ChickSpeak

Having just returned from a vacation to England and Italy, I have realized some serious strategies that will make my vacations and yours miles easier in the future.

Prior to leaving for my vacation to Italy, I did what any other person would do—I googled the city and looked at the gorgeous pictures. After 5 minutes of looking at the pictures, I created this luxurious vacation in my head. A beach, the sand, the waves, gorgeous coastlines, the ease of hopping on a train to sightsee all over—these were just some of the thoughts that were going through my head. Expectations were set high and as the day of departure approached, I almost burst with excitement.

While setting these expectations got me in a state of mind to truly relax and enjoy the luxury of vacationing, I was also setting myself up for disappointment. Vacationing to an unfamiliar place and country can be stressful. To reduce your stress, familiarize yourself with all that you can using the following guidelines.

Knowing What I know Now, Take the Following Advice:

· Do not rely on pictures to be a true depiction of the area. Streets and traffic patterns, shorelines and beach accesses are never seen in pictures alone.
· If you want to explore, use the internet to find booking agencies with excursions and tours. Pre-book if you can and definitely print off the itinerary/tickets offline.
· Google the city and research the obvious things you will do everyday; eating, shopping, nightlife, etc. Use reviews to help you compile a list of places to go—if you pass by. Carry it in pocket/purse.
· Research the transportation and locate where these different spots are. If there is a printable map from the internet- PRINT IT!
o European public transportations is a gift if you know how to use it and a nightmare if you don’t.
o Go online and identify where you will be when you arrive and how you get from point A to point B.
· MOST IMPORTANT: Be flexible. Your research gives you some basics for a desirable plan. It should act as a skeleton or a guide NOT an agenda.

All in all, the start of our vacation was a learning experience—an adventure, if you will. Adventures are fun, traveling is exciting, and exploring new places allows you to grow in ways you can’t put into words. Remember that despite some inevitable hiccups, you can always make the best of any situation. To bypass some avoidable mishaps, be sure to do some research and follow the aforementioned advice. NO matter what, put a smile on your face and enjoy the roller coaster ride.