plan vacation according to tripstyles

Conquer & Plan

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: Enter to win a travel set from Shaffali Skincare, inspired by Ayurvedic herbs aromatherapeutic essences including French lavender, Croatian sage, Italian orange blossom, and Egyptian geranium! Contest ends Wednesday, Jan 25th, 2012.}

"Test your fears. Do something you’ve always wanted to do...and you’ll be surprised how quickly all will be illuminated." - Dan Levy

I recently read an article in Flare Magazine {a Canadian fashion mag} by Dan Levy, TV host and son of actor Eugene Levy, about getting out of your comfort zone and conquering fears. Dan's kryptonite was anxiety and after almost becoming blind from the physical stress of his ailment, he made a bold move and moved to London to face and conquer his challenges and gain independence.

Among other things, it made me think of how exploring new frontiers---as simple as trying a new restaurant or as complicated as taking your first multi-leg trip to Rio---relates to travel. Not every trip has to be a soul-searching retreat where you dine on tree bugs and drink spring-fed water, but I can honestly say I've learned something---good or bad---from every trip style I've ever taken, conquering fears in the process.

Since we're still in January---a time where people tend to resolve to make changes and plan ahead---I thought the idea of aligning our goals/resolutions/fears, and of course budget, with travel planning seemed apropos. Perhaps the reason Dan's realizations struck such a chord is because the message is not far from Trip Styler's mission: to inspire different types of travel---from luxe to budget and glamping to urban---and grow from every experience.

The Skinny - take an inventory of your goals, fears and resolutions - dream where these might take you via trip styles or destinations - plan ahead and budget to see what's doable - make it happen and tell the story

[photo by @tripstyler]