Finding Your WHERE: A Guide to Choosing Your Transformational Travel Destination

Updated on February 26th, 2025

If you’re ready to take that leap but don’t know where to start, this guide is for you. Let’s explore the factors and strategies to help you find your perfect WHERE.

Define Your Purpose
Why do you want to travel? What are you hoping to gain from the experience? Is it:

Define Your Purpose

Healing: Are you recovering from a loss, a major life change, or burnout? Look for peaceful, restorative destinations like wellness retreats in Bali, yoga ashrams in India, or quiet escapes in the Scottish Highlands.
Adventure: If you’re seeking to reignite your passion for life, consider destinations that push you outside your comfort zone, like trekking in Patagonia, safaris in Kenya, or scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
Connection: If you’re yearning for meaningful relationships—with yourself, others, or the world—look for experiences that immerse you in culture and community, such as homestays in Peru or volunteer programs in Thailand.

Healing: Are you recovering from a loss, a major life change, or burnout? Look for peaceful, restorative destinations like wellness retreats in Bali, yoga ashrams in India, or quiet escapes in the Scottish Highlands.

wellness retreats

yoga

Scottish Highlands

Adventure: If you’re seeking to reignite your passion for life, consider destinations that push you outside your comfort zone, like trekking in Patagonia, safaris in Kenya, or scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

Patagonia

Connection: If you’re yearning for meaningful relationships—with yourself, others, or the world—look for experiences that immerse you in culture and community, such as homestays in Peru or volunteer programs in Thailand.

homestays in Peru

Knowing your why will narrow down your options and align your destination with your personal goals.

Assess Your Comfort Zone
How far are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone?

Assess Your Comfort Zone

Familiar vs. Foreign: If the idea of navigating a completely foreign culture feels daunting, start with destinations where you share a language or cultural similarities, like Canada, Australia, or Europe.
Urban vs. Remote: Do you feel more at ease in bustling cities like Paris or Tokyo, or does the serenity of nature in places like Iceland or New Zealand appeal to you?
Independent vs. Guided: If solo travel feels intimidating, consider joining a small-group tour or opting for a guided travel experience to ease into it.

Familiar vs. Foreign: If the idea of navigating a completely foreign culture feels daunting, start with destinations where you share a language or cultural similarities, like Canada, Australia, or Europe.

Canada

Australia

Urban vs. Remote: Do you feel more at ease in bustling cities like Paris or Tokyo, or does the serenity of nature in places like Iceland or New Zealand appeal to you?

Paris

Iceland

New Zealand

Independent vs. Guided: If solo travel feels intimidating, consider joining a small-group tour or opting for a guided travel experience to ease into it.

solo travel

small-group tour

Understanding your comfort zone isn’t about playing it safe—it’s about setting yourself up for a successful and fulfilling experience.

Budget and Timeframe
How much can you realistically spend, and how much time do you have?

Budget and Timeframe

Short Breaks: If you’re short on time, look for transformative experiences closer to home or in destinations that don’t require extensive travel. A weekend hiking retreat or a quick cultural getaway can still have a profound impact.
Bucket-List Trips: If you’ve saved for a longer adventure, consider destinations that require more planning and time, like a two-week African safari or a month exploring Southeast Asia.
Hidden Gems: Keep in mind that transformational experiences don’t have to break the bank. Countries like Portugal, Vietnam, or Mexico offer affordable yet enriching experiences.

Short Breaks: If you’re short on time, look for transformative experiences closer to home or in destinations that don’t require extensive travel. A weekend hiking retreat or a quick cultural getaway can still have a profound impact.

hiking retreat

Bucket-List Trips: If you’ve saved for a longer adventure, consider destinations that require more planning and time, like a two-week African safari or a month exploring Southeast Asia.

African safari

Southeast Asia

Hidden Gems: Keep in mind that transformational experiences don’t have to break the bank. Countries like Portugal, Vietnam, or Mexico offer affordable yet enriching experiences.

Portugal

Vietnam

For more of my top travel money saving tips, check out my blog post HERE.

HERE

Match the Destination to Your Interests
What excites you, inspires you, or challenges you?

