Where did I get the idea to take a trip around he world??? My love of travel was instilled by my mother who, as a child, often envisioned living and working in Africa when she grew up. She shared those dreams with me, and even though she never made it across the great waters, she …
Globetrotting 101 – How to create and sustain a trip around the world! Read More »
Laying the Groundwork I actually began my first “round the world” journey a full year before my departure, when I announced my vision to friends and neighbors at my annual New Year’s party. During a ritual, each of us shared an important goal. To make our goals more real, we pretended that we had already …
The Devil is in the Details. Once I settled on a route, I started getting in touch with friends and friends of friends in my destinations, as well as contacts I made through cultural exchange and homestay organizations. In places where I didn’t have a homestay or personal recommendations, I relied on guidebooks, tripadvisor or …
Managing Money My no-frills trip cost about $6,000, including transportation, in 1992. My out-of-pocket expenses varied from $500-$1,000 a month (which would be about $700-$1,500 a month today). Europe was five to 10 times more expensive than Africa and Asia. Many people have told me that traveling with a partner would have cost less (because …
Departure Strategies Since I couldn’t find a friend to rent my house, I placed a listing with the local university’s faculty housing office. They located an instructor who needed a place to live for the length of time I was going to be gone. (I reduced the rent to offset pet-care duties.) I set up …
Traveling Alone I considered trying to find a travel partner but decided that it would be hard to find someone with time and money as well as interests similar to mine. On the road, I met local people and fellow travelers, hooked up with friends, contacted friends of friends, and checked in with the members …
‘Round the world: pre-departure checklist Planning and prep work are key to pulling off a long-term international adventure. This checklist isn’t exhaustive, but it’ll get you headed in the right direction. Six to 12 months 1. Rough out itinerary. 2. Scope plane ticket prices, start watching for fare sales. 3. Start networking: write/email friends, friends …
Numerous travel deals lurk within the internet’s virtual alleyways, the trick is how to find them, because the sources for finding travel bargains are as varied as the bargains themselves. There are amazing deals through websites, email alerts, newsletters and listserves. To make your life easier consider subscribing to the following sites, www.smartertravel.com , www.travelzoo.com …
