Hey buddy! December 13, 2007

So as I let more people in on my RTW travel plans, more and more friends are saying “oooh I’ll meet you in Egypt” or “can I come to London with you?”  Of course I feel it’s the more the merrier since I am already close with these folks, but for those of you traveling solo who are considering a travel buddy, here are some useful links:

http://www.digihitch.com/featured_sidekicks.html

http://www.travelersmeet.com/  – i’m actually considering joining this one

http://www.travelmatesonline.com/

http://www.travbuddy.com/ - I think I’ll join this one too

Be sure to get to know your travel buddy as well as you can before you go.  It would suck royally if you’re a raver party hippie chick and your partner just wants to go to museums and head to bed at 8pm. 

Also try to find someone similar to you and in the same budget range.  You don’t want to be held back by someone elses finances, or feel like you’re holding your travel buddy back either.  Most importantly, try to be sure you get along well before the trip.  How bad would it suck to meet up with someone in Equador for the beginning of a month-long trek just to find out they’re a douche. HAHA

Money makes the girl go round the world…. December 10, 2007

Funding your RTW trip is a major consideration that should be thought about in the VERY early stages of planning.  I’ve been researching on bootsnall about budgeting for various countries, and have not been able to pin down a solid answer. 

The answer truly varies on your location, travel style, comfort level and ability to hoof it!  Some areas, like Western Europe are far more expensive than others, like Southeast Asia.  If you need private accommodations, 3 meals a day in a restaurant, and taxis to and fro, you’ll DEFINITELY have to spend a lot more each day, no matter how cheap the country.  

If you’re a vagabond adventure-girl like me you can spend a bit less!  I plan on doing the hostel, couchsurfing thing, eating one restaurant meal a day (if any…and depending on the country), taking buses and other public transpo.  That alone will allow me to spend my money on awesome experiences instead of the basic necessities. 

I found a great site: http://travelindependent.info that gave loads of helpful budgeting advice and planning advice in general.   

I’ve decided to save a minimum of $12,000 for this trip to add to the $8,000 I’ve already got.  With any luck I’ll be able to last 11 months (without working abroad) on that amount.  Now the only question is… how the hell am I supposed to save a grand a month?!!

Where are you going first? December 8, 2007

I’ve begun to let people in on my RTW trip plans and I’m getting very positive responses and the same question over and over.  Where are you going first?  My go-to answer has been London, but honestly I have no clue.  I have these very random ideas of what I want to do… see pyramids in Egypt, surf off the African coast (despite the highest shark population there), eat lotsa French food, go to a rave in prague, mountainclimb, dive off a cliff, hike in a forest, take pix of japanese girl’s street style and buy some kickass kimonos, chill on a thai beach and get the best massage ever (sans happy ending), take a yoga class in India…  but, I have no actual and realistic plan of attack.  The more I look into the different countries and what I can do and see in each place, the more confused I get.  Where do I go first? No clue.  Thank God I have a year (12 months 3 weeks but who’s counting?) to plan this all out…

CouchSurfing!! December 7, 2007

Found a great site while researching for my RTW trip.  www.couchsurfing.com  it’s a great community of life-loving adventurers who host world travelers in their homes.  I registered to both find couches to surf in the various countries I’ll visit, and to guide/meet up w/ travelers when they’re in good ol’ NYC.  The site seems VERY well done and geared toward the safety of both the hosts and the surfers.  Checka check it out!

Ass Kicking Site December 6, 2007

You must check out www.bootsnall.com if you’re planning a RTW trip (PS you unhip peoples RTW = Round The World)  It’s got TONS of great information, a trip planner, blogs of fellow travelers and lot’s more.

The 5 W’s and 1 H December 5, 2007

Who: ME!! The AroundTheWorldGirl (if you don’t know the aroundtheWAYgirl song, you suck)  AKA – Danielle, the happy adventurer. A 26 year old NewYorker with HUMUNGOUS hopes & dreams and a neverending quest for MORE (of everything)

What: A fabulous 6+ month trip around the world! DUH! I want to chronicle the earth with my five senses (especially taste!), my camera, and the written word.

When: I leave January 3, 2009.  2008 will be a year-long plan-fest

Where: EVERYWHERE!!! Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Australia.

Why: Why Not?!  Backpacking accross the world has been a long-stifled dream of mine and it’s now or never!  The only things I really like to do are: Vacations, Eating, Writing, Photography, Acting (the fool), Meeting New People, Learning & Trying new stuff… so it only follows naturally that a trip like this is a must-do for me

How: Very carefully, with lots of planning and saving!

Hence, this dandy little blog!  I plan on using this space in web-world to detail my planning process over the next year, give tons of info for people planning their own RTW trips (especially girls going it alone), and allow readers to keep up with me while I’m away in ‘09.

Stay Tuned!!