Travel Begins in the Mind

I have a secret. Wanna hear it?

I’m kinda delusional…not in a nefarious way, but in a “she was a fairy” type of way. Like, my imagination is on a completely different level. I’m also, naturally, a lucid dreamer. Sometimes, I blame it on my Piscean energy, the dreaminess of Neptune, if you will, but this delusion—intentional delusion, is actually a superpower.

What if imagination is the key to getting exactly what you want?

Sounds new-age-y, right? Fair enough, I am the flower-child of my family.

But, follow me, imagining your desire might actually help more than hurt.

For instance, I want to go the Bahamas. Do I have Bahamas money?...that’s another story for another day, but hold on, there’s more.

So, peep this, it’s Memorial Day, and I have no desire to go to the beach or the pool or anywhere that is within an hour of where I am currently, so I decided to plan a trip as if I were actually going.

It was SO much fun! As I planned my trip, I donned a pair of shorts and a tank top for a trip to the beach, and I sat down and planned my imaginary trip with the help of ChatGPT, Kipper Oracle cards, and Google.

I decided money wasn’t an object, and if I was going to the Bahamas, I would do it big and proper.

With my cards laid out in front of me, the general energy read a time span of a week or two weeks—to really get settled, so I opted for seven days, from May 27th to June 3rd. Where would I stay? Somewhere private, somewhere swanky…maybe even somewhere I’d be able to work remotely—whether that’s data analysis, travel blogging, or writing—I’d need a separate table, which meant I needed room. I settled on Valentine’s Resorts & Marina, a luxe family spot near the pink sands on Harbor Island. For a 7-day stay, the price came out to be $4,900—pretty steep, but perfectly priced if money isn’t an object.

But how would I get there? Would I find a portkey and yeet myself there? Maybe it works that way in the astral realm, but in the physical…yeah, no. I searched for a flight on Expedia for two, because I’d like to drag my husband along with me (Note: the days and prices listed here are slightly different from my first search). Unsurprisingly, a round-trip ticket for a last-minute evening flight from United Airlines to the Bahamas totaled 2,958 (two tickets). Wowzers. But again, money isn’t an object in this scenario, and delusion is my secret power.

So, great, two major things tackled: travel and lodging. Now, what?
Maybe groceries for the lodge? How much money would I put aside for that? $300 sounds good. What about eating out…why skimp on that? Great, $300 as well. Souvenirs…eh…$200? Activities…whew, depends, I’m a sightseeing person, but maybe husband wants to ride ATVs—scary, but sure, $250 per person—sheesh, pricey. I’d have to tally up and make more than enough room for the activities

What did I know so far? I did the math quickly:

$4,900 (townhome) + $2,958 (airplane) + $600 (food) + $200 (souvenirs) = $8,658

And this is without the activities. At this point, I decided the trip would have to have a minimum budget of $10,000, and it was also at this point that my husband mentioned the invention of all-inclusive travel projects (smart husband he is).

So, yeah. Can you tell I haven’t traveled much?

Anyway, this was a fun activity for me, and maybe it’ll be a fun one for you. I didn’t have the stress of planning an actual vacation, so I had unlimited freedom and an unlimited imaginary budget.

If you have some free time and feel like stepping into your imagination, give this a try!

Steph, out!