When you have a little extra money, no longer a poor student, can actually afford to stay in a hotel instead of a hostel – travel becomes just a little easier.

If you are a middle-class traveler, it probably means that you have two weeks of vacation every year and you are looking to spend it somewhere new. Awesome, that is exactly what you should be doing!

So how can you make your travels just a little more unique? Well, whether you are domestically traveling or international traveling, there is an easy way to make your travels unique and fun – themes.

Now, different than a Disney World Theme Park trip, or cruise, or all-inclusive; I’m saying make your trip around a theme, get creative. Of course you won’t make every waking moment centered around the theme, but this will make planning your trip really fun and fulfilling. Great stories to bring back to friends and family.

Let me give you some examples and then you take it from there.

New Orleans, Louisiana – NOLA is famous for its dark history – you can do a Ghost Tour Theme. Do research on haunted hotels in NOLA and stay in one. Take a Haunted Ghost walking tour with a company that takes you around the city telling you haunted and historical stories of the town. Research restaurants that are supposedly haunted throughout NOLA and go there for dinner. Visit a cemetery. Read a haunted story based in NOLA before and go in search of all the locations. Plan your trip to go around Halloween.

Brussels, Belgium – Famous for its French Fries, Chocolate, and Waffles – you can do a Waffles topped with Chocolate Covered Fries Theme. Take some time to do research on the best chocolate, fries, and waffles places in Brussels. You can find information on the Best Fries in Brussels, the Chocolate Trail, waffles galore. Hit all the hot spots and take a picture of the chocolate. Learn to pronounce the words and try ordering always in both Flemish and French.

London, England – Famous for its literary background – you can do a Literary Theme. Stay at hotels that authors would frequent. Go on a Literary Pub Crawl. See a show at the Globe Theatre. Do a literary self-guided walking tour. Take a day trip to Stratford Upon Avon, home to William Shakespeare. Read the books of some of your favorite English authors and hit all the places mentioned in the book.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – deemed one of the most colorful cities in the world – you can do a Colorful Theme. Give yourself a “color of the day” and try to take pictures of all the buildings you see with this color. Try foods that are colorful. Buy the most colorful souvenirs. Get a colorful dress and take Tango lessons. Go around a time where there is a color festival.

Have you ever done a theme vacation? What are some of your favorite themes?