6/50: Combatting Travel Indecision

This is the 6th in the ’50 steps around the world series’.  (There was a little confusion with numbering so 6, rather unusually, comes after 7!)

There are no wrong answers and none of the choices is likely to lead to regret.  And yet, making those travel decisions can be tough going.  Where shall I travel to?  When should I leave? How long should I spend in each country?  How long should I plan to be away for? and that’s before you even get to which hostel should you stay in? Or which activities to try?

The world really is your proverbial oyster. There is so much to see and do that none of us could fit it all in to a lifetime.  And so, even though it’s great to be making these decisions at all, it can be easy to get your mind tied up over the options.  So, how to combat indecision?

Where to go? Photo Credit

Practicalities

Firstly, what are your realistic possibilities?  At the beginning you may intend to travel to every continent or visit every country starting with an ‘A’.  After some research you may have found that costs, visas and or safety considerations require you to scale down your plans a little.

From your research you should have some idea of the countries which appeal to you and the various transportation available.  You will also by this point have some idea of the amount of money you will have available (and by association how long you will need to work to earn it).   This will narrow down your decisions to some degree but you can still be left with uncertainties – which way do I travel round the world?  How long should I spend in New Zealand? Can I afford a RTW ticket which includes South America and South East Asia?

Decision making methods

You can never beat a good brainstorming session.  Grab a big sheet of paper/whiteboard/kitchen table and some marker pens.  Write down all of your ideas, even the craziest ones.  Once you’ve got everything out in front of you it can be easier to fairly consider your options.  Now, first, go with your instinct and cross off two or three of the options.  These will be the ideas which you have held onto due to a sense of obligation to them, if they’ve been in the first cull then you were never really that attached to the idea.

Next, take the ideas remaining and, being honest with yourself, write down all of the pros and cons for each option.  What’s really attracting you to each idea?  What could be a drawback about a particular path? If you’re not sure about the particular pros and cons go back to your research, ask more questions of the seasoned travellers and generally arm yourself with all the information to make an informed decision

Things to remember

• Wherever you go, whatever you do, you’re going to have an amazing time. Even if it doesn’t exactly resemble your original dream trip, the adventures and experiences out there waiting for you will still be life changing.
• Always make the best decisions for you.  If coming home for Christmas is going to make you happier than staying away (and you can afford to do it) then why not?  No, you may not get that year-long stretch away from home, but if it’s what you want then make it happen. Is your mum scared to let you go to South East Asia?  Don’t let that put you off, just do your best to make her as comfortable as possible with the idea.
• Find the balance in your planning.  I’m often guilty of wanting to do everything possible, sometimes I need to take a step back and prioritise the things I most want to achieve.  Similarly, I’ve always itching to book my flight and go as soon as possible.  At the moment I’m trying to work out the best balance for me between earning time and travel time.
• Take everything into account. Don’t just base your decision on cost or you can end up booking the cheapest trip, not the one you really want to take.  It’s also worth thinking about the seasons, ease of transport in each direction and timings for festivals, public holidays and whenever your friends might be in a particular destination.
• This is part of the adventure! It can be so easy to get bogged down in the tough decisions, paperwork and endless search for flights that you stop having any fun.  This is the first part of your adventure, the rewards of which are just around the corner, so make sure to enjoy the experience, the anticipation and the feeling of endless possibilities.

Kho Phangan

My Current Decision Dilemas

So what’s getting my mind in a muddle at the moment?  Well…

Our long term plan is to spend two years in New Zealand, but before we get there we’d like to stretch our travel legs a little further to explore South America.  The uncertainty is when our departure date might be because I’d also like to spend some time in South East Asia again beforehand.  I’d love to leave in May but we have have have (!!!) to be in England at the beginning of July for my Grandmother’s 80th birthday party.  So my current idea is to leave in May for a two month tour around South East Asia, return home for a few weeks and then fly to South America.

But I’m worried that:

• Two months isn’t enough and will leave us rushing around when I’d love to travel far more slowly
• If we leave in May we’ve cut out two possible earning months which would boost our savings nicely
• A flight to South America is scarily expensive from the UK and I’m not sure how big a dent it would make in our possible spending budget.

So my thoughts are:

• Don’t go to South East Asia, save the money, earn two months more towards the savings and head straight for South America?
• Or, go to South East Asia for six months or so in July before heading onto New Zealand
• Or, go with what my instinct says (and the option I most want) and spend some time in South East Asia before coming back to the UK to head out to South America.

Reasons for and against

South America

For:

• Somewhere we haven’t been before – new adventures
• An opportunity to speak Spanish
• An amazing continent with many opportunities for adventure

Against:

• Pricey to get to
• Not the most Veggie friendly destination

South East Asia

For

• I know it’s somewhere I love and would love to see more of
• The food!
• The price of travelling there (£500 from London)
• The daily living costs are incredibly low
• Two of my best friends are going to be in South East Asia in May and June

Against

• We have been before, and so it’s not a brand new experience
• It doesn’t help me to improve my Spanish

Both

For

• We get to go to both!
• A great opportunity to get to both continents when we can’t be sure of the next time we’d get there
• We get to leave in May (only 7 months away!)

Against

• We’ll spend a chunk of money getting to South East Asia
• We’re cutting down on two months earning time
• We’re flying a lot, something I’m a little uncomfortable about

There is no shortage of inspiration in all directions. Ray and G over at Operation Backpack Asia write awe inspiring travel blogs about their experiences which could tempt anyone over to that part of the world.  Nomadic Matt spends a great deal of his time in South East Asia these days.  Shannon from A little adrift has just set herself up on the beautiful island of Bali having found Central America to be a tough place to travel.  But Two Backpackers, Jason and Arcaley have wonderful tales to tell about their time in both Central and South America.  The conflicting information out there does nothing to ease the uncertainty!

In short I need to remember my own advice, don’t try to do too much, d0 what’s best for me and above all, whatever the choice it’s going to lead to some amazing adventures!  Stay tuned for my final decision…

Thoughts? Input?

What have you been indecisive about?  What have been your tough cuts?  How have your plans changed as your travel has moved along?

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