Trip Planning

2. Research the Trip

Use references/research-brief.md to structure research:

• Transport options (flights, trains, cost, time)
• Accommodation areas (neighborhoods, price, wifi/work setup)
• Events/activities (conferences, meetups, must-dos)
• Weather and practical logistics
• Your schedule constraints vs destination constraints

3. Make Decisions

Use references/decision-framework.md:

• Structure each decision (options → criteria → choice → deadline)
• Log decisions in a Decision Log (don't relitigate)
• Decide transport + dates first, activities later
• Key principle: Once decided, don't bring it back up

4. Create Vault Notes

Following obsidian-vault rules:

1. Read templates first
2. Create trip note in ${VAULT_TRIPS}/ (name: YYYY-MM Location.md)
3. Create event notes in ${VAULT_EVENTS}/ if specific events/conferences
4. Link between trip and events using [[wikilinks]]
5. Include decision log in trip note

5. Build Timeline & Checklists

Use references/checklists.md:

• Pre-trip checklist (bookings, registrations, notifications)
• Work setup (hours, timezone, coverage)
• Packing checklist
• Return checklist

For each action item: Add a real deadline, not "soon"

6. Itinerary

Block your time realistically:

• 20% buffer on all time estimates
• Mark work commitments clearly
• Include travel time between locations
• Don't over-schedule — leave 20% unplanned for serendipity

Principles

• Gather enough to decide — Don't research forever
• Decide quickly — Most travel decisions are reversible
• Plan loosely — Detailed itinerary by day is overkill
• Work constraints matter — Be explicit about them
• Treat decisions as final — Don't relitigate once decided
• Real deadlines — Specific dates, not "soon"

Red Flags

• Analysis paralysis → Gather 70% of info, decide now
• Over-scheduling → Leave 20% of time unplanned
• Ignoring work constraints → Will burnout
• Forgetting to budget time → Will rush
• No clear purpose → Trip will feel scattered

References

• research-brief.md — What to research: transport, accommodation, activities, weather, constraints
• decision-framework.md — How to structure decisions and decision logs cleanly
• checklists.md — Actionable checklists with real deadlines (pre-trip, bookings, packing, return)