“So. Where are we going?”

Okay, so after the “as fun as pulling teeth” topic of budget, I decided to swing to the most fun of the introductory topics: choosing your destination. After all, the destination influences so many other things that I’m going to mention in the upcoming posts.

Everyone alive is familiar with the idea of the bucket list. I’ve abandoned that term in favor of one of my favorite Meriadoc Brandybuck quotes from the Lord of the Rings films: “So. Where are we going?”

One of the reasons I made this switch is that I love making a list and finishing it. Travel, sadly, doesn’t move like a grocery list or a work task list. It moves glacially. I don’t do glacial pace very well. So, not having a list of destinations hanging over my head felt like a good idea.

Anyway, when choosing your destination, I’ve found that there’s one question to rule them all:

How comfortable are you going to be in this destination?

This starts with personal safety and ends with language (dis)comfort. When it comes to personal safety, there are a series of mitigating factors:

• Are you a guy or a girl?
• Are you traveling alone?
• Is this country currently unsafe for your nationality, gender, sexuality, or other?
• Is this country currently a war zone?

Obviously, Europe is going to be the hands-down best option for safety. The majority of their countries rank higher than the US for safety, accommodate English incredibly well (except France), and quite frankly have a large majority of the things you probably want to see.

As an American going abroad, the majority of Western and Central Europe are going to be extraordinarily comfortable destinations. Credit cards are fully integrated into society, Wi-Fi is everywhere, you’ll see brands like McDonald’s and KFC on many corners, and other such things that will ring normal to your brain.

Not to mention that if you’re in London, you’ll probably consider Big Ben a familiar landmark even if you’ve never stood beneath it before. Same with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Colosseum in Rome.

History classes, textbooks, Instagram, and the Travel Channel have imbued us with a sense of familiarity for many places in the world. I can’t understate the feeling you get stepping up to these global icons and the feeling of wonder (“I’m actually here!”) and comfort (“It looks just like I thought it would, but bigger!” (Or in the case of some iconic paintings: “It’s that small?”)) they’ll bring you.

I also advocate going to places where you’re not as comfortable eventually. One of the beautiful things about travel is stepping outside of your comfort zone…just be honest with yourself long before you board the flight.

The amazing thing is that most of the world, especially where tourists go, is quite safe. Unless you’re a naturally fearful person, you’ll quickly learn that there’s more in common between the “third world” and “emerging countries” and your own neighborhood than you think.

I haven’t spent much time exploring outside of Europe—and that’s hopefully changing in the very near future—but countless millions pour into Asia and Latin America every year. Giant metropolises like Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Rio de Janeiro are all as modern and complicated as any of the cities in the US you could navigate without issue—though I’ve read many accounts that Asian countries have less English-integration (understandably) for getting around.

I’ve found the language barrier to be the most important thing to acclimate to while traveling. Starting with a country where they’re likely to speak your language/accommodate English speakers (this rules out France; go to Prague, it’s better than Paris) is my first recommendation when it comes to dipping your toes in the travel pool.

When I went to Hungary, the language—which our walking tour guide explained is considered the fifth hardest language in the world to learn—was baffling to the point that I couldn’t figure out a single word—and I like to think I’m pretty adept at languages. But they have accommodated English speaking tourists exceptionally well so that in my five days in that beautiful country I never had any issues.

But honestly, when it comes to choosing a destination, after considering safety, just ask yourself:

“Where do I want to go?”

For some, inundated with images from photography, videos, movies, and what-have-you from around the world, this could be a very overwhelming list. Personally, I could rattle off twenty destinations on all seven continents without pausing for a breath or thought. However, I also know which location, free airline ticket put in my hand expiring in two hours, I’d choose first. And I think you do too.

So, my friends, don’t stress out when it comes to choosing your destination. This isn’t the only trip you’ll take in your life. Narrow it down to two and let finances decide. Flip a coin. See which shows up in your Instagram feed first and consider it a sign.

But don’t go to Paris. 😉