By the raise of hands, who wants to go to a Disney Park in the next 2 years?

Keep your hand up if you have your dates already on the calendar!

If you put your hand down, then this post is especially for you! But even if you have dates or you have things booked, you’ll find this post helpful as well.

So if you are still reading, it is because a love for Disney Parks flows through your veins, or at the very least puts a smile on your face every time you think of going. 

We know, cause we’ve been bit by the Disney bug (probably multiple times) and we want to help you reach the goal of going…and we want it to be soon!

The thing about travel goals though (if we have even considered them goals before) is we don’t always treat them the same as physical or family goals, where we act on them every single day. Instead, we think about it one day and maybe add some ‘wants’ to our plan (that is of course if you have a written plan — click here if not) and then we get back to it weeks or months later.

But just like our fitness or family connection goals, we’re gonna achieve them quicker, the more effort and time we put into thought and action.

“But Garrett, what should/can I do right now while I am not traveling”

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Here are a few things you can do when you don’t have a date on the calendar for your next vacation or you don’t have anything booked yet.

Just Get Started

1. Treat this like a goal, not a wish. You don’t need to work on it every day like a fitness goal, but by treating a trip to Disney like a goal rather than a wish, you will take more action to make it happen.
2. Put a date on the calendar. The best tip I can give you is to pick a date. And don’t worry, you can move it if you really need to. But having a date on the calendar will help you subconsciously move towards that goal

3. Book something. Hotels can be booked months in advance with no upfront cost and can be easily modified if necessary. Even park tickets can be purchased and used later on. Having something booked, especially if it’s paid for, is very motivating to make sure the other details come together.

4. Start a Disney Fund. This could be as simple as a Disney jar or as involved as starting a side hustle…and don’t be shy…you can tell everyone why you are doing this… ‘I started this business to pay for my epic Disneyland trip’. That way the extra ‘work’ will just feel like it is part of the trip planning

You can also learn how to use points which can pay for a huge chunk of your trip. We’ve even had clients pay for their whole trip with points once they learned the best way to do it!  And the best part is, that you will be able to do it over and over again! And we would love to show you how.

Reasearch & Plan

Even if your trip is a year or more away, the more time we spend planning and dreaming, the longer the trip will bring excitement into your life!

Keep Dreaming

1. Picture yourself there. You’ve dreamed of going to Disney, but now start dreaming of what it’s like to be at Disney. And if you’ve been, that doesn’t mean skip this step, it means you’re better able to recall the sights, the smells, the tastes, and even the touch. And each time you go, is a new experience. Your kids are at a different phase of their life..or you are. 

2. Take to the Tube. If you haven’t been before, here are some ways to help you keep dreaming.

Love YouTube? Find a few Disney YouTubers and start watching some of their stuff or follow some people on IG (nevermind, you are probably already doing that). 

We like The Tim Tracker and Disney Food Blog on YouTube and we like disneyparksblog and disneylanddailycasey on IG.

But a quick search will bring you hours of binge-watching Disney enjoyment. Trust me on that, hahaha!

The Point is to Enjoy the Process

I hope you enjoyed this list of things you can do to enjoy the process of dreaming, planning, and going on your trip to Disneyland. It’s easy to feel down about the fact that you aren’t going right this second. But if you follow a few of these tips, the joy and anticipation of going means the vacation can spark happiness for more time than just the days that you’re there.

Have you heard the phrase that the only constant in this world is change?

Well in the travel world, the only thing you can truly plan for is that your plans will change. 

After arriving for our first visit to Amsterdam in the late afternoon, it only took about 10 minutes before our plans needed revising. 

So we pivoted, something we actually do quite well when we travel, and decide to head straight to Vinkeveen for dinner and an early night.

Cue dramatic music. This is where things get a little crazy.

So we took to Trip Advisor and Google to look for dining options near our accommodation. We found a wonderful place right on the lake that the town sits on and the menu looked delightful.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and you couldn’t ask for a better scene for our first night there. We sat down, tried to muster our best Dutch to be polite and our waiter was very patient as his English was not the best.

Ok, maybe here is where you cue the dramatic music. This is where things get interesting.

With most big cities in Europe, credit cards have become just as commonplace as they are in the U.S.. 

But we weren’t in a big city, we were in a fairly small town about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam.

So when we tried to pay with our card (ya know, we’ve got to earn back some of those points we used to get there) their machine wouldn’t accept our card. Nor would it accept any of the other cards we brought with us. 

