15 from 2015: The Best of BootsnAll

There is no right or wrong way to plan a long-term trip.  Some may tell you have to do this or you have to go there, but put trust in yourself.  While others may be more well traveled than you, you know yourself best.  Do what’s best for you.”

“I’m a firm believer that anyone who has the desire and determination can find a way to create a location independent career. We know teachers, musicians, jugglers, bloggers, geologists, microbiologists, psychologists, writers, software developers, hospitality and service professionals, editors, chefs, people in the insurance industry, artists, mechanical experts, carpenters, and lots of other people who have found ways to take their shows on the road.
The only limits: your creativity and determination!”

“There is not a single bandaid solution to poverty, but what is needed in almost every country is a combination of improved education, greater opportunity, the availability of work, and long term sustainability. If your solution involves creating one of those things, then great. If it doesn’t, then in the long run, you’re probably making things worse.”

“But if you’re planning an international trip sometime soon, or as part of a longer, RTW trip, don’t automatically leave Europe off the list.

There are still plenty of places on this continent to travel inexpensively, and the following 11 cities across 5 European countries won’t cost more than $50US/day to travel in, so take advantage of an opportunity to see an otherwise expensive region on the cheap.”

“Hitchhiking requires a certain inward disposition and considerable patience. There will be times when you wait no more than a minute, but there will also be times when you wait ten hours. There will also be times when your driver becomes a lifelong friend, and times when you will endure the most uncomfortable silences. Perhaps, although it is unlikely, something traumatic may happen. You must be prepared to accept these risks.”

“Even though concerns abounded about how this would affect our futures, the main thing we kept coming back to was the feeling of regret. If we decided not to go, would we regret it ten, twenty, or thirty years from now? Ultimately, that’s what it came down to. Regret. We felt like we would never forgive ourselves if we didn’t do it. That was much riskier than any other possible ramifications.”

“If I hadn’t traveled extensively as a young person, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to spend four years or more on this somewhat obscure academic field. World issues wouldn’t have hit as close to home as they do now. For example, a massive tsunami takes out a huge section of coastline in Southeast Asia? That’s the beach I lived on for six months. My neighbors were the ones out on the streets, missing family members. There’s earthshaking political upheaval in Guatemala? I’ve spent months living and working alongside indigenous Mayans in Guatemala. As we speak, they are fighting for change in a government that saw to the genocide of an estimated 200,000 indigenous between 1966 and 1990 and only now is justice beginning to be served.”

“Medical tourism is booming, as more and more countries have realized that they can bring in big money from foreigners who can get things done for far less than in their home countries. You might think that the travelers would be almost all Americans, but even people from countries with national healthcare systems like Canada and the UK are often unwilling or unable to wait for their number to come up on the waiting list, so having an affordable procedure done elsewhere is the best option.”

“Traveling cross-country by bus can be long and tedious in any country, and South America certainly presents its own challenges, but this form of travel can also be an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience. South America offers some of the most startling scenery on earth and, if you travel by land rather than by air, much of it can be seen en route to your next exciting destination. Snow-capped mountains, seemingly endless deserts, shimmering salt flats, bizarre rose-hued rock formations shaped by the elements, lush jungles, cosmopolitan cities, ancient ruins and deep canyons can all be viewed through the bus window.”

“While sharks are great at invoking fear in movie audiences, the actual likelihood of getting attacked by a shark is kind of like getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery at the same time. In fact, the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reports that more people die each year from bees, wasps, snakes and drowning than by shark attack. With relatively low numbers of attacks around the world, beach goers are much more likely to become victim to rip currents, jelly fish or a strong tide than a hungry shark.”

“So many people head out on their own to see the world because they are looking for answers, for happiness. I know I did. And, while solo travel can be a happy and life-changing experience, at the end of the day, it boils down to who you are and why you are traveling.”

“Travel should not be about filling in that world map tattoo on your shoulder fastest. It’s not about bigger, better, or faster. Nor is it about pushing more pins into the map on your wall than your parents did. What is it about? Authenticity. Who defines that? You do.”

“But the real purpose of documenting a journey isn’t for Hollywood, Random House, or even for your family and friends. It’s for you. The act of recording an event allows the mind to crystallize it, to fix it in time, to better remember it and its impact on your psyche. This is the point behind all those shutter-clicking tourists at the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramids of Giza: to amplify and heighten memory.”

So, what was your favourite article on BootsnAll this year? Tweet us your answer, @bootsnall.

Read other great articles from 2016:
• The Costs of Long Term Travel
• Accommodation Options for Long Term Travel
• RTW Airfare vs. Buy as You Go
• Touring China by Rail
• Long Term Travel as Education
• 8 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling

[section]Photos by: William Perugini , Maridav, Yavuz Sariyildiz , BelkaG , Olga Danylenko , Fly_dragonfly , wavebreakmedia , Henrik Dolle,Jess Kraft, Sergey Uryadnikov, PHILIPIMAGE ,Vincent St. Thomas , Anneka , Lucky Business , Tropical studio , Poprotskiy Alexey