Planning for a Successful Adventure

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While my mind wanders, I’m planning. As I fall to sleep at night, I’m planning. When I’m not worried about what is going on in my world now, I’m planning. I’m planning for what will be my world in two weeks. It’s constant and I love it. Nothing cheers me up quite as well as dreaming of what lies ahead. Not all of it has been peaches and roses. There’s been a lot of stress. Especially now, as time winds down, I realize that my procrastinating ways have added anxiety where there should only be excitement. For the most part, I’ve planned well. I’m confident in what I have taken care of. I think I can live without most of the things I’ve neglected if I fail to take care of them before time is up. Time started ticking as soon as I bought that ticket to Iceland. It only seems to get louder as the time draws nearer. Today I will share with you all everything I’ve made sure to take care of before I leave for almost two months.



Once I sent in my application for my passport, it was time to begin. I started to research everything that popped into my head about travel. Three weeks later, I had read hundreds of blogs about backpacking. Where to go, what to do, how to plan, how to save, what to pack; the list goes on and on. I paid extra close attention to the blogs about traveling the world from little to no cost. I realized somethings did not work for me, but that does not mean it won’t work for someone else. I did, however, play around with those ideas. I signed up for websites that showed job offers in different countries, from working in hostels to volunteering in exchange for room and board, there wasn’t much I wasn’t willing to consider. I also learned of websites like couchsurfing.com and mindmyhouse.org. While I’m not particularly fond of the idea of “couch surfing”, I have met a few people on the site who are interested in traveling to the same places as me. I’m hoping to meet up with a few so that I’ll have someone to explore with; otherwise, I will be by myself for about two weeks. Mindmyhouse.org didn’t exactly match up with my travel plans, but I want to use it in the future. The site acts as a tool to allow homeowners to find someone to “mind their house” while they are on holiday or just away for work. Many people ask that you tend to their animals and gardens in exchange for staying in their homes. I think it a small price to pay in exchange for accommodation. When I realized that these would not work for this particular trip, I started to look into other options. Hotels are just far too expensive, especially in major cities. As I said in my first blog, I will mostly be staying in BnBs and hostels.



Once I decided that working abroad was not the route I would choose, I started to focus more on backpacking. It’s intimidating at first - the thought of living weeks and weeks with only what you’re carrying on your back. I’ll be honest, it’s still rather intimidating, but it’s the path I’ve chosen. Instead of nights out on the town, I began to invest in my travel equipment, such as hiking boots and a backpack made specifically for traveling. These items were expensive. I mainly bought them for this trip, but I will be able to use them for years to come. Quality needs to be a factor in considering the types of items you buy. You’ll thank yourself later. I also started to mention my plans here and there in almost every conversation I had. You’d be amazed at what you can learn from other people if you really take in to account the things that they say. I probably never would’ve even thought of Iceland if my supervisor, Lauren, wouldn’t have mentioned her trip. Likewise, had I not expressed my interest in hitching a ride to Boston with my friend Danielle, I would be alone on my trip for almost five weeks! I’m so very lucky to have her, and my friends, Essie and Dashawn, joining me for the first part of my trip. I’m also very excited to have my boyfriend, Danny, joining me for the last two weeks in Italy. Starting my planning early gave people the time to decide that they’d like to join me for a portion of my trip, and I couldn’t be happier with the way everything has worked out.



Obsession has been the key to my planning. I obsessed over finding the best flights. I must have changed my map a thousand times. Since October, I’ve been slowly committing to different countries. There were many things I took into account as I decided. I looked into pricing for accommodation, the different attractions, difficulty of public transport, and how much it would cost to get to the next location. Flying worked better for me because I don’t want to use my time traveling, but in the future I’d like to try trains and buses. Some of the places I’m visiting I’m considering “connecting-cities”. I want to spend time in them of course, but some places, such as London and Brussels, were just my cheapest options. Ultimately, the goal was to get to Croatia. Had I not gotten the “connecting” flight to Brussels, my ticket would have been over $200 USD, as opposed to the $70 USD I actually paid. As I said in my first blog, flexibility in your plans is essential to getting the most out of your money.



In the midst of all of that, I started planning my adventures within each city/country. I have decided which places I want to rent a car and which ones I’d rather use public transport. I’m going for more of a “wing-it” approach. Although I have a strong game plan, I have not planned too much. I haven’t tied myself down to specific dates or buying tours. I don’t particularly fancy the idea of rushing around. What if I get somewhere that I didn’t necessarily plan on and fall in love with it? I won’t be able to stay an extra night without having to cut something else out of the plan. I have a map of where I want to go, and I have options along the way. I know how much time I have, so I didn’t give myself any other limitations. My favorite thing about all of this is that I can literally do whatever I want (within financial reasoning of course). I just need to make sure I’m at the airports on time. I hope this will also give me wiggle room in case something goes wrong.



Aside from all the fun plans, I had to take some other, more serious, things into account, such as, life insurance. I want to make sure, in case anything happens while I’m gone, that my family will not have to worry about finances. I know I sound like one of those commercials, but they should be able to grieve, not worry about funeral costs and all the bills I’ve left behind. Also, I’ve insured my pricey items, such as my laptop and my camera. State Farm offers protection against property that is lost, damaged, or stolen. For me, it’s a small $7 a month and I think it will be a good investment. I had to make sure I have enough of my birth control with me as well. It is important to have all the medication you’ll need for the entirety of your trip. I also made sure all my bills will be taken care of while I’m gone. I know this part will not work the same for everyone but it is essential to get finances in order as much as possible. For example, I worked with my human resources manager and she was wonderful enough to help me space out my vacation hours so that my health insurance would be taken care of while I’m not working. I don’t want to be on the Cliffs of Moher, thinking about my bills at home. It’s been a relief not having to worry about those things anymore.



I have loved planning all of this. I feel very confident that I’ve taken the necessary steps to ensure my trip will be all it has potential to be. I can’t wait to share with everyone. I hope my advice helps you to start thinking about your next trip abroad. Maybe when I get back we can start planning something together? This is only the first of many adventures yet to come. My next blog will leave me with one week before we board the plane to Iceland. I’ll discuss with you the rough draft of my plans and what I’m packing. Thank you for reading!





Money Spent So Far:

Last total: $451 USD

Accommodation Iceland: $50 USD (for 3 nights)

Car Rental Iceland: $50 USD (for 4 days)

Car Rental Ireland: $85 USD (for 10 days)

Grand Total: $636 USD

(All of these costs are what we are paying per person for these services)

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