The travel business is incredible. It is full of multiple opportunities to research online. Look at the multitude of sites dedicated to travel on the web, in magazines, on television and/or radio. Advertisers bombard us with their “Best Price!, Exotic Locations and Best Deals”. When you travel, what are your main concerns? Is it the costs, or the types of accommodation, or what can we do with the children? Maybe your trip is a business trip, which has completely different concerns than vacations. Just being in a financial position to get away for short or long periods these days can be an advantage.
The economy dictates much of the details that a person must consider if they plan to travel. Companies are reconsidering the costs associated with sending associates or sales teams out of the office versus shipping costs. using new technologies to conduct web conferences in the office. But I want to talk about mental vacations for this article. So my question is: does the internet offer all the necessary options?
When searching the web, destinations are plentiful. Where in the United States can we go? Just one click and you may be skiing in Colorado or Utah; or play golf in Arizona or Florida; or the many parks and natural treasures in every state can be exhilarating. Maybe it’s for sightseeing in South America or Australia; run on the Great Wall; tour the wineries of Portugal. Now that would be a fabulous trip to take. With today’s technology, one can ‘see’ these areas on the Internet. The current economy makes this more of an option at the moment.
The volatility of oil prices this year, which is lower today due to supply being greater than demand, there are cost-effective options to consider for possibly taking some form of travel. If you live in the western part of the United States, traveling to the Rocky Mountains for skiing is feasible. The amount of snow in many resorts has been so far ahead of the last few years that powdered eyebrows and nose-hanging ice cycles are truly within reach. Availability can still be found at most hostels, although some research may be required. But that’s what makes the Internet so awesome.
Or maybe your idea of getaway would be a warmer climate. I know that as I get older, I can be surrounded by more heat, less ‘clicks’ the bones become. The weather in Phoenix/Scottsdale (not to mention the current excitement for your beloved football team) is perfect for swinging those metal implements of frustration. Or Florida would be more convenient due to its proximity. Can you imagine resting on the beaches of the Florida coast? With winter weather, imagining can be a very powerful mental exercise. Feeling the comfortable breeze crossing the tops of your ears, the grainy sands captivating your toes, and the umbrella drinks coloring your tongue. Can you just feel it?
Decisions decisions.
So let’s take a look at this for a moment. Every travel site I clicked on had many interesting destinations. One of the places I would love to get to is Portugal. Seeing the European Golf Tour, which has a few events there, has sparked a desire to visit. This area of the world just intrigues me. I went to Portugal online. What trip! The scenes of traditional villages, narrow streets that wind through vibrant cities, the expanse of vineyards scattered across the country. Views across the Atlantic with spectacular windswept cliffs and sun drenched seabeds, it’s a dream I aspire to.
Do you see how simple mental images and the power of the Internet can complement the journey? No, it is not like reality, however, it gives me the visionary motivation necessary to plan a visit two years from now.
Could the sight of a sunrise evoke the serenity of watching those vortices of glowing red rock unfold as they rise from the outskirts of Sedona, Arizona? The reflection of the red cliffs in the waters of Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing can mysteriously energize the soul. This area truly has mystical sources of energy that could previously only be found in the grasslands after enjoying peyote around the campfire.
Just a few mental exercises like these can plant a seed for planning such a simple or extravagantly exotic vacation. Would you be able to put one in your 2009 planner? Why not! We are not getting any younger. Many places that we want to see and experience, even before we begin to fill out a ‘Wish List’, can be within our reach as long as a plan is formulated. Now would be a good time to start the thought process by going online to start looking for ideas. These are the early stages of the planning process and provide the best time to fantasize about exotic locations before getting back to practicality.
Look for a trip you never thought of. The web can provide this kind of entertainment as we indulge our fantasy of being in that faraway place. Perhaps our own little “Lost” adventure, only with umbrella drinks, loving children in the pool or scantily clad bunnies, clean beaches, the gentle ocean breeze with waves lulling us to sleep. Oh the dream thoughts one can now conjure up. Allow your mind to wander. Go places, mentally, that you have always dreamed of. By taking this first step, mental vacations, the next days, afternoons or nights of the next few weeks can create a happy moment. Because this is about relaxing.
Now let’s take a look at next year. Could there be a short trip, say, in the near future, for any of us? Or maybe a shorter four-day outing in early summer. Ideas are abundant. Treating ourselves once in a while is necessary when most of what we hear or read is negative. Now, with “Hope” being hyped for almost two years and going live on January 20th, why not “HOPE” for a vacation in your future? Some would say that if we all spent a little more money, pumping it into the economy, we could get things going again. “Hope is eternal.”
Most people think they can’t believe a vacation is possible. They are choosing to hold out for a period of time until things get better. Let’s just say that time may be on your side to plan a vacation. Time may be on your side to save and/or earn the money you need to do so. If a second income could incentivize a trip, a goal within reach, investigate any opportunity and achieve that goal. If your dream trip was an ultimate goal, you’d be wise to investigate a multitude of opportunities, and you might achieve that dream much sooner.