Yes I traveled to 7 countries this year and you can do the same thing! I’ll help you debunking common travel myths at the end of the post. But first I want to inspire you with the highlights of this year.
I had to try something different.
Experiences that’s what it’s all about. I caught my first waves in Bali, slided to another island on a 700m zipline in El Nido and left my footprints in North Korea.
What did I have for dinner?
I have had some weird table experiences this year, from a tea break in a cat cafe in Tokyo to struggling with a squirming octopus in Seoul. Not sure if I felt more sick before swallowing a moving squid tentacle or after I had my encounter with balut in the Philippines.
In between the adventures I had to take some rest.
Sadly I also have to close my eyes a couple of hours when I travel but even that time can be exiting. I mixed dormitories with capsules and unique funky hotels.
There were a couple of things that were at least a little weird or unusual for me.
I guess it doesn’t surprise you that I’ve had my weirdest experiences in Japan. Although It was the second time I saw the Robot Restaurant show, it blew my mind again. On that same trip I woke up because of an earth quake, slept in a tiny capsule and discovered a lot of special buttons on the toilet.
And when the sun set I discovered a whole new part of a city.
Parties, they throw them allover this planet. On a beach in Bali I raved a couple of hours at Ultra Music Festival before taking a flight to Australia. I missed every edition of Sensation in Belgium but I finally experienced the ocean of white in Dubai. El Nido only had one club, a reggae bar well I thats on the check list as well and mu supposedly night of sleep in Manila turned into clubbing at Z-hostel and Time.
When the sun rises again there is a lot of cool stuff to see.
Famous sights, jaw dropping views, I had no time to think just absorbing the beauty around me.
I understand not everyone has the same budget and time to visit 7 countries each year but everyone can travel! Time to debunk some common travel myths.
I haz no money, it’s too expensive to travel.
- Save money for traveling. How important is travel to you? Where do you spend your money on, dinners, cars, designer clothes, iPhones, …?
- Stay cheaper. Book hostels, AirBnb, do couch surfing.
- Fly cheaper. I often post flights that are 50% cheaper than usual and you can look for them as well on sites like skyscanner.
I haz no time, I work fulltime
- Even if you work full time there is time to get out and explore.
- Take a gap year, it all depends how important traveling is for you. Do not wait until you might retire…
I haz no one to travel with, I will be lonely and scared
- First of all have you ever tried traveling alone?
- It’s not lonely, you will meet loads of people if you stay in hostels.
- The time before your trip wondering and doubting is more scary then the trip itself.
- You will get to known yourself and you will learn a lot of stuff.
To summarize:
Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Because Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do
Mark Twain