When I was 19, I moved from a village in the the center of Ireland to London, England.
Mel
Reply to this When I was also 19 I came to England to visit my (then) boyfriend who was here on a "business" trip. We spent a week in Liverpool...it wasn't very impressive, but I remember how excited I was to be able to speak in a foreign language (or at least try) and to see how different things were: girls wearing super-mini-skirts as school uniforms, sandals to go out at night, football fans having riots (Liverpool was playing Manchester and they lost!), pub food, small packets of Pringles crisps, and, specially, the light (or lack of it!!) and how short days are here!!!...
Reply to this When I was 18 I went by myself to Australia for a couple of weeks (hardly counts).
The next place was Japan for a year long working holiday. When I went I thought I spoke a bit of Japanese, but soon found out the textbook stuff I'd been taught wasn't used much in the real world.
Reply to this My first was Mexico, in 2000, but Mexico doesn't seem that "foreign" to us here in the southern U.S., so I would say that my first "real" foreign country was Spain in 2002.
Reply to this I went to New Zealand as an exchange student and turned 18 there. First trip I took as an adult was going back to visit eight years after my exchange.
Reply to this When I was 16 I went to volunteer in Jamaica in middle of a conflict. It was a frightening experience, and many people were killed. It also completely changed my life, and now I have lived on 4 continents and I am an Ambassadorial Scholar working on poverty and world conflicts.
Reply to this When I was 18, me and a friend spent 3 weeks in Thailand before we started uni. Funny how it's where I've ended up living now!! And I am visiting our favourite place for Christmas, I can't wait, hope it hasn't changed TOO much!!
Reply to this The first country I visited, I was too young to truly enjoy it. My favorite though is Italy.
I am a 27-year old male from Huntington Beach, California. I have been in love with traveling from the age of 18. Early on, it was usually road trips to local areas of interest. It wasn't until I joined the military that I got a real sense of what the world had to offer. I feel in love with the opportunity to visit new and interesting people and places. I have been to 30 countries, and that is only the tip of the iceberg for me.
I was lucky enough to get involved in a business that allows me many different opportunities:
Reply to this I travelled at 19 to France, first time abroad - I didn't know about hostels, etc so had a cheap hotel booked in Paris, green as the greenest. Took the ferry and train and was amazed that my school boy French could get me so far... if only I could go back ala "Back to the Future" and tell the young me some of the things I know now 😊
Reply to this I went to Sri Lanka as a volunteer after taking my A-Levels and I haven't stopped traveling since.
Reply to this Spent early years of my life in North Africa but was too young to remember much. Coming to live in the States permanently, when I was 16, was the best experience of my life.
Reply to this I travelled a lot as a child, but my first overseas trip as an adult was to Malaysia with my boyfriend. 10 days in KL and Penang, and just exploring the delights of another culture. I have since moved to Japan solo...and this won't be the end!
Reply to this The first trip as an adult was London, England for me, with some girl friends. It was just after our A-levels.
I had the chance of travelling a lot in my childhood - and now I'm trying to do these trips again as an adult, with my fiancé - and it gives a totally different impression!
Has anyone done that? Been back to a country that you knew from your childhood? How have your impressions changed on the country?
Reply to this My impressions of New Zealand have definitely changed from when I lived there as a seventeen/eighteen year old to the two times I've been back to visit. I still love the country and the people, and think of it as my second home, but I have a better understanding of some of the social issues there now.
Of course the country has changed a lot since I lived there too. I lived there pre-Lord of the Rings. It was a huge shock to me to see how much the filming actually changed the tourism industry in New Zealand. But it was really cool to hear how many people I went to school with had been involved, either as extras, or behind the scenes.
I lived twenty minutes north of Wellington, which was still a bit sleepy when I was there, but still an awesome city. It was before the stadium was built and before Te Papa (the new national museum) was built. They were both in the planning stages, and deciding where to build them was big local news. I don't know if I even went to the old national museum, other than for a special exhibit of art from the Queen's private collection that was touring the Commonwealth capitals to pay for damages from the fire at Windsor Castle.
I think the other thing that has changed between when I first went overseas and now is how much you know about a place before you go there. When I found out I was going to New Zealand in early 1994, I couldn't hop on the Internet to find out about this faraway place I was going to. I had to go to the local library, which only had two books about NZ, both of them published before I was born. So I really didn't know what to expect, other than lots of sheep and kiwifruit! Not the case at all when I travel now, as I pour through blogs and photos to decide which places I want to see for myself.
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