You are talking with someone at a party when the topic turns to travel and they mention that they just got back from a trip. You anxiously ask, “Oh, where did you go?” They reply and you say out loud or think “I’ve always wanted to go there.” You eagerly hang on every word about their trip or you have heard so many others talk about their trips to your dream destination that it is just one more reminder that you have yet to get to there. Why is that?

By far, the two most common reasons why someone has not visited their dream destinations are time and money. These and potentially others are real factors that can get in the way of taking that dream vacation. The real question is where does travel fit in your priorities for your time and money.

There are no right or wrong answers because we are all different in what we value, where we are in our lives, other commitments and more. Even with other higher priorities, you can still create a plan to get you to that dream destination.

Travel is like a triangle. On one side you have budget, another side is time and the third side is your travel style. If the length of your trip increases, than budget must increase and/or the travel style decrease. If 5* hotels and budget are set, than perhaps decrease the length of the trip. If the destination is half way around the world, can you do a one week budget vacation this year to have a longer trip next year.

Case in point – a client set up a meeting to talk about their honeymoon to Costa Rica in November. During the discussion I find that she really doesn’t like heat and humidity, but tropical destinations were nearby and beach/water destinations were what most couples do. When asked if they could go anywhere, where would they go?

Their response was Greece, but they didn’t feel they had the budget to do this. By traveling in November when it is off season, shortening the length of their honeymoon by a few days and choosing to go luxury accommodations in one hotel and nice hotels otherwise, they honeymooned in Greece!

Everyone has factors they need to consider when thinking about travel – health, money, time, responsibilities, etc. If travel is important, a plan to see your dream destinations is the way to make that happen. By looking each of these from a priority perspective and with flexibility, you can make a plan to get to any of your dream destinations.

Start planning so you can say “I just got back from” rather than lamenting later in life “I always wanted to go there.”