Travel Vision Board: How to Create an Inspiring One!

by  Cindia Carrere

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

~ Mark Twain

Where do you want to go?

Traveling is my passion and there are still so many places to go that I can get all wiggly and turn into a human magpie, drawn to investigate and peck at certain objects, or in this case, places on a map.

It goes something like this … Let’s go to Australia! Ooh, and since we have to fly that far anyway, let’s stop in Tasmania, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Bali.

Before you know it, the trip is crazy big, too long, and unmanageable.

My workaround is to create a travel vision board.

A travel vision board is a visual representation of your travel goals.

Sometimes choosing a location is easy because it’s a destination wedding, a special event, or somewhere specific for a particular reason (chasing the perfect wave, bungee jumping into volcanoes, a honeymoon).

Other times, deciding is a daunting task because of money or you’re not the only person weighing in.

Whatever the obstacles may be, creating a vision board for travel is a fun way to blast through them.

Start by understanding that you don’t have to know anything about the HOW yet. That’s not your job at the moment. Instead, focus your attention on the kind of experience you want to have, and how you want to feel before, during, and after your trip.

Clarifying the WHAT is priority one. And “the what” in this case is actually the where and the why.

Where do you want to go and why? Simplify the purpose of your travel  — to rest and relax, seek adventure, meet someone in a mutually convenient location, or visit a country you’ve not seen before.

In the first stage of making your travel dream board, all you need is wanderlust and a bucket list. It’s okay if you don’t know the exact geographical location yet.

Gather magazines, calendars, and travel brochures — anything that has images of places to go and things to do. As you sort through them, notice what catches your eye. Laughter among groups of people, a solitary respite, a romantic getaway? 

Be open! Let your heart speak and nudge you in a direction. Tear out images that call to you and put them aside. Stop judging, keep looking.

Were your choices all over the map, like a tropical beach vacation, dining downtown in a big city, AND camping near a quiet mountain lake, or were all your images of one activity such as scuba diving, a yoga retreat, or shopping?

And cost? Fuhgettaboutit! While price will come into play later, don’t let that stop you from choosing images of a luxury cruise, a picnic in the Poconos, or an eco-friendly tour in the rain forest.

If you have too many differing ideas, you can always make more than one physical board for each travel category or location.

After you’ve curated your images, arrange them in a way that pleases you and adhere them to a poster board, which makes a good foundational backdrop.

To spice it up and make your travel vision board even more potent, add pictures of yourself (and anyone else involved), as well as inspiring travel quotes.

Before my husband and I went to Costa Rica, we learned we’d have to carry everything on our back as we’d be kicked out of the boat two miles from our casita and would have to hike in.

One of the goals preparing for that trip was hiking two miles with our backpacks. It was challenging, but as we practiced, it became easier until we finally arrived on that gorgeous beach and were so gobsmacked by the beauty, the weight on our backs wasn’t even a factor.

Manifesting is the journey from where you are now to where you want to be. What is that distance? Is it measured in time, miles, or dollars?

Have fun with all the research and decision making, like where you’ll stay, how much you’ll budget for the trip, and how long you’ll be gone.

The key is to have positive vibes while you’re engaged in the process. Keep your travel vision board front and center so you see it every day.

Spend a few seconds or several minutes staring at it, involving all your senses. Put that magnificent imagination to work until you can actually see yourself there, then release it.

Trust that this or something better is on its way to you.

The Living Vision Board is a whole brain practice blending science and spirituality. You get to tap into your adventurous imagination (right brain), while creating your travel vision, and then play with details for your goal-seeking left brain.