And guess what we didn’t do when we were at the airport?

You guessed it…we had no cash.

If you remember, our plan was to go into Amsterdam first and we would have been able to easily find an atm to pull out cash. Be we skipped this step.

So the restaurant basically held Mandi and the kids hostage while I went on the search for a bank with an atm…at 9:00 at night. 

I drove to the closest place I could find on Google Maps, anxious to get back to my family. And I struck out. No atm. I searched and searched, driving around a new country with spotty wifi in the dark and continued on with no luck. Days later we would discover that the only atm in the town was in the grocery store, which closed early that night. 

After about an hour or so of searching, we had to try and come up with another plan.

We proposed and  they agreed to let Mandi leave her drivers licence and we promised that we would be back the next day to pay. 

I figured things would work out somehow, someway, but for that hour, it really was unnerving as  I was scrambling to come up with the ransom money to free my captive family. (Ok, so maybe they weren’t really held hostage, but the restaurant owner really wasn’t interested in any of our other proposals and just kept demanding cash, without offering any solutions.)

So I decided to help you not make the same mistake we did.

Here are 5 quick tips to do when you land in Europe.

1. Take a breath and prepare for some extra time at the airport.

This tip really starts long before you land. When you are planning your arrival day, it is wise to double how long you think things will take in the airport. Plan for plenty of time to make it through customs, collect your bags, get money, and pick up your rental car or locate ground transportation. This is even more true if you have never been to Europe or that city before. We recommend planning for 2-3 hours between landing and actually leaving the airport. 

It might take less than that, but if you give yourself the extra time, you’ll be happy when it goes quicker rather than stressed that you are going to miss a train or reservation. So plan the extra time, you’ll be glad you did!

2. Get cash. 

But don’t get cash just anywhere. Find a bank branded ATM and not a currency exchange or an atm branded with Travellex. And when you make a withdrawal with your debit card, make a large withdrawal. We recommend roughly half the amount of cash you plan to spend on your trip. 

Secure the majority of your cash, and then split 50-100 euros between you and your travel partner and keep the money split between a couple of different pockets.

3. Familiarize yourself with the airport.

If you are flying home out of the same airport you flew into, it is helpful to get a little bit familiar with the place, especially if your return flight leaves before 10 in the morning. The last thing you want when you leaving is to be flustered because you’re lost. You’ve already budgeted some time at the airport so use some of it for research. And if you want to be extra  prepared, find a ticketing desk for your airline and just ask them where you will need to be and go when you return in a few days.

And while you are at it, you can soak up the atmosphere. You are in Europe! And many of the airports are much cooler than what we are used to in the U.S.

4. Talk to someone.

I can’t tell you how many times our bacon was saved because we simply talked to a local. From finding great food spots, to avoiding unnecessary delays, to avoiding potential danger. Finding someone to just say hello to and ask for advice is invaluable 

One place to find someone to talk to is the tourist office

Even if you have your itinerary planned to the tee, a visit to the tourism office is worth the time. You may find unique events that interest you but you can also pick up train and bus maps and ask any questions that only locals are going to know.

5. Plan your next few steps.

Generally speaking, airports are much safer places than the streets of a big city. So take a few minutes here, use your map to plan your journey to your hotel, and make sure everyone is on the same page for your next few steps. Also take some time to buy some food. No one wants to be hangry while also navigating a new transportation system and dealing with your luggage.

So there are a few easy steps you can take that I know will help you avoid a little stress on your next trip to Europe

Didn’t read to the end? That’s okay. Here’s the TLDR summary: 

1. Budget plenty of time at the airport
2. Find a bank ATM and withdraw some cash
3. Familiarize yourself with the airport to help when you return home
4. Make sure you talk to some people and don’t overlook the tourism office.
5. Take a few minutes to craft a plan and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You wanna know what one of the  biggest lessons  I have ever learned was?

That feeling like you don’t belong sucks! Bad!

Have you ever felt that (I mean, we all do from time to time), but perhaps more strongly or over a longer period of time?

How did you get through? 

What are some ways you know of that make you feel like you belong?

Over the last year or so, Mandi and I have been learning more and more just how much we as humans crave connection. And studies show that the difference between people who feel like they belong and those who feel like they don’t is that those who feel they belong, feel like they are worthy of love.

We built this display in our home and call it the ‘You Belong’ wall. We wanted to have a constant reminder of how connected we are to each other and that we belong…that in spite of struggles, we are a team who can always rely on one another.

