Over the past 2 years, the traveling industry has endured a roller coaster of ups and downs. Travelers like myself have as well. One minute, we think that the end of COVID-19 is near, and then our hopes are dashed once we see the next headline about a new variant.
Some might wonder: why are people so eager to travel? I can tell you that staying in the house may not be tough for some, but travelers? It’s like being cut off from everything beautiful in the world.
I’m a firm believer that traveling educates, transforms, and builds community, and I’d like to share what I’ve learned. Not only do I have educational experience in researching different countries, histories, and cultures, but I’ve traveled to different countries as well. I’m going to use what I know to help you plan trips that make you smile with nostalgia.
What is travel?
For some, traveling is a means to achieve freedom and self-enlightenment. Through travel, you are opening yourself to experiences that you can’t typically find if you stay in one place. The travel industry is all about giving people the opportunity to see the world on their terms, whether you are traveling for personal reasons or business.
Common misconceptions about travel:
Traveling is too expensive:
One travel myth is that it’s not accessible to everyone because it’s too expensive. For some, traveling multiple times in a year might seem impossible due to the cost of airplane tickets, food, activities, etc. I won’t be the last person to tell you that traveling is possible regardless of your budget. You just have to plan for it.
The world is too dangerous to travel:
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard some crazy theories about the dangers of traveling. That being said, some theories have happened in real life while others belong in a sci-fi novel. The most important thing to remember is that anything can happen anywhere, even in your front yard.
Planning a trip is too complicated:
Planning a trip for the first time can be intimidating, but once you do it a few times then it is so much easier. Also, who said that you had to plan a 6-month vacation the first time? Starting with a simple weekend trip can help lay the foundation for planning longer trips.
Only International travel is “real travel”:
I can admit it. I used to be one of these people! I only wanted to travel internationally because I’ve lived in the USA my whole life. It didn’t seem like a “new place”. After visiting a few different states, learning about them, and eating their delicious foods, I can honestly say that domestic travel is definitely “real travel”.
How to get started traveling
Regardless of where you’d like to go and do, you only need a few things to travel:
- A budget
- Transportation
- Accommodation (overnight trips)
- Honorable mention: your smartphone
First, I’m always considering my travel budget, so that’s the advice that I’ll always give to my readers. Second, depending on where you’re going, you may need to pay for transportation (flights, cruise, car gas, bus ticket). Third, if you’re planning to spend the night, then you’ll need somewhere to sleep. Lastly, if you want to remember this trip for years to come, then you need to take pictures and videos of your experiences.
Tips for Success as a new traveler
The best advice that I can give travelers is to just let go. Don’t try to plan every minute of every day when you’re traveling. Wander around a big city. Take advantage of your train ticket and travel to a nearby city. Go into that restaurant that looks cool but you can’t find any reviews for it on Google.
Of course, I’ll provide some amazing recommendations for restaurants, activities, events, etc. along the way, but they are all meant to get you out into the world and explore.
Travel FAQs/Common Questions
• How do I plan a domestic trip?
Planning a trip in your country isn’t as complicated as it might seem. You have more options for transportation than you would if you were traveling out of the country. To plan a fun and relaxing domestic trip, I recommend:
- Write out a budget but leave some room for miscellaneous expenses
- Decide where you want to go and what you’d like to do
- Book your tickets for transportation/decide on your transportation
- Book your accommodations
- Learn about the place that you are visiting
• How do I plan an international trip?
Planning an international trip is similar to a domestic trip, except you will have to get a passport and/or a visa for the country that you are visiting. Since a passport is needed regardless of the country that you’re visiting, I highly recommend this order so that you don’t waste time:
- Decide where you want to go and what you’d like to do
- Write out a budget but leave room for miscellaneous expenses
- Apply for your passport/visa if needed
- Book your tickets for transportation/decide on your transportation
- Book your accommodations
- Get any immunizations recommended by the CDC for the country
- Research the culture (basic language, cultural do’s and don’ts)
For more information on domestic and international travel, please read my blog post on how to plan a trip in 15 steps.
• Where is it safe to travel?
This answer seems to change every day, but thankfully we have travel.state.gov and cdc.gov. When you visit these websites, you’ll get to see which countries are deemed “safe” and which ones are not.
• How do I travel for free/with no money?
Here’s the hard truth: there is no such thing as traveling for free if you don’t want to sleep outside and/or only eat berries from a nearby bush. If you want to eat, stay in a hotel, hostel, cabin, etc., go to events that you saw on TripAdvisor, and maybe buy a souvenir (or twelve) on your own time, then you’re going to have to spend money. Another option is to “get paid to travel”, but you’ll have work for someone else or a business since you’re using their money. Do you need thousands of dollars for one trip? Depends on the type of trip. Do you need it for every trip? Absolutely not. You can travel on a budget and still enjoy yourself!
• How do I get a passport and/or visa?
Please visit the travel.state.gov website to get the most updated information for getting a passport/visa. Generally, You would visit your nearest library or post office to get an application. Then, you can take a passport picture at your nearest Walgreens for about $16. When you’re going to take the picture, make sure that you don’t wear white, or else you’ll just be a face without a body 🙂
• What is culture shock and how do I deal with it?
Depending on who you talk to, culture shock can be good or bad. It happens when you immerse yourself in another culture, set of values/ideas, traditions, etc. that are different from your own. You will experience feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, and eventually happiness and acceptance as you learn that every culture is different and unique. I’ve written a blog post on the 9 phases of culture shock that goes into more detail.
The Last Thing You Need to Know About Traveling
It can be overwhelming to plan a trip for the first time, but the key thing to remember is that you are traveling to enjoy the world and everything that it has to offer. If you forget this, then you’ll lose sight of why you want to travel in the first place.
Use this site and any others that you like to help you along the way. There are so many tips and advice on the internet to make your travels easier to plan, more enjoyable, fancier/cheaper, and memorable.
Thank you so much for reading!
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Paris
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