The One About Planning a Trip to Alaska

Let me tell you a story. Not about business. About a cruise.

As this blog drops, we will be back from our trip to Alaska.

Seven flights in total.

Two nights in Seattle

Cruising out of Seattle. Bald eagles. Bears. Maybe a whale or two. It’s a dream trip. One of those “once-in-a-lifetime” adventures that feels like a reward for all the hard work.

Followed by four nights in Las Vegas, because a girl's got to shop, right?

But here’s the thing: You don’t get to Alaska without a plan.

You don’t show up at the dock and hope you packed the right documents, booked the right flights, or remembered the warm socks.

This cruise? It took systems.

What planning an $11,000 holiday teaches you about business

We booked this cruise a couple of years ago. The balance payment? That came a few months ago. A little over $4000. That was the balance — the holiday total’s closer to $11,000.

Yep. Deep breath.

That’s not the kind of thing you wing. It’s the kind of investment that requires intention.

So we:

• Budgeted in advance.

• Tracked every payment.

• Planned it like pros.

Because dream trips don’t run on vibes. Neither do dream businesses.

Systems = peace of mind (on land or sea)

Here’s what had to happen:

• Check visa requirements for the US and Canada.

• Book flights.

• Plan an overnight stay in Seattle (because missing the cruise is not an option).

• Choose excursions (two incredible ones are booked!).

• I needed to get my comped rooms in Las Vegas and make sure we had the right number of nights to accommodate the flights.

• Update the ESTA (and make sure it's still in date).

• Check that the travel insurance has cruise cover.

• Create a travel checklist with documents, clothes, meds, tech, and snacks.

None of this was hard. Because we had a plan. Because we used a system. Because every big experience needs a foundation that supports it.

You don’t get to your goal by hoping. You get there by prepping.

By the time you read this, we’ll be back - we have likely soaked in the views, marvelled at bald eagles, and mentally high-fived our past selves for every checklist, folder, and system that got us here.

The Alaska prep vs your business

Here’s the Magic: every system I used to plan this trip is the same kind I use in business.

✅ A clear to-do list with priorities

✅ Templates I reuse (travel checklist? Copy/paste from last time)

✅ Digital folders with everything stored where I can find it

✅ A calendar with reminders and buffers (no last-minute panics)

✅ A print out of things I might need (definitely the travel insurance and ESTAs)

Systems give you breathing room.

They make your future self want to high five you.

They keep your biz (or your travel plans) from derailing when life happens.

They can still feel like YOU. Systems don’t mean sterile. They mean supported.

The metaphor you didn’t know you needed: pack the hoodie

You know what I always do before a trip?

Pack a hoodie.

Even if I’m going somewhere warm. Even if the forecast looks good.

Why?

Because things change.

Planes get cold. Destinations surprise you. Rain happens.

That hoodie? It’s the backup plan.

Your business needs that too.

The hoodie is your content bank.

The hoodie is your “I’m sick” client comms system.

The hoodie is your budget buffer or your pre-written emails.

Every well-prepared business owner has a hoodie.

Even if it’s metaphorical.

Ready for your version of Alaska?

You might not be planning a cruise right now.

But you ARE building something that deserves clarity, ease, and backup plans.

That starts with simple systems.

Ones that reflect how you work.

Not copy-paste ones. Not “you must use this tool” ones.

Your systems. Your way.

That’s what I help you create inside VA Magic Mirror.

52 weeks of system and workflow Magic.

Bite-sized emails that walk you through the exact things that make your biz easier.

🌀 Templates

🌀 Planning tools

🌀 Systems that support your energy (not drain it)

✨ $44. One year. All Magic. → www.jodraper.au/my-goodies

Whether

you’re cruising to Alaska or navigating your biz? You deserve a smoother ride.