City Trips

This is how you find the vacation that suits you

By Adeline Mans | #!31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:004131#31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202531 03am31am-31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:005Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2025312025Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200145147amThursday=9#!31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam7#07-03-2025#!31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:004131#/31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202531#!31Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:14:41 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam7#

It is confirmed. You and I, we are the most spoiled beings on earth. Apparently, we have so much to choose from that we even skip vacations due to indecision. This latest phenomenon is called, yes, there is a name for it, wanderLOST.

Let me explain how such madness comes about. ‘According to neuroscience, it is a state of fatigue and indecision, causing inspiration and excitement from the idea of traveling to shift from wanderlust to wanderLOST,’ says Skyscanner.

Look, going from lust to lost is certainly not a good sign. But people, when it comes to traveling? That is really the most spoiled princess behavior in the world. Although I have to nuance this a bit, because the greatest doubt is caused by the costs associated with such a trip. It is mainly the price tag combined with the idea that a vacation must really be worth it. So still a bit spoiled, at the end of the day.

I understand the indecision to some extent. The more choices you have, the harder it becomes. I am crazy about the efficiency of having few choices on a menu. It is just very clear when your options are meat, fish, and vegetarian, and you are really craving salmon that day. Or you have to make sure you are in good company and that person is not averse to sharing. Which is also an option if you have choice stress on vacation.

Also, make your travel plans a menu. Think in terms of starters, main courses, and desserts. Take a hit list of three countries, add three types of trips and budgets per country, and voilà: you always have a good option. Sometimes a simple satay is even tastier than the chateaubriand. It works the same way with a tent in Tuscanyinstead of a villa in Puglia. You can save that for another time. And otherwise? You do a bit of both. When it comes to vacations, eating from two wallets is more than allowed. A week on your air mattress under the olive trees and lounging between the luxury sheets of your villa's four-poster bed. It seems to me the best of both worlds.

Would you prefer some more solid advice instead of my home-garden-and-kitchen psychology? The brain hacks of Dr. Faye Begeti come in very handy when making your vacation plans.

First things first: limit your options (look, that wasn't such a crazy thought).
Secondly: prevent decision fatigue and book flights and accommodations when you are mentally at your best.
Thirdly: book a vacation that fits your mental state. Tired? Go on a retreat. Under-stimulated? Head to the city.
And that is four: leverage your dopamine. It seems that planning a trip is just as exciting as the trip itself, so enjoy the process.
Last but not least: break your routine. As you get older, time seems to go faster if you stick to patterns. By stepping out of your comfort zone, a vacation feels longer and more special.

So, no more dawdling and doubting, book that vacation. And be a little grateful that we are in a position to go.

Source: Skyscanner