( Joodie Shy )

It’s very clear to me that you cannot travel without a reason, a goal, or an expectation. You’re going to have AT LEAST one… otherwise you’d be staying at home continuing to do what you always do. Upon realizing this I decided to make my goals a bit more concrete and put them into a list! (See photo.)

Goals like, “See the Space Needle” etc were left out because they are less important to me. I know each day I will feel differently about where I am and what I want to do. Maybe I’ll feel like nature, maybe I’ll feel like the city. It’s impossible to know ahead of time and expecting myself to be in complete ‘tourist mode’ the whole time is unfair.

On my last trip to San Francisco I had an itinerary all laid out and created weeks in advance. To be honest, the best part about that was simply creating it. (I like making schedules and lists sometimes just for fun.) And in the end it left me feeling guilty and unsatisfied because I did not stick to it. I recall one day staying in the hotel room all afternoon just wanting to relax and be left alone. That vacation was only 6 days long.

So for my 30 day stay in Seattle I know there will be days where all I may want to do is eat and stare out the window or watch the ferries come and go. I simply do not have the kind of energy some other folks do. And in being very aware of this I accept it and respect it. My own health is very important and if I’m going to be so far from home I need to make sure I’m taking the best care of myself possible.

So, how much planning do you do before heading to a new place? (Mental list-making counts!)

Tags: list, road trip, Seattle, Travel