Match the Destination to Your Interests

Nature Lovers: Destinations like Costa Rica, Alaska, or New Zealand offer opportunities to reconnect with the earth through hiking, wildlife encounters, and breathtaking landscapes.
History Buffs: If you love uncovering stories from the past, cities like Rome, Kyoto, or Cairo will transport you through time.
Creative Souls: If you’re looking to spark your creativity, head to destinations known for their art, music, or culture, such as Paris, Florence, or Mexico City.

Nature Lovers: Destinations like Costa Rica, Alaska, or New Zealand offer opportunities to reconnect with the earth through hiking, wildlife encounters, and breathtaking landscapes.

Costa Rica

New Zealand

History Buffs: If you love uncovering stories from the past, cities like Rome, Kyoto, or Cairo will transport you through time.

Rome

Creative Souls: If you’re looking to spark your creativity, head to destinations known for their art, music, or culture, such as Paris, Florence, or Mexico City.

Paris

Consider the Season
When you travel, weather and climate can significantly impact your experience.

Consider the Season

Weather: Research the best times to visit your desired destination to avoid extreme weather or tourist crowds.
Festivals and Events: Plan your trip around unique cultural experiences like the Lantern Festival in Taiwan, the Day of the Dead in Mexico, or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
Off-Peak Seasons: Travelling during the shoulder or off-season can mean fewer crowds, lower costs, and a more intimate experience.

Weather: Research the best times to visit your desired destination to avoid extreme weather or tourist crowds.

extreme weather

Festivals and Events: Plan your trip around unique cultural experiences like the Lantern Festival in Taiwan, the Day of the Dead in Mexico, or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Off-Peak Seasons: Travelling during the shoulder or off-season can mean fewer crowds, lower costs, and a more intimate experience.

Reflect on Your Current Needs
What do you need right now in your life?

Reflect on Your Current Needs

Quiet and Solitude: If you’re craving time to reflect and recharge, look for destinations that offer serenity, like a beach retreat in the Maldives or a cabin in the Canadian Rockies.
Energy and Excitement: If you want to shake things up, opt for destinations that offer vibrant energy, like New York City, Marrakech, or Bangkok.
Challenge and Growth: If you’re looking to grow, choose destinations that will push your boundaries, like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or learning to salsa in Cuba.

Quiet and Solitude: If you’re craving time to reflect and recharge, look for destinations that offer serenity, like a beach retreat in the Maldives or a cabin in the Canadian Rockies.

Canadian Rockies

Energy and Excitement: If you want to shake things up, opt for destinations that offer vibrant energy, like New York City, Marrakech, or Bangkok.

Marrakech,

Challenge and Growth: If you’re looking to grow, choose destinations that will push your boundaries, like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or learning to salsa in Cuba.

climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

learning to salsa in Cuba

Trust Your Instincts
Sometimes, your perfect destination chooses you. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of visiting a particular place, or a photo, movie, or book sparked something deep inside you. Trust that instinct. There’s a reason you feel drawn to certain places, even if you can’t fully explain why.

Trust Your Instincts

Start Small, Dream Big
If you’re unsure about diving headfirst into a big adventure, start small. Book a short trip to a nearby city, join a day tour, or even plan a staycation to dip your toes into the world of transformational travel. Once you gain confidence, the possibilities are endless.

Start Small, Dream Big

Finding your WHERE is about more than picking a spot on a map. It’s about aligning your destination with your goals, interests, and current life stage. As women in midlife, we’re often juggling responsibilities, navigating transitions, and questioning our next steps. Travel offers the opportunity to step away, reflect, and rediscover who we are.

Wherever you choose to go, remember this: The journey isn’t just about the destination—it’s about who you become along the way.

If you’re ready to start your transformational travel journey, I can help. I have specifically designed my Find Your Way programme for women in midlife to help design life-changing experiences that align with your goals and dreams. We spend a lot of time exploring your perfect destination before discussing practical tips to get you booking and travelling sooner rather than later. So why don’t we find your perfect WHERE together? Check out all the details HERE and if you have any questions, hit reply and I’ll get back to you with all the answers.

HERE

So, where will you go first? Where is calling to you currently? Hit reply to this email to let me know or connect via your social method of choice (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads or LinkedIn) to give me all the details.

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