Lesson #2

The next thing I learned from this summer was just how essential it is to research and organize before you take off places. Some travel Instagram’s will make it seem as easy as picking a place and boarding a plane. I will say that I’ve seen and gotten to experience some incredible things, but if you don’t want to put the time and effort in, don’t do it. A trip is not nearly as enjoyable if you’re stressed about where you’re going to stay, what you’re going to do, etc. Plan, seriously. I can’t give specifics on where exactly you should go or what you should do when you’re there, because everyone has different preferences. However, from my experience I would say to research different housing options before you settle on one. Usually I’ve chosen between Airbnb’s, hotels, and hostels. Hotels can be a cheap option if you’re willing to split with a lot of people, but that just depends on your standard of living. Personally, I don’t mind roughing it for a bit if it means I can afford to do more fun things while I’m visiting somewhere (If we have to cram 7 friends in one hotel room and someone has to sleep in a bathtub, then so be it). Sometimes I’ve even taken overnight trains from one place to another and just slept there. Again, not the most glamorous option. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to.

Airbnb’s and hostels can be awesome, relatively cheap options as well. Hostels are especially neat for meeting new people, but I’d be sure to do some extra research with that to make sure it’s in a good area/doesn’t have bad reviews. The last thing you want is sharing a room with 12 people who you don’t trust or are a bit sketchy. Lastly on housing, getting good reviews on Airbnb helps out a ton! The more respectful host you are, the better review you’ll get, and the more other people will want to host you. Positive feedback loop. Don’t mean to brag, but here’s some stellar reviews I received.

That about covers it with housing. Again, I don’t know where the best restaurant is where you’re visiting, where you’ll find the cheapest wine, or when the super dope weekly Farmer’s Market is going on. However, I do know that if you do some extensive research of where you’re going beforehand, you can find some pretty neat stuff! If you happen to know someone in the country you’re visiting or know of someone who’s been there before, definitely ask them for some advice too! I’ve found some of the most memorable places by reaching out to some connections I have in places. Blindly showing up to a place and just expecting to find things to do doesn’t work out, trust me (especially when you’re somewhere that doesn’t speak your native language). I don’t mean to deter you from vacationing at all, but just know that it is a lot of prep work! It will be an overall more enjoyable experience if you do your homework beforehand and stay organized while you travel. For example, my friends and I would keep Google Docs and spreadsheets to keep track of where we were going, loosely planning what we wanted to do when we got there, information of wherever we were staying, public transport in the area, and the money we owed each other from meals out (exchange rate included!). This isn’t by any means the most fun part of traveling or the part that anyone shows on Instagram, but it’s a necessary evil, and it’s so much easier to enjoy yourself once you get all of the clerical work out of the way.