Travel rut. You could say I'm currently experiencing exactly just that with my last international travel dating back to 2011. That's when the first picture above was taken. I was in Paris during fashion week and my eyes still light up if you ever talk to me about it. While that was a trip I'll never forget (evidence here and here), I'm truly feeling this rut quite badly. My passport is so expired it's not even valid ID anymore.
I thought it was time to put pen to paper and start a visual list of all the countries I need to visit. I also rounded up a list of tips and inspiration sources if you find yourself in the same situation. Start a travel inspiration folder.
This one should be the easiest, especially for image hoarders. My go to websites for this are:- Not Just Another Milla
- Pocket-Witch
- Gary Pepper Girl
- A Minute Away From Snowing
- The Cherry Blossom Girl
- Grease and Glamour
Get on Pinterest. It's no secret that Pinterest is addictive but it's the fastest way to curate all your dream destinations in one place. Here's a good example from Elle of Wonderfelle. While I'm at it, here's a quick plug to my Pinterest which you can follow here.
Do your research!
I'm definitely the kind of person who needs to see the facts and figures, otherwise it's all just pretty pictures living inside a screen. I love websites like Webjet (Australian website here) for the convenience of comparing prices for flights, hotels and even insurance. There's also Zuji which has a 'Specials' section.
Look into the serious stuff like visas and travel warnings.
The nana in me always puts safety first above everything so I suggest looking up the travel warnings for your destinations before even going cray cray on Pinterest. If you're flying from New Zealand, you might want to check the government website called Safe Travel.
What are your sources for travel inspiration? Tell me your top five must visit countries in the comments below! x