Opt, then optimize is a good strategy for getting started on something—taking action before everything is perfectly in place. Much like the Lean Startup methodology, it recognizes that you won't (perhaps *can't*) know all the important bits *before* you get started. What you think is critical to get *just right* before even starting may not be necessary at all. Things rarely have to be perfect when you first start. The mere act of doing teaches you what you need to improve or focus on. Beyond that, optimizing *before* you start is often driven not by necessity, but by procrastination or fear. The antidote for both of these is simply to dive in and *do something*. Start somewhere, but...*start*. You can optimize for something closer to perfection later. I think there's similar wisdom that can be applied to travel—specifically waiting endlessly for the "perfect opportunity" to take that trip. There is always slightly better timing for a trip: fractionally better weather, an easier month at work, more money in the bank account, whatever. One of the most common is having "enough time" to explore a place. "I won't go to Yellowstone for anything less than a week. There's just too much to see and I don't want to be rushed," you might tell yourself. And so, because you can't quite pull together a week to go, you keep choosing other place to visit. Like most things in life, there simply won't be a truly optimal time. If you insist on waiting, odds are good that you'll just never go. So don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Opt to take the trip, even it's if it's not the ideal timing. After all, any trip is a better than no trip. And you can always go back.