The world is a beautiful place with so many different cultures, languages and traditions to discover. Learning about the world’s diversity can help us grow as individuals and broaden our perspective of what it means to be human.
There’s no right or wrong way to travel, and it’s important to embrace your own style on the road. Whether that’s checking off bucket list items at a destination or simply relaxing with a good book in the sun, do it. Don’t let anyone make you feel insecure about your traveling preferences. Traveling is about discovering what makes you happy, and if that happens to be sleeping in hostels or eating all the food, then so be it!
Often the biggest challenges of a round-the-world trip are the financial ones, but planning ahead can save a lot of headaches. The internet is rife with information about the costs associated with a specific itinerary, so find a resource that best works for you (or just use your trusty spreadsheet). Assign a budget number to every component of your trip and re-visit it on a regular basis.
It’s also important to be aware of the safety risks of a particular destination, and not just because the corporate news media loves sensationalizing stories about tourists getting killed or kidnapped. Having a conversation with a local will give you an insider’s perspective and help you understand how to stay safe.
One of my favorite travel tips is to spend a few hours sitting in a park or on a busy street corner just watching day to day life unfold around you. It’s a great way to connect with your surroundings and really absorb the place you’re in, and it’ll be a memory that will last a long time.
Visiting iconic musical artists is another big trend in world travel. Concerts are the new getaways, with fans flocking to far-flung destinations to see performers like Taylor Swift or Pearl Jam live. Concert tours are a great way to experience a place and its music while also meeting fellow fans, and a few months in advance you’ll have a better idea of how difficult or easy it will be to score tickets.