Comments on: 28 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Traveling

By: Dilek

Dilek — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:04:36 +0000

Chris i have recently just discovered your blog and i have to say that i am so inspired! I’m a high school senior and thinking about college majors now. I don’t know what i want to do but i do know that i want to travel! I’d like to work with impoverished third world countries just like you did in West Africa. I can sincerely say that your blog has been really helping me

Life is way too short to not see the world. And if you put your head to anything, then it’s really not that difficult to do what you want. I think it’s just important to strip away from the values we put on material things. What did you do after college? I am as well dreading the ‘real job’, i know that i cannot be happy in a stuffy office. I am so glad that i found your blog, and at such a good time!

By: Lauren Quinn

Lauren Quinn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:27:41 +0000

Great basic guidelines to traveling anywhere, and an interesting and useful conversation. The only thing I would add is that, in many places, it’s recommended that you take only official taxis from inside the airport gates–Mexico City, Caracas, Bogota, many larger cities in India. I’ve unfortunately known several people who’ve gotten scammed or, worse, robbed by unofficial taxis. The legit ones cost more, especially from the airport, but it’s a small price to pay.

By: Tara Tona

Tara Tona — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:11:18 +0000

Regarding carrying cash while traveling…. I am a young female, who has traveled solo in Latin America. I ALWAYS carry at least $200-300 USD equivalent on me in a combination of USD and local currency. Never have I been robbed while traveling. Break the cash up and store it in at least 3 spots (bag, socks, purse/wallet…) Think Smart!

By: Jonny

Jonny — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:26:12 +0000

An excellent post of short, concise tips. I’m off to live in Thailand for a year and leave in a few days so this has been a very enjoyable read. Thankyou.

By: shawnnita

shawnnita — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:58:33 +0000

Great information! Thanks for sharing! I don’t have a lot to add but I have learned a lot here! One thing I will share is that you will find a great wealth of information at your local library if the area you are visiting has one. We have a lot of people come to ask us local information, where things are, whats a good place to eat and things like that.

I’m off to find the title of your books so I can order it from my local library!

Cheers!

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:45:51 +0000

When I get in a taxi I always have a local map at the ready and if possible the location I am going to written in the local language (not every taxi driver can read). Traveling without heavy suitcases frees me considerably from the feeling of being locked in with any particular taxi driver.

By: thaumata

thaumata — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:38:52 +0000

This is a lovely list and I’m glad someone pointed it out to me. I’m an american who has lived in Spain and now the UK.

I tend to buy medicines when I travel, also. When I go to the states, I buy Aleve (naproxen sodium) because it’s not available in the UK, and I buy huge bottles of aspirin, because you can only get a 32 blister pack in England, which annoys me. In the UK, I buy Nurofen with codeine for painful headaches, because in the states, I’d need to see a doctor to get codeine.

It’s never a good idea to just take whatever they sell. You must be an informed consumer and know what you’re buying and what it does. Saying that, it really is useful sometimes to stock up while you can.

I wanted to ask JJ above, who said that it’s selfish of us to call ourselves americans when canada and peru and elsewhere are also americas, what his alternative word would be for someone from the United States. United Statesian? I don’t think it’s at all a cultural ignorance; just lazy tongues faced with a long country name and shortening it to the most logical nickname. The french would say I’m americaine and the spanish would say I was norteamericana (north american) and I don’t get upset with them for being less specific as it’s really a function of language. If someone from Argentina is an american, why can’t I be as well? (Versus none of us being allowed to say it?)

As far as hiding your nationality abroad, I think it’s never a good idea. If you are polite, educated and respectful, then you should consider yourself a great ambassador for your country. Maybe some places think Americans are bad tourists because everyone has been lying for a decade and saying they’re Canadian. I had a Canadian friend tell me once that he’s always found Americans to be very polite and sweet and that he felt it was a shame our government didn’t do much to accurately represent our people. That’s a conversation that never would have happened had I said I was from Nova Scotia.

By: Lynn White

Lynn White — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:11:21 +0000

Hi Chris, Always enjoy your articles. One thing I would add, always carry tissues and some local coins for the restrooms. Many countries are not like the US and have free facilities.

By: Gwen McCauley

Gwen McCauley — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:27:46 +0000

Hi Chris

Wow, so many comments that I don’t have a lot to add. Except that thing about extra cash is important even in 1st world countries. Hubbie and I were off to the market in Loule, Portugal one Saturday morning. Only had a few euros but weren’t worried because there is a bank-a-minute there.

Yikes. That Saturday morning the entire satellite network was down! It was too funny to watch all the touristas wandering around town visiting every cash machine possible, hoping beyond hope that they could get some moola.

No serious results but a good reminder to always keep a small stash of cashola. And some fond memories of watching how different people deal with bad news!

By the way, one thing that I really like about your site is that it is so readable. You keep your paragraphs short, your font is very legible, your material well laid out and your esthetics very pleasing to the eye. Besides the fact that the ‘real’ you is evident in what you blog, I think its visual appeal helps a whole lot.

Cheers,

Gwen McCauley

By: TrueEyes

TrueEyes — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:52:13 +0000

Hello, Chris, I’ve just stumbled to this article and enjoyed reading it and the following comments
I agree with pretty much everything you’ve written, however I’d like to point out that there are always exceptions to every rule. For example, although it’s useful to bring a lot of cash with you, sometimes you end up at a place where you can easily get pick-pocketed and yet there were tons of ATMs around (like Spain for example).. So depending on cash instead of debit/credit card isn’t always a good idea.
My suggestion is the following: Always inform yourself about the place you are going to travel to. Living in the technological era, it’s pretty easy to learn what you need to know – currencies, political situation, medical care.. Everything you need. You can even check the address you are going to in GoogleMaps instead of just writing it on a sheet of paper.
Anyway, I wish you a lot of great trips:)