FAQ From My Followers!
Hello friends!
I've been laying low in sunny Fort Myers, Florida the past few weeks with my grandparents at their winter house here (see above picture). I am slowly planning my next moves and trying to deal with having so much down time in the retirement capital of the world (not a real statistic, it just feels that way). Today I decided to answer frequently asked questions that were submitted to me on my social media pages.
What first inspired you to travel the world?
I’ve always heard stories of people who had backpacked and thought “wow I’d love to do that but I know it’s just a dream. I’ll never get to.” Once I went to college and studied abroad, I just knew I had to see the rest of the world! It took several years for me to make this a reality but when I moved to Orlando and figured out that I didn't want to be settled down right away, I decided to look into a program, called WWOOF. A friend mentioned to me that it would help me see the world, save money and live with locals. I wrote a blog post that goes into detail about my time with WWOOF and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the world on a budget! The more you travel the smaller the world gets. I once thought a 6 hour plane ride was so long and now I’m like oh it’s only 12 hours? No big deal! Let’s go!
Best advice for someone traveling solo?
Just do it! You’ll meet so many people at hostels, on walking tours, etc. and you’ll make connections that could change your life! Traveling solo can be hard so know your limit. I do enjoy solo travel but I also really enjoy traveling with others. Start with a small trip and work your way up if you’re nervous!
What is the hardest part about your lifestyle and does it stress you out?
The hardest part about my lifestyle is the uncertainty and of course it stresses me out! The uncertainty of how much my next pay check will be, where I’ll be in a month, and so on. However, it comes with it’s good parts as well because I’m not tied down. I’m allowed to go where I want, when I want!
How do you find inspiration on where to go next?
I follow a lot of travel pages on Instagram that inspire me to travel to some of the places I visit, check out @TheBucketListFamily or @travelandleisure! However, I’ve been compiling a list of places I’ve wanted to go since I was young. I’ve crossed off Europe and I’m starting on Asia coming up. Long term goal is Africa 😉
How do you find cheap ways to travel?
In all honesty, I’m not perfect at this. Sometimes just the timing of things doesn’t work out so I pay a little more for a plane ticket than I would have liked to. However, that just means saving on other areas like hotel or food. My top 3 ways to get cheaper flights would be:
- Be flexible with your dates. I would look at cheaper travel days (Monday-Thursday) and see what’s the cheapest ticket before you request off of work or make arrangements.
- Be creative! I was trying to come home from Japan and a one way ticket to Seattle was going to cost me 750 USD. Instead, I searched flights to Hawaii and then flights to Seattle and found two 150 dollar flights. I spent 2 days in Hawaii in a hostel and went to the beach/hiking and spent the same as I would have flying back from Japan directly.
- Download apps like Hopper or Student Universe and check Google Flights. You can set alerts on your phone that will notify you if a price for a ticket you checked goes up or down.
How do you not over pack?
I ask myself one question when I am packing. Will I be able to use this more than once? If the answer is no, I don’t pack it.
For example, if you’re trying to limit the amount of shirts you want to take, ask yourself can I use this shirt with more than one outfit? If it only matches one pair of pants, then I’ll only wear it once and that’s a waste of space. Versatility is key when packing clothes! A dress can be a day dress for exploring, a night dress for going out AND a bathing suit cover. You DON’T need all three.
For shoes, I stick to 3 at all times. A pair of tennis shoes, a pair of flip flops for the shower or beach and a pair of either sandals or boots depending on the climate I’m heading to. All of them HAVE to be comfortable!
Also, stick to small bags. If you take a smaller bag, you pack less! Simple rule!
How do you remember random things you forget to grab?
A trick I usually do is run through a normal day in my head. Wake up and brush my teeth? I need a tooth brush and tooth paste. Put on makeup? Pack essential make up and so on and so on.
Likewise I say I need these 4 things before I leave the house; my medicine, phone charger, my phone and my wallet. Every thing else I can live with out or buy it when I get there!
Extra: be aware of where you’re traveling. Temperatures, 10 day forecast and so forth. Maybe you need last minute sunscreen or gloves!
Favorite city that you have visited?
I always answer this with Santorini, Greece! I have wanted to go there since I was a little girl. Finally doing it was such a surreal feeling that’s totally addicting and it makes you want to feel it over and over again! It’s not always where you go either. Some places I’ve been weren’t necessarily high on my list but the people I went with or met, made it a trip high on my list!
City that disappointed you the most?
I think as much as I hate to say it, Rome. Rome has been my answer for this question before and though I never say I hated it or wished I never went, (I’d never say that about a place I’ve traveled) it just didn’t live up to the hype in my head.
How do you get around if you don’t know or speak the language?
I feel very lucky that English is a widely spoken language and even luckier that it is my first language. That’s a privilege I’ll be forever thankful for! In Japan, everything was in Japanese but had English in smaller letters underneath. As for the actual navigation, I use google maps and download a map of the city on WiFi before I leave. However, navigation of trains, buses and metros does take some practice and getting used to. Fortunately they’re pretty similar all over the world so as long as you’re familiar with one you can use mostly any other!
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