Studies have shown that those who vacation are happier than those who don’t, but did you know when vacationers are most happy? The surprising answer is that vacationers are most happy prior to their trip.
Anticipation is a powerful emotion. Going to your favorite restaurant at the last minute is great, but making a reservation a week in advance and dreaming about your favorite meal for a few days helps bring joy to an otherwise average week. Same is true with travel. Here are seven ways to increase your anticipation for an Italian vacation.
1) Go to the Bookstore or Library
Reading is a great way to generate anticipation for an upcoming trip. Spend time in the travel section looking at guidebooks. Cookbooks can excite your culinary senses. And history books are available about any region of Italy. On the lighter side, you’ll find numerous fictional stories are based on and take place in the towns and cities of Italy.
2) Buy a Map
Spending time with a map is always helpful before your trip. Driving in the countryside is much easier when you know even just a few larger towns. Plus, knowing where the main sights of a city are will almost always get you headed in the right direction. Spending some time with a map before your travels is a great way to build anticipation, too.
3) View Pinterest or Google Pictures
Only a few minutes of downtime during a crazy day? Waiting in line for a coffee? Make it an afternoon espresso and take a quick look on Pinterest or Google Images. Search your travel destination and look at a few photos to pass the time. Guaranteed to bring a smile even during the craziest of days.
4) Learn the Language
Language comes easy to some, but for the most of us, it can be a struggle. Keep it simple; even learning 10 to 20 Italian phrases will be fun to learn and really enhance your travels. Knowing greetings and a few phrases will go a long way toward immersing yourself into the Italian experience.
5) Watch a Movie or Travel Shows
What could be easier than watching a movie? The options are endless, but Roman Holiday, Under the Tuscan Sun and A Room With a View are timeless. No time for a movie? Try a travel show. YouTube has many, including all of Rick Steves’ PBS programming.
6) Cook a Meal
Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 preset
Cook a meal based on where you are going. Do a little research and you may be surprised what an authentic meal looks like in different regions of Italy. Don’t forget the wine. Every region has its varietals that complement the unique foods of the area. The best part is that no matter how good of a cook you are, eating and drinking in Italy will be so much better.
7) Do It Together
Regardless of whether you are travelling with your significant other, family or friends, try to build anticipation as a group. Watch a movie, cook a meal together or practice your Italian together. Send out group emails or texts with pictures and perhaps even include a countdown to your upcoming trip. Working together will only heighten the anticipation of your travels.
We all have a limited amount of time for vacation, so making the most out of each trip is important. Anticipation can heighten the joy we gain from our travels. Plus, anticipation can be an antidote to our everyday routines. At Your Italian Dreams, we specialize in creating Italian travels while minimizing the stress related to travel planning. We also focus our travel planning not just on logistics but how we can maximize our clients’ joy of travel from the day we start working together. Let us help build anticipation of Your Italian Dream!