5 Steps to Plan the Perfect Vacation l How to Make the Most of Your Vacation

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world," French novelist Gustave Flaubert wrote. We are creatures of habit and many of us don't explore local towns or cities, let alone another country. However, for those who do, it can be a life-changing and a costly experience. "Americans spent an average of $2.7 billion a day, $113.1 million an hour, $1.9 million a minute and $31,400 a second in 2016 on travel expenses," ustravel.org reported. In the U.S., 4 out of 5 domestic trips were taken for vacation as well. Despite the sluggish economy, people are looking to plan a getaway and we don't blame them. We all want to create long lasting memories and want an escape from the routine of daily life. But as exciting vacations are, they can be a headache to execute and can be stressful. Booking hotels, rental cars and flights can become quite meticulous and exhausting. However, a vacation can become quite meaningful if we follow some guidelines. Here are 5 steps to plan the perfect vacation.

Start Brainstorming

Spend time with your thoughts without other people around as this will give you a sense of spontaneity. Having this individual time will help you get your ideas down and allow you to eliminate things from your list. Then set a date to meet with the family. Start brainstorming ideas at the kitchen table during a day where people are off and can take their time. Write down things you'd like to do during your vacation or the people that you want to visit if they are nearby. Have everyone just jot their thoughts down and go around the table to share ideas. Then start choosing the ideas that make sense or what makes everyone excited. The reason behind this exercise is to allow an exchange of opinions without judgments.

Begin the Research

Now that you have several ideas, narrow it down to your top 5. Research online and look at catalogs that meet your budget and goals. This will help pare down the choices as prices could be underestimated when you brainstormed. Start with your budget when looking for places to travel. Let's say that your allowance is $3,000, look for an all-inclusive package, which could include all your drinks and your meals. Some places will also throw in off-site activities like golfing or snorkeling if you go in that direction. An all-inclusive cruise could also be a possibility if you don't want to fly and if you want to see more areas of interest. A staycation could be ideal as it will give you more money to play with since you're staying in the area. This will allow you to do more entertaining activities.

Get People Involved

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Find potential itineraries and get the entire family involved in the process. No one wants to feel that their wants are not being addressed. Allowing children to choose activities will help them feel important and it helps them work as a team. Assign each family member with a task. One can be the chief photographer and one can keep a journal of the vacation for a scrapbook. Have the kids research the geography of the places online or use an AAA Guidebook to help them explore the areas of interest. Life is all about trade-offs and most likely, everyone will have to compromise at some point because of various interests and visions they have for the vacation.

Be Realistic

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This is worth mentioning, but we need to set realistic expectations! We tend to think things will go according to plan, but there are travel delays, crowds, crying kids and other influences, which could thwart your perfect vacation. Like with anything in life, set tangle goals and try to go with the flow. If you are feeling bewildered, try eliminating an activity that is not completely necessary. This can be taking a day where you don't follow the rules and just sit on the beach or spend time exploring the area on a whim. Lifehack concurred: "Knowing that you will see what you have time for and that shoving everything into one itemized, minute-by-minute itinerary is just going to put more stress on your supposed stress-free vacation." Taking the pressure off will add to the enjoyment of your trip.