Travel BUCKET LIST

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

For some people, there’s no space between an idea and a plan. They’re like the mythical Zeus, who birthed Athena from his mind, fully grown and clothed in gleaming armor. Most of us need help to put flesh and bones on a hazy hope of a breath of a dream.

This is especially true when transforming a travel bucket list into a concrete plan with dates and reservations. Where and how to even begin?

First, let’s revisit the concept of a bucket list, defined as several “experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.”

It’s a relatively new term in the American vernacular, popularized by the 2007 movie, “The Bucket List,” derived from the euphemism, kick the bucket. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson play two older men with terminal cancer completing an epic road trip, ticking off things they wanted to do before they kicked the bucket.

The term adds urgency to the average pipe dream, because the older we get, the less time we have to check off these listed items before it’s too late.

After brainstorming what matters most when it comes to travel, the next step is transforming pie-in-the-sky dreams into meaningful and actionable goals. You can do this on your own, scouring travel websites and piecing plans together a la carte, or you can lean on a travel agent to guide you through the process.

Nearly everyone is familiar with AAA (American Automobile Association), the membership-oriented service that provides roadside assistance, maps, TripTiks to route a road trip, and travel service discounts.

But did you know that you can walk into a local AAA office and walk out with a booked dream vacation to anywhere in the world? Since travel advisors (and most travel agents) work on a commission, this is a free service for AAA members and non-members alike, says Jim Garrity, Director of Public Affairs at AAA East Central, a multistate region that includes Northeast Ohio. However, members are privy to extra benefits and savings.

Garrity says that AAA travel advisors are passionate about travel and have professional connections with vendors all over the world to help you streamline your kernel of an idea and turn your travel dream into a reality, all within your price range, time frame and comfort level. Travelers aged 50 and older can take advantage of special packages and discounts AAA offers.

“We take all the burden of details off of you, especially if there are last-minute, unexpected changes that need to be made to your travel arrangements,” he says. “Someone can walk into our office for a TripTik and leave the office having booked a world cruise. Anybody can walk in with a dream and walk out with a trip. The bottom line, a travel advisor can help you turn a dream into a reality.

“They take all the work you could do yourself, and they take it off your plate for you, saving you time and money and last-minute hassles. How do you narrow it down without an expert? That’s why I have an expert for my taxes, my insurance, my investments and to do work on my car. I could do it all myself, but it pays to have a professional do it for me.”

Often, you can start by selecting a travel package, then your travel advisor can customize the details of that package according to your particular wishes.

“There is no idea too vague as a starting point. Your travel advisor can narrow your general idea down to all the specifics needed to nail down pricing, time frame, types of travel, accommodations, tours, entertainment, and all the rest. Your travel advisor can dream out loud with you, guiding you from dreaming to doing,” Garrity says.

Here are Garrity’s top three pieces of advice for a travel bucket list:

1. Follow your instincts. Lean into the ideal place you want to go. This is a dream trip, not a routine getaway, so don’t skimp (but work within your means).

2. Act fast. Make that call or walk into that office to book your trip, even if it’s for next year. Start the adventure now with the planning phase of your trip. Once you start the process, momentum will carry you forward. What seemed overwhelming before will become manageable with a plan, a budget and a schedule.

3. Don’t go it alone. Especially considering COVID complications, Garrity advises travelers to work with travel professionals rather than planning trips through online aggregates. Let a pro handle the details. If an unexpected SNAFU threatens to derail your travel plans, they have the expertise and contacts to smooth things over and keep your trip on track.

“We’ve got your back,” Garrity says. “So you can enjoy peace of mind as you go for that dream trip.”

AJ Clonts, Vice President of As You Wish Luxury & Romance Travel, has co-owned and operated this boutique travel agency with his wife, Sharon Pearson, for the past nine years. They are based out of Oberlin but also provide mobile services, meeting with clients throughout Northeast Ohio.

Their vacation package service fees start at $50 per couple, offering “white-glove services that allow you to sit back and relax while we put together a vacation that is what you want,” according to their website.

And Clonts says the name of their travel agency (Remember “As you wish…” from the film “Princess Bride?”) reinforces their attention to detail as they work to fulfill your travel wishes according to your desires. Your wish is their command.

Clonts is so accustomed to saving the day, he even sports Superman logos on his business card.

Clonts says, “If it’s a bucket list travel wish, it’s something they want to do one time in their life, which means it will likely be more expensive than a run-of-the-mill vacation.”

So, dream big but refine generalities. The top questions Clonts suggests you answer before planning a trip include:

Do you crave a lazy, relaxing vacation or an active, rugged adventure? This will set the pace and destinations/experiences for your itinerary.

Do you want to travel domestically or abroad? Do you prefer a hike in a national park or an exotic six-star cruise to Antarctica, Europe, Africa, Iceland or Asia? (Make sure your passport is valid for six months beyond your planned return from international destinations.)

What’s your style? In other words, what’s most important to you? History? Your lineage? Your faith? The beach? Self-guided or expert-led tours?

What’s your budget? Financial limits will inform your length of travel time.

“Three-fourths of the time, people have a general idea of what they want to do,” Clonts says. “Then we hone down the time frame, how many places they want to visit, their excursions and other details. We just guide the process.”

He adds that it’s worse to overplan and constantly move from one area of interest to the next. Instead, enjoy each location with longer stays. Once you spend your largest share of travel money on airfare, immerse yourself at your primary destination so you can get your sense of place by staying put for a while.

The sweet spot for starting your travel plans is eight to nine months before your departure date. Begin with booking your initial flight, cruise or train trip. (You can’t book a flight more than 11 months from the time of departure; tickets are usually set within two months of travel, or you can be penalized with change fees.) Then book your accommodations and further travel plans along the way. Your travel agent will ensure all the departures and arrivals dovetail with your accommodations and adventures at each locale.

If you adore the details of planning your dream vacation, there are scores of travel deals out there. But there are also travel scams, so do your homework and triple-check every source before you put down your hard-earned cash toward any reservations. (And by the way, credit card payments are safer than cash transactions.)

There are several sources of legitimate travel discounts, perks and special packages for the 50-and-older crowd. Look at AARP membership benefits related to travel products and services including entertainment, lodging and restaurants. Hotels, car rental agencies and airlines offer senior discounts, too. For an extensive listing of travel-related discounts and deals, check out this article from U.S. News & World Report, “Travel Discounts for Seniors” at money.usnews.com/money/ retirement/aging/articles/ travel-discounts-for-seniors.

Additional sources of savvy travel advice can be found at:

• nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ planning-a-trip/

• nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/ accurate-travel-tips/

• drifttravel.com/how-to-create-arealistic-travel-budget-and-stick-to-it/

• nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/

• cbsnews.com/news/ travel-plans-summer-2022/

Turn your wanderlust into a wander list. Whichever way you approach your travel bucket list, make it happen in 2023. It’s time to put a plan in motion and realize your dreams.