For a Game Plan Part I

Why we research

Every day this week I will be posting a new section of a series entitled, For a Game Plan. This series is about research, planning, and even packing for your vacations. I have been in travel planning mode for the last couple of months for a recent trip to Memphis. All of this preparation has made me think of all of the steps I take prior to any outing or trip, as well as the helpful tips I can share.

We research so we can relax. Or at least I do. I can’t even pretend to relax or get excited about a trip if I haven’t researched it properly and set all my plans in motion.

First comes the research, and then comes the itinerary. In order to plan a proper visit anywhere, one must first know what he/she is looking for. You have to have an idea of the kind of vacation and experiences you want to have. If not, you will need to do even more research. Research is the first, most important and exciting part of any trip for me. It doesn’t matter if you are going on a day trip around your neighborhood or overseas; you need to know what you are doing. I am not one to fly by the seat of my pants. I need information, details and a game plan. I have become a nut for this kind of schedule and now am known for my itineraries. My itineraries are the product of my blood, sweat, and tears. I research, and then recheck everything again. My greatest fear is missing out on something I have waited so long to do because I wasn’t informed. I don’t want to be in a city or town that I am not likely to travel back to in the near future, and miss out on something great simply because it was closed or I ran out of time. This has yet to happen to me, because I do everything in my power to avoid it. I want to always have the tools to rearrange my schedule. I get mocked for my obsessive detail but I haven’t found a person who didn’t appreciate how smoothly his/her trip went.

Once a successful trip has been taken, I always update my itinerary with what I have done and what I have yet to do. This way whenever I make it back there, I know exactly what I want to do. It’s a lot of work but it always pays off. Like everything else, anything worth having is worth working for.

Check back tomorrow For a Game Plan Part II- How to research.

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