Travel

I’d like to think I’m pretty well traveled for my 21 years. I graduated in 2018 and by the end of the month I was on my first one-way all alone headed to Paris, France. What a nightmare trying to get through the metro and to my first hostel was. After a few days in Paris I made my way to Belgium for the weekend before going to meet my host family in the French Alps. My host mom picked me up at the train station and we drove home in the dark. She told me about the lake and mountains surrounding us that I couldn’t really see until I woke up in awe the next morning. And just like that it was the start of a whole new chapter in my life. I spent the summer being an au pair for a wonderful French family on the lake and got tan eating baguettes all day with a 5 year old. I was able to travel to the south of France, Monaco, Italy, and eventually Greece before taking off for Bangkok, Thailand. Boy was that crazy! The next three months were wild backpacking through Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. No plans just faith. Seems almost like a dream now. We found random work exchanges and meet friends all over the world along the way. I got scuba certified and went on the world’s cheapest hot air ballon ride. My host family invited me back for Christmas and welcomed my friend I’d been traveling with too! At this point, I was really starting to miss my family, so seeing them and having that family feel was really magical during the holidays. Back in Europe I tripped around some more to Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Czechs Republic, Germany, Denmark, and The Netherlands before heading home with empty pockets.

Here’s the thing. Just go. Just book the flight and go. Things will fall into place and opportunities you never could have anticipated will present themselves. There is seriously no reason to plan everything to a T. The best things happen when you leave space for spontaneity.

Want to travel but don’t have chunks of money to do so? WORKAWAY

Make workaway your best friend. For those that don’t know, workaway is an online platform that connects volunteers with host that offer work exchange. With thousands of host online there are dozens and dozens of opportunities to farm, work at a hostel, teach kids, etc typically in exchange for food and accommodation.

Want to make money while you’re abroad? Au pair

Most families that need a live in foreign nanny offer room, board, and pocket money. It might not be much pocket money but hey other than getting there, you won’t have to pay for much.