From Daydreams to Departure Gates

I often find my mind wandering to far off places and honestly feel frustrated (from time to time) that the circumstances don't allow me to immediately be there. I'm sure we all do. Not everyone is independently wealthy and most of us in all honesty may even struggle with day to day hassles of life, whether that be work, bills, kids, family, etc. I get it. Deferring our dreams to some abstract time and place where all of the ifs and whens come into magical alignment and suddenly BOOM! The genie snaps his fingers and it all works out. As time progresses some people allow cynicism to take hold and leave it there; it's only a dream.

Be SMART

For myself, I think it better to start with a plan. Everywhere you turn at least in my realm of the working world you hear about SMART goals as they pertain to business. I've always found it a bit cheesy but in all honesty these are a great way to plan that next adventure. Again guys it doesn't have to be crazy. That's where the acronym helps us all out.

First is the S. It stands for Specific. I choose exactly what I want to do. This is where you really need to take a moment and let that mind do what it does and let it wander. Where does it take you? Is it a dream deferred for too long? Then BOOM! Nail that thing down. That's your specific. I'll say for example I've always dreamed of going to Oaxaca in Mexico. Cool. Now what do I want to do there? How much will it cost? How much time will I need? That's our M, Measurable. In my case I measure costs in time and resources and ask myself is it Achievable? Which is our A. Can I save up X dollars in X amount of time to spend X number of days, weeks, months or whatever amount of time it is to complete said dream? Is it Realistic? Now the textbook will say relevant but I've made it realistic. For example there's a lot of people who want to gauge their goals on some ridiculous nonsense some "influencer" does on socials and man it's often so ridiculous that it doesn't feel real. Let's live on earth and leave flying the private jet to those who need validation. What is it you're really looking for? Me? A life experience is what I'm after, I'd so much rather drink Pisco sours in Chile with a bunch of locals than pour champagne with plastic people pretending to be happy for that perfect picture. But that's just me, your dream is yours man. But let's just try to keep it real. Last one and the most important is let's keep it Timely. That's our T. Put a time frame on it, and do your best to keep the promise to yourself.

Research is so simple

Now is the time for research. This is what I just did. I picked a random city. Denver, why? I know everyone of you guys aren't where I am, Denver is in the middle of the US. So Denver to Oaxaca in 10 months. That's my timeline not yours for this hypothetical trip. I went on Expedia, not because I use them often or care it was just one of the first ones that popped up. Aeromexico had the cheapest flight for $554.71 in USD round trip from Jan. 21-28, 2026. Wednesday to Wednesday, weird but I find sometimes middle of the week flights tend to be cheaper than weekends, I still shop around on other dates. Next I searched the Hotel for those dates and SHAZAM! (Loving my sound effects today) I found Hotel Trebol, $355 Dollars Total for the Week, with Breakfast included. 1081 Reviews with a 9/10 rating. It was not the cheapest, there were cheaper options but breakfast included cuts costs on meals man and the number of reviewers plus the 9/10 rating on Hotels.com—not a plug just the first one I clicked on. The vibe I got felt like a pretty chill time, so in ten minutes I've got a rough idea of the cost to get there round trip, accommodations, and guaranteed minimum one meal a day: 910 Dollars. Now prices will fluctuate and I'm big at rounding up so let's make it a cool $1000 Dollars. 7 days vacation in Oaxaca, Mexico. Now 10 months may or may not be an ideal amount of time to save for that but now we have a ballpark figure we can start making estimates. Personally a week is a short trip. I'd feel confident in being able to enjoy that trip on about 2K. Now how much time would it take to save that much? How much does the average meal cost? I'd research it all. And then tell my job I'm taking a trip next year in January. 10 months to a year out should be enough to make the time.

Keepin it Real

Again, it doesn't have to be wild, it doesn't even have to be far. Could be The Grand Canyon or The Great Wall of China. Wherever or whatever it is, why keep it a dream deferred instead of a dream fulfilled? One year or four, it gives you something to look forward to and you know there's nothing like a little hope and a dream. It's why people buy lottery tickets. Except the odds are in your favor. Maybe you drink coffee at Starbucks every morning and can make it at home, put the difference in your piggy bank and forget about it. Bag a lunch instead of eating out. 83.33 a month for 24 months is 2K. And pictures on the internet can really really keep a dream alive if not on fire, that as well as YouTube or whatever source you use for your vivacious vicarious voyeurism.