time and add bits and pieces without the usual pressure of the clock. If the opportunity to get away arises sooner than you anticipated, you’ll be well ahead of yourself! Smug? you? Never.