The Do's and Don'ts of Living

It has been six months to the day since we left the sweltering 98 degree heat of Boston in a '86 VW camper to explore the world. Today Boston is buried in one of the worst snowstorms ever recorded and we're experiencing another sunny summer day.

I ask myself if traveling is what I had expected. It's hard though to remember what I thought it would be like and distinguish that from what life has become. We live in a different place every few days; we buy groceries as we need them and we shower and do laundry whenever we can. The other part of my life living in an apartment, working at a desk, and sitting in a car only when I had somewhere to go seems so distant now.

Before we left I wondered if I would get tired of it all. Tired of having no permanent place to relax, no sofa to curl up in at the end of the day, no regular shower. At times I do miss these comforts (usually after endless days of rain), but overall I rarely think about them. Our new life is filled with responsibilities primarily to each other.

After being on the road (and out of the rat-race) for this long, John and I have learned to respond to life differently. I call it energy budgeting. When we need to relax, we relax; when we decide to go, we go. We can't see everything and we don't try. If we are dragging from one landmark to the next to the point of exhaustion, we will simply collapse and fail to remember what we've done anyway, so why bother. "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" probably came from a traveler on a pre-scheduled package tour with little time to absorb what he has been exposed to or with poor budget skills. If you try to fill the 'so much to see in so little time' you will most likely be left with a blur instead of distinct memories.

When we left Boston I thought us unique; now I find that people from all over the world are traveling around it. We have seen many people two or three times as they follow a route similar to ours. It is nice to see their faces - it helps to make the unfamiliar road seem less foreign, the world smaller and less lonely.

Of course people are what makes life worth living. Does anyone truly believe that money or power or possessions bring happiness? Life without a friend to share a smile over a cup of tea would be so dull. We are taking tea with many new friends - some we may see again, some we may not, but all leave us a bit happier for having met them.

John and I are always asking people where they have gone and what they have liked or disliked about an area. It gives us tips but also allows us to learn of other interests. Through our journey so far we have learned a few travel tip's Do's and Don'ts that I'd like to share and that may help if you should ever embark on a long trip such as this.

Don'ts

1. Don't buy a round-the-world ticket. Everyone we have met who has done this has had regrets. Many round-the-world tickets are restrictive, allowing you to land only in designated cities to which the affiliated airlines travel. A lot of these tickets allow travel in one direction only (no back-tracking) and changes to the itinerary are either difficult or not allowed. Also, round-the-world tickets must be used within one year of date of purchase.

   A better way is to buy a ticket that takes you only part-way through your journey. Remember that some countries, prior to your entering, require a ticket out unless you have a visiting VISA. Individual tickets allow you to change plans when you meet someone who tells you that you absolutely mustn't miss the Angkor Wat temple at the far corner of Cambodia. Always get a ticket that has no penalties for date changes. This may cost you a $100 more up front, but it's worth it. Already on our trip we have changed the departure dates on two legs of our journey. And don't rule out land transportation. Buses and trains let you see a lot more countryside than the window of an airplane.

   Shop around for the best prices. Every airline will tell you they have the best deal. But a deal is only a deal if it meets your needs. Flying with some little-known airlines may be cheaper, but do you really want to fly at 2:00 am in the morning with stops in three cities?

   Check out the carriers. One person we met was scheduled to fly with a carrier that went belly up before departure. When he called his travel agent, the response he got was "Wow! that's terrible, what are you going to do now."

   Check out the travel agent. Find an international agent who's done some traveling. Yes, someone may tell you that Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti and Rarotonga are all on the route, but do they tell you how much time you will be in the air, the added cost for stop-overs, that flights from some islands only leave once a week or perhaps once a month? This may be useful information if you want to make a later change. How long has the travel agent been in business? Will he help with schedule changes? Is there an overseas number or office? What happens if you lose a ticket? Can it be re-issued? Every agency has its own rules, so take the time to do some research up front to save yourself some headaches and 'gotchas' later.

2. Don't try to do it all. You see a brochure and everything looks fascinating. You can't miss a thing; so you run from place to place. The only problem is that you wear yourself out and in the end only remember the running around. One friend needed to have two adventures a day in order to feel that he had really vacationed. It would be wiser to enjoy one area thoroughly, meet the people around you, relax and have a memory to share later.
3. Don't stay somewhere if you do not feel safe. There is no point in saving a few bucks just to find yourself tossing and turning all night worrying about the neighbors or staring at the walls because the music from the people next door is pounding and throbbing. There is nothing worse than feeling unrested, or worse, frightened in an unfamiliar place.
4. And one last thing that I feel is worth mentioning since it has hit us in the face, when traveling from lower elevations to higher ones, don't forget to put the lid to the Paka-Potti down before you pull the lever.

Do's

1. Do talk to people. People are the best source of information. Maps and brochures don't tell you about the quiet little cove that is ten miles off the main road or about the purple house in Brighton that is the home and art studio of an artist brother who loves to have visitors. Talking got us an invite to the house of an old sea-captain and a ride on a yacht.
2. Do ask around. Many times the first answer we got to a question turned out to be incorrect. We were told that it was impossible to get tickets on the Wellington-Picton ferry without booking ahead. We were told that all economy seats were sold-out. This in fact turned out to be untrue. Luckily we were able to get a refund on the difference in price at the dock.
3. Do pack light. It's no fun to be constantly counting your bags to make sure you have them all. John and I are, of course, traveling with everything on our backs, so packing light has become our new science. In some countries you won't want to let your luggage out of your sight. Packing light means you can rest luggage on your lap or between your legs without lose of blood circulation on that six hour bus ride between cities.
4. One final silly but important point. Do remember that in many parts of the world catsup is called tomato sauce and will taste terrible on your pasta. Trust me on this one!

So now as John and I tuck the first six months under our belt, we can proudly call ourselves world travelers. We are a bit wiser than when we left, more relaxed about whether we can handle the road and definitely still excited about what lies ahead.