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| Christiansborg Palace. Copenhagen, Denmark. |
1) Educate Yourself About the History of the Country- You will appreciate the country so much more if you learn about its past before traveling there, especially if you plan on learning more history when you arrive. With prior knowledge, you will be able to receive a deeper understanding of the country’s roots and culture.
2) Learn the Language- There’s no need to become fluent, but it will come in handy to be familiar with basic vocab terms such as: “hello”, “yes”, “no”, “restroom”, “please”, “thank you”, and “beer”. Just trust me.
Keep in mind, too, that most locals are grateful when you even attempt to speak their language. It shows them that you aren’t just one of those tourists who came to their country just to say you traveled there. It proves that you made an effort to learn part of their culture and that you are brave enough to try it out in their homeland.
Side Note: If you’re nervous, try speaking the language while out at a pub. There’s no better time to practice. With a little liquid courage, you’ll be making friends in no time!
Duolingo is as great tool to learn a new language. And it's FREE!
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| Book that excited me for Italy. |
3) Read a Book Related to the Place- Regardless the genre of book, reading about where you will be traveling will give you a mental picture of what to look forward to and expect. Even if your mental picture is completely wrong, you’ll still be pumping yourself up for your upcoming trip. Now you have a reason to go to the library (yes, they still exist).
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| Churros and Hot Chocolate before Flamenco Show. Barcelona, Spain. |
4) Make Your Trip’s Itinerary- Along with the sights you know you already want to see, you’ll discover more places to add to your list by doing some research with websites such as Trip Advisor. I’ve mentioned it before, but using Visitacity.com can inform you of popular sites and places to see, along with carefully planning out your order of events to save time. Did I mention it's FREE?
5) Buy a New Outfit (or two)- You have to admit that buying a new outfit is always exciting (even for guys). Pick one that you will be excited to wear on your trip. Make sure it’s a suitable and comfortable outfit. Most importantly, make sure you don’t splurge too much. You’re trying to save up money to spend on your trip and not before your trip!
6) Pack-You’ll need time to smart pack your carry-on. Yes, carry-on only (refer to the “Pack Smart” post). Figure out what you will absolutely need, and what you can do with out on your trip. This will be a carefully thought out process, so might as well get a head start!
Side Note: Check with your airlines to find out regulations of carry-on sizes. Many have changed over the last year.
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| Waiting for train with carry-on. Copenhagen, Denmark. |
7) Watch Videos-YouTube and similar resources will allow you to get educated about the country and get a sneak peek of what to expect.
8) Download Music-Nothing can get your more pumped than listening to music from the country you are visiting, or by an artist from that country. Downloading Icelandic music before our trip to Iceland really added something extra special for our road trips while driving on the scenic Ring Road (Route 1)!
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| Driving the scenic Ring Road (Route 1). Iceland. |
Ready…set…get excited!
Safe Travels,
Veronica
