You’ve probably worked out by now that I’ve become a bit of a travel bug. I’ve gone from being content with one holiday a year to wanting to live on beaches all year around, experiencing new cultures whenever theres an opportunity. Whilst lying on Bournemouth beach with Char a few weeks ago, we came up with a little plan for starting to travel which I thought was worth sharing because I’m already in a dream bubble where the world is my oyster and need to get back to reality for a while to make it all work.
Travel Buddy
For me, the most important thing when I travel is making sure that I’ve got someone with me. I could easily do it alone, but with a friend is much more fun and takes the worry out of being solo in countries you’ve never been to. Your best friends or partner might be looking for an adventure so the excitement can grow and you can bounce ideas off each other.
When?
When are you planning to go? My travels are going to be very short and spread out for a while because of work commitments, but I’m planning a big trip to Australia in two years time when my best friend Char finishes her nursing contract. Its good to have so much time to think about it all too, so we can get a better deal on flights and properly save up our pennies and shop around.
Where?
Theres always a country or two that we put on our bucket lists for future adventures. For me its New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Canada and Italy. I was lucky enough to go on holiday a lot as a child but we rarely ventured away from Europe (except for Disney World) so theres much more of the world that I’d like to see. If you’re looking for a little guidance at times, there are travel companies like Wild Kiwi and MedSailors to help you travel around various places on a guided route rather than having to plan it all out yourself - plus its a little bit of luxury amongst the hostels!
Length Of Travels
In my eyes, anything can be considered as travelling if you’re experiencing a new culture and leaving the comfort of home whether its a weekend or a few months. Once you’ve decided where to visit, you need to decide how long you want to be away from home for. Do you want to do a long trip to tons of places, or tons of places in short bursts?
Plan Your Route
Lets say you start by flying out to Santorini for a little luxury, travel around various countries to end up in Switzerland and then off to Canada for a month - every part of the trip needs to be considered. Personally, I want to try and book my outwards flight, a few linking flights and then leave the return open just incase I decide to come back earlier or stay for longer. You never know where you’ll end up or who you’ll meet so its worth keeping your travel options a little more free (unless you need to be back in the office by a certain date).
Leaving Work
Once you’ve decided how long you would like to be travelling, you need to think about leaving work (if you work) and the correct procedures. Some jobs are much harder to leave if you’re in a salaried position but if you only need a week or so then a few months here and there. Its worth checking your holiday allowances before you go!
Saving
Everything costs money, but travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer. Saving isn’t just for spending money on food and luxuries, it also needs to cover flights, accommodation and your visa for certain countries as well as toiletries and other forgotten costs. Its worth sitting down to work out how much you can save each month before leaving so you’ve got the maximum amount to take. I’ll probably almost double it too, because its better to take too much than not enough.
Working Abroad
It might sound like a bad option but its a great way to meet new people and top up your travel funds while you’re away. We’ve all got friends that worked in bars across Europe or did a little fruit picking in Australia and none of them ever hated it!
Theres so much to consider for world trips, but its worth remembering that its always an option. So many people get tied into everyday life and forget that its always possible to get out of the normal and explore the world, one step at a time.