 And most importantly remind us that we are loved and are worthy of love.

Most of the pictures on our belonging wall are from our travels…but they’re not of monuments or museums. Instead, they’re of the moments between the big events where the deepest connections were and are made. 

But they’re still images from our travels….because that’s where, it seems, many of our strongest connections are made and where we feel most unified as a family. 

And this is why we emphasize, as much as we can, how invaluable traveling as a family truly is! Because we want to help you strengthen your family as much as we have been empowered to strengthen ours.

It’s also why we do what we do. To remove obstacles in the way of families so they’re free to travel more and to more amazing places; experience this amazing world of ours. 

How about you, do you have a spot in your home or a photo album that reminds you of belonging? 

Do you have experiences where travel has restored or increased connection between you and your loved ones? 

We would love for you to leave a comment or tag us on social media and use the hashtag #youbelonghere. And we want to let you know that you belong here! We welcome you and your voice and your value as a human in this community!

As a kid, I loved those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. The suspense, the unlimited possibilities, and let’s face it – they were a quick read… So let’s have a throwback moment and dive into a story, shall we?

So your friend, or your sister, or your cousin’s boyfriend’s dog-sitter just took a totally Instagram-worthy trip to Thailand and every time you hearted one of those pictures, you found yourself wondering how they traveled there on a dog-sitters salary.  And after they returned home, you asked how they could afford it and she told you that it was totally free, all they had to pay for was food.

“Wait, what? Totally free?!”

“Well ya, free.” 

“Flights?”

“Free”

“Hotels?” 

“Free!”

Do you:

A) Think to yourself there must be some ridiculous catch or information they are not telling you and just go back to whatever you were doing before they interrupted your day.

Or do you 

B) Start asking a million questions to find out just exactly how they did it so that you can visit those same places and take those same photos and eat Thai street food all day?

If you picked A, then you can go ahead and just get back to what you were doing before you opened this post.

But if you picked B, keep reading because I am going to tell you how to get started on your path to walk in the shoes of your cousin’s boyfriend’s dog-sitter.

There are a few key steps to making these kinds of trips happen and one of the main ones, and perhaps the biggest is by using credit card reward points and/or frequent flyer miles.

“Oh, you see, there is the catch,”  you say.

Wait! Before you go, let me just give you a little run down and show you that it’s not a catch, but a tool you can use to get what you really want!

So you have probably heard about frequent flyer miles and credit card reward points. You may even have a card or two that is earning you miles or points.

The reality is, we live in a loyalty-based economic system and so we should be taking advantage of that as often as we can.

And before you say it, let’s chat about the main concerns you might have about getting a credit card or earning points. I’ve probably heard them a few times: 

I don’t travel enough to earn enough miles

I don’t spend enough to earn rewards points fast enough

I don’t want to mess up my credit

Travel is expensive so I am going to need a bajillion (did you know that spell check doesn’t highlight the word bajillion any more…so it must be a thing) points to go anywhere cool

Well let me just say, many many people, who make less money than you have been able to book dream trips within a few months after getting their first optimal rewards card. 

So let me tell you how they do it in just 6 easy steps.

You need a budget.

And by budget, I don’t mean the spreadsheet that has your list of bills and a line item for how much you think you spend on your daily lattes.

I mean an honest accounting of where all your money goes each month. Two reasons: First, you want to know the main categories where large chunks of your money go, and Second,  you want to make sure that you really are not spending more than you make.

If you get a credit card and start running a balance, the value of the points you earn gets negated by the cost of interest charges, and then this whole plan becomes worthless.

Identify your top 3-5 spending categories.

If you are like many families, this will usually be groceries, dining, fuel, or Costco/Sam’s Club. Once you have identified where you are spending your larger chunks of money, you will be ready to start researching different credit cards.

Find a card that rewards your highest spending categories

There are literally hundreds of cards out there you could pick from that give you rewards but most people who are just starting out should pick from about 5. 

We’ve created a quick guide to our top favorite cards. Click here if you want it.

In general,  you are looking for a card that pays its rewards in travel and has a bonus on at least one of your top spending categories.

Now you could go down a deep rabbit hole to make your choice…after all, I did say there were hundreds of cards to choose from, but I recommend moving quickly to the next step, and probably the most important in this entire list.

Pick One.

