Account Managing A Trip To NYC

This past August, my sisters and I decided we were heading to New York for my mom’s birthday. They had never been and had a slew of touristy destinations in mind. Knowing that we were limited to one weekend, and understanding everyone had competing priorities, I did what I do best – I got organized.

1. Outline the Requirements: After sitting down with the family I created a list of all the places they were hoping to see, the app “wunderlist” helped aid in the planning process.
2. Determine the Constraints: With work and train schedules, our trip was limited to a long weekend (Friday-Sunday).
3. Develop a Plan: Knowing that the majority of the attractions we were looking to see were in Times Square, we narrowed down the hotel we were staying at based on a number of factors: Price per square foot (four women getting ready in close quarters is rarely a good thing), baggage storage, bed situation, etc. Then using Google Maps, I created a map that outlined all of the places on the “wish list” to help determine which attractions were located near each other so we could hit them at the same time.
4. Gain Approval:To make sure everyone was happy with the plan, I sent out the itinerary and map to my family to get their buy-in.
5. Implement: The plan made for a good guide for our trip, and allowed us to have a basic outline of what we were doing each day.
6. Make Adjustments: Obviously things change, so we made adjustments. We took time to breathe in the fresh air and look up at the amazing NYC skyline.

Check out the fruits of my organizational labor here, and feel free to copy our itinerary! A lot of planning added up to a streamlined, stress-free trip.