The world is wide, the cultures are vast, the experiences are many and while adventure is out there, I am compelled to pursue it. Greece is a beautiful country, where hospitality, food and the fertile lands are valued. After I had been seeing my partner Seth for about three months, I learned he had plans to explore Greece this year and when a flight popped up for April; I said I’d like to come with him.

How do you plan a trip with someone you’ve only known for 3 months? What should you do with your dog? And what is the best way to embrace the local culture and every moment? Well I am here to answer those questions for you today.

Step 1. Choose the date and a flight.

Sometimes being flexible with your dates lands you better flight options. I am strangely talented at finding incredible flight options, because I get absolutely obsessive about it. I use apps like hopper to keep track of great deals on hotels and flights. I also check Google daily for the trip I have in mind. When I have to leave a day earlier, or return later using an overnight flight that is just fine by me! I also enjoy looking at alternative options- for example I flew from Winnepeg using AirCanada on my trip to Ireland. It was 500$ compared to over $1000. It definitely made more sense to drive the extra couple of hours north from Fargo! When you have your dates picked out; then it’s time to figure out the rest of your adventure.

Step 2: Make sure your pup is well cared for when you’re gone

My best advice for ways to help your dog when you’re gone abroad for some time, is to use a familiar situation for your pet. It could be your parents, it could be your siblings, or even a best friend. You can pay for board and play situations but make sure you’ve tried it out for an overnight or weekend prior to traveling overseas. Rover.com is also a great option when traveling abroad but again, I always prefer to go somewhere after we’ve used them more than one time.

If you are sticking to a budget, finding a house sitter might be the best option for you. I have had success in asking my friends who have roommates if they’d like a break for a couple of weeks. I also enjoy having a house sitter to keep an eye on mail, plants, lawn, and amazon packages.

When I traveled to Greece, two of my friends were trying to buy a house in the same town I live in. They wanted to trial living in Albany for a couple of weeks. They came to love Chole time and were successful in buying their house in that time frame (Shout out to Jessy and Tim if they’re reading! They just got married and are honeymooning in Alaska- so happy for them!)

Step 3. Research where you want to go

Everyone in this beautiful world travels differently. Most people prefer “tourist attractions” and those destinations you simply cannot miss while abroad (such as the Tower of London or the Parthenon in Athens).

I love to look for adventures that are unique to whatever culture I am traveling to as well. I love food, hiking, culture/history, and meeting new people. I love rural communities and beautiful views. When I travel I enjoy diving into the local lifestyle.

I use google, pinterest, Instagram hashtags, fellow bloggers and Facebook to choose activities that are important to me. I’ve had success using the app Roadtrippers in the U.S. and free camping apps like the dyrt abroad. I also find it helpful to ask around! Has anyone you know been to the same place or dreamt of it before?

Step 4: Figure out Transportation

There are many transportation options when you’re traveling abroad. Some offer more flexibility but can increase stress; others are stress free but take away from the flexibility.

In Greece it was important to book our ferry boats well in advance. In London we needed a short flight to access Ireland. Making sure to book transportation services that are competitive prior to your arrival is important.

I love driving, and my prefered form of transportation is using a rental car. Greece required an international driver’s permit; while Ireland did not. International driving can be challenging and it is very important to research your destination on driver cultural norms.

No matter how you’re exploring the world- from ferries to trains, busses to planes- just make sure to slow down and enjoy every moment of the ride.

Step 5: Narrow down your list

Speaking of slowing down- my biggest piece of travel advice is just that: SLOW DOWN. If you want to go to 16 places, absolutely write them all down but prioritize what’s most important to you because you might have a better experience going to 5 places instead.

My sister and I took a trip up the east coast of the United States when we were first starting to dive in to traveling adventures. We went from Miami Florida up to Augusta Maine using ALL forms of transportation on the way! My greatest disappointment was Plymouth rock. It’s tiny! Not climbable. Just an engraved rock. Have you ever had that experience that was just a massive disappointment? That’s why I love having multiple ideas and a flexible itinerary. It worked out where we went to a movie and had a relaxing day in Plymouth (we actually saw John Green’s The Fault in our Stars and I never cried so hard in public in my life! But it didn’t matter because noone knew us and we had a great time enjoying the movie). Flexible itineraries can make those surprise rainy days, cold nights or snowed-in hikes so much more comfortable and enjoyable. So make a list of activities and do the ones you want to in the moment!

6. Be FLEXIBLE

While my biggest advice is to slow down, my best advice is as always, to never hesitate to change up your plans. If you are free camping, regular camping or staying in hostels don’t decide where you’re going to sleep until you get there. Does that make my mom feel stressed? Absolutely. Does it make traveling so much better? For me, it does. Some people need to have their overnights planned ahead and that’s a good way to travel too. Whenever I adventure with my college friends or my sister we have it planned in advance. Sometimes a blizzard hits and we don’t make it to that planned destination; or we have to rush past awesome things because our night is already booked. And it is for the sake of security of mind to have a place already booked. Personally, I pick three options- a hostel, a hotel and a campsite. If it’s beautiful outside, I always choose free camping.

So this is my rule BUT this does not apply for places like Santorini or Dublin where finding inexpensive overnights is a major challenge. Or if you drive up to Leavenworth Washington and find out (too late) that it is Oktoberfest so there are literally no places to sleep. In places that are competitive, especially in the major travel seasons having an advanced booking saves a lot of headaches.

It’s go- time.

You booked your flight, your transportation and the important overnight stops. You’ve sat down with the house sitters and you trialed them for a short local weekend. Your bags are packed and your dog food is organized and you are ready; SO ready for this adventure. Take a deep breath. Open your mind. Then dive in, because traveling abroad and experiencing the world is the absolute best way to allow your self to grow. ❤

I hope you all had an awesome week! Where is your next abroad trip planned? Are you a “book the hotel in advance!” Traveler or a “wing it!” Traveler? Chloe and I send Doggy hugs that direction, with happy trails and happy tales until next time.

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