So a couple years ago, amidst our increasing desire to travel more and more, I promised Anne that on we would someday go to New York together. The plan was to book the trip for August of 2017 because by then, I would have graduated from university, and Anne would be turning 16. For so long now, we have held onto this idea like a crutch. Whenever things would get too heavy, or whenever our hearts yearned to see the world, we would remind each other to set our sights on the light at the end of the tunnel. A couple of weeks ago, we finally booked our flights to the big apple, and our excitement has been exponentially increasing as each day passes by.
This trip will be our first major adventure together so we're naturally filled with nerves. Not because we're scared, but because we want things to go as swimmingly as possible. With that in mind, I spread the word to my pals to get some advice on traveling from a young adult's perspective. Altogether, these peoples' travels span the length of the globe — France, Germany, Netherlands, Croatia, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Costa Rica, Uganda, and more. Someday, I'll ideally follow suit but for now, I've got New York in mind and their advice to share with you guys.
1 | DON'T BE OVERLY ORGANIZED
If you're planning on a multi-city trip and you're traveling for a while, it isn't necessary to have all your hostels booked before you leave. You may find yourself loving a place so much that you want to stay there longer and forego another city instead.
2 | WEAR COMFY SHOES
3 | GET TRAVEL INSURANCE
You don't want to be without healthcare in a foreign country! Eep!
4 | TRY LOCAL/SMALL RESTAURANTS
McDonald's is a classic choice in a pinch/emergency but try to stay away from chains. Instead, favor some local business. No Starbucks! Same goes for clothes shopping if you're doing any.
5 | GET OUT THERE AND TRY IT ALL
This advice goes out to those who like to stay in their comfort zone with food. This is coming from a picky eater. I am not fond of seafood, but when I was in Japan, man oh man, I looked at the food world differently.
6 | TRAVEL FOR THE EXPERIENCE, NOT MAINLY TO SHOP
Learn the culture wherever you are. You'll be surprised at how diverse our world is.
7 | CHOOSE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO TRAVEL WITH
Drama happens quick, especially when personalities clash (ex. a carefree person vs. a time-based person). For first time travelers, you will soon learn that you can't travel with certain people even if they're your best of friends.
8 | PACK SMART, PACK LIGHT
Bring only what you need! It's tempting to think of what cute outfits should be brought, but I promise it's more of a struggle to bring it all and re-pack later on. Save yourself the trouble and enjoy instead!
9 | DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS
You'll probably encounter rude people or really pleasant ones. It's nice to even chat with strangers to get to know their life.
10 | STAY HYDRATED
11 | PACK DURABLE PIECES
Durable clothing & comfortable shoes are a must. You can definitely be stylish and comfy.
12 | GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Sometimes "yolo" transportation adventures are fun, but they can also be stressful. You can save time and money with good planning.
13 | WANDER LOTS
Make concrete plans but be willing to embrace and all unexpected detours.
14 | FOR BACKPACKING...
Pre-perfume your clothes before packing. Bring tide to go, and downy wrinkle release spray. If you don't have time/access to laundromats and it's a long trip, buy a sink stopper and bring some detergent.
15 | DON'T OVERPLAN/OVERBOOK YOURSELF
Even though all the activities you want to do might fit in the day time-wise, you also have to account for the fact that you are human and will get tried from walking around all day.
16 | PREPARE YOUR TRANSIT ENTERTAINMENT
Download an audiobook or some good podcast episodes to listen to in transit
17 | DON'T PACK BOOKS
They are bulky and awkward. It's usually more fun (and easier) to get books wherever you go (if that's your thing). Plus, looking for a book itself might help you discover something interesting in the place that you're in.
18 | BE FLEXIBLE AND OPEN-MINDED (ALWAYS)
19 | BE PREPARED TO GET LOST
20 | BE PREPARED TO COME BACK AND FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MISSING PART OF YOURSELF
18 | BE FLEXIBLE AND OPEN-MINDED (ALWAYS)
There's a very real chance that you will leave part of yourself halfway across the world.
— Danielle Paillé
Massive thanks to the adventurous and amazing humans that put their time and thought contributing to this post!
Stay gold,
Kimberly
No comments:
Post a Comment