It is tempting to try and find the perfect option but really there isn’t one perfect card or even the perfect group of cards. The only way to really get closer to your perfect combo is to learn as you go…and that starts with acting on one. Even if there was a better first choice, remember, you will still be getting free rewards with any card that you choose. 

Use cards for everything.

One reason many people don’t earn enough points quick enough is because they don’t use it for all of their spending. So it is time to find out what companies  will accept a credit card for your bills and not charge a fee (a 2 or 3 percent fee will cost more than what the points you earn will be worth). Insurance, utilities, or your phone bill, etc. Use the card for everything, and pay it off frequently.

And like I mentioned in step one, you need to pay off the card each month in full so you are not running up a balance.  Another word of caution: this isn’t an excuse to spend more than you make. It can be tempting to make purchases you wouldn’t normally do because of the travel rewards you will earn. But that is a recipe for disaster. Remember: You’re here because you want to save money, not get into debt. 

Repeat.

Now that you have one card, you will just repeat the process for your next card. You will keep refining your budget, continue to evaluate your spending, and pick different cards that work with your situation.

And then…Enjoy those glorious free flights and hotels!

I know what you are thinking….’this sounds too easy’.

Or maybe you are thinking that you need more information before you start.

I’ve noticed two common pitfalls that people experience: Researching and Analyzing for too long, trying to cram all the information before you start could mean that you never do. Overwhelm kicks in and soon you’re researching every little detail instead of taking quick action.

Or waiting for the perfect time to get started could mean that you miss out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of rewards while you were waiting. 

Taking action might just be the most important step to getting started. We all learn best by taking some sort of action, reflecting on the outcome, and then taking another step in the right direction.

When I began, I got the ‘wrong’ card and didn’t earned very many points. I don’t consider this a failure, rather a great learning experience

With what I learned while having that ‘wrong’ card, I was able to earn two round trip tickets to Europe within 6 months of having my second card. 

I’d call that a win!

TL:DR -Let’s recap:

1. Create a budget
2. Identify your top 3-5 Spending Categories
3. Research a few cards that could work, We’ve already done the work for you here:
4. Pick a card
5. Use the card for everything you buy
6. Repeat this process to get your next card and earn EVEN MORE POINTS

We’ve come to the end of this Choose Your Own Adventure. 

Do you:

A) Keep scrolling, thinking this is too good to be true, or worse, fearing that you’ll never get to see those over-water bungalows in Bora Bora

or

B) Open up a new Google sheet and start putting together your new budget spreadsheet.

Who knows…Maybe this time next year, your friends aunt’s hairdresser will be asking you about that dream trip to Bora Bora. And when they ask you how you did it, you’ll know exactly who to send them to.

Happy New Year! 

I’m sure your social media feed and inbox are full of all the ‘New Year, New You’ kinds of things right now. It’s that time, for sure.  And while everyone is busy making massive lists of things they want to do, that negative thought pattern of ‘new year, same old me’ can creep it’s disgraceful fist right on in and squash those dreams fast.   

We’re doing our own yearly reflecting and making some family goals for 2020 that of course include MORE TRAVEL! And we wanted to pop in and share some ideas with you to help you make goals that will stick. Goals you’ll achieve fast because you’re empowered with some simple strategies for success.

First things first: It’s time to Imagine.

Imagine who you want to be at this time next year. 

Imagine yourself having achieved the things you said you would. 

Imagine your family flipping through your family yearbook for 2020 (let’s be honest, it’s your camera phone gallery ‘cuz you haven’t had time to make a photobook yet for all the fun you’ve been having), reminiscing about all the fun memories you made together. 

Breathe those feelings in. Really notice what your kids are saying as they point out those silly selfies you took in front of the Eiffel Tower, those underwater shots of your son’s first attempt at snorkeling at that quaint little beach you found, or that scary-looking dish you ambitiously ordered and then dared each other to sample. Surprisingly delicious or horribly wretched? Ha!

Now that you’ve imagined something totally amazing, it’s time to Write It Down. 

Grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper and just write. Write down all the things you want to do this year, next year, in five years, JUST WRITE!  Don’t let fear get in the way. And don’t worry about the How. The how comes later. Just write the What you’ve been dreaming about.

Ok, now Choose A Goal

This step is mostly dependent on your family situation. You may be able to choose a couple destinations or just one right now. But choose one thing, circle it, post it on your fridge and make it the focus of your thoughts and actions this year. You’ll be surprised at the affect of having your goals listed front and center: SUCCESS!

