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Quick Tip: Reduce Travel Stress by Taking More Trips!

  • Million Mile Secrets

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    Million Mile Secrets team member Joseph is re-reading one of his favorite books: Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, by Rolf Potts.  Most of our readers are NOT long-term travelers.  But I asked him to write down any useful ideas our readers might appreciate.

    Joseph:   Want to have a relaxing, low-stress vacation?  Travel often!

    Folks who never travel, but have dreamed for years of touring Europe, or vacationing in the Caribbean, will put a lot of pressure on that trip to be perfect when they finally get the chance to go.  They’ll consider the trip to be a once in-a-lifetime-opportunity.  And if something doesn’t go as they’d always dreamed, they’re overly disappointed.

    And on top of that, they’ll have a mean case of the post-travel blues after each trip!

    If You Rarely Travel, You’ll Place Undue Stress on Your Vacation

    But miles & points can change that!  The more you travel, the less obligation you’ll put on each trip to be flawless.  And the more you’ll be able to enjoy yourself.

    How to Relax While Traveling

    The key to fun and less stressful vacations is to take them regularly.

    If there’s always another trip in the foreseeable future, you’ll be more accepting of the way each trip unfolds, even when things don’t go according to plan.  If something goes wrong, or you don’t meet some of your trip goals, you won’t be as heartbroken.  Because there’s always next time!

    I recently had a 9-hour layover in Oahu.  Before I discovered miles & points, my natural tendency would be to frantically sprint around the island to hit major attractions, like Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head, or perhaps try my luck with the Haiku Stairs. 😉

    But because I know I can return to Oahu for nearly free, I decided to just enjoy my stop by swimming at Waikiki beach.  And it was a great time!

    I Fell Asleep Under This Tree at Waikiki Beach. It’s One of My Favorite Memories From the Trip!

    There was no pressure to make the short layover a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Because it’s NOT once in a lifetime!

    If you’ve fantasized for years about visiting Paris, you won’t feel devastated if the Eiffel Tower is temporarily closed during your trip.  If you make the trek to Saint Lucia, it won’t be as big of a deal when unexpected rain ruins your tanning weather.

    That’s part of the magic of miles & points!  No place on earth is out of your budget.  So no matter where you’re visiting, there can always be a next time.

    Bottom Line

    Lots of folks spend years imagining the day they’ll finally get to take their dream trip.  And when the opportunity finally comes, they’re grief-stricken if everything doesn’t go perfectly.

    Traveling once or twice in your life can be a recipe for stressful and disappointing travel!  The more you travel, the more you’ll enjoy each journey.

    Have your travels become less pressured after discovering miles & points?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)