emailprintWe have a special article for you today. Today’s article comes yo you by my own mother. For the past two years, she has hosted foreign students in her house through a cultural exchange program. She had such a great experience with the program that I asked her if she would like to share it with everyone [...]
Tips / Planning
Packing light is the key to backpacking. The less you have, the easier you can jump from one destination to another and the less weight on your back. It’s just all around better to have less. But you still need to carry the things that are important.
Looking to travel long-term? After close to three years of travel, I’ve learned quite a bit on making the best of my adventures.
As you may have heard, we’re creating an iPhone/iTouch app called Eat The World. We were only traveling with an iTouch. The last time I had an iPhone was two years ago but unfortunately it broke during my travels. I wanted the new iPhone 4S and I needed a new hard-drive but we’re in Ecuador.
Unless we’re traveling on a lottery ticket, we all run out of money eventually if we’re traveling with our savings. It’s a horrible feeling knowing when our bank account is starting to run low. The first thing that comes to mind is having to go home but if you’re not ready to go home yet, there are options for you to stay on the road. They might not be career path type jobs but they will definitely keep you on the road longer and you’ll build a whole new set of skills you never would have thought of learning.
On paper my life was perfect. I made $85,000 in 2009 despite barely turning 25, I paid very little rent to live in a million dollar condo my friend’s parents owned, I could vacation anywhere in the world I wanted to (and did), I was making new friends, and I had virtually no responsibilities. But that was only on paper. In reality I was miserable.
The problem with cheap places is that it’s all relative to the lifestyle someone chooses. While I do list Xi’an, China as being inexpensive, it’s also quite easy to spend as much as you would in Tokyo, Japan. It also depends on what you’re into. Do you like big cities, beaches, comforts of home, party towns, or jungles? If you’re looking to take a break and stay somewhere for awhile, here is where I recommend.
I’m tired of hearing excuses.
This lifestyle didn’t just fall on my lap. I didn’t wake up one day to find myself with thousands of dollars in my bank and the freedom to travel anywhere whenever I wanted. It was the complete opposite. I had negative balances and a job that kept me indoors, exhausted, and lazy. I hated it.
The only way anything was going to change was to be as dedicated as possible towards my goal. Having priorities is key to motivation and getting things done.
I hate having to go to the hospital and especially abroad. The comfort of family isn’t there and there’s no one to visit me. Still, I’ve come out stronger and learned a few things on my way out. Mostly that I need to take better care of myself.
Every country has it’s aspects you don’t want to miss and every country has it’s share of scam artists, customs and tourist traps you would be happier if you could avoid. Egypt is no different. I can safely say Egyptians are the friendliest and happiest people I have ever met. It is not unusual to be invited for a cup of tea or to dinner by someone you met only an hour ago. However, it is also not unusual to hear many stories of tourists getting ripped off by people they thought were being friendly.
