2018 Travel Planning

Are we the only ones who spend a ridiculous amount of time every January brainstorming and researching all of the places we want to visit in the year ahead? Travel, afterall, does take planning… oh and saving, and discipline too.

​One of the tools we quickly learned after quitting our jobs to travel is the art of budgeting. We’re diligent about knowing where our money is going in order to ensure we’re spending it how (and where) we want. Our technique is to determine a weekly budget that includes all of our everyday costs: groceries, dinner/drinks out, movies/futbol games, gas, etc. Each week, if we spend less than our weekly budget, we add the remainder to our travel fund. This way the money we have to spend on travel is always growing and one trip never puts us in debt or feels like a massive endeavor. 

​So what are we saving for in 2018? This year, we’ll continue to explore Europe - it’s why we moved here and often ridiculously cheap to do - and more specifically, Spain. We’re also going to try to pencil in some beach time, as well as a few long weekends with expat friends. And who knows, we may make it back to the states next winter as well. 

2018 travel on the books

Budapest, Hungary 
Ummm, check check. We actually just got back a few days ago from an incredible weekend in Budapest - a mainstay on our travel wishlist for years. The city is grand and beautiful, full of amazing restaurants at every price point, luxurious but affordable (really!) hotels, a cool central market, great public transport, and Turkish baths dating back to the 1500s. Your money goes far here, so it’s easy (and really fun!) to live it up. Look for an (affordable luxury) Cohica Designed Trip to Budapest, coming soon!

Spain, Spain, Spain
What do you picture when you think of Spain? Maybe Barcelona? Madrid? There is sooooo much more to this country, beyond the big, famous cities most people think of. The Iberian Peninsula (aka Spain) offers many different regions, each with a different landscape, culture, and often times, language. We want to see it all, including:

• Andalucia - especially the Alhambra in Granada, beautiful Seville and Cordoba 
• Galicia - full of green farmlands and lovely small towns
• Basque Country - especially the foodie hotspot of San Sebastian, as well as the rocky coastline and maybe even Dragonstone (holler, GOT fans) 

Balearic Islands, also Spain
Also Spain, but deserving of a separate paragraph. Last year, we visited Ibiza and Mallorca, and let’s just say, we’re obsessed. The ocean is crystal clear, the coastline is full of shallow coves, and the sun shines late into the night. It’s like having a tiny version of the caribbean (with a very different culture), 35 minutes from home. We already have a long weekend in Ibiza planned for April to run a race and stay in a gorgeous (and ridiculously cheap) private villa with six of our most wonderful friends. 

London, England
Last year, we went to Scotland. This year, we’re going to England. London, specifically. Our lovely friends are getting married and it’s the perfect excuse for Ryan to revisit his study abroad days and for Megan to see the city for the very first time (yes, seriously). London, we’re coming for ya!

Sardinia, Italy 
When we were planning last year’s summer trip to the Azores, we went down the research rabbit hole and started looking at other islands. Very quickly, we became obsessed with Sardinia (and Corsica as well, to be fair). Smack dab in the middle of the Mediterranean, Sardinia is home to intense rocky cliffs, pristine beaches and... Italian food! The fantasy of laying on the beach and hiking trails along the cliffs before stuffing our faces with pizza and guzzling Italian wine may be impossible to pass up.

U.S.A
Living abroad can be hard. We miss our families. Our friends are busy. Our nephews are growing. There’s a challenging time change to overcome for all communication. So we’ll likely plan a trip home this year or early 2019. It’s important. And with really low airfare available to and from Europe, we have no reason (other than a spoiled rotten pup) not to make the journey. 

Some other destinations on our wishlist, for 2018 and beyond:

• Sri Lanka, Laos, and possibly back to Vietnam
• Greece, especially the tiny, less-visited islands
• Northern Portugal for the Camino de Portugues
• Prague, Czech Republic

Where will you be traveling in 2018? Check out Travel Destinations around the world for inspiration, stories and blogs!