You know that feeling on the way back home after an amazing vacation? That sense of some sadness or perhaps anxiety that now your vacation is over and it’s back to the real world. It is common to start looking towards your next trip to help boost your spirits in those moments, and in fact is a great to plan your next trip at the end of your current trip.
Let’s explore why this is and why you should plan your next trip at the end of your current trip.
You are Primed to Know What you Want
Your mind is already in “travel mode” so you know what you want to feel again. Sometimes it takes some time to fully ease into a relaxed state of mind during vacations. I typically get settled into the rhythm of travel after a day or two. It is during this mental “travel mode” that we are more likely to experience a deeper sense of mental and physical relaxation. You’re also more likely to embrace the experiences (“we should totally move here!”).
So, you are already primed to know what you want out of a vacation. Like a basketball player who gets in the zone and can’t seem to miss a shot, the coach will call up plays for that player. In other words, plans are made when the flow is already going, not when the player hasn’t even taken a shot yet.
In a similar way, when you’re in the (travel) zone so to speak, that’s a peak time to plan ahead to reach a similar sense of travel satisfaction on your next trip. Notice and recognize what you are enjoying in the present trip, and plan ahead to include the factors that made this one so fun!
You’ve got time during Travel to Plan
This one’s pretty straightforward. In terms of simple logistics, traveling often takes a fair amount of time. Time is your friend when it comes to travel planning.
Think long flights, layovers, riding as a passenger on a road trip, train rides, and time on the open ocean between ports. Each of these represent the opportunity of time to plan.
Don’t worry about trying to plan for your next trip at the expense of enjoying the moment of your current trip. I wouldn’t recommend planning your next trip while on your guided sightseeing tour. Wait for those natural “pauses” in the trip. Or even better, start planning your next trip on the drive/flight home.
Helps with After Vacation Blues
Planning your next trip can help reduce the end-of-vacation sadness that so often tries to creep in at the tail end of your trip. See these posts on beating the after-travel blues and also the psychology of travel planning for more.
Briefly, you should look back at the most enjoyable aspects of your current trip. By reflecting on the experiences you loved during your current vacation, it will guide you towards similar activities in the future. Flip through the new photos on your phone to remind yourself of the moments you loved.
Then, ask yourself what was it about that moment that was so great? Was it the people I was with? The scenery? The exploration? Some combination of things? When you can figure out why you loved those moments, you can aim to generate similar experiences in the future.
As an added bonus, this time of reflection can serve as a mentally healthy way to practice gratitude about your recent travels. Consider it like finding your travel happy place…that point when you felt most relaxed, most excited, most…on vacation. When you dwell upon these things, your thoughts lead to positive emotions.
Make Informed Financial Decisions about your Next Trip
You’ve surely discovered that there can be tons of “lost” costs associated with travel. Things like extra fees, taxes, and quick meals between destinations can add up. You’re now in a prime position to identify those extra costs. During your current trip, count up the “little extras” that you had not initially planned into your budget.
One way to do this requires a little bit of math. Divide the total unforseen additional expenses by the original planned budget. This will give you a percentage of additional cost you can tack onto your next planned budget for a rough estimate of how much you should really budget.
Let’s use an example to make this more clear. Let’s say you budgeted $1,000 for your vacation and ended up actually spending $1,250 because you bought souvenirs, had unexpected hotel fees, etc. So, divide the total unforeseen additional expenses ($250) by the original planned budget ($1,000). In this example, the percentage of additional cost you need to add onto the planned budget for your next trip would be 25% (250/1000=0.25). What this means is that for you, a more realistic budget including all the unforeseen expenses would add an additional 25% to your travel budget.
To continue this example, let’s say you budget $1,000 for your next trip. Figure out 25% of your next trip budget (0.25 x 1,000 = 250), and add it to 1,000 for an updated budget of $1,250 (250 + 1,000 = 1,250).
If your brain hurts after this kind of math, you’re not alone, but it’s worth it to plan ahead more accurately!
Now Get to Planning!
Now that you’re perfectly primed to pick your perfect vacation, it’s time to start planning. Use any slow moments during your travels as a great opportunity to seize the planning opportunity. Not only will this help tackle any emerging end-of-vacation blues, it also places you in an opportune position to craft a more accurate budget by knowing your current spending style during vacations.
Good luck in getting things planned, and feel free to check out Psychology of Travel’s Resources page for some great options.
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Happy Travels,
Dr. L
Founder, PsychologyofTravel.com
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