General Travel Tips:

 PLANNING:

I try to stay at least 2 weeks in a small country or 3-4 weeks in a larger country. I know not everyone has this much time but I always like to thoroughly see and experience a country. When I first started traveling, I wanted to see as much as I could in a short time but I have learned to relax and enjoy to take things slower and really enjoy it rather than constantly on the go. Also, one thing I never understand is when people bypass a major thing to see in the country and then say, “Oh I will just come back another time to see that” because let’s be real, how plausible is that? It is hard enough to see the entire world once, much less twice. I would rather see each country thoroughly and mentally check it off my list, and then of course if I ever want to come back I can, but I won’t feel like I missed things. Of course you also can’t see every single little thing so you have to decide what things you would enjoy most and choose those things. I have enough experience to know that I don’t love big cities, so I try to spend as little time as possible in big cities. To figure out what I want to do in the country, I seek out any travel friends around the world that have traveled to that country and ask them their favorite places, where to stay, and any tips for the country as a whole. I also always read Lonely Planet on a few of the destinations there to get a feel for the different cities, Lonely Planet is really good about describing to you the vibe of a city, so that way I have an idea if it will appeal to me. Then I google other blogs about a few activities I want to do so I am prepared with the right gear and not have to buy anything once I am there if I already had it at home. I will also look at other itineraries on blogs to see what makes the most sense. So at this point in my research, I have a general idea of the general route and places most backpackers go, but I never like to book anything in advance so that way I can be flexible and let things happen organically. I know that may stress some people out but for me it is the opposite, it would stress me out to have to follow a schedule instead of being able to decide if I want to stay somewhere longer, switch hostels, travel with people I meet etc. The night before I went to Brazil, I had originally planned to go to Guatemala but there was a hurricane, so literally within 2 hours I did all the research above and booked my flights, so doing “research” does not necessarily mean weeks of research. I usually book my first night in the main city where I flew into, and then once I am in the country and talk to other travelers and the staff at the hostel, you get a better idea of how the country works, where you can get to from that city, and usually will meet other travelers also going to those same destinations. From there you just let it happen organically!