This next step can sometimes sound like the hardest, but it’s actually the simplest. 

Take some kind of action.

Ask yourself, What is one thing I can do today that will get me closer to taking that trip to Hawaii. Your answer might be to open a savings account and call it Hawaiian Snorkel fund. Your answer might be to research what it will cost your family to travel there (hint, what you find might pleasantly surprise you). Your answer might be to book a workshop with us so we can help you get the biggest costs like flights, hotels, car rental, for free. But whatever your next action is, do like Nike says and JUST DO IT!

Now that you’ve taken one step, take another and another, until you wake up and you’re packing your bags for that family adventure you dreamed about that one day in January. 

AHHH! Can you feel the excitement? I’m over here with goosebumps, waiting to hear what travel goals you’re planning for this year! 

We saw a fare sale to Kuala Lumpur the other day and wondered if it was a decent deal.  At just over $650/pp from SLC, it sounded like a relatively inexpensive way to hop over to the other side of the world and explore a part of Asia we’d heard about but never really considered. 

But before we could jump on the deal, we needed some additional information. We knew about the iconic towers and the incredible views, but what about the food? The transportation? Is it safe? What else is there to do and see?

 We didn’t have the day to spend travel dreaming, but we could carve out a little bit of time, so I challenged Garrett to see if we could find enough info in 30 min to determine if the flight deal would be great enough to convince us to click the BOOK button. Then, we’d have another 24 hours to determine if the trip would be a good decision for us to make before we’d lose our option to cancel.

How did we spend those next 30 minutes?

First Step: We Set a Timer.

As I mentioned, we really didn’t have a lot of time to ‘waste’ down a travel-rabbit hole. We’ve been guilty of spending hours researching a location so many times and enjoy every minute of it. On this particular day, we had other things needing our attention, but we did want to know if Kuala Lumpur might be our next vacation spot before the deal was gone.

Next, We Begin Our Search.

We searched Pinterest and Google for anything we could find about what to do in KL. Pinterest is our greatest resource for travel planning details, but we also came across a new resource we’ll tell you about soon. 

We asked questions like: What to do in Kuala Lumpur, What to eat in Kuala Lumpur, Sample itinerary Kuala Lumpur. In just a few quick keystrokes, there’s a wealth of knowledge available to consume. The top pins will pop up first, but if you’re looking for something more specific, check out the suggested terms at the top and you’ll find even more tidbits to read about.

Thousands of travel bloggers journal their adventures and many do a pretty great job convincing us to visit the places we research, but we really appreciate those who catalog their journey honestly.  We look for blogs with sample itineraries, food recommendations, top tips, etc. and avoid those who seem to just fill their pages with pics of themselves in ‘gram-worthy poses, those who likely didn’t truly explore the city or go outside the 5-block radius. But I digress…

Next, We Take Some Notes In a Google Spreadsheet. 

We don’t worry about making if fancy, creating daily plans, or color-coding it (yet, lol). We just jot down top recommendations from the blogs/websites we visit. Where to go, where to stay for easy access to top destinations, how to get around, what to eat, what not to do… This sheet generally stays pretty simple at this point so that we don’t get sidetracked planning our every move, but we like to have a general idea if there is enough (or too much) to see before we make our decision.

Then, We Research Costs. 

How much does a typical meal dining out cost? How much do groceries cost in the city and on the outskirts of town? What are the best ways to get deals on transportation costs and does the city have a safe, reliable mass-transit system or is walking the best way to get around? What about souvenirs? We like to buy a few things during our travels so we make sure to include them in our budget, too. 

Next, We Assemble the Budget. 

We choose the top sights we actually want to see, add up the entrance fees, figure out a daily meal allowance, estimate for transportation costs, and then put this info into a simple budget. We’ve gotten pretty good at knowing how much we can handle, so even though a seasoned travel blogger might suggest a packed itinerary, we know that 3 museums in one day just isn’t going to work for us. We also know that we’re pretty easy to please and don’t require ultra luxury accommodations, we are savvy with subways and metro lines so we don’t use cabs often, and regular food breaks are non-negotiable, which means our food budget might be higher than other families. No apologies from us; we often travel for the food!

Time To Analyze.

We add everything up and ask some questions. Is the estimated cost something that we can handle? We typically use our rewards points to cover flights and hotels, so in this case, we estimated a 5-7 day trip for two (we decided we’re way overdue for a kid-free trip) to Kuala Lumpur and a few surrounding cities would cost us less than $1,000. That’s not bad for a trip to Asia, if you ask us!

