From dreaming to pre-planning

Photo by Elizabeth Bule

I've wanted to go for an extended visit to the UK for years now. This year I'm going to go for a while - maybe not as long a trip as I had dreamed about, but for a goodly amount of time (3-4 weeks). I don't have tickets in hand or hotel/hostel reservations made, so how can I be so confident?

1. I have checked with my supervisor at work and she sees no problem with me being gone for that length of time as long as it isn't in the busy time of the term.
2. A friend of mine is taking his Master's at the London School of Economics, so I have a London contact, but only for this year. I'm not sure what he will do after that, but it may not be in London, so this year has a bit more urgency about it.
3. Two words: Aeroplan miles. I have saved up enough miles to pay for a very nice flight there and back.
4. Savings. I have been saving on a regular basis, some for retirement, some for an emergency fund, and some for a trip to the UK.

So, with those items aligned, I am now into the serious pre-planning. (I'm going to use italics to highlight some of my irrational inner monologue. If it gets to annoying, please tell me and I'll stop. The italics that is. I've been trying to stop the irrational inner monologue for a long time and I haven't had any success at it. Mostly I just try to peacefully co-exist with it). 

How much pre-planning does anyone really need? Grab your passport, you know, the one you've kept valid all the time "just in case" and your credit card and go.

My mom used to always say "Half the fun of a trip is the planning." I believe this to be true.

Last year, I took a 1 week trip to New Orleans. I started planning it in late December, but I didn't keep any record of the planning process.

This blog is going to be my personal record of planning and visiting the UK in 2014. I will blog about all the aspects of picking places that are on my personal "must see" list, where I decide to stay, how the ticket booking experience goes, the luggage I decide to take, right through the departure lounge, flight, actual time there, and ultimate return home.