Are you unanchored? Untethered? Foot-loose and fancy free? Letting go and lifting out? Preparing for ‘decollage‘?
(In case you’re unawares, ‘decollage‘ is the term used by French pilots at take-off, when they tell the crew, ‘prepare for decollage’ which literally translates to are you ready to come unglued!) I *could* put an emoticon here.
Travel brings such a euphoric sense of freedom in exploration — and, more than anything else, connection.
It forces you to unwittingly show up; to finding like-minded’s, like-hearted’s — kinship — no matter the language or culture. It’s the common experience that bonds you together.
Sitting with dear friends just the other day, world travelers who were planning/charting out their next trip, they were sorting out their itinerary first.
Not last. First.
I thought about all the people who don’t do that. I guess it’s valuable to point out how so much is gained by creating one.
It’s that conundrum of you don’t know what you miss if you’ve not had it.
As an itinerary writer, I’ve been totally a part of the world that helps travelers along their way; whether the Trip Advisor’s Travel Forum, which is a most generous give-away for folks wanting tips and directions on how-to, to unanchor.com and its helpful and growing number of go-to itineraries, to a custom built, full-blown itinerary designed for you personally here at LoFT — because as one painfully discovers, an itinerary matters.
No question it’s a blast to just land and live spontaneously — which thousands of people do daily — to ‘go with the flow’ is exhilarating. Although afterthought is wiser than aforethought … time wasted getting lost … communications that break down because of cultural gaps … money spent getting back to Point A so you can try again to get to Point B. Or how about missing the train and having to wait five hours for the next one. These are time-consuming, financially disruptive arbitraries that can weigh-in significantly.
Whether you carve it out or someone helps you, having an itinerary allows you to avoid coming to that screeching halt moment. It allows flow, direction, and, quite viscerally, peace of mind. Most of all it provides you with the takeaway you’re after – or some semblance of that if time is short but available.
I for one have certainly learned the hard way. Which is why I ofter custom built ones — so you suffer half as much.
On the Trip Advisor travel forum, what strikes me daily is the high percentage of people who want a little direction, a little free advice for a 1-2 day trip.
It’s a great platform. Helpful. Unifying.
This is where the Unanchor platform sits as well. A totally inexpensive, viable option, it can steer your ship in the ocean a little more succinctly.
Check it out! Quick-fix, quick-find, quick-to-hand tips are all available.
Perspective? If the world is your oyster, which world would serve you best?
For now I have two itineraries up on Unanchor; one a 2-day (weekend jaunt) to Mont St Michel – and the other, a 1-Day from Paris to Chartres (currently being polished up.)
Stay tuned, and bon voyage!