Everyone can dream, it is free but your dream vacation is not. Moving your vacation from group chat to reality takes work, money, and a high dose of reality check.
There are certain times when we make delusional plans with our close friend on WhatsApp groups about going on a road trip or running away on a weekend to Seychelles to clear your head. I get it, we all have been there. We have all had moments where we dreamt with our eyes open which is why I am writing this piece to help you out of your situation. It is high time we turned your delusion to reality.
- Accept that you are delusional
The first step to addressing a problem is accepting that there is actually a problem somewhere. When you do not acknowledge that there is a problem, you will not be opened to seeking solution, which is another problem in itself. So, this is the part where you tell yourself that you are delusional for thinking about going on a weekend getaway together with friends to Mauritius with your N2,500 account balance.
We all know it is not done like that, you are late to the party. It is time to clear your head and stop daydreaming so that you can think straight. There is no shame in admitting your limitations and working towards a realistic goal.
- Explore your locality
Now that you are aware of your true situation, you can plan according to your pocket. The truth is, traveling is very expensive and you do not have the money yet.
Your dreams are valid but you need funds to achieve it. So, while you are still dreaming about international travels, you can start traveling locally. There are so many spots in Nigeria that you can explore and are budget friendly.
You can start by exploring your locality while you and your friends work your ways toward weekend getaways at your dream location. Doing this will give you the chance to enjoy traveling and sightseeing on a tight budget.
- Identity the planner in your friend group
In every friend group, there is usually someone that has a knack for planning things. They might even be the one to suggest different activities for the group. If they are good with planning, you can saddle them with the responsibility of making research about local places that fit within your budget.
However, this has to be done painstakinkly because the level of planning done prior to your trip goes a long way in determining the kind of experience you will have. If there is no one in the group that can handle that, you can outsource it to another person or a travel company.
Getting started on proper planning is a good boost to making your travel plan reality.
- Save together towards your travel
Friend group that save together will travel together. Group traveling are usually fun but money is the most important recipe in arranging fun travel.
On the same group chat you started delusional trips, work together towards a local trip. Make your research about local places that piques the interest of everybody, make an estimate budget and create a group savings plan for it.
Divide the cost amongst yourselves and set a monthly target for a set period of time according to your capacity.
Local travels are cheaper and the target will be easy to meet. Once you have the funds ready, you are ready to explore the world.
- Plan towards emergency situation
Life is unpredictable, so we must make plans for unplanned events. You can’t foresee everything that might come up in your travel, it is imperative that you plan towards it.
It could be extra money you will need or extra clothing or even more time to plan. Do not be rigid in your planning. Set aside funds and take extra clothing materials along with you.
In the case where you need extra time to plan your vacation, give yourselves the grace to extend or postpone your plans.
Whenever you are ready, you can take your group trip out of the WhatsApp and actually have fun in real life. All you need to do is to start small and get your funds together. Your dream vacation is just some ‘money’ away.
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