How to create your travel bucket list

When day to day life becomes a little too intense and the weather is gloomy, who doesn’t dream a bit about their next vacation? Creating a travel bucket list actually helps turn dreams of escape into reality as you imagine future adventures or a well-deserved rest somewhere idyllic. Take a look at my ideas below and hopefully reading it will inspire you to create your very own list of places you’d love to visit. Allow yourself some escape time to conjure the destinations you’ve always dreamt of or the wildest vacation you can imagine.

How to come up with a dream destination list

Getting in touch with your interests

I actually have several travel lists because my interests are broad and varied. Sometimes I just want to bake in the sun for a week, or perhaps scale a volcano¹. So, I’ve divided my lists into sun destinations, hiking spots, terrific surf locations, etc.

Here are a few categories that might inspire you:

• Nature
• Gastronomy
• Museums and galleries
• Ecotourism
• Beaches
• Mountains
• Festivals
• Archeology
• Wildlife

 

What travel experience do you really crave fulfilling?

Scuba diving among exotic fish, visiting the Louvre, trekking in New Zealand, savouring pizza in Naples: identifying what you really want will help you come up with your list and identify the countries where your dreams can be made real. Your interest in a particular sort of experience will guide you to your destination and I find that’s one of the things that helps me decide on a particular country or place.

Take notes and write your list down

Actually, taking the time to jot down your ideas on paper or on an app will help you keep your ideas alive. A travel bucket list will inspire you to dream and you’ll come back to it often.

Consult travel guides, photography books, or the Ontario Blue Cross website for inspiration

I find that, for me, a simple, beautiful photograph can drive me to want to explore a location. That’s exactly what happened the first time I saw a photograph of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano. “I absolutely have to see this in person at some point in my life,” I said to myself. A few months later, there I was on the slopes of the volcano, feeling deeply moved and proud about making my dream come true.

Think about how you really imagine living your adventures

The way you want to travel will affect where you ultimately want to head. Do you want to travel with a group, as a couple or solo? Will you head out with a backpack or your four-wheel suitcase? Think about how you imagine yourself at your destination while experiencing your vacation and that will help you decide where you’ll be most comfortable travelling or not.

Think about your personal values and limits when deciding where to go

All your friends might be craving a Tanzanian safari adventure, but if your personal values mean you wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with that sort of trip, despite pleasant company, your vacation could take an unhappy turn. I believe that a travel bucket list should be true to your personal interests and values as you dream of experiences you want to undertake.

Now, grab your pencil and start a list that will help you dream!

Gabrielle Asselin

Vagabondeuse