In this current climate, many of us travel lovers are feeling overwhelmed and confused. We’ve been in isolation for months, plans have been canceled, and we don’t know when all of this will end. Personally speaking, I’m seriously craving a change of scenery and new adventures. I miss the feeling of exploring a new place. Honestly, this summer just feels incomplete now that there’s no vacation to look forward to. Like many of you, I’m torn because even though I would like to take a trip, I’m still not fully comfortable traveling yet.
Despite everything that’s happening, I think it’s important to stay optimistic and to make the most of this time at home. While travel may be on hold, there are many ways to prepare now for future travel, once it’s safe again. Check out the list below for 22 ways to prepare for future trips.
Money
- Automate your savings – Open a high yield savings account and set up automatic transfers. As they say, pay yourself first! You won’t even have to think about it and doing this also helps manage overspending
- Start investing – Look into investing as another way to grow your money. I use the Acorns app but I’ve heard good things about Robinhood as well. Check out this beginner’s guide for more info on investing
- Sell or donate items – It’s surprising how much money we have sitting in our closets! You can make extra money by selling or donating things you don’t need. My favorite apps: for selling clothes, shoes, accessories – @poshmark , @depop, and @mercari . For furniture and appliances – Facebook Marketplace, @OfferUp, and @letgo . For donations – @goodwillintl , @SalvationArmyus, and @dressforsuccess (FYI donations are tax-deductible 😌)
- Start a side hustle/monetize your skills – If you have a skill in music, languages, social media, etc, considering monetizing that for additional income
- Start/resume your job search – consider changing industries or applying for higher salary jobs to increase your income
- Ask for a raise or overtime at work
Self learning
- Learn a new language – This is the perfect time to learn a new language. Before traveling, it’s important to become familiar with the language and learn a few important phrases. Trust me, it’ll go very far. YouTube, Babbel, Duolingo, and Rosetta Stone are great resources to check out
- Take a travel writing course – Check out Udemy, Teachable, or LinkedIn Learning. I’m currently taking this course from Udemy
- Take a photography course – You can also find photography courses on Udemy, Teachable, and LinkedIn Learning
- Take a blogging course – If you’re interested in travel blogging and don’t know where to start, try taking a course to learn everything you need to know about blogging
- Study the places you intend to visit – Immerse yourself in the culture by watching documentaries, travel shows, reading articles/books, etc. Keep yourself informed of what’s happening culturally, politically, and economically in the places you want to visit. Most importantly, stay up to date on the latest travel restrictions and policies
Planning
- Plan out time off and request vacation days – If you intend to travel this year, start planning out your time off and put in the requests as soon as possible, per your company’s policy. Calculate your remaining vacation days and block the time as ‘tentative’ on your calendar
- Sign up for flight deals/alerts, watch prices – Stay up to date with flight deals by subscribing to your favorite airlines’ emails. Also, use sites like Flight Hub and Cheapo-air to monitor flight prices and be alerted when there are price drops
- Make sure you’re up to date on vaccines
- Apply for a passport or renew your current one – Apply for a passport if you’ll be traveling abroad. If you currently have one, be sure it’s still valid before you travel
- Update important legal documents and credit cards – Confirm that your government IDs, legal documents, and credit/debit cards are up to date
- Invest in packing cubes – these make packing a breeze and allow you to pack more efficiently
- Purchase travel accessories – (camera, tripod, power bank, etc.)
- Clean out your phone – clean out your phone to free up storage. Store old photos on a cloud-based tool like Google Photos, Dropbox, or Shutterfly
- Enroll in the STEP program – The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service provided by the U. S. to protect American citizens who are traveling or living abroad. With this program, you register your trip with the U. S. Embassy so you receive up-to-date safety information. It also allows the Embassy to quickly get in contact with you in case of an emergency. This is something that every American citizen should do before traveling or moving abroad
- Start planning your next trip – Use the Google Travel app to find flights, hotels, and more. You can also download my free travel planning kit here
My last tip is to stay inspired and stay positive. Connect with other travelers through Instagram and travel blogs. I know that many of us (myself included) had to take some time away from creating content due to all of the tragic events we’ve witnessed in recent months. As we progress through the second half of the year, I’m excited to see the travel industry starting to pick back up. I know in this climate it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, however, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to explore this beautiful world once again.
How have you been preparing for future travels during this time at home? Share in the comments below!
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I’m definitely going to check the investing apps. I hadn’t thought about it. Thank you for these amazing tips!!
Thank you Nat! So glad this was helpful!