I could hear a police siren and several angry voices of
drivers cussing out one another. It was a typical Lagos afternoon, everywhere
was jam packed and the traffic looked hopeless. The sun was shining in all its
glory and it was one of those times it was hard to appreciate its beauty. The
weather was really hot coupled with the fuel situation which forbade me from
turning on my car air conditioner. I could feel as sweat slowly made a path for
itself through the divide in my back going all the way down.
The stress I felt and the dissatisfaction was not peculiar
to me. I could tell tens of the oily faces that stared back at mine felt same
way. It is a familiar page we all live on. I allowed my mind roam and I wonder
how many of these people take a break from these madness once in a while. It is
hard to be productive if we live a life so stressful.
We need to take time out sometimes and just cater to
ourselves. Many people think holidays or vacation are too luxurious or
expensive but we owe ourselves that balance in our lives. Afterall all work and
no play makes Jack a dull and unhappy boy. Holidays don’t necessarily have to
be in those faraway exotic locations serving dishes we can’t pronounce. You can
have a deeply satisfying and relaxing vacation with little budget.
The key thing is to plan ahead.
Have a budget: spontaneity
is good but not all the time. It is necessary that you keep tab on your
finances. You don’t want to come back from the vacation financially stressed. So,
set aside the amount you can afford. It need not be done once. You can remove
it from your salary or earnings as early as the beginning of the year. As a
salary earner. After I sort every other pressing need on my list, I put aside
some money which I save specially to spoil myself and taking a vacation comes
under this for me. I believe little drops makes a large pool of water.
Map out your Plan:
Decide on where to go. Do you have enough money for flight and hotel or would travelling
intestate do just fine. This plan will help you to make the most of your
budget. Perhaps your family or friends have a vacation house or stay in the
city you want to visit, you can inform them of your intention to stay with them
or at their house. This wwould save you money that can be used on something
else.
Choose a place to go:
Depending on your budget, decide what places are within your range. If you can’t
afford the Maldives, perhaps you could try places like Kenya or Gambia. You could
even travel to another state different from where you live. The idea is just to
breathe the air outside the pressure that is your everyday life.
Book ahead: You won’t
believe just how much you can save from booking ahead from flight tickets to
hotel rooms. The earlier you make reservations the cheaper it is. So if you
have plans of travelling by December, you can decide to book now if you have
the money. I know someone that books even a year ahead and she always gets
great deals. You can also enjoy discounted rates by booking in bulk.
Make sure you have
fun: Try new dishes, make new friends. Get to know a little about other
cultures. Don’t make your vacations all about shopping in different malls. There
is so much nature has to give. Take your time to savour every moment, it is
only for a while remember.
These are my main tips. Do you have others you might want to
share? Kindly use the comment box.
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