Coronavirus forced the delay or cancelation of countless dream vacations, epic road trips, and crazy family reunions this year. We are all still trying to figure out how to stay safe and navigate the shifting sands.
As we wait patiently for our lives to resume as usual, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on our bucket list goals and reevaluate what is truly important to us. You can build a better bucket list that will encompass your family’s interests, ideals, and hopes for the future.
Now is the time to get your family together and ask these three key questions.
How disappointed are we?
Bucket lists are traditionally a concept where you can dump anything and everything that perks your interest. Due to that, you likely have some items on are your list that were a fleeting curiosity but hold no real importance to you. Then the pandemic came along, and everything got canceled!
As you are sifting through the refunds of your booking receipts, you can take a moment to evaluate how you feel about these disrupted plans.
Are you disappointed? Indifferent? Relieved? The emotion that you experience will tell how you truly felt about this trip. Were you planning a romantic week in Paris with your spouse and are absolutely crushed that you didn’t get to go? Or perhaps you had booked a spur of the moment zip-lining excursion with friends that you are relieved you no longer need to go on?
Once you have evaluated your feelings on the matter, you can determine if that trip should be put back on your bucket list. If you were disappointed, put it right back on top. However, if you were indifferent or relieved, you should consider why you wanted to go in the first place.
Why did we want to do this?
There are so many incredible places around the world to visit, which is why it is vital to understand the “why” of wanting to go somewhere. Is this a dream destination that you have wanted to visit since you were little, or is it just a pit stop on the way to somewhere else? Is it a location that you know the whole family will enjoy, or is it some hot spot that you want to visit just to say you did?
Before adding, or re-adding, a trip to your bucket list, take a second to sit and determine why you want to visit this particular spot. Write up a list of all the reasons why you and the family would love to go there from sites you want to see to restaurants you crave to eat at. If you can’t do that, ditch the idea for something better.
What can we do instead?
If you’re trying to sell your children on a substitute for Disney World … well, good luck! You may just want to keep that trip on the bucket list for next year.
Luckily, now that you have determined what trips are important and why, you can try to find a substitution. If your trip was to see a specific European landmark, you will just have to wait on that trip for later. However, if the reasons behind a vacation were to hit the beach, play a fancy round of golf, or go camping with the kids, you can still do that now while being closer to home.
For example, if you were planning a fancy round of golf, use that money to play multiple rounds of golf at your local course and maybe purchase a few lessons to prepare yourself for when you can tee up on that dream round in the future.
While going on the trip(s) you dream about is disappointing, Coronavirus presents a unique opportunity to get creative with your family. Create a list of short-term bucket list challenges that play into your future travel plans.
Instead of visiting a fancy restaurant in France, try your hand at learning how to cook a new French meal every weekend. Were you going to spend a week in Costa Rica? Have the family take Spanish lessons to make it easier when you finally get to go. Was your daughter going to go to a basketball camp? Create a challenge to see how high she can increase her free throw percentage using the hoop in the driveway.
There may be no perfect substitutes for all your bucket list items during the pandemic, but with a little flexibility and some creativity, your family can still have a fun and fulfilling summer.
Plus, planning for future trips is an exciting activity to get everyone ready for what lies ahead. Schedule a family brainstorming session for trips that are staying on the bucket list. Let everyone share their ideas on how to make the trip you couldn’t make this year into an even better trip next year.
When you finally get to go, it will be the best trip yet!
WH Cornerstone Can Help
Is there anything we can do to help you make progress on your bucket list?
Don’t hesitate to contact us up if you want revisit your $Lifeline or start budgeting for all the summers still ahead of you and your family.