Hi

I'm Dan, 27 and from Scotland. I've recently given up city life in London and I'm preparing to embark on my first solo adventure. At the beginning of August I will be heading off to travel around the world. I'll be travelling for at least a year through Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America and North America. You can read more about my trip over at Dan's Adventure.

I'm looking forward to becoming a part of this community and I'm sure your advice and recommendations will help me out along the way. Hopefully my contributions will help others too.

Cheers
Dan

Hi, I'm Lizzie. I'm 33 and live in California. My best friend and I are planning a RTW trip beginning on 1/1/10. We will visit New zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, South Africa and are now deciding on what other countries in Africa we may hit. We plan to be gone at least 7 months, but that could turn into more time depending on how we are feeling.

I've been lurking on these boards for the better part of a year, so I thought I'd join so I can get some good advice and hopefully try to give some. I have traveled to Greece, Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, and a few places in Mexico. The travel bug has bit me hard in the last five years. I decided that I really wanted to take my RTW trip now, before I get too bogged down in my career, which is rather all consuming.

Lizzie

Hey all,

I found out about these boards a couple months ago, and since then I've been checking in almost daily. I love the atmosphere here and all the shared experiences, and I figured it was time I started posting.

My name's Jon, and I'm from right outside of Washington, DC. I'm an English teacher. I taught in Madrid for about four years, and while I still miss Madrid like crazy and might try to settle there one day, I'd like to set foot in some other parts of the world first.

With that in mind, I'm doing a westward RTW trip. I spent the past year in San Francisco, and in September I'm visiting Japan, Korea, and China, and then setting up shop somewhere in Southeast Asia. I'm leaning towards Vietnam, but I thought I'd get to the region and see what feels like a good fit.

And then I'm gonna keep heading west, visiting India, maybe spending a year in the Middle East... I'm hoping to travel by land and take it pretty slow.

Anyway, these boards have already proved invaluable as I get ready. So much good advice here, and it's inspiring to hear about people's adventures. Really looking forward to getting more involved.

Hello, I'm Linda, an Australian, now based in Eaglehawk in Central Victoria. My first travel experiences were driving across Australia on the Nullarbor Plain from Melbourne to Perth, what in pre metric days was 2,300 miles, and 1,200 miles of unmade road. We used to sleep in the side of the road, and I can still remember being awed by the blood red full moon as it rose above the desert. I took off to Europe by myself at just 18 at the end of first year uni, with Europe on $5 and $10 a Day as my guide book. I made friends on the plane with another girl and we backpacked in France and Italy for a month or so.

I'm heading off by myself again at the end of August, to walk the Camino de Compostela de Santiago in Spain. Again, I expect to make friends on the way. My concerns are a bit different from early days, though. On that trip in 1973 all my money was in my travellers cheques and I had to budget for each ice cream and bus ticket. Mail was sent Poste Restante in the hope you'd get there after it came. Now I'm wondering which plastic money to use and which sort of phone plan to adopt, and how much I'll be able to check my email.

I'm looking forward to meeting and interacting with many of you online and in the flesh.

Cheers, Linda

Hello, ladies and gentlemen and fellow happy masses of travelers,
My name is Nikki. I'm 18 going on bored to death of college, so as a result am taking a year off to travel and live a bit before going back to the ol' grindstone--but only long enough to get my degree. Then I'll be off again, with any kind of luck and determination.

So far I've been to Peru, Mexico, ireland, and the UK and will be returning to Europe for a four month backpacking adventure, starting early February. At first I was quite eager to go to Spain, France, Belgium, etc, but after doing some snooping around on the Bootsnall website, blogs and forums I've decided to concentrate more on central and eastern Europe, although I still want to spend quite a lot of time in Italy and Germany (but only for Bavaria, where the people are supposedly crazy and awesome.)

I currently live in Northern Michigan, a gorgeous place and not bad to ease the post-travel blues. I would love to start a hostel up here, as there aren't many in the US at all and none in smaller cities. But that might involve me settling down in one location, so...

Honestly, I might have posted an introduction on here already when I joined a month or two ago, but I don't think I did. In any case, you get to meet me again. =D I have a little travel blog at http://blogs.bootsnall.com/whereisnikki and pictures from my travels at http://knottynikki.redbubble.com in case anyone is remotely interested.

It's great to meet you all and I hope to get more involved! This site has already been a great help to me. I hope I can in turn help other bootsnall members. Feel free to email me about anything.
Ciao
Nikki

About five years ago I realized that sooner or later I was going to have to come up with a simple concise answer to the question, “Why do you move around so much?” and five minutes ago I realized that I still haven’t got one. I’m tempted to say because nothing is so liberating as perspective. And that’s a concise answer but not a simple one. Sometimes I say, “why should I stay in one place?” and that reminds people who already know me of my inside out way of looking at the world, but it’s useless for strangers. Most of the time I answer that I make a fine (ish) living this way and turn the subject to barter and boycott , which tends to run away with itself nicely and leave behind the questions of “isn’t it hard?” and “don’t you get lonely?”

Sooner or later you tire of the question itself.
Because , despite this exclusive sounding little remark, people who are going to understand you won’t ask about the why’s, they’ll ask how you did it. Everyone else will keep tripping over the little that you own and the little that you are on paper and in the eyes of society. Where the hell are those people, I need desperately to talk with them.

I’m pretty new to this concept of a “community” of travelers.

I once met a guy in California that was on his way to Australia.
And another in Michigan that was just returning from Brazil.
Neither one were headed my way.

