2 Freelance Friday: The Joy of Planning

My name is Katrina and I am a plan-aholic.

I love planning and all that comes with it. The research, the organizing, the checklists. Oh yes, the checklists are the best. Sometimes I put already completed tasks on to-do lists just so I can check them off.

So when it comes to travel I relish the hunt. Well before our departure, I'm on travel forums and Tripadvisor looking for the very best hidden gem hotel, learning about the cutest neighborhoods, and identifying the must-visit restaurants. It's not unusual for me to choose what I'm going to order at said restaurant four months in the future. Patrick's got the sights research covered, so between us we are pretty prepared once we step off that plane. And since many of our trips have been long weekend getaways, this really allows us to maximize our time there.

Maybe this sounds dull to you, or utterly unromantic. But as Anne of Green Gables says, "Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them. You mayn't get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them."

So when I look at a picture like this from our round the world trip, my stomach ties up in knots.

I remember so well that uneasy feeling as we pulled in to a new place every day with NO PLANS. It was all, here we go again... Where are we going? Where will I sleep? What will I eat? And yet...it all worked out. It always did. We adapted by walking into hotels and asking to see the rooms and choosing restaurants by the number of people inside. And the real moments of chaos--like being stranded on a remote Brazilian island with no luggage or knowledge of Portuguese--are what made the trip the adventure that it was.

So maybe for our future travels, I'd like to add some of that spontaneity. I'll have to plan it in. Check, check, check!

Remember to send questions for the mailbag to patrinadoestheglobe@gmail.com