Travel

There are many reasons to travel. Some people travel to get new experiences. Others to discover the human condition is universal. Travel can be an expanding experience. It’s also possible to travel in a little “cocoon” which doesn’t move you out of your comfort zone and is merely entertainment. I appreciated the article 20 things I learned from travelling the world by gary arndt. I believe travel is over-rated (a critique of travel), and that if you really inhabit this movement of time, your current locale, that you would be overwhelmed by delight.

Prepare

These days, especially if you have a smart phone, you can get away with amazingly small amount of planning. I have done trips were we do our “planning” during breakfast, but generally I like to do a fair bit of planning before I go.

Destinations

Packing

I am of the “one bag” mindset. That is minimize what you bring so everything can fit in a single, carry-on size bag to maximize your freedom.

Other Concerns

Sharing Economy & Community

Service / Volunteering

Mixing travel with service / volunteering / culture exchange can be extremely rewarding. Often you need to pay for the opportunity. Some will do an exchange of room/board for service. Be aware that many of these opportunities are scams. The other issue is that often volunteering doesn’t really help that much. Often a small amount of money in the hands of the people (such as micro financing) is much more effective. For long term service, things like the Peace Corp, Doctors without Borders, etc do great work, but you won’t be moving around. Some decent shorter term options:

  • servas – housing for service and understanding
  • WorkAway – no personal experience, but met a few people who liked it
  • wwoof – organic farming

Low Cost Travel, Nomadic Life

I am not a fan of the nomadic life for two reasons. First I really value community which is often best cultivated in a fixed location. Second, while working, I find the overhead of navigating life in a new location over taxes me. I don’t have the energy to deal with a new city and give my work my all.

Tickets and Transport

Hotels and Inns

Food

Misc Travel Info

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