I spent my winter break prepping for my upcoming semester abroad by creating the framework for a travel spreadsheet. I immediately set up columns for flight information and started compiling a list of dream destinations. I couldn’t wait to begin strategically booking out my weekends.

But as the day of my flight to London approached and packing took priority, the idea of pre-planning trips with friends took a backseat. All of my energy went into preparing for move-in, and I kept telling myself that I’d have more than enough time to plan trips once I was settled across the ocean.