If you haul yourself across the world or even across the country, you want to have a rich experience. You may hit up an urban center for the stimulation of architecture, museums, shops and hyper activity. Perhaps you are heading to a relaxed, remote, more natural setting in the beach or the mountains. Your travel plans may involve a family visit. In any case, you want to get the most for your vacation time.

Travel with a creative mind and absorb places in unique ways. I have gotten a lot out of going my own way. Unexpected meetings, relishing the details of a place and discovering my inner resources all have contributed to rich travel memories. Check out the following ways to mark your journey with your own unique stamp.

1. Research before you go. Read one or two books about your destination to get a feel for weather, cultural differences and places you want to see. Read novels, stories, poems that evoke a place in addition to travel guides. Check the internet to find out what art shows, concerts or special events will be taking place. A few years ago I visited Paris and the city was celebrating cinema by reducing the price ($2.50!) of all films shown in the city from 6 - 7 pm. This was a relaxing and rejuvenating way to transition from day to night. I found out before I went by surfing the internet.

2. Make your own guidebook. As you read about your destination on the internet or in books, take notes in a small journal about places you want to visit, hours of operation, phone numbers and addresses. Bring this instead of carting along clunky books.

3. Find alternative places to stay instead of spending tons of money on hotels. Put it out there that you are looking for alternative lodging. Some options include staying with new friends, doing a home exchange, renting an apartment or trying out a hostel. I found an incredibly cheap apartment in a great neighborhood on homeexchange.net. Servas http://www.servas.org/ is a membership organization. You host travelers in your home and in return are able to go stay with locals around the world and see what it is like to live there. These are just a few possibilities. Explore others on the internet via message boards and web sites devoted to travel.

4. Create a piece of art as you go. Take a journal, pens, glue stick and maybe a lightweight set of colored pencils or paints. Take notes, do quick sketches, create collages and glue in cards, postcards, and gallery tickets that you collect on your trip. If you don't want to do the gluing while en voyage, glue an envelope in the back of your journal and collect your ephemera there. Put it together on the ride back home or do it when you get back to give yourself a visual reminder of the great trip you had.

5. Photos. Try leaving the camera at home. In many places you can buy postcards of places you are visiting that will be a better picture than you can take. Spend more time in the location rather than framing it in photos to show back home. If you must take a camera, get creative. Plan specific photo themes, such as photos of all the guides you have if you take tours, photos of people you see on the street, window displays, or you in creative poses with the landscape or people you meet.

6. Visit a place and experience it as you would at home. Do things that are part of your home routine such as go to an exercise class or gym, going to flea markets or yard sales, check out a movie. Go to grocery or other stores you frequent at home and check out how they do it. People watching is a great way to access a culture, even in your own country.

7. Get lost. Wander the city or country and don't worry about not knowing where you are. Set out without an agenda and let your surroundings pull you in. Stop for a coffee or snack when you feel like it, linger where you are compelled to linger, and don't hesitate to ask directions if you get lost. While in Paris I wanted to walk along the Canal St. Martin. There was a woman at a bus stop and I asked her which way to the canal. She spent a good ten minutes pointing out the best route, telling me what she likes to do, and giving me an impromptu guide to the neighborhood. I ended up taking her favorite route along the flower and tree-lined canal, ogling the houseboats and imagining a life on the water.

8. Play art buyer. When you visit art galleries or museums, pretend that you have an unlimited art budget and you want to deck out your home. This is a fun way to interact with art. It allows you to ask the questions "What would I want to live with and how would this art enhance my life?" Imagine the piece as part of your daily scenery. What does this tell you about your taste when you see yourself with the piece all the time?

9. Plan a budget and stick with it. Take a certain amount of spending money and commit to spending every cent of it before you go home. This is a fun way to be with money, especially if you are accustomed to being frugal at home. If you have to spend money you may splurge in unexpected ways.

10. Buy a series of things. Find inexpensive, lightweight things you can bring home to remind you of your trip. Scarves, cards, and notebooks are fun to bring home. I like to buy food items that I can't get at home or cosmetics that are unique to the place. In Paris I found a discount dishes store and bought a little French pitcher, a ceramic mustard pot, and a tiny salt spoon and salt cellar for my sea salt. These are now daily reminders of the French way of life.

11. Meet new friends. When I announce plans to travel somewhere, people often tell me, "I have a friend there." On this last trip to Paris I connected with a few people before I went, made a few appointments, and enjoyed dinners and cafe time with new friends, who gave me the insider's perspective on Paris.

12. Take good care of yourself. Traveling can be very tiring as you absorb new sites and sensations. The following things will keep your health strong so you can really enjoy the trip: multivitamins, lots of water, ear plugs, a travel candle in a lightweight container, respecting your natural rhythms even when out of your normal routine.

13. Create an intention for your trip. What is it really about for you? Do you want to learn as much as possible. Relax as much as possible, make new friends and contacts? Be clear before you go about how you want to be and what some possible outcomes could be for your trip. Then let them go and allow what comes to come. I have spoken with Tonya Bassett, a travel coach who helps people to clarify their travel intentions and goals. Check out http://www.mytravelcoach.com for great resources to create meaningful voyages.