Pre-planning an Adventure

Photopin - Transiberian

Research shows that folks take anywhere from 5 hours to 30 hours planning their next vacation.  According to a travel conference in Singapore, it's 40+ hours (looks like there's some propaganda at play).

I spend approximately 0 hours planning, much to my boyfriend's dismay.  

I like "winging it" 

Note: This might explain the time I slept 3 days on the deck of a boat using my Eurorail pass from Italy to Greece (did not read the small print), or the time I was turned away at the airport 3 weeks ago on my way to the Philippines (apparently, you need to renew your passport 6 months in advance ... news to me).

I find my every day existence overly routine; therefore, I like making my vacations impromptu.  I won't even get a SIM card because it reminds me of backpacking in college, pre-smartphone.  

Regardless, I'm starting to consider the benefits of pre-planning
(besides being better organized and not sleeping on ship decks).

If you've read my blog before, you know I'm basically a disciple of Alain de Botton, reading everything he publishes.  

Here's two points he made about travel that resonated with me:

Point 1:

“A danger of travel is that we see things at the wrong time, before we have had a chance to build up the necessary receptivity and when new information is therefore as useless and fugitive as necklace beads without a connecting chain.”  - Art of Travel

Takeaway: 
You need to prepare your mind beforehand so you're able to fully experience your travels.

Point 2:

"If the rich are fortunate in being able to travel to Dresden as soon as the desire to do so arises, or to buy a dress just after they have seen it in a catalog, they are cursed because of the speed with which their wealth fulfills their desires [...]  They therefore have no opportunity to suffer the interval between desire and gratification which the less privileged endure and which, for all its apparent unpleasantness, has the incalculable benefit of allowing people to know and fall deeply in love with paintings in Dresden, hats, dressing gowns, and someone who isn't free this evening." - How Proust Can Change Your Life 

Takeaway: 
Although not rich, I'm able to quickly fulfill my desires with a mix of online shopping and super accessible travel from Singapore.  To really appreciate the art of travel, it's important to dwell on it beforehand -- experiencing the longing of being in a new place.

This being said... I'm starting to anticipate my next BIG trip in January.

We're going on the Trans-Siberian.

The trip goes a bit like this:

Singapore --> Helsinki: Two days solo in the design district
Helsinki --> St. Petersburg: Meet up with Alan.  Really excited for the Hermitage Museum
St. Petersburg --> Moscow: Board the Trans-Siberian
Moscow --> Ulan Bator --> Beijing: Cross the frozen tundra, spending 7 days on a train 
Beijing --> Harbin: Go to the largest ice festival in the world

And, here's some eye candy that's increasing the desire:

Helsinki photopin

St. Petersburg photopin

Trans-Siberian tracks

Harbin photopin