I Live Where You Vacation

Learn to Travel - Travel to Learn (TEDx Video)

Traveling itself can be a teacher. But since everyone's experience is different, everyone learns something different. The best part, is most people's lessons come with great stories. I loved hearing what this guy has learnt from all his travels.

Its interesting that I've learnt similar things but my lessons were very different. You never know what you can learn from just displacing yourself.

How about you guys? What has traveling taught you?

My Holy Travel Three

When I'm traveling there are three things I need more than anything else;

My Wallet

My Passport and

My Cellphone.

Once I have these three, I know I can handle any situation. Lost luggage? Pull out my wallet and buy new clothes. Lost? It's fine, my phone has GPS. Think I'm a terrorist? It's fine, take a look at my passport, I'm friendly.

As bare necessities go, these three are it for me. The ability to buy whatever I need (even on credit), a device that connects me to the rest of the world and proof of who I am, are all I need to feel safe. It might not seem like a lot but every time I do the check and they are all there, it gives me a reason to smile.

Sometimes when you are traveling you don't have a lot of security. You may not know the next place you will eat, where you will sleep or if you can trust the people around you. But with the Holy Travel Three, I know I can handle it.

How about you guys, what things must you have in order to feel safe when traveling?

If Traveling Were Free... #1

Being A Baby Couchsurfing Host

Couchsurfing.com is a community of travelers giving each other places to stay around the world. There are two main roles: Couchsurfer and Host. Couchsurfers are travelers looking for a place to spend a few nights in a foreign land and Hosts are the locals willing to share their homes with these travelers.

I joined couchsurfing because I know its another cheap way to travel and I figured before I take from the community I should probably give back. So far, I’ve hosted twice and it has been a seriously eye opening experience.

First of all, it confirmed something I suspected for a long time; travelers are the best people in the world. I’ve been lucky because the people that have stayed with me have been polite, low maintenance and just generally awesome. But more than that they were just genuinely nice, down to earth people who are so appreciative, its humbling. They have this infectious happiness that just really makes you want to pack a bag and join them on their travels.

Moreover they help you to gain a different perspective on your life. As guests they see your world from a very different vantage point and that helps you to remember that things you take for granted, like having a shower, are special. 

Better yet because you are hosting someone in your house, you do your best to make them feel comfortable. This made me feel like a better person because I was helping someone else and its good to be on your best behavior. Helps you to remember what being a civilized person is all about.

Opening your home and meeting people through this society has been an awesome experience. I can’t wait to see what its like playing the role of a guest, and hopefully I can contribute more to this network of ‘the best people in the world’.

Interested in joining the community? Check it out at www.couchsurfing.com 

And check out one of my couchsurfers blogs at

https://www.travellingsherpa.wordpress.com (I’m even in her post on Barbados)

I've Caught The Travel Bug And I Refuse To Take Medication

A Change In Pace

Well it has been more than a year and much has changed in that time. I am now a university graduate with some serious free time, as opposed to a student running around with my head cut off. Luckily all this new free time means that I am now able to do all the things I wanted to do and tie up all those loose ends I couldn't tie up before. I decided as I spend the next year doing all these things, I want to document a large portion of it. That's where this blog comes in. Starting 2013 I'm going to try and be a weekly (self-indulgent) travel blogger. Lets see how long this will last. Wish me luck and I will see you again in 2013, hopefully on a regular basis.