Now It’s Decision Time.

Are we going to snag the deal and spend the next 24 hours making sure we can make this trip happen? Or are we going to wait for the next deal and do this all over again? Stay tuned to find out.

Didn’t read to the end? That’s okay. Here’s the TLDR summary: 

How to know if a travel deal is right for you:

1. Set a timer. Don’t spend too long researching.
2. Research the city and surrounding areas using Pinterest to cut down on time spent searching travel blogs and databases.
3. Note your details on a google sheet or simple notebook. Keep it simple.
4. Research the costs. Lodging, transportation, food, activities, and don’t forget the souvenirs!
5. Assemble your budget. 
6. Analyze your data and make a decision. Is the total cost something you can afford at this time? If not, no worries. Now you’ve got another location to add or remove from your future bucket list.

And that’s it!

Simple enough?  We’d love to hear what you think. Do you have any tips to share with our community? Let us know in the comments!

I had one of those rare, quiet, nobody-was-calling-MOM-a-hundred-times moments the other day (they do happen, I promise!) And I started thinking about how my oldest son has one more year of elementary before we send him off on his next big adventure in middle school.

Yikes!

To say I’m terrified is an understatement.

Nevermind that I hated middle school–that’s a post for another day. But it hit me like a ton of bricks when I started thinking that we’ve essentially got a year to teach and support him–to create a sense of belonging to our ‘team–before he gets funneled into a gathering that will expose him to so many new, sometimes frightening, situations.

I realize that my middle school experience is different than his will be. While I was struggling to fit into a box that he probably won’t struggle with, he’ll have other, possibly more difficult, hills to climb. As well as big decisions that will determine his trajectory for years to come. I know, it sounds a bit dramatic to say, but I really believe my choices as a moody 13 yr old affected me for a decade…and maybe more.

I feel like we’re cramming for a really big test that begins next fall. Cramming in all the daily summer stuff like afternoons at the pool or hikes around the lake, trips to our local theme park, and late night chats when it’s just too hot to sleep. And because we love to travel, we’re taking in those adventures, too.

But we’re cramming to say the least.

Summer vacation is over and I feel like we’re running out of time to do the things that great connections are made from.

One thing that puts my mind at ease is all the fun adventures we’ve been able to revel in over the last few years. Trips to Europe, Hawaii, Florida, California, The Pacific Northwest, etc.

At the end of these adventures, do you know what we have?

Memories!

Moments we chat about all the time! We’ve got photos on our wall of those ‘together’ moments that our kids can fall back on when they encounter thoughts of not being enough or that nobody understands them. We know that when those tough moments come, and we know they will come, it is our hope that those memories will be enough to keep them rooted, grounded in a sense of belonging and being enough. A sense that they can get through whatever life throws their way. And that we as a family can make it through together, if we trust and stay close to each other.

We have a vested interest in your family creating those same moments.

Your kids will hang with our kids. Your kids and ours will become the next generation of strong individuals who will make a difference and change the world!

We hope you’ll turn those ‘someday’ travel goals into ‘right away’ travel plans with us!

-Mandi

We’re just days into our first international trip as a couple and we’re already fighting on a very public corner of a very busy street. It’s easy to guess what the locals are thinking by now – two overloaded tourists, soaked in sweat, and yelling at the top of our lungs.

Fists aren’t swinging, but the words flying are enough to cause heads to turn. Nothing is going to solve the problem at this point, so we start walking again, just blocks away from our lodging.

Guess what we discover upon arrival?

The elevator’s broken and we have to carry all our big bags up several flights of stairs. Are you kidding me?

No more words are needed, as I’m sure my face conveys my utter disdain for yet another physical trial I have to endure on this trip.

To make a very long story short, we made it up to our room, unloaded a few things, took a brisk shower because hot water wasn’t abundant, and then ventured out to discover one of the most beautiful cities we’ve visited to this day. Wonderful memories were made and we ended up modifying our trip plans to skip Milan and come back again near the end of the trip to discover more about this beautiful city.

The journey was overflowing with lessons for these two unseasoned travelers.

And while there are tons of tips I could share with you as a new world traveler, the theme of this post is OVERPACKING.

