goals in 2017 . Before we get started , I challenge you to pick two travel destinations : one in the United States and one outside of the US . There is only one condition … it must be a place where you never visited .
Now stop , close your eyes , and think . Free your mind of the million and one things you have to be done today . Recall that picture of a tropical island you saw in the magazine you flipped through at the doctor ’ s office . Allow your mind to reflect on the European country you wanted to visit in your 20 ’ s . Where have you always wanted to go but never took the time to make it happen ? It is not too late .
Now that we have two travel places in mind , let us come up with two plans of action on paper . Plan A will be for the city you are going to visit inside the US in 2017 . Plan B will be for the city abroad that you are going to visit in 2018 .
These guidelines can be used for both plans of action . Realize the goal here is to make your bullet point promise something that you can actually accomplish . We will do that by taking steps toward that goal .
• Start with choosing a time to go . It can be a celebration ( maybe for your birthday ) or just a random trip ( like a girl ’ s getaway ). This allows you to determine how much time you have to save for your trip .
• Develop a budget . How much money will you need for travel , lodging , food , and entertainment ? Open a savings account or a vacation club account . Use your budget to figure out how much you need and have automatic deposits go into this account every paycheck .
• Learn the language of the land . Being able to relate to the locals has its rewards . If you are traveling to a foreign country , it is beneficial to know how to say “ good morning ” or “ where ’ s the restroom ?” or “ thank you .” Trust me . They will appreciate the effort .
• Apply for your US passport ( if you do not already have one ). Give yourself plenty of time for government processing . Visit www . usa . gov / passport for complete details .
• Develop a reasonable timeline for achieving each of the goals listed above . Be realistic in your goal setting , but also proactive . I
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