A lot of people ask me how I pick my next travel destination, and how I plan my trips.  There's really no one simple answer to those questions. 

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My travel inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere: news stories; scenic photographs; travel shows (Rick Steves and Parts Unknown are near-constants on my TV); other travel blogs; books, movies or TV (I've been dreaming of Russia since watching Anastasia as a child, and Poldark currently has me lusting after a trip to Cornwall almost as much as over Aiden Turner); friends' Facebook posts; even history classes from high school and college (whuddup, Lehigh U Spring '02 History of South America 1500-1800).  Literally anything can get my travel motor going.
 

Once a location catches my attention, I get excited . . . and fanatical.  I devour every travel article and show I can find focusing on that area.  I read books set there, and watch movies that take place there.  I research the sights to see, museums to visit, and activities to experience, as well as potential day trips, transportation options, and the best routes and schedules.  Then I put together all sorts of tour itinerary options.  This happy, frenzied fantasy-trip planning is one of my favorite activities in life.  It's also what inspires me to draft my "Currently Obsessing Over" posts.  Trip-planning is biggest hobby, and my most reliable stress reliever.  My friends call it my travel porn addiction.  

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Sometimes, the stars align, my work schedule cooperates, and the season is right.  Then I can go straight from the fantasy-planning, itinerary-making stage to the booking and counting-the-days-until-I-leave stage.  Other times, life gets in the way, and my amazing, well-researched and perfectly planned trips have to wait.  In that case, my dream itineraries get filed away in their respective country email folders (my GMail has a folder for almost every country in the world). . . but never, ever forgotten.  A week, a month, or a year later, something will inspire me again, and push a location back into the forefront of my mind.  I will pull up my previous emails and start my happy planning dance all over again. I am pretty much on a constant rotation of planning all of the possible trips in the world.  Which ones I actually get to take, in which order, is simply a function of timing, weather/seasons,

money, and current mood.  Or, if I am going with a friend, their preferences and schedule.   

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At any given time, I usually have at least 1-2 trips booked, and other 5-10 that I am in different stages of planning, researching or fantasizing about.  You can see what my current plans and obsessions in the box to the right of your screen!   

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Need some help planning your own trip?  Start here.

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