We had decided when to go, where to go and how to go, so it was time to do some research and planning. Or was it? Most of the online travel blogs and websites of people who have traveled the world do NOT recommend making any but a few plans as things will change along the way anyway. Well, we are two people traveling, we are a middle-aged couple with different needs than 20 year old backpackers, we don't want to spend time along the way doing a lot of research, we had the time to do it, and, last but not least: for us planning the trip is a huge part of the trip itself, exciting and fun!
The journey not the arrival matters
- T.S. Elliott
Travel Intelligence
So, over Christmas we took some pictures of the walls in our living room, put up an extra table, bought maps of the countries we want to go to, picked up travel books at the library, and set up a 'Research Lab'. When I told my daughter she said that I had watched too much CSI!
Destination Everywhere
The Internet is, of course, a great resource, but, man, is it overwhelming! You research one place, and in a few clicks you are on to somewhere or something totally different, and you have to back track. But it is also inspiring and full of valuable information. It worked well for us with a mix of travel intelligence from our friends and colleagues, maps on the wall, books and the Internet.
Courtesy: Study in Canada
Spreadsheet Galore
In order to keep track of our research, progress, web links (we were drowning in Bookmarks!) and various confirmations, we developed a spreadsheet with many different tabs, e.g.
1) Itinerary
2) Visa rules: we are not the same nationality, so who needs visa where?
2) Contact information for Canadian and Danish Embassies
3) Budget
4) To Do list
With a 'Little' Help from Our Friends
Several of our friends and colleagues had done similar trips, and they were very generously sharing their itineraries, ideas and tips, which was a tremendous help and very inspiring. So, why spend time researching accommodation, things to do or how to get from A to B, when we could get first hand information from somebody who had been to the destinations recently or new somebody there? THANK YOU!!
You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going,
because you might not get there
– Yogi Berra
