(practical) advice for a young traveler

The other day, I logged on to a New Zealand backpacker Facebook group site only to read the following:

“Who’s in Queenstown? I’m bored.”

BORED?!?!!?!?!?!?!?

Let me get this straight. You are in Queenstown, NEW ZEALAND – a country that few people will ever make it to in their lifetime, not to mention a town that most kids would kill to get to (bungy jumping! luging! mountain biking! parasailing! skydiving! and on, and on, and on.) And you are f***ing bored. Get on a plane, take a hike, hell, stop a random person on the street and ask them what you should do. But you’re going to complain – in a public forum – that you are bored in New Zealand.

I responded to his post with much of the same as I wrote above, not quite word for word. You see, I was recently asked for my advice to give to a younger, just-starting-out traveler. And this – this boredom – does not factor in. You can’t leave your home country and travel to another one halfway around the world only to proclaim that you are bored.

Everyone has off days – yes, i’ve written about them – but the only way that you will get out of that funk is by yourself. Shake the attitude of boredom. Do a happy dance. Whatever. But that’s not the only thing you need to think about as a traveler. There is so much more. And so, with that in mind, here is my practical advice for a young traveler. The things I wish I had been told eleven years ago.

 

budget, budget, budget. Make sure you have the money to go… you may need to prove that, to be honest, at immigration. I’m not saying you need to have a million dollars and daddy’s credit card in order to go anywhere, but you don’t want to be stuck dead broke and unable (or not allowed) to find work.

Budgeting is something that kids don’t learn in school. We learn algebra, trig, calculus… but we don’t learn the first thing about saving money or budgeting. Here’s a crash course! If you have $500 for two weeks, first sort your accommodation. If you’re camping, great – that’s free, or maybe a $20 campsite fee. Next, buy groceries. These might seem expensive when you check out ($75 or more, if you’re buying for multiple days) especially if you buy veggies and fruits like me. But I can make most things last four+ days, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And including wine. So do the math:

Only then should you plan to spend your money on skydiving, bungy jumping, kayaking, swimming with dolphins, a tattoo, surfing, or whatever leisure activity you are going to do. We came across a guy in a hostel in Whitianga that couldn’t pay for that night; he swore up and down he was going to be able to pay the next day (and we left too early to find out if he did) but the owners were concerned that he was going to sneak away at night. Don’t be that guy. Manage your money. And if you are lucky enough to have parents or family that will support your travels, don’t take advantage of that. Keep it as an emergency fund.

Also – side note – check the currency exchange rates every so often. I check about once or twice a week.

 

learn to do your laundry. If you didn’t already know this, then now is a pretty damn good time to learn. Hostel laundry rooms can be funny places; I’ve done my laundry in pristine rooms with multiple washers and dryers, and I’ve done it in dingy rooms with one washer and a broken dryer. You will have to pay for laundry while traveling; it’s typically upwards of four dollars. Get used to this. Don’t expect that someone will watch your clothes either; unless you’re traveling with friends, I’d suggest sticking around while your laundry is in. Also, depending on where you are traveling… get used to not actually using a dryer, but using a clothesline. Clothespins are your friend. Maybe even pick up a pack to take with you.

be cautious, but not too cautious. Trust your gut. Keep a close eye on your belongings, even within a hostel. I always keep my stuff locked away and I very rarely stay in hostels where I don’t have a locker. This is ever so relevant in places like Spain, Italy, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia (and I’m sorry, I hate to generalise but I am). I know someone who was approached by a person with a backpack “asking for directions” in a Spanish train station and when he turned back around, his partner’s bicycle was gone. Up until then, they had been incredibly vigilant. His back was turned for ten seconds. But that being said… don’t be scared. Don’t let the world scare you into not travelling.

take time. Time for yourself. Time to explore. Time to relax. Time to meet new people. Don’t cram everything possible into one day. It will leave you tired and sore the next. Let your days evolve organically. Yes, if there’s something you want to see, like the Mona Lisa or the Great Wall of China, by all means go! Of course, go! But don’t try to go to the Mona Lisa, and the Arc d’Triomphe, and the … and the … explore the Louvre. Wander the gardens. Get an espresso at a sidewalk cafe and write in your journal. And then…. only then….. keep walking. (*if you are limited in time and feeling up for walking, go for it. I am not here to tell you how to travel but more here to give advice on what I wish I’d done differently when I was a young backpacker.)

solo travel is an amazing way to learn about yourself. If I could go back in time and solo travel during college, I would. If I could tell my younger self everything I wrote in this post, I would. Solo travel has completely and totally changed me – for the better.

it’s alright to give up. Travel isn’t for everyone. And long-term travel can be rough. It can be exhausting, depressing, and scary. Downright terrifying at times. There can be times when you don’t know how you’re going to pay for the next meal, or the next hostel. Or you arrive in a new city with no idea of how to get to your destination and no clue how to speak the language. This kind of uncertainty is not for everyone.

But all this being said… go! Go out there and explore this incredible world we have. It’s not as scary as the media makes it out to be, I can promise you that. 

Alright, travellers… what other advice would you give to a young traveller? Leave your advice in the comments below.

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