“Oh, the places you’ll  go.” (Doctor Seuss)

Today’s post is more a question than an essay. When you are planning to travel, how do you select your destination? And has that process changed over time?

The question came to mind because of where we chose to go for a recent vacation: Nova Scotia. Several friends later asked how we arrived at that destination. It is not a place you hear about often — I know only one person who has been there — and their curiosity got me thinking about how we choose the places where we travel.

There are likely as many reasons for choosing a destination as there are travelers. A few that come to mind:

                  •               Popular destinations at that moment in time — a Google search on “top beach destinations” or “best places to visit in fall.”

                  •               A specific event — a concert, a festival, a sporting event that anchors the trip.

                  •               Weather — the right season, not too hot or too cold.

                  •               A particular type of scenery — mountains, beaches, wide open landscapes.

                  •               Absence of crowds — the desire to feel like you have a place to yourself.

                  •               A desire to learn — about a culture, a history, a literature, or an architecture you know little about.

There are no right or wrong reasons. One is not better than the other. What matters is what works for you, at that point in time.

That last part is key, because I listed those factors in a particular order — and it is, roughly, the order in which they have mattered to me over the years. The list traces an evolution. Which explains Nova Scotia – a desire to learn.

I chose it because I was curious, and because I knew almost nothing about it. I did not even know the name meant New Scotland until I began reading about it. I expected diverse scenery and topography. I expected it would not be crowded. On both counts, I was NOT disappointed.

So, I will turn the question back to you: how do you select your travel destination? And has that process shifted over time — or has it stayed the same?

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