Travel
No more waiting! Book the trip of your dreams
If you’ve been putting your dream trip on hold, consider this your cue to move it from ‘someday’ to ‘soon’. With a bit of planning and the right advice, it’s easier than you think to make a long-imagined adventure finally happen.
By Karen Bleakley
You’ve spent years raising your family, building your career and putting your responsibilities first. Now it’s your turn. It’s time to stop putting off your travel dreams and take that trip you’ve always talked about.
Travel isn’t a luxury that you can save for later. It’s about living fully, embracing new cultures and landscapes, and making memories that remind you what life’s all about. All it takes is a bit of planning, a dash of courage and a willingness to give it a go.
Life will always be busy, and there will never be the ‘perfect’ time. So it’s time to stop making excuses and get started.
Let the plan catch up: words of travel wisdom from Melissa
Melissa, a travel advisor from Mind & Body Travel, says she often asks hesitant travellers what’s really holding them back.
“I’d ask them what they’re actually on the fence about – the money, feeling overwhelmed or not knowing where to start or go? Each of these things generally has a simple fix. So I say, just do it, book the trip and let the plan catch up. Time and money are rarely perfect at the same time. Regret usually comes from trips we didn’t take, not the ones we did.”
Melissa understands that the first step is often the hardest. Her philosophy is simple: start with one clear anchor, whether that is the destination, the time of year or the activity you want to do. Once one thing is fixed, the rest of the details can fall into place around that. Checking weather and seasonal issues, school holidays, tours and local events will help you refine your ideas.
Once the broad itinerary is set, move on to the details like flights, accommodation and visa requirements. Map out what you want to do while you’re there, but keep it flexible. Melissa recommends using a Google Sheet to stay organised.
“I save links from blogs, YouTube and Instagram, make notes and build everything into one place. That way I can easily come back to it later.”
If the research feels overwhelming, a professional travel advisor can be a game-changer. Melissa says a good agent removes the stress and saves you hours of research time as they take your idea and create a detailed plan for you. Agents handle all of the details – visas, insurance, payments, tickets and more – and if anything changes while you’re away, they rework logistics and come up with a solution to keep you moving.
“We manage everything while you’re away. All you need to do is show up and enjoy your trip,” explains Melissa. She does have a word of warning, though: don’t overdo it! Cramming in too much can take away the enjoyment of a trip. She suggests adding buffer days to your trip, with plenty of opportunities to sit, wander and say ‘yes’ to the unexpected.
“Less is more for your itinerary, and your suitcase!”
No more someday: Josie turned her grown-up gap year dream into reality
Josie, who runs the travel blogs Josie Wanders and Exploring South Australia, knows what it’s like to finally take the leap after years of talking about it.
“I’d been reading about people doing gap years and I thought, ‘Why not?’ I started joking about it, saying: ‘When our youngest daughter finishes high school in six years, she’s not taking a gap year, we are. [The kids] can stay home and pay the mortgage,’” she laughs. “It wasn’t really a decision; it more or less just became a reality over those six years. We were always working towards it and somehow it just became our reality.”
Josie discovered travel later in life and has been making up for lost time ever since. Once she began travelling, she totally caught the travel bug, and was especially drawn to long-term travel.
Backpacking around the world changed her perspective about what was important: “Spending a year with just a backpack showed us what little we need – it was a reminder that experiences are more important to me than things.”
More on this: Map your travel timeline: why now is the time to plan future adventures
Josie’s health journey has further shaped her approach to travel. After facing breast cancer twice – the first time after her gap year, and the second just last year – she has come to realise how precious these experiences are. Her approach now is to fully embrace travel whenever possible, and her determination and love of adventure have only grown since that first diagnosis.
“Mortality feels tangible now, and I want to fit as much as I can into this one life I’ve been given. For me, that means travel. As much, as far and as often as I can.”
Josie’s advice for anyone hesitating on booking a dream trip is simple: just do it.
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Destinations close to home
If international travel feels daunting, there are world-class adventures waiting right here in Australia. From snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo, walking among the giants in the Daintree or exploring the rugged beauty of Uluru, Australia’s landscapes are packed with possibilities. The Whitsunday Islands, Kangaroo Island and the Great Ocean Road deliver breathtaking experiences that don’t require a passport.
Melissa says it is not just about ticking places off a list. “Maybe your dream trip is about an experience, like watching turtles nest, snorkelling with manta rays or wine tasting in the rolling hills of South Australia. The best trips are the ones that connect with what lights you up.”
Overcoming barriers on the road
Even experienced travellers face challenges, whether they are health concerns, solo travel nerves or budget constraints. The key is to plan smart and build your confidence. Start with what feels comfortable and expand from there. Consider joining a small-group tour for safety and social connection or use travel Facebook groups to get advice from people who have done similar trips. The Smartraveller website is a great place to go for up-to-date advice and information about health and safety issues.
Travel is also a chance to slow down and be present. Whether it’s journalling, capturing a photograph or making new friends along the way, those small moments often become the memories that stay with you long after you return home.
Your time is now
You’ve waited patiently for long enough. The world is wide open and every journey starts with one decision: to go. Start small if you need to, lean on experts if you’re unsure, but most of all, go.
I’ll leave you with travel advisor Melissa’s advice: “Plan well, pack light, slow down and leave space for serendipity. That’s how the trip of a lifetime becomes reality.”
Feature image: iStock/fbxx
Tell us in the comments below: Where do you really, really want to travel to?
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