Prepare for Long Term Travel

Preparation for Long Term Travel

Traveling abroad is an art. It takes intelligence to plan to take the courage and strength to endure. When you plan your dream trip, must walk a thin line between anyone over-analyzes and not-so-blissful ignorance (Summer in Sudan?).

There are several things you should consider before booking your trip, and most important is to decide when and where to go.

Where to go

After workin a cube and fantasize about traveling around the world, many people have a pretty good idea where they want. This is a personal choice and there are incredible places to see and do in the world. If you want to pay for their own systems for your travels, is the most important factor in deciding where to go and your budget.

How much does the world
These numbers are a few things. First, you drive slowly (no more than four days).Secondly, your stay in a clean, simple accommodations. Although it is certainly possible, a $ 3-room apartment in Cambodia, most people who are mature enough to run a business takes a little 'more comfortable. We're talking rooms have private bathrooms, hot water, shower, towels, a bed and a TV ... but not much else.

Prices are for two people including meals, room service, laundry, toiletries, visas and land (mainly local) of trip:
or Southeast Asia: $ 50
or Britain and Ireland: $ 100
Or Australia and New Zealand:$ 80
or South America: $ 55
O Africa: $ 60
Or Western Europe: $ 90
Or Eastern Europe: $ 65
Or the Indian subcontinent: $ 40
O Japan: $ 90
As you can see, costs can be very reasonable, much more sensitive than, pay what you can currently house. However, you must want to go somewhere, make sure your systems.

You can accelerate to escape home and live better when they visit third-world areas such as Southeast Asia and India. Although we have visited the UK several times myWife and I are still far from living species are in London! There is another reason for the increased initially become the third world: a new perspective. Chances are, if you read this, you probably grew up in the Western world. If you board the plane, you are certainly ready for a change, and the transition from first to third world, the opening of the eyes, as the transition from employee to be entrepreneurs.
Everything in its calculations very close to my personalExperiences.

Tips for saving money

Here are some tips that work both as a travel agent and personal experiences they have learned. There are many, many ways to make your budget:

sale of tickets or in advance or last minute. So many people complain about the rising cost of flight if they bought something months, if the damned and saved a bundle. Here is my rule of travel: tickets in advance, if you know where you go, want to buyLast-minute, if not. For example, there is currently a special discount flight to Hungary from San Francisco to three hundred U.S. dollars last minute. Are you planning to go to Hungary? No, but if the opportunity should be taken.
Slum O, then all go. My wife and I drove across Ireland without breaking the bank, yet we were in quality Bed and Breakfast (including an ancient Irish castle). While we do this? Simple: one for each night in an excellent position,We camped two nights. Once in our room for the night, clean and we had a good time. The morning after showering and their journey. After missing this approach only for one day at a time, shower ...
Change your habits or drinking. One of my biggest complaints with the writer's travel budget is their silly idea that you should have a cold beer in the name of the victim to save money. There are much better ways to save a buck while traveling. Must avoid bars.You can cold beer or bottle of local liquor stores from the cheap (or drinking strangely enough, 7-11's). I was thinking of buying a can of Guinness in Thailand for more than it cost to go home! Even if there was an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day, but the ...

Health: prevention of problems

Vaccinations

You have to start some of your vaccinations at least two months before leaving for a trip. Some vaccinations need three or four times at intervals of two tothree weeks away. Here is a brief list of inoculations most common (or highly recommended) for Global Travel:
or hepatitis A and B. (If possible, the combined vaccine)
or Japanese encephalitis
or polio, diphtheria and tuberculosis
or Anger
O tetanus
or typhoid
and yellow fever

Malaria

While there is no vaccination against malaria, there are a number of anti-malarial tablets can to fight the disease (although none of them is 100%effective). Check with your doctor to see the recipe for you. You can also learn more on www.malaria.org.

For this vaccination, please visit your local Travel Clinic or speak with your doctor. If you are currently employed, whether his services include vaccinations. I managed to save about $ 700, with vaccination of health insurance from my previous employer provided. Talk about a TFR!

Food
When it comes to food, Ifollow some simple rules:

Before Eating at a restaurant with a lot of people and turn high above. Does this mean the food is fresh.
According Eat cooked foods. Try to avoid raw vegetables and raw fish. Peel of fruits and vegetables that are more secure option. Consider vitamin supplements if you do not get enough fruits and vegetables.
Third do not eat. If your face with contaminated food, he feels a hell of a lot worse than if you eat smaller portions. The onlyI have been sick twice abroad, shortly after three or four courses in a high-end steakhouse.

Water

Depending on where you travel, you may need to bring a water treatment plant. I use the SteriPEN Adventurer UV air purifiers. The same size as a screwdriver, you can clean this wonder-tool in one liter of water per minute with an ultraviolet lamp and lithium batteries. Although it is not cheap retail is about $ 130 - SteriPEN is both easy and effective. Keep inCapital does not work with ice, a common cause of travelers amongst the sick.

