EDIT: Thanks so much everyone for your feedback! I decided I’m going to tell him a few months beforehand so he can help plan and prepare. 🙂

A little background information:

My boyfriend and I have been together for 12 years. Ever since we were young, he has always dreamed about going to Tokyo. I decided next year for his 30th birthday I want to take him. Initially, I wanted to surprise him but now I’m starting to second guess if I should tell him now so he can start picking what all he wants to see, which would help me decide which part of town we should stay in (I would hate to pick an Airbnb in a part of town that seems nice to me, but us end up having to travel really far each day to see the things he wants to see).

I’m nervous though that if I tell him early, he’s going to try to say we should wait. We grew up poor and finally in the last few years have gotten our shit together. But since we grew up that way he is very practical and logical when it comes to money (he would suggest we save the money and keep in our savings for emergencies). Where as I am like ooooh we have money now let’s go see the world! Lol.

We also have never been out of the country. I just applied for our passports that he thinks we will be using to take a weekend trip up to Canada. He has anxiety when it comes to leaving our home for more than just the weekend. But I know if we took this trip to Tokyo he would have the time of his life and it wouldn’t be a trip to never forget.

What should I do? Tell him early in hopes he doesn’t talk me out of it so he can help plan, or just completely surprise him in hopes that I plan the trip accordingly?

Thank you in advance for your alls help and suggestions!