planning our first big overseas trip feels overwhelming

My wife and I finally got our passports, and we’re excited but honestly, a bit lost. We’ve always just packed up the car and driven somewhere on the east coast—no flights, no language barriers, just a GPS and a cooler in the backseat. Now, for our 10th anniversary, we want to go big. Italy, England, maybe even South Africa—places we’ve only seen in movies. Heck, even Las Vegas feels exotic since it means getting on a plane! But the planning part? It’s a headache. I’ve spent hours online, trying to figure out how much money we’d need. Is $5,000 enough? Or do we need to shell out $10,000 or more? Every time I try to compare flight prices, hotel locations, and how to get around once we land, I end up closing the laptop and wishing we could just throw a dart at the map again. I keep thinking, do other people actually enjoy this part, or am I missing some secret? I’m tempted to just hand everything over to a travel agent and let them figure out the flights, hotels, and even what we should do when we get there. I want this trip to be unforgettable, but right now, it just feels stressful. Has anyone else felt totally overwhelmed planning their first big trip? Did you go the travel agent route, or did you figure it out on your own? I’d love to hear what worked for you, especially if you started out as clueless as we are. #travelplanning #overseastrip #midlifeadventures #Travel