If you are thinking of buying bottled water at sea, remember that many retailers fill bottles of water with the local water and sell it used. If the plastic seal is broken and is often - you probably do not want to drink.

traveler's diarrhea

traveler's diarrhea claims 30-50% of tourists abroad, within the first two weeks and is often accompanied by vomiting. In other words, not hissurprised if it comes out both ends ... And 'natural. The best thing to do? Take over the counter medications for diarrhea or antibiotics (rather than something that is linked above) was to drink plenty of water, low and letting the good times and bad flow. The symptoms should clear within a few days. Even more than this, contact a doctor.

Tie Loose Ends
Before now, the road to close the place. While most of these steps are not necessary in the short termTo travel are essential for the long journey.

Ö three - six months:
or obtain a passport (if you have one).
Reservation or plane.
Visit or to get your doctor or Travel Clinic immunizations. Check if your employer covers the insurance before leaving!
or determine how to handle your situation in life. Consider renting the apartment furnished. This saves the effort to keep your belongings, and moved one step closer to payYour mortgage. Most people are interested in accommodations for vacations, work abroad for a year or more, perfect for your intentions.
o Make sure that a dental, medical and optometry appointment for a month to go before a certificate of good health. This gives you time to empty all before letting go.

Or out of a month:
Or the dates set aside for insurance, credit cards and other items.
Close any accounts or unnecessary (egbank accounts and store).
Join or online banking (if you have not already done so).
or provide a shipping address with the post from a friend or a box in your name.
Or looking for someone to rent your car while you're away. Make sure to get a contract of insurance and leasing of car design.
Or dentist, go to the doctor, and optometry appointments.
or get insurance Travelers.

or two weeks out:
Give your two weeks notice or for yourEmployer.
or e-mail you copies of your passport, driving license, insurance, credit cards and other important information you need while you are away.
Obtain or travelers checks and e-mail security of this data for themselves.
Notify your bank or that the purchases in a foreign country with your credit card.
Or you have a garage sale. If you are unable to sell most of your things, have another garage sale next week. My wife and Isold out up to $ 1,500 worth of work for two days our thing over a month traveling in Southeast Asia. If you can not sell your order, look into a storage unit.
Or to get a visa, if the first for your country.

Remember, you do not need half of what you think you can do a truism that a key step is the preparation: packing for the trip to the long term.

What (not) Pack
Before departure: Create a checklist to take the necessary objects. At a maximum, you should: Includes
Passport
Driver's license (international, if possible)
Airline / train tickets
Credit cards, travelers checks and U.S. dollars
Photocopies of important documents
Youth Hostel Card
SCUBA diving certification (if applicable)
passport photos (one or two per country)
Belt Case
A day in small package
Sunglasses
A good book
Pen and notepad
Laptop and headset for Skype
Two pairs of lightweight pants
Shorts
Three shirts (one for exit)
1 pair of sandals
1 pair of shoes or boots
Underwear
Swimsuit (if applicable)
Toiletries
Silk sleep sack (no sleeping bag)
Repair kit
Nail Clippers
Earplugs
First Aid Kit
Swiss Army Knives

The property is just off balance. For example, suppose you buy a new camera before the trip (opportunities are available). Sure, it's a great way to document their experiences, but I weigh a lotmore than you think.

You should think twice before swimming in the sea, lest someone steal it. crossing a river could destroy it. Strangers become potential threats.

And these are just the property. The worst and most common is that prevents you from really experiencing the first of a room for the camera. This effectively removes from its environment, prevent never really win anything.

Why Einstein was wrong -How to Travel
The theory of relativity says that time slows as speed increases. For example, imagine a friend or whizzing through the solar system in a spacecraft during your stay here on Earth. Einstein showed that your friend the watch looks a bit 'slower than them.

Unfortunately, the opposite is the case when traveling. People who are apparently close to the speed of light, or at least aware of sound at home, where they just visited. Locationsnothing more than a check box on its journey, an experience not to be enjoyed, but shown from another. They develop the classical syndrome If there Tuesday, it must be in Rome. The speed is not better, so you should not try to travel at the speed of light.
My advice is to stay at the speed of smell.

As I write this, there is a large Vietnamese market is removed to less than five meters. The smell of Pho boiling over and the noise is to entertain the locals something that I wouldnoted in a five-day whirlwind tour of Vietnam.
To truly experience your environment, you must slow down. While mountain guide can offer that to make "a city within a day permit, it will take much longer to feel" out of it.

Somewhere along the line we lost the point of departure. People visit pagodas, temples spread, churches, museums and galleries, not interest, but an obligation. If you are interested in art, skip the MuseumModern Art. If you do not like sport, you forget the Superdome. I hate first-hand experience of poverty? Do not go to India.

This is not the most famous tourist sites. It is the experience that will be most affected.

