Travel Planning for the Chronically Indecisive

I am certain that I’m not alone in my struggles with decision-making. I swing between impulsivity and stagnation. The term “decision paralysis” describes my experiences. There are so many choices, I’m terrified to make the wrong one, so I just avoid making a decision at all. Obviously, this is not ideal. Decisions are a daily occurrence. It’s just not possible to go through life without having to pick and choose.

At the end of my first study abroad in South Korea, I allowed fate to decide my last weekend. I closed my eyes and scrolled through a list of things to do. When I placed my finger down, I was pointing to Yonggungsa Temple. I traveled from Seoul to Busan, hiked the stone steps, and admired the beauty.

Since then, I have started planning by fate. I find places, restaurants, and activities that seem interesting, and I input them into a spinning wheel app on my phone.

If I can’t make a decision (which is pretty often) I go straight to the wheel or the coin flip. The most recent decision was “where to go for a day trip”. The options were Seomyeon, Haeundae, Gwangalli, or Gamcheon Culture Village. The wheel landed on Gwangalli. I got on the subway and traveled there, spending the day walking around, visiting shops, and trying various cafes with incredible food.

During my previous study abroad in Japan, I found different attractions I thought about visiting. I was overwhelmed by how many options there were, how complicated it was to travel between them, and the very concept of time management. I decided to do something I have now dubbed “Bus Roulette.” I took the bus numbers for each attraction, wrote which they corresponded to on a separate piece of paper, and then input the numbers into the wheel. Whichever one I landed on, I hopped on the bus.

My favorite place I ended up in using this technique was Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. It was so beautiful that I immediately called my parents for a video call to show them despite the 13-hour time difference. 

While I absolutely do not condone using ChatGPT or other AI sites for academics, it is quite helpful for travel planning. I will write, “Please find me interesting things to do in ____.” I will write down the list for future reference. If I’m feeling particularly indecisive or have too many options for a wheel or coin flip, I will have the site create an outline.

My go-to prompt is, “Please create a one-day travel itinerary for ____. Include hidden gem cafes and restaurants, less touristy attractions, and unique activities. Include the travel times between each location using public transport.” If I don’t add “public transport” to the list of requirements, it will plan everything by taxi, which is not particularly cost-effective.

Using this prompt for a one-day travel itinerary in Busan, South Korea, I received a long, detailed list that I happily followed.

With travel planning, I have the added complications of health issues. I have to plan things based on how I’m feeling. Essentially, I need two plans: one for if I’m having a good day and one for if I suddenly start to feel unwell. If the idea of coin flipping, researching, and detailed planning is too overwhelming, I can easily change to prompt to incorporate accessibility. 

Visit ChatGPT or your preferred AI generator and use your hometown to test out the prompt “Please create a one-day travel itinerary for ____. Include hidden gem cafes and restaurants, less touristy attractions, and unique activities. Include the travel times between each location using public transport.”

Click here for the Busan One-Day Travel Itinerary.

Lucy van der Merwe, University of Connecticut, is studying abroad in South Korea with TEAN.