Reasons (read: excuses) why we overpacked:

• Lockers we intended to rent at the train station were closed
• Garrett was staying in France for a study abroad after the Italy leg and ‘needed’ additional stuff for the month
• I thought it would be a good idea to pack extra shoes, fashion, jackets, etc. because you never know what you’ll feel like wearing on any given day, am I right?!
• Most importantly: we had not done enough research to even consider packing lighter in the first place

So let me save you the stress of lugging too many bags on your next trip and give you…

My Best Tips to Avoid Overpacking

Research the Weather 

Check the weather patterns and current local forecasts. If it looks like rain is settling in for your trip date, take a small-but-durable umbrella.  If you travel in the summer, you won’t likely need a heavy jacket, but just something to shelter you in the case of a random rainstorm. Here’s our tried and true favorite: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UR0EFEK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But no need to pack so much for ‘just in case’ if you have an idea what the weather usually looks like.

Consider Layering 

In places where the temperature fluctuates throughout the day, you may only need an extra layer every so often. Instead of packing bulky sweaters or long sleeves for each day, utilize a jacket, hoodie, cardigan (whatever fits your style preference), and pack lighter shirts that will take up less space.

Wash your Clothes Mid-Trip

We’ve had mostly positive experiences with laundromats in the US and abroad.  If you plan a day mid-trip to relax and recover, you can use some of that time to do a load of wash or two.

Select your shoes carefully

Search for sturdy shoes that will serve many purposes. No need to pack high boots, low booties, sneakers, sandals, and heels. Pick one supportive pair that will suit your venturing style, plan your outfits around those shoes, and then consider a simple sandal for beaching or walking from the pool. Your feet will thank you later.

Try Capsule Dressing

You’ll be able to mix and match outfits without bringing a top and bottom for every day. Here’s an awesome blogger who has changed her life and the lives of many others with her capsule dressing project: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/

Packing Cubes

Combined cubes with the simple art of Marie Kondo folding, and you’ll be able to fit a weeks worth of stuff into one small cube. There are lots of products out there that solve a similar need, but we prefer these for durability and value: https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-Pack-It-Cube-Set/dp/B00F9S71YQ?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_2590949011

And most importantly 

Realize that when you travel, you’ll always forget something. But chances are, you’ll use your amazing brain to come up with a solution, or you’ll hop over to a local shop to get what you just can’t live without. Most pharmacies have similar products you’re used to back home, so instead of packing your travel drugstore ‘just in case’, take the few items you know you’ll need and leave the rest to chance. 

Bonus packing-with-kids Tip

We used to pack all kinds of entertaining things for the kids to do. But guess what – they never used them. There was always so much going on and so much to see that they never got bored. So pick one or two small items to entertain, and then see how the trip goes. Who knows, you may learn something about your child you’d have never known if they were zoned out to one of their many devices.

For those who skimmed to the end for the TL:DR recap:

Lesson Learned:    Pack fewer things than you think you’ll need.

You’ll likely be fine without them and you’ll be unencumbered as you travel the world and make new memories together. You will be less frustrated by having to buy something you could have brought than hauling your closet around only to use less than half of it.

Happy Packing!      

-Mandi

I traveled near Washington DC for business training recently and stopped in for some exploring.

I had come prepared with every piece of camera gear I own to get some great shots of our nation’s capital. When traveling, I stuff all my camera gear into a single carry on hard shelled case.  I came prepared to ensure that things would be safe from theft: I had a padlock for the case as well as a cable lock to lock the case to the car.

“Sir, you left your trunk lid open.”

I did what?!

Cue the red-faced embarrasement.

So after all the trouble of keeping my beloved gear safe, not only did I leave the trunk lid open for the world to just try and take my stuff, but I did it with an auspicious case padlocked to a car in front of the US Capitol Building.

I thanked them for their service and joked that perhaps I made their jobs a little less boring that night. 

After getting home and changing my shorts, I realized that sometimes I travel a little too casually. As an easy going person, there is not a lot that gets me frustrated or scared. But sometimes that leads me to not take some things as serious or with as much caution as is required.

I would still rather err towards being laid back, but remember that all our decisions can have an effect on others.

Okay, so what’s the lesson here?

Travel with your wife so she remembers to close the trunk?

Don’t rush yourself when you’re seeing a new place so much that you forget to close the trunk?

I don’t really know yet, but I’ll let you know when my blood pressure drops to a normal level.

Have you ever heard of someone who found a travel deal and booked it, effortlessly? How do they do it?

I mean, don’t most people usually plan their trips details out months in advance. Just me?

