I didn’t start traveling until I was about 30 years old, so I never experienced the gap year/party hostel mode of travel. But I have always been a budget traveler, so I’ve had to learn how to balance budget strategies with making decisions that felt age and comfort-appropriate. I don’t think budget and comfort are mutually exclusive concepts, but I do think you have to know the budget travel tips and tricks that will give you a happy medium while on the road.
It can be difficult for teachers to plan their vacations when so many others share the same holidays and breaks. However, there is one great advantage to this – many homeowners who need housesitters also tend to travel during these times. So, if you’re a teacher who likes immersive travel experiences and saving money, this is the perfect travel opportunity!
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The Galápagos Islands. They’re famous for being the place where Darwin made some important observations which contributed to his world-changing theory of evolution. It’s a paradise for lovers of birds and wildlife and geology. Giant tortoises, iguanas that have adapted to swimming in the ocean, Galápagos penguins and other unique and endemic species live in abundance here–and they’ve never developed a fear of predators. You can walk right up to wild birds and they keep on doing their thing, as if you weren’t even there. Snorkeling and diving opportunities balance out the hiking and wildlife activities for a very fun, well-rounded and educational vacation.
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Sometimes my readers write to me with travel-related questions. I always do my best to help out, and sometimes share some of the questions and answers here in my blog posts. I hope you find them helpful! Feel free to add pointers of your own in the comments below, or ask me anything about travel. Who knows, maybe your question will be featured in a future blog post?
Sometimes my readers write to me with travel-related questions. I always do my best to help out, and thought I’d share some of the questions and answers here in my blog posts. I hope you find them helpful! Feel free to add pointers of your own in the comments below, or ask me anything about travel. Who knows, maybe your question will be featured in a future blog post?
My trip to Benin, West Africa. (The airfare cost me $86 from Denver & included several days in Paris on the way home–find out how in the teleseminar!)
If you missed my call last week, I’ve got the replay ready for you! I’ve also added slides to it for your viewing pleasure. Before you start watching, be sure to grab a copy of the free handout HERE.
In this call, you’ll see and learn:
My most favorite podcast ever is Travis Sherry’s Extra Pack of Peanuts Travel Podcast, and if you’ve been hanging around my website here looking for some good travel tips, then you’d definitely also love Trav’s podcast which always has a ton of them! CLICK HERE to open up his podcast page and check it out.
So one of Trav’s recent podcast guests was Sasha Martin, from GlobalTableAdventure.com. A few years ago, Sasha set out to cook a meal from every single country in the world–all 196 of them–and she did it! On her blog, she recorded her quest and shared all of her recipes. Trav and Sasha shared a listener challenge on the podcast to get as many people as possible to cook one or both of two possible recipes. CLICK HERE to open the show notes page for the episode on Extra Pack of Peanuts. I was glad that both options were vegetarian, and chose to try the Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Arugula and Chevre, which comes from Argentina (I’ll attempt the Guinness Cake from Ireland some other day). Continue reading
UPDATE: This issue is now available for sale in PDF format. CLICK HERE to buy it now!
This month’s issue was compiled with teachers in mind. As they return to their classrooms this month, I’d like to plant a little seed of excitement for the coming year. How about a trip abroad next summer? Not possible on a teacher’s salary, you say? I hope that the articles in this issue will convince teachers and others that not only is it possible, but as a teacher, travel can revitalize not just you but your classroom lessons as well.
As a fellow teacher, I have a special place in my heart for educators. I also have a special place in my heart for travel, because I believe that the more we learn about our world and teach others about it, the less we will fear people who are different from us, and as the young minds of today learn to appreciate, understand, and tolerate those who are different from them, the world can be transformed into a more peaceful place. Is this a trifle naïve? Perhaps, but it is my biggest dream. Continue reading
A couple months back, I published a blog post on how to pack everything into carry-on luggage. Now, recently returned from our two and a half month trip to Ecuador, I have some real-life examples of how not checking a bag saved our behinds (twice!) from being stranded in an airport overnight, hundreds or thousands of miles from our origin and destination. Not only that, but by carrying everything with us we were able to jump into the front of many long lines and avoid what could have been hours of hassle. FREEDOM!
FREEDOM!!!
Currently my husband and I are traveling in Ecuador for 2.5 months, and we came down without any checked luggage. Each of us packed a small duffel bag that easily fits in the overhead compartment on the airplane, and a day pack.
Day pack and small duffel bag: my only luggage for our 2.5 month Ecuador trip.
Packing light proved advantageous several times over even on the flight down. Continue reading