Introduction to Travel

 I go through phases, I love DIY projects, I love travel, I love pretty much anything that requires research and planning.  Once we got through the projects that were driving us…me…crazy on the house, it was time for a break.  We haven’t undertaken any major projects in a while, though I still have a few that I can post, and we still have materials for several more.  I am back on to my main love: Travel Planning.

 At any given time I usually have 10-15 potential trips that I am researching.  Currently actually on the calendar in 2014: Girls trip to Palm Springs, Girls / Mom’s Birthday Weekend in Victoria, B.C., Orlando for an Adults Spring Break, Back to Northern Wisconsin to visit my Dad’s family, at least one more Victoria, and a Leavenworth weekend trip, and to cap off the year a trip to Ireland to celebrate my Brother and his best friend turning 30!! On top of those I should have at least two more trips back to North Carolina for work. I haven’t been on a plane in five months; I’m getting the itch again.  Luckily just a few more weeks until I’m off for some sunshine with the girls!

 When it comes to travel planning, cost is king for us.  We’re mid-to-late twenty something’s, who have not had the good fortune of striking it rich. When we travel we try to keep costs low…so that we can travel again. The best advice for budget travel that I have heard, and the rule of thumb that I try stick to came from either Rick Steves, or another travel blog. I honestly can’t remember, it’s been so long.  The advice is, pick one aspect of the trip that you don’t want to go budget on. So pick food, hotel, flights, car, etc. One of those items you can spend a little more on so you feel like you’re pampering yourself a little, but the others, stay on budget.  Patrick and I are both cheap, and for us vacation is about seeing things and doing things. We usually need a vacation from our vacation when we get back, which is why we normally fly back in on Saturdays.  True it’s one less day of trip, but we’re so exhausted we need a day to recoup or we will have a hard time getting back in the swing of things.

I’ll post about a lot of the adventures we’ve gone on in the past, ones that we go on in the future, and some tips on booking your travel.  Sometimes we just take day trips, sometimes it’ll be a weekend away with friends, and sometimes there are several weeks long.