Preparing for this sort of trip is not easy, let me tell you.
This is not a long holiday as many people think; this is a life changing project!
Cambridge, UK 2008
On top of going to travel the world for an extensive time, I also am leaving my wonderful friends, my massive family, the job that I have been so proud of, my gorgeous flat and also the city that I have been in love with since forever where I have been calling home for the last 7 years.
So to juggle all this in such a short period of time, is proving to be one of the most challenging things that I have done in all my life.
But this is pure me: Emma Olmi, being spontaneous.
Even though I have recently decided to go ahead and book that one way flight to Mumbai, I actually feel that I have been preparing myself for such an adventure since I was a little girl: I used to read Marco Polo trips and dream… 😉
So what you need to think about really depends on the sort of places you want to go, the length of time and the type of trip and comfort you are looking for, but there are things you will probably need regardless of any of these circumstances…
- Dream – remember that dreams are made to be real! Have you ever stopped for 30minutes and thought about what YOU really want from life? what YOUR dreams are and which places YOU have always desired to visit and explore? which adventures YOU seek? Get yourself a bucket list and start your dream! Perhaps even allow yourself to be a little selfish, think about YOU!
- Inspire yourself – read some interesting books, watch that movie, check that blog your cousin told you about or even look at your adventurous friends travel pictures (this is when facebook stalking is actually considered ok :p) but get inspired and understand YOU can also do it.
- Save the money & get a budget – chose your budget: I know people on $10 per day and know others on a $200 per day. You do not need to be rich to be able to travel, and no, I did not win the Euromillions. But are you the type that on a single night out drink over $100 worth of alcohol? How much do your cigarettes cost again? Thinking about getting that pair of shoes? The expensive bag? That money could pay for 3 weeks in Brazil or 2 months in Thailand.. hellooo??? Collect moments not things!
- Do proper research – “ahhh travel is so expensive”, “flights are so expensive bla bla bla” – bullshit, plan it properly, read blogs, get traveler tips and you will be surprised. For example, you can have a Round The World flight for less that £1000 which included like 5 destinations. This is the sort of tip that I usually tell friends and I get surprised of the amount of people that never even heard about RTW tickets!
- Vaccination and medication – this is very important, the last thing you want is to get a serious disease. Make sure you start sorting your medication ASAP as many of them you have to do months before… also book a consultation with your doctor and get his/her email in case you have further questions. Also remember that a lot of vaccinations has to be done months before travelling…
- Insurance – can’t stress enough on the importance of this item DO NOT travel without travel insurance. This is the sort of thing I didn’t try to save on. I just made sure I had the most comprehensive travel insurance after hours and hours of research.
- VISAs – one of the nightmares: some countries are extremely easy, others not so much!!! Please be aware that different nationalities might have different rules for different countries. Do your research before leaving… countries such India, Angola, Russia, Vietnam… take a while to get a VISA. Plan in advance!
- Packing – ahhh that is probably one of the hardest things – especially for ladies! Regardless of if you are going for a 2 week or a 2 year trip you must be rational and try to carry as little as possible. Don’t forget, you will pick things up along the way too!
Oslo Harbour, Norway 2009
