Challenge Yourself: Travel Alone
by: Eric Odom
Now let?s be honest, this isn?t going to be easy.
I find traveling alone to more of a mental workout than anything. When you travel with a few friends or a significant other, you have several other people encouraging the hard decisions to be made in one direction or another. When it is just you, you have no ?yeah let?s go there? or ?I want a beer in Ireland?. It?s just you.
You have to make the decisions. You have to buy the plane ticket and plan everything from scratch. You?ve got to hit the search engines and find the information, you?ve got to figure out exactly how Europe works and you are going to drive yourself mad wanting to know what a youth hostel is. Traveling alone isn?t as easy as it sounds.
Ok, so are you scared yet? You shouldn?t be.
Actually, I was only kidding. If you slow your mind down and just understand that a truly unique journey does not begin when you step off the plane, rather, it begins when you confirm the purchase of your airline ticket before you even begin planning your trip.
Purchasing the airline ticket: The proof is in the pudding
This may be the first time you?ve ever heard this, but I truly believe that purchasing the airline ticket is the turning point that allows you to go from being seriously interested to filling out your time off request at work and booking hostel beds. It is at this point that you begin coming to grips with the fact that you are about to travel halfway around the planet.
Buying your airline ticket is the key. If you are reading this and are considering going overseas but have the butterflies, I suggest you buy the plane ticket and consider the deal done.
Now comes the unraveling of a vision. You?ll probably go through a few phases where you find yourself looking through forum posts of those looking for travel partners, you may ask a dorm roommate or friend to see if you can summons any interest, but in the end I think you conclude that traveling alone is indeed the way to go.
When you go alone, not only do you get away from everything you know, you get away from every person that you know. Where you are going no one knows you. You are but a stranger roaming through Europe on a journey of freedom, soon to return to where you live with a vague memory of what you witnessed It is because of this that traveling alone truly gives you freedom in life. Freedom from the life you know. It is journey into a new world of experiences and people.
Go ahead time to challenge yourself and be creative. Step out of that comfort zone and explore what your imagination has been running over and over for the past few months.
Traveling alone allows you a better chance to experience foreign cultures, create new friendships, and eat foods that you are unaccustomed to eating, live like you have never lived by surrounding yourself with everything foreign and unknown.
I traveled alone the first time I went, and every time thereafter.
If I never traveled alone I would have NEVER spent 6 days on a canalboat in the canals of the UK. I would have NEVER met the person that I met on that boat and in turn would have NEVER boarded a train with her headed for Spain. I have seen islands that I never knew existed because I traveled alone. When I first arrived in London I was clueless as to what to do so I booked a bed at St. Christophers, and the next morning talked everyone in my dorm into hiring a canalboat. Had I gone with the original plan of going with my roommate at the time, we would have stayed in a completely different area of London and I would have never seen the flyer for the boats.
In the end, I firmly believe that traveling alone is by far the only way to go.
Get away from everyone you know? This is all about you!
Travel Alone. Stop talking about it and do it!
About The Author
Eric Odom is editor for http://www.backpackearth.com.
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7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Mattress
7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Mattress
by: D Ruplinger
Purchasing a mattress is the most important furniture purchase you?ll make because you spend more time on a mattress than on any other piece of furniture you own, unless you have a tendency to fall asleep every night in a recliner like my husband does.
The seven items below are things you should be aware of and to consider before you purchase a mattress since that mattress will be a huge factor in the quality of sleep you receive each evening.
1) Decide on a budget. The prices of mattresses vary a great deal. If price is your number one consideration you can find an inexpensive mattress and box spring set for a few hundred dollars. But I recommend buying the best mattress and box spring you can afford. When you buy a mattress you get what you pay for. My first two mattress purchases were based on price and I never really got a good night?s sleep. I saved and bought a...
7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Mattress
Beds > 7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Mattress
Camping In A RV For Fun And Pleasure
Camping In A RV For Fun And Pleasure
by: Sintilia Miecevole
Camping for most people means a tent and sleeping on a mat on the ground. If that doesn't really appeal to you, then camping in an RV is what you need. It is the ultimate camping adventure.
RV's come in many sizes and shapes. They start with campers that fit in the back of a pickup truck. These can have full kitchens, beds, a shower and toilet in them.
Next there are van conversions called Class B motorhomes that are basically a cargo van converted into a camping vehicle. These can have a raised roof for more head room. They also contain the same amenities as the truck camper.
Next up is the Class C motorhome. The front end looks like a pickup truck, but the similarity ends there. There is a sleeper extension over the cab and the back end looks like any motorhome you are probably familiar with. Basically a cargo box with windows, but much prettier. The Class C has all...
Camping In A RV For Fun And Pleasure
Beds > Camping In A RV For Fun And Pleasure
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
by: Neels Theron
Looking around on the web for an aluminum fishing boat? You'll soon enough find out there are a number of different ways to go, depending on your needs and budget...
