People frequently say -“if travelling was free, you would never see me again”
At one point or another, every individual will travel; It may be down the street to work, a weekend away visiting relatives or five thousand miles to a distant land for an adventurous vacation”.
For centuries the human imagination has yearned to discover- be it new places, people, culture or experience- to satiate curiosity and ascertain or disprove myths and legends. What better way than to do all this than travelling?!
People around the world travel in varying ways for diverse reasons- irrespective of it being by road, rail, air, or sea, one thing is for sure – there are certain things that you must know.
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THE BASIC TWO: Where should I go? And why am I going?
An obvious question that needs to be answered before you go on a trip is “what destination are you going to”? You must pinpoint the exact location(s) you would be going. Then there is the “why?”. Reasons for travelling may differ- from necessity to allure, to luxury, to sightseeing, down to the sheer urge associated with “impulse travellers” / “travel mavericks” – The plethora of the motives for travelling is endless. Albeit the thrill, risk and excitement associated with the latter two, most people usually have a clear idea as to the where? And why? And that is the best and safest line to tow.
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SETTING A DATE/ TIME AND STICKING TO IT
“Don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today”. Most people have the desire to travel but are constantly postponing it because of various reasons; work, school, or insufficient funds. In reality, these reasons are illusional and are just like the proverbial cloud preventing the chicken from moving.
One of the pieces of advice “regular” travellers and adventure seekers would give you is that the minute you realise that you want to travel, “Just go for it”! Instead of churning up reasons why you can’t go, focus on all the wonderful experiences to be gained through travelling.
You don’t have to plan an extravagant trip, that would take you half-way across the world. It just needs to be something that gives you joy- a trip to the museum, the beach, or even you, walking your friend down the street!!!! Actually, it is the simple things; the simple places in life that hold the most effect.
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GRAB A PAL- MAKE A TRAVEL TAG TEAM
What better way to travel than with someone who packs along a whole lot of fun?!!! In tune with the mantra that: “ the world is best seen in ‘twos’ ”, when you finally decide on when and where you want to travel to, choose someone that would make your trip more exciting.
Having a travelling companion brings numerous benefits- someone to talk to, someone to share those extra calories from that pizza, not to mention the numerous shopping exercises to be made!!!!
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INSTAGRAM ANYONE!
A picture speaks a thousand words; and what better way to narrate a story of your adventures than to keep your Instagram and Facebook pages updated with your vacation pictures. Take a picture next to a monument, with the locals of the place you visiting, or whilst you gobble down a plate of food!!!
Mind you, you don’t need to be a professional photographer to take a beautiful picture, you just need a beautiful smile!!!
It’s not only the beauty and lure of narrating your experience via the visual that makes your pictures a necessity, it is also the security and information it provides to your friends and loved ones as to your location. This is essential so that they can easily track you in the event of an emergency.
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JUST GO WITH THE FLOW!
Many travellers, especially first-time ones, go “all out” planning the direction in which their trip should go.- this may range from important things such as hotel choice to trivial matters such as the gum to chew daily. Yes, it is good to plan and it is advisable to plan certain aspects of your trip but sometimes life is best enjoyed when you just have to let loose and roll with the punches. Be spontaneous!!!!
Do things that are out of your comfort zone- eat a new delicacy no matter how it may physically look, hang out with the locals at the city hotspot, go skydiving. Some of the best moments and experiences in life are the ones that happen unexpectedly
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LAY DOWN AND REST
Although you are travelling to see new sites and wonders, don’t forget to rest. In planning for your trip, remember to factor in a place to rest when the day is done. Depending on the place (country) you intend to visit, find a place where you can stay and keep your things.
You can decide to stay in a hotel, guesthouse or rented apartments and if you are lucky, in the home of a friend or acquaintance who happens to reside in the area you would be visiting.
Do research on the safest places to stay for travellers. You can simply google such places– many of which have websites and Facebook pages. Doing this before setting off for your trip would give you the opportunity to adequately budget, and ensure you are not cheated by the owners of such places of abode.
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LEARN THE TONGUE- namaste, bonjour, hola, si, amigo, ni hao, whatever
One of the toughest yet better rewarding things is learning a foreign language. As you embark on your travels, keep in mind that many of the places you will be visiting, have people who speak a totally different dialect to the one that you might be used to.
To ensure that you do not get lost in the sea of languages, try and learn a few of the words and phrases of the area you would be visiting.
You don’t need to be fluent, but do learn enough so that you can communicate without much difficulty. Common greetings, names of food and objects and numbers should be enough to get you by on your travels.
In preparing for your trip remember this main tip- HAVE FUN!!!!!
The main reason for travelling is to experience something new. Don’t take things so seriously on your travels. Be free like a bird. Learn and laugh as much as you can. Memories are for a lifetime, and amazing memories are priceless beauties that will eternally change your life!!!!
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