Why You Should Travel on Your Birthday + 3 Tips to Help You Plan

My entire motivation to travel on my birthday began on my 20th birthday. I spent the day with my mother and her new husband, touring San Francisco and overall hating where my life was.

Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, but that's just not how I envisioned entering my twenties. I don't really know what I wanted out of the day, but that day just wasn't it. Nowadays I don't remember much about my 20th birthday, which seriously bums me out because I'm a person who likes to remember big milestones like that.

A few months after my 20th birthday I vowed to never have a forgettable birthday again, and I was going to restart my twenties by traveling abroad. Overnight I was committed to getting out of the country, which is how I ended up studying abroad twice before I graduated from college.

Vowing to travel every year on my birthday has given me two things, the ability to enter a new year from a new perspective (and place), plus memories that I know will last me a lifetime. Here's why you should reconsider spending your birthday at home or in a location you've visited before. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Why you should travel on your birthday:

Guaranteed memories

Like I mentioned before, traveling on my birthday has helped me better remember how I spent the day, and how I felt when I turned a new age. We have no control over our birthdays as children or teens, but in adulthood it's up to us to plan something we'll never forget. Sure I cant remember what I was doing the week after or months later, but ever since I turned 20, I can remember exactly what I did, how I felt, and who I was with.

Social media definitely helps in holding onto memories, so why not document some that are new and exciting? To help with remembering my birthday, I aim to take a photo an hour to remind myself of what I spent my time doing. You don't have to travel far to enjoy a vacation, you just need to find a place that gives you the opportunity to discover something new.

You might also like: Photo an Hour (22nd Birthday Edition)

Fresh perspective

Maybe it's just me, but I use my birthday as a day to review what I accomplished, what I didn't and what changed in my life. Being in a new location definitely helps with that, especially if there's the sound of waves crashing in the background. Okay, maybe that last part is just me.

Traveling rids you of most of the items on your daily to do list, which means you'll have that extra time to stop and reflect on the past year. No matter where you go, set aside some time to spend on your own. While I love traveling with friends, there's something special about taking a few hours to explore on your own and seeing what you discover.

Your reset button

As a chronic goal setter, I have multiple dates of the year when I reevaluate my goals and set new ones. The usual dates are New Years, fall/back to school time, and my birthday. Typically when you're on vacation, you're in a better mood and have more time on your hands. Spend 30 minutes accepting your successes and failures for the past year, then grab a notepad and jot down some new ones.

The end goal time doesn't have to be next year, goals can be set for next season New Years, or beyond. Just like a new year, a new age can bring on new challenges, pressures and things you want to accomplish before your next birthday. And I don't know about you, but all this stuff is a lot easier to think about when I'm not in my regular routine.

Related Post: A 10 Step Plan on How to Have Your Best Year Ever

How to do it:

Choose who to travel with

In my early twenties I did most of my traveling alone. This wasn't because I wanted to, in reality most of my friends simply couldn't afford to travel with me. While there are benefits to traveling alone, I much prefer to visit a place with one other person. This way you can be exposed to places you wouldn't normal visit, have someone take your photograph, and overall feel safer. The big thing when traveling with someone else is compromise, which is why it's necessary you be vocal about what your must haves are.

Consider location

Obviously our birthday lands on the same day every year, meaning we cant avoid high holiday pricing or terrible weather in certain locations. For example, my birthday is typically on Fourth of July weekend, meaning flights are pricey and tourist destinations are booked. For this reason I aim to travel to places that are either out of the country or low cost. Last year I traveled to Mexico for a week, where the cost of living was low and Fourth of July was only celebrated by certain bars catering to Americans.

Think about what time of year your birthday falls in, and travel to a country in their off season if you want to save money or away from the city to avoid high hotel costs. The location of where you're going can greatly impact your booking charges, so don't be afraid to stay outside the city limits.

You might also like: 10 Reasons to Study Abroad While in College

Plan 6 months ahead

Six months seems like a lot, but it all depends on who you plan on going with and where you would like to go. Six months gives you ample time to choose a travel partner, save, and book things like flights and hotel. My goal for any trips is to book 2-3 months early, this way I can save money on a flight and plan a loose itinerary around the location I'm visiting.

Where do you typically spend your birthdays? If you travel, where's the best place you've visited so far?

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