His first night abroad: Make It a soft landing

His first two days in a new region must be regarded as a transitional period. Do not throw into the mix immediately, and book your hotel before departure and stay there for at least two nights. ThisIt will help you get used to your new environment and sleep comfortably in the early days. Your first night would not travel with the plans, budget, logistics or other ... Just switch off and relax your body adjusts to new things, smells, and time zone.

Lunch at 4 am? "How to deal with jet lag
There are several ways to jet lag, a common problem among travelers to fight. Sure, hitting some people harder than others, it takes me a week toTo adapt while my wife takes it easy. Here are some ways to combat jet lag:
Or eat. Studies have shown that the liver takes longer to adapt a new time zone than any other part of your body. Not eating for 12 hours or more, your body will adapt much faster. If this seems too much, you try on your destination, watch a couple of days before starting to eat (dinner at 10 clock, anyone?).
Sunshine o. The sun helps your body clock so that the morebetter. Exercise also helps.
Or pop some pills. There are more over-the-counter pills that claim to help with jet lag. Although I have personal experience with them, several people I talked to swear by any jet lag.

Be related
Now that your time and position, you must monitor the system and keep in touch with your loved ones. Here are some important tools to keep your systems maintained abroad.

General Delivery
A good way toCARE packages from home collection. Get the E-mail primary in which city you are (or soon) and have people send mail to the following:

Surname, name
General Delivery, General Post Office
City, State

If this is the post office, simply present your passport for identification and may require your e-mail. In general, post offices worldwide mail up to two years.

Blogs
A greatWay is to stay in touch is to start a travel blog. You can do it with free services like Blogger.com or WordPress.com, both are free and can be configured in minutes. By creating a travel blog, you can avoid sending e-mail group, acting always forced, when and to be more general. In this way, people who were really interested in your travel check-up on you when they want to leave comments, and other people involved visit your blog.

Blogs also allow a lotmore creative freedom than sending email. You can send pictures, videos, surveys, international clocks, cards, and a number of other changes, all albums have a large as you travel.

Word of the Year: Wireless
Wireless is the name of the game. Over time, an Internet connection will be increasingly important, and could also be the list of "free internet to get used to" over services such as complimentary breakfast, swimmingSwimming pool and massage. Let's face it: it is now able to create systems, the pay for your lifestyle, completely free of employees. Free fax, cubicles, commuting, and water cooler ... Sun access to your account to ensure the money is coming not so much a barrier does not seem right?

Expect to run Internet cafes around USD $ 1-2 per hour. Given that the Internet company is based can verify you are traveling with a laptop depending on theObjectives.

Laptop: luxury or necessity?
If you want to develop other systems on the road, a laptop is necessary. You must upload web pages for your sites, conducting telephone interviews with potential freelancers think, and the costs and revenues. If you want to check or update the existing systems, you can use Internet cafes, even if work is not what is broken in the midst of Chinese players.

Laptops also offer moreSecurity. You do not know what type of spyware programs (which remember keystrokes for future use) could be in some random computer. Following teacher and sex, trust, monogamous relationship is one of the best ways to avoid viruses.

Cell phone
Although I personally do not use a cell is to serve better all the time saved, and you receive a lot of time in which people who do not have to call with Skype. For example, I was thirty minutes for the search for ainternational call to my bank a call, that call lasted two minutes.

Skype
You can not go wrong with international calls, Skype offers just that. Get your friends and family back home to have a laptop and you can chat for free. More and more companies are jumping on the moving train, when banks and credit card companies are still behind the curve.

An additional feature that may be of some benefit is the ability to forward callsa telephone number in the United States based on mobile phones abroad. If you manage customer service problems, it is worth listing a national number. After all, you buy a product from a company to go to East Timor, with questions that require?

Dragon Naturally Speaking
If it were not for this software, this book would never have been written. For less than thirty dollars, you get a microphone, headphones, and the ability to dictate on your laptop. I can "write" about 120Words per minute. An added bonus is that you can use the microphone and headset with Skype.

USB Card
An indispensable tool. There will be times when you can not access the Internet with your laptop can, and a convenient USB Backup allows you to save your work.

Other technological marvels for work abroad
O GoToMyPC: This software lets you access your home computer from any other computer in the world. If you travel abjectwith a laptop, this is the way to go. Remember, you must pay for internet access on the road, so this is a better solution for short trips.
O World Electronics USA: Getting information about phones worldwide. Good explanation, the GSM frequencies and features "bands, where countries that determine the phone is purchased for the trip (and maybe even at home) is.
O Universal Plug Adapter: I have found in several countries to buy the adapter for the power of our digital cameraand laptops, although it can be a nuisance when you browse the different regions. This universal adapter works wonders around the world.
O world electric guide: This site is to save a life when it comes to dealing with electronics in the country. It breaks the tension, performance, and a number of other technical requirements for the country.
Use what you have learned and on the road!