But dang… those lucky people seem to be able to find deals at the drop of a hat.

I’m not one to deny that luck may play a part, but the great thing is that you can join the exclusive group of lucky folks who know how to save money on their travel plans every time.

I won’t hide the secret in decoded messaging and make you wish you had one of those coveted cereal box toys like we used to hoard as kids.

I’m not that kind of girl. I’ll just give it to you straight.

Here’s the secret:

Plan a few dream trips in advance. 

Then, when a deal pops up, you’ve got a few destinations at the ready. You’ll know how much you can afford and if the deals you’re seeing are within your budget and fit your desired travel dates.

Yep, that’s it.

Okay, so… post over. Go plan your trips and book your flights.

Ha! Just kidding.

I’m going to give you a few more tips to make your spontaneous trip planning a success.

1. Dream Big

Trust me on this one. Start thinking about where you’ve always wanted to visit. Are you an adrenaline junkie, a budding art connoisseur, a family historian, or just looking for some solid relaxation on a tropical beach?

Brainstorm your list on whatever platform makes sense to you. Grab a fancy travel notebook from your favorite supply store, open up a google doc, or if you’re thrifty like me, maybe you’ll grab one of those sprial-bound back-to-school 10 cent specials and dedicate it to all things travel-dreamin’.

This exercise is for your eyes only, so don’t let your friends, parents, or co-workers opinions have any effect on the type of trip you want to take.

2. Pick Your Destinations

That’s right, plural.

Narrow your brainstorming list a to a handful of destinations you want to see right now. Not someday, but right now.

Having a list of several different options will mean that it is more likely that you can find a deal that will match your dream list.

3. Start your Research

Put on your comfy pants, grab a kombucha/latte/lemon water (not all at the same time cuz that’s just GROSS), and hit up your favorite search engine. I’m a Pinterest fanatic for this kind of research.

4. Prepare a Sample Budget

 While you’re researching, make notes of what folks are saying about food costs, transportation fees, museum passes, etc. Then compile your research in to a quick spreadsheet to calculate a budget.

Don’t worry about getting absolutely every detail correct.  The point is to just have a rough estimate of your what an ideal vacation in this destination might cost you.

Here are some typical expense categories:

Transportation, Accommodations, Admissions/Entertainment, Meals, Souvenirs 

5. Be Flexible

Now that you’ve got an idea what you’d like to do, how long you would want to stay, and how much that would cost you, take a look and see where some flexibility can save you some money.

One of the quickest ways to cut costs when planning your trip is to travel during the off-season. As you’re researching your destinations, make some mental or physical notes about when you would and wouldn’t like to visit those places.

Wouldn’t consider a beach vacation if the temps outside are lower than 80? Note it. Want to visit the Alps in winter, note it. In other words, if Japan in cherry blossom season is a non-negotiable, then just leave room in your budget because costs will likely be higher during that season.

Next, think about duration.

Will a long weekend in Paris be enough for now, or would you rather wait until you can check off all the items on your Parisian bucket list?

Will leaving for Hawaii in the middle of the week cause your boss high blood pressure?

Knowing some key tips will help. For example flights leaving mid-week, booking flights on a Tuesday or Thursday, and staying 7+ days will all mean cheaper fares. Also it is useful to check prices ever few days starting now as knowing how much rates are and have been in the past will help you know at a glance if that deal is great or just OK.  

Now, consider accommodations.

Would you be okay in a 3 star hotel near a transportation hub, or a 5 star luxury pad in the heart of the city?

In our house, we operate under the mindset that we would rather spend two days in a hostle on the outskirts of Paris, than never get there at all because we didn’t have the money saved up for a two week luxury trip.

We typically traveling in shoulder season. Here are two trips where crowds were low, prices were affordable, and the views were incredible.

6. Finding Deals

Now it’s time to start searching for deals. There are tons of businesses dedicated to notifying their followers of flash sales, mistake fares, and bogo cruising deals. We subscribe to plenty and also offer this as a service to our clients.

But first, some honest truth about deals: People are rarely ready for them.

If you haven’t done the work to know how much your trip will cost without the deal, how will you know if you can take advantage of the it without breaking the bank, adding to your credit card debt, or putting your job in jeopardy?

One final word of advice:

No matter how long you are fortunate enough to visit your dream destination, you’ll never see it all. So plan that short trip, take advantage of a long weekend or a screaming deal. It will inspire you to return.

Always assume you will return.

-Mandi