Travel Tips From The Gypsy

Travel is one of the best remedies we have for self discovery, self love and a true lesson in independence. I look back at pictures of my first trip to Costa Rica and just from then to now I've changed so much (I've spent the last 3 years traveling and living in various countries around the world on a my own journey and loving every little second of it). I had no idea how to travel. I was terrified of traveling alone and being from Texas, even just telling people I was moving to Costa Rica for a bit, was like me saying I was going to go live in the  amazon with a rare tribe and have to hunt for my own food. They made me feel even more scared and insecure about my decision than I already was, but I still booked my ticket and stuck to my decision to leave. I picked a place that I'd always wanted to visit and was lucky that I had family living there. So get in contact with family or even distant family or family friends and see where they live. If they live somewhere you'd like to visit, get in contact with them and see if they'd be willing to let you stay with them for a while or even a week helps and show you around. Have an outline of your travel plans but beware that everything changes when traveling. The plan you made before leaving will have totally changed during your travels. So relax go with the flow and don't freak out if plans totally diverge. Saving up to go. Save up as much as you can and go. Don't be scared of not having enough money if you start cutting too much into your budget try to find work in your area, there's always places willing to hire travelers and pay them cash. Or trade your skills wether it be your good at computers or a have a degree back home offer those skills in trade for room and board or even offering to make some beds or do some cleaning can get you a long way. Saving on accommodation when possible is always a plus. Booking tickets. There are so many sites that offer amazing deals so put your email in all the websites that offer notifications for the specific location your trying to fly to. The best time to buy tickets are about 3 months in advance so when your at about that time frame get online and compare all the sites you've researched and book your ticket. Any longer or shorter time period than that tickets tend to go up. Packing. I recommend getting a backpackers backpack and filling it with essentials, don't overpack that will only be more money in the long run with weight requirements and a pain in the butt when your lugging your stuff around from place to place. Leaving room in your bag is always a good idea since you'll be buying things along your travels, you'll want to make room for. Leaving the comforts of home and friends. If your embarking on a solo journey understand it's ok to be scared and anxious going alone it's part of the process. I promise you'll make friends, and meet people you would have never thought you'd been friends with back home, that's where the learning and growing process takes place. It's an amazing experience, and solely having to rely on your own wits and survival skills in a new place is a scary but an amazing feeling that wakes up a whole new part of you. Getting there. You've made it, now what? Google and public bulletins will become your best friends... weather it's craigslist in the US or gumtree in Australia other countries will have their own versions of these so when arriving if your staying with a friend or already made arrangements for a place to stay before leaving home. Get to where you need to go. Take a minute relax enjoy your day there. Walk around take your camera and capture this new place your in. Talk to locals if you can and ask them questions: where the best places and areas to stay in are? to go out? is it easy finding jobs? (if you want to work), the must see spots they recommend. Talking to locals is the best way to get a feel for the place your in and really experience the culture. Travel with purpose. Know why your traveling wether it be to find yourself, challenge yourself, look for new opportunities in another country or just to have fun and have an adventure. Whatever it is have a goal in mind you'd like to have achieved from your travels. I say this because with no set goals it's easy to get lost in travel, one can get even more lost than when they started, and the very last tip: let go. Trust your instincts and be fully present in the ups and downs it's how you truly grow and experience your journey. Happy travels.

Lots of Love and Good Vibes

xx

Tori