This is the time of year when I really enjoy hearing stories about people’s summer vacation experiences. Here are some of my favorites from this year:

•  An “Airbnb Experience” in Lisbon, Portugal where a local photographer took the family around town for a family photo shoot.
• A visit to an active volcano in Guatemala where the family was able to roast marshmallows over the hot lava.
• A beautiful summer afternoon enjoying the sun and ocean on a vacant beach south of Nags Head in Outer Banks, NC.

Planning a memorable vacation takes some work. The best vacations are usually planned months in advance and may require significant research. It’s helpful to gather ideas from others who have visited that area or better yet, from a person who actually lives there. In some cases, hiring a travel agent to help coordinate the details will provide a memorable vacation without the stress of doing all the planning yourself.

A survey taken by Edward Jones several years ago indicated that many people spend more time planning their vacations than they do planning for their retirement. This kind of makes sense that people would be more excited about planning for things that are fun and soon (vacation), rather than something that is necessary but seems far away (retirement).
Almost anything of value that we want to achieve in the future takes some intentional planning and action beforehand. Because our finances interconnect with so many areas of our lives, I’m convinced that intentional financial planning will yield greater joy, hope, and contentment in our lives. Just like a well-planned vacation, we’ll have the confidence that we are prepared for whatever we encounter.

What’s a memorable experience you’ve had from a recent trip or vacation?