Are you looking for something very straightforward and uncomplicated you can quickly fit on your pickup? Or maybe you want something more sophisticated you can use for both tournament fishing and recreational fishing?
Another option - if money isn't your biggest concern - could be to look into a custom built boat with everything just the way you want!
You will probably know why you're looking for an aluminum fishing boat as opposed to a fiberglass or steel boat, but lightness (greater performance or fuel savings) and strength (around 35,000 pounds per square inch (psi) will deform it as opposed to 30,000 psi for mild steel) are probably the greatest advantages.
Price also comes into...
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Beds > Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Vacation in Italy - Private Holiday Homes versus Hotels
Vacation in Italy - Private Holiday Homes versus Hotels
by: Milan Matchev
Vacationing in Italy is a dream come true for so many Americans.
Those who have Italian heritage often wish to see where their families originated.
Those who have no Italian lineage still look upon Italy as one of the foundations of Western civilization. Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Florence, Umbria, Chianti, San Gimignano, Siena, Orvieto, Todi, Assisi, Spleto and Montepulciano
are all legendary to those of us raised in the ?new world? and for many are simply places we?ve read about in our school books, or seen on television or in the movies.
Many Americans, sadly, know little of the geography of Italy, but do appreciate the food. After all, pizza and spaghetti are considered as American to us as apple pie and hot dogs.
But only on a trip to Italy can a person really appreciate this magnificent country, home to Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo,...
Beds > Vacation in Italy - Private Holiday Homes versus Hotels
Top Travel Reservation Tips For A Stress-Free Trip!
Top Travel Reservation Tips For A Stress-Free Trip!
by: Susan Wong
Anyone who wants to enjoy a stress-free trip has to start with the basic concern of any traveler - how to effectively handle travel reservations. Below are a number of advice that may help:
- Decide on a travel plan - specific destination, how many days, what activities, routes, and other details. The attention given to this first step will ensure smooth sailing in making the necessary travel arrangements.
- If the destination is a foreign country, make sure all information that would be needed in making reservations are on hand.
How about booking your airline tickets? Below are some airline reservation tips you can use:
- If notification of your reservation is done by e-mail, make sure that the ticket price quoted is the same. Sometimes, some airlines claim the airfare booked earlier is no long available.
- If booking on online, use a reservation site...
Top Travel Reservation Tips For A Stress-Free Trip!
Beds > Top Travel Reservation Tips For A Stress-Free Trip!
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
by: Gray Rollins
Camping conjures up images of campfires, tents, sleeping bags and generally roughing it. However, now there are so many pieces of furniture available for use in camping, you can deck out your campsite to look almost as good as your home. There are lounge chairs available, ottomans, tables and lamps to recreate a living area around a campfire. Portable kitchen areas will provide preparation areas and grills for a versatile dining experience. Your tent no longer has to consist of a sleeping bag on the hard ground but can include beds, tables and lamps.
Keep in mind that larger pieces of furniture are difficult to transport and may be heavy or bulky so these items are best used in stationary camp sites. If you will be wandering off to camp at a site where you will have to carry your equipment long distances, these items may not be ideal. However, if you have a campsite...
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
Beds > Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
by: Neels Theron
Looking around on the web for an aluminum fishing boat? You'll soon enough find out there are a number of different ways to go, depending on your needs and budget...
Are you looking for something very straightforward and uncomplicated you can quickly fit on your pickup? Or maybe you want something more sophisticated you can use for both tournament fishing and recreational fishing?
Another option - if money isn't your biggest concern - could be to look into a custom built boat with everything just the way you want!
You will probably know why you're looking for an aluminum fishing boat as opposed to a fiberglass or steel boat, but lightness (greater performance or fuel savings) and strength (around 35,000 pounds per square inch (psi) will deform it as opposed to 30,000 psi for mild steel) are probably the greatest advantages.
Price also comes into...
Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Beds > Aluminum Fishing Boats: From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
by: Gray Rollins
Camping conjures up images of campfires, tents, sleeping bags and generally roughing it. However, now there are so many pieces of furniture available for use in camping, you can deck out your campsite to look almost as good as your home. There are lounge chairs available, ottomans, tables and lamps to recreate a living area around a campfire. Portable kitchen areas will provide preparation areas and grills for a versatile dining experience. Your tent no longer has to consist of a sleeping bag on the hard ground but can include beds, tables and lamps.
Keep in mind that larger pieces of furniture are difficult to transport and may be heavy or bulky so these items are best used in stationary camp sites. If you will be wandering off to camp at a site where you will have to carry your equipment long distances, these items may not be ideal. However, if you have a campsite...
Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip
Beds > Camping Furniture You Should Have For Your Next Camping Trip