Wanderlust 2024 — Travel Plans from Family and Friends

I have an extreme case of wanderlust — with zero desire to be cured of it. This love of travel is shared by many of my family, friends, and work colleagues. Once the common love of travel is discovered in the workplace, it becomes the foundation of many water-cooler conversations around travel, travel plans, and travel advice. 

Although some of my friends traveled during the pandemic, many, like me, did not. So, there is a pent-up demand for travel in my circle. 

I was very excited to reach out to my community to write an article about their 2024 travel plans as well as share my own. I have also recently been enjoying the chronicles of trips to Egypt, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Mexico on Facebook and adding items to my bucket list. 

2024 destinations 

Here’s where my friends and family are going in 2024.

North and Central America

• Experiencing the outdoors in the Methow Valley in Washington state in all seasons: cross-country skiing in the winter and biking and hiking in the spring, summer, and fall
• Mexico has the most planned visits. One couple is there now celebrating their wedding anniversary and another couple is planning a trip later in the year. Another friend is going to visit family
• Traveling to Toronto to see an elderly aunt
• Catching up in Louisville, Kentucky, with a second-grade teacher 
• Family travels to Austin, Texas, to see the eclipse. From there, the family will drive to a national park in Arkansas in their quest to visit every national park
• A visit to Chicago for a graduation ceremony 
• Educational experience in Costa Rica for a Spanish immersion for the children
• A journey to Belize or Costa Rica to celebrate a major milestone birthday

In a land far, far away

• After visiting the Chelsea Flower Show last year, a trip to northern Italy for a garden tour, which is a bucket list item
• Dreaming of either Italy or Korea
• Celebrating a milestone birthday in Italy 
• Visiting family in Sweden 
• Catching up with relatives in Hong Kong

Saving for bucket list vacations

Some of my friends are still saving for their dream vacation or trying to find the time to fit it in, including:

• Planning a dream trip to New Zealand to see The Lord of the Rings filming locations
• Exploring Egypt, including the Valley of the Kings, pyramids, museum in Cairo, Karnak Temple, taking a Nile cruise, and more
• Visiting the markets of Morocco 
• A culinary tour of Vietnam 
• Trekking part of the Camino de Santiago route in Spain

LTB Wanderlust 2024

Here’s what is on my travel list this year:

• Disneyland and Universal Studios were on the list last year, but they got bumped to this year, in conjunction with a trip to Long Beach
• I too have a major milestone birthday and will join my friend for a Belize or Costa Rica trip
• I will join my friend for the Hong Kong trip, and we plan to spend a weekend in Macau and do a day trip to Shenzhen, China, to repeat a previous trip
• A family visit to the Southern United States with a possible New Orleans excursion 
• Victoria, B.C. is an annual trip

Sage advice

While traveling, I have had the privilege of encountering some amazing individuals who I have had mind-opening conversations with. Over the course of these dialogues, whether minutes or hours, they have offered some sage advice about life that I have taken to heart. If I had to sum up the counsel in a few words, it would be this: Do what you can now. This is true for travel and life in general.

Do what you can now

Here’s how friends are living their lives to their fullest through adventures just around the corner and beyond:

• A few friends are retired and plan to travel as long as their bodies allow 
• Some, who started traveling later in life, are making up for lost time
• Some are visiting family and friends who are older and are no longer able to travel 
• Some are ticking items off their bucket lists
• Some are trying to create lasting memories with their children
• Some want to seize opportunities to live life to the fullest, which for them includes travel
• Some are reaping the harvest of careful savings and delayed gratification

If travel is on your 2024 bucket list, happy trails!

Airport advice

1. Fly direct when possible

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has many direct flights to international and domestic locations:

• My friend who is planning to visit her aunt in Toronto can take a direct flight on Air Canada
• My friend traveling to Mexico City to visit family can take a direct flight on Aeromexico
• While we don’t currently have a non-stop flight to Hong Kong, I can fly Air Canada to Vancouver and fly to Hong Kong from there

2. Know before you go

Before traveling internationally, it is always a good idea to visit the U.S. Department of State for the latest country information and research current guidebooks for the latest scams to avoid. Be mindful of pickpockets, aware of your surroundings, and research which areas to avoid at night (or altogether). Also make sure your passport has not expired or is within months of expiring.

Research which countries require visas. The new travel requirement to visit most European nations was delayed. Before planning, make sure you have the most up-to-date information.

• Learn about the entry requirements you’ll need to visit 30 European countries starting in mid-2025

3. Plan your trip to SEA

There are many ways to arrive at SEA. My favorite is the light rail. SEA is a very busy airport so planning how to get to the airport is an essential part of your trip.

• Check out these travel tips for alternate transportation.

4. Develop a security strategy

How can you get through the security lines quicker? A past blog post overviewed the different travel programs. 

Don’t take anything for granted; I recently learned that not every airline has the expected TSA Precheck available with U.S. Global Entry. If your airline does not participate in TSA PreCheck or you are not part of a travel program, you can expedite the security process by using SEA Spot Saver. 

5. Plan your entertainment

After you clear TSA, visit the two Little Free Libraries in the A Concourse. Think ahead: bring a book to leave and take a book to read.