Travel Soul Therapy

Set A Trip Route With Easy Steps.

Trip route preparation could be as exciting as the sound of a whistle of a departing train. Your journey already begun in your mind from the moment you imagined that you took first step to explore a map of adventure. 

Our reliance on GPS receivers and their ubiquitous popularity may be misleading in our preparations for the trip. Researchers in England came up with conclusion that nearly 60 percent of drivers there are not capable of finding directions using the map. 
And scientists warn that GPS might erode our brain innate navigational capacity. I would say that GPS is a great navigational tool, but needs to be used as a supplement to our awareness of the place.

To create a trip route is to build awareness of the terrain, human culture and your survival. However long or complex your trip might be, getting familiar with the place is the first step. If a trip is long and spans numerous countries, break it down to segments.

Begin to envision a trip layout with the bird's view first. Then build up your knowledge with details. Assume the attitude of explorer while you are contemplating the trip. Let your inspiration flow with curiosity and passion. You are building a vision of your journey.

TRIP ROUTE PREPARATION IN STEPS.

• Get the map of the country or territory. 
  Having a map is important because it becomes a base upon which you will begin to build a mental model of a trip route. I would recommend maps by International Travel Maps company. Their travel maps prove to be very accurate, bearing good markings of distances and roads. 
  
  While driving and relying on GPS is convenient, but doing so gives you less mental incentive to internalize the landscape of a trip layout. 
  GPS receiver depends on satellite reception, well-functioning software and power. Relying on it alone can lead to inconvenience of being disconnected from environment or lost. 
  
  The map is independent of those factors and using it promotes spacial intelligence of the mind. If possible, combine the convenience of GPS receiver with stability of the paper maps.
  
  If you venture into the wilderness, topographic map becomes very significant. The map gives you information about direction, the distance between points, shape of the terrain, human and natural features, the amount of vegetation, location of water sources, the direction and grade of the slope and other points of interest.

• Use Google Earth for trip route.
  After you have a map as an anchor for your mind's orientation, continue developing a trip plan with aerial details of Google View. This free application allows to "fly over" almost anywhere over the globe.
  Use Google Earth to peek at the mysterious location you plan to visit and traverse the landscape of anticipated road or safari trip. Explore the countryside of the city you plan to stay longer.


• Guidebooks.
  For more specific details and interesting things to do along the trip's path, go to travel guidebooks. Both printed and digital ones contain plethora of information on points of interests, accommodations and possibilities for exploration. 
  Lonely Planet® and Rough Guide® are very thorough sources from where to glean details. VirtualTourist.com is a substantial digital resource with user-added content to help you plan a trip route.


• Start a Notebook. 
  Give your trip plan a shape by jotting down ideas about points that catch your curiosity. Include features of a landscape, cultural and historic aspects, places to stay and foods to taste.
  Make a collection of inspired experience to come. 
  When you feel saturated, then begin a line up and lay out a trip map and visualize going on a revelational trip of blissful self-learning and discovery.

After you've build a trip route on the map, hovered over it with Google Earth and made connections to it with the help of guidebooks, one more step of trip organization is complete. Now you are ready to proclaim your departure. 
Bon Voyage! 

Top of Trip Route

Back To Trip Preparation

Travel Soul Therapy Home Page