Choosing where to spend my hard earned days off is not a subject I take lightly. The world is a grand place, full of opportunity, adventure, and variety. There’s no shortage of inspiration for vacations either- just open your social media accounts. Trending destinations fill your feeds until you’ve seen so many photos of Iceland you almost feel like you’ve been there yourself. With all this pressure and external influence, how do you make sure that you’re choosing a destination that will fulfill your trip needs without just giving in to social [media] pressure? Well, if I knew you personally, I could make a very customized suggestion. But since that’s probably not the case, let me tell you how I choose.

The first question I always ask myself when I start this process is: are there any friends I’d like to visit? I’m lucky to have friends all over the world [bonus: the more you travel, the more international friends you make!]. Visiting a friend not only tremendously cuts trip costs, but it also gives my vacation that special sauce that can really make for a stellar BLT [Budget Luxury Travel, not bacon/lettuce/tomato…]. Plus, it eliminates all the other questions about destination or type of trip—when visiting a friend’s home, you pretty much know what you’re in for.

The next question I ask myself is: who’s coming with me? Sometimes the company you keep defines the type of vacation you’ll have. Remember to be prudent in choosing your travel partners… If nobody is interested in my preferred vacation style, or I can’t find anyone with the same days off, then it looks like I’m heading out on my own!

Now the hard part—where to?! This flowchart is a version of what I do when I’m in the Destination Decision phase of my trip planning. Welcome inside my brain. Hope it doesn’t scare you…

Once you’ve honed in on your vacation vibe and social inclination, start brainstorming places that fit the bill. I’d really encourage you to open up the map and pinpoint areas that match your needs and spark some excitement, rather than hitting the Top 10 lists. In case you’re really struggling with this process, here are some BLT faves:

Costal/Nature Cities:

• Seattle, USA

• Montevideo, Uruguay

• Lisbon, Portugal

• Cape Town, South Africa

Capitols/Major Cities:

• Medellín, Colombia

• Chicago, USA

• Athens, Greece

• Singapore, Singapore

The most important part of deciding on your destination? HAVE FUN! Planning a vacation should be entertaining and exciting, not stressful. Let your weird whims guide you, and trust your instincts, and I bet you’ll end up somewhere you love!

BLT Bonus: If you’re choosing based on region (say SE Asia) and you’re feeling flexible about the style of trip you take, then let flight prices guide you! adioso.com is great for this… you can set loose parameters [SE Asia, April, about 10 days] and see what pops up. Maybe you’ll end up somewhere you never knew you wanted to go!