The Lived Travel Experience_Make the plan, take the trip!
Subscribe!
Email Dr. Donna!
Travel Value

Travel Value

by | Dec 24, 2020 | 0 comments

Determining what you value most is an essential part of ensuring you make the right travel decisions. When planning a trip, airfare, accommodations, sightseeing, and travel budget are a few aspects that more experienced travelers think about carefully.

If travel time is not something you place a high value on and you want to get to a destination and don’t care when you get there or how long it will take you to get there, there may be many budget-friendly flight options to consider. Often flights are cheaper if you leave at an undesirable time of the day and could mean unwanted early morning flights that most people don’t choose. It could also be that you don’t mind making an extra stop or two to get to your destination. This option might take you several hours to get to your destination rather than a few hours with a direct flight, but this is an option if you value budget over time.

When the most crucial thing to travelers is not the hotel room but the destination, hotel considerations don’t have a very high value. Therefore, less expensive hotel considerations might be a good option if you give less importance to your stay. If you plan a travel itinerary that takes up most of your days with only time at the hotel for sleeping, you most likely won’t place a high value on the hotel. For others who place more value in their stay, they might find it more worthwhile to stay in the city center or close to attractions that might lead to a costlier hotel. For some, the hotel is a big part of the trip, and they would rather be at a hotel that fits that importance.

Other travelers might find more worth in sightseeing and what the destination has to offer. Activities like visiting World UNESCO sites and destination tours may be the most critical part of their trip. This might entail guided or private tours as something they value more. Other times travelers like to blend with the locals; renting transportation and just going with local suggestions might be an okay way of seeing the destination.

Your travel budget will be affected by many factors, such as costs and affordability. It is essential to consider what you most value in the travel experience. Knowing what you love most will help guide your budgeting decisions and give you more pleasure in your travel experience.

What do you value most when you travel? I’d love to find out what and why.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

by | Dec 16, 2020 | 0 comments

Having flown as a career for over 20 years I have stayed in many hotel rooms and so the experience has taught me a lot about what to look out for in terms of cleanliness.

1. Check the hotel sheets. No one wants to sleep on possible dirty covid sheets. I can’t tell you how many different times I have gone into a hotel room just dying to shower and get into bed and found that the sheets have not been changed. If you do this when you first get into the hotel room, there is plenty of opportunity for the hotel to fix the issue before you are ready to go to bed.

2. Make sure the sheets are visibly dirty before you check out of the hotel and prevent any possible Covid spread. I think it’s just a matter of kindness to the next guest and just plain hygienic. Don’t feel bad as the hotel should automatically be doing this anyhow. I always wiped the bottom of my shoe across the sheets before I checked out.

3.Place a face towel or hand towel on the bathroom counter to place all your items on. Especially in this time of covid you do not want to transfer any germs to your face or hands. It’s also a visual reminder of anything placed on the counter and it helps in not forgetting items like jewelry in the bathroom.

4. Take an extra washcloth and wipe the toilet seats down. I think we all assume that the hotel room has been cleaned thoroughly but my experience has shown that the toilet seat is often overlooked.

5. Treat hotel room floors like airplane bathrooms and never assume it’s just water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed through hotel corridors and seen the remains of a hotel room party gone wild. Let’s face it, the hotel does not have the manpower or capability to thoroughly clean hotel room floors, nor do they often have time between checkouts. Covid can be easily spread through bodily fluids.

I hope my tips have been helpful, check back in for more of my lived travel experience.

Massage, one of the best things for self care.

Massage, one of the best things for self care.

by | Nov 19, 2020 | 0 comments

They are plenty of different types of travelers. Backpackers, weekenders, thrill seekers, and holiday travelers are but a few.  I have traveled extensively for work and pleasure and I consider myself a spa traveler.  For me, travel is not just to have been to a destination or to check it off my bucket list, I travel for the experience of travel.  Most importantly, a spa visit to wherever I go is a must as I believe that self care is the best care.

With Covid 19, travel is limited, but it is limitless in my mind.  Inner travel often takes me back to many of my previous travel experiences as well as the ones I’d like to have.  Lately, getting at home massages has been a way for me to elevate my inner travel experience. I believe that a massage is one of the best things for self care, a way to treat yourself and take a break from life.  For an hour, I can do nothing but be still and have someone concentrate on me, the ultimate getaway.

What travel experiences do you think you can bring to your life without leaving the presence of your home?  Can you make a cocktail or cocktail and take an hour for yourself? Can you just sit still and watch the world go by on your street or neighborhood?  Just people watch like we do when we’re on vacation and curious about the people and places we see.  Try it and let me know how bringing the inner travel experience to life works for you.