I’m going on my first overseas trip with my girlfriend since we started dating. I worked hard all last year to earn and save money for this trip. It will be our first international trip ever, and I want to make it perfect, memorable, and the best trip of our lives.
I’ve read countless articles online to ensure everything is perfect. It felt overwhelming to the point that my head started to hurt. Fortunately, I found an article that provided a detailed guideline, and it seemed like the perfect guide. My girlfriend and I have been following it, and it has been very helpful so far.
However, I decided to come to this community to seek additional guidance, advice, and tips from you all, just in case the article missed something important. My girlfriend and I would greatly appreciate any travel tips, advice, and guidance you have, as this is our first trip abroad together.
In my experience, trying to ensure everything is perfect and micro planning every moment will result in the opposite. Be flexible.
Exactly what I wanted to say. All that talk of “perfection” makes me imagine them snapping and going full psycho because a train was cancelled and they need to book a different one.
To OP: just stop trying to plan that much. A general plan is good. Just be aware things will change and that’s ok. As long as you two are having a good time, the rest really doesn’t matter as much as you think it does.
If you want a little psychological trick to make the trip more memorable than it otherwise would be, whatever you think is going to be the most impressive, save it for last. Our memories have a very strong recency bias.
Just want to highlight something you said because it’s something I see people tripping up over a lot in my own life.
Keep in mind that your goal isn’t “experience grey and dismal weather”, “eat a very large burger”, “get killed by a venomous animal” (depending on which country you visit), but your goal is actually “my gf and I should have fun”. If things don’t go to plan but you still had fun, guess what? Things did actually go to plan!
EDIT: but also, if following your itinerary is stressing you out, then feel free to skip a day and just unwind and relax so you’re energised and ready to enjoy the next day
This is a bit dependant on the people. The real trick is communicating and being on the same page, like everything in a relationship.
We both are perfectionists, but after reading the advice from everyone here, we are trying to be more flexible. Your advice is concise, but very helpful. Thank you very much.