But on the whole encounters with people who bounce around the earth like pin balls have been pretty random and pretty rare, as you would expect. A freakish chance that we would meet in a train, bus, plane terminal headed the same way. I’ve never meet anyone who, like me, makes a living on the road, from seasonal job to seasonal job, with no fixed address to return to at all.

My friends ask me with desperate concern in their voices how long am I going to attempt to keep this up and when will I settle down so I can make “lasting connections”.

What’s the point of settling down, I want to know, so that I can meet people who clearly like to be settled in one location when I, myself, can’t imagine wanting to stay in one place? Seems like false representation to me, and a little unreasonable to hope to meet my expectations there as well. The settlers find each other reliably enough after all… how do the wanderers?

So let’s see what comes of this.

I am 28 this year. It seems like a very long time and some days I am very tired. But I’m also growing strangely younger, more innocent, and life is only getting better every year, I never wish for reverse. I’m a writer by nature, who keeps doing other things instead. The last several years I’ve been making my living as a chef, go figure. I’m an orphan, it’s a title you never outgrow it seems, let’s get it out of the way, it might as well be now. I’m a woman, if gender matters.
My life is very much my own, I’ve chosen every piece and I’ve made it a ship not an anchor. My home moves with me through the whole world and each day I make it more opulent, flexible, more extravagant and fluid, more passionate, more spontaneous, safer and more stable. And yes, I know nothing is so dangerous to a man as wandering, let it be known, because some famous guy said it. (Or something quite like it, I’m sure) Never you mind, I’ll take that one risk, because wandering is so very beautiful. And what you risk reveals what you value, don’t you know.
There it is, another quote for you.

So I’ve come to you, Tribe of Travelers, with questions in my hands.

How do we pack community into our saddle bags?
Where is the common ground where we can meet each other, our own “country”?
And has anyone finished their list of everything they have exchanged for adventure, perspective, mobility, in their lives? I just want to see if anyone alive knows if traveling has been a “fair” trade or a good choice.

And I’ve come also with a request- send me those in hopeless love with words and the world and seeing and naming all things in the world with a new name. Send me those with a delight and pleasure of the unexpected and unknown. Send me a lifetime of painless lessons (or just one, for once). Send me lonely travelers, I’m not often lonely but when I am it is almost enough to make me compromise. Almost.

And I’ll exchange for this at least one answer I found, maybe others.

Here is my favorite answer. I’ll give it to you.

When people ask me what I am looking for, traveling around so much, I say the word you are searching for is at not for. I’m not looking for anything. I am looking at everything.

Thanks for Your Time and The Space For The Introduction,
Deb Santana

hi to everyone...i have just found this amazing site...I'm 37 from Scotland and have had the travel bug for around 22 yrs now,and I'm finally organising my 1st trip busking in Spain,cant wait...anybody with tips or advice your feedback would be much appreciated...thanks...

Hey all boots n' all! My name is Katie and I'm planning a world trip starting at the end of January. I'm starting my trip with a bike tour in Tanzania that goes from the coast to Mt. Killanmanjaro. (sp?) Anyway, it's through IBIKE international and you cycle 40-60 miles a day from surf to summit and then climb the highest point in Africa!!!
I'm leaving for my trip from Portland, Oregon---my hometown:) I love it here. I bike, hike, backpack,eat, drink,explore, etc... locally. I've been to West Africa for a couple of months and have 5 or 6 other places I plan on going. Some where I know people, mostly where I don't. Ie: Nepal, Asia (India, Nepal, Thailand,etc._) And hopefully New Zealand and Australia too.
So, since I'm new to the Bootsnall thing... if anyone has an interest in finding a totally adventurous travel partner---I'm sort of, but not really looking for one. I mean, I was just assuming I would have to see the world on my own. Purely because I've been saving money for 3 years and nobody else in my social circle has been able to or has been as committed as I. I'm really excited and plan on doing some local volunteering on my trip. If anybody is interested in getting to know me and possibly traveling with me my email is katie80gleason@hotmail.com.

Cheers!!!!

Ciao everyone! I am happy to find this message board and all of the resources here for travel!
I'm T, and I just joined this week. I'm from the US, temporarily living in Italy. I love to explore Europe. Upcoming trips I have in the works are to Sweden, Greece and Malta. I will be digging through the archives here for ideas and tips! I travel on a budget, and I'd like to see as many new places as I can!

Hi,

My name is James, 26 years old, and from the States.

I've been in the process of planning my trip for about 1 year so far, but won't be able to actually leave for another 16 months. I sort of accidently ran across Boots and All through the evolution of my trip planning. Still wouldn't consider myself a backpacker ...but I would like to thank everyone for all the great info here.

Some other websites I frequent that you all might enjoy is www.horizonsunlimited.com and www.advrider.com. Some wonderful trip reports on both.

Dear BootsNAll Vagabonds:

My name is Steve Bramucci and I'm a freelance travel writer. I've written six pieces for BootsNAll -- most of which center on non-itinerary based budget travel. My BootsNall Pieces can be found HERE: http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/tags/steve-bramucci

Right now I am a semifinalist in a travel writing competition over at Trazzler (http://www.trazzler.com). The top ten vote getters will be eligible for the grand prize. My entry is on a visit I made to a Pirate Graveyard in Madagascar. I am currently ranked tenth and looking to make a push.

I'm hoping for support from the BootsNAll Community. Every vote counts and I would really appreciate your help.

Here's How:

FOR FACEBOOKERS:
Connect with Trazzler using Facebook
GO TO THE PAGE FOR NYCGO Travel Writing Competition
Click on my semifinal entry #16410
IMPORTANT: Click green Add to Wishlist button under photo

FOR NON-FACEBOOK USERS:
Sign up for Trazzler (it’s free and takes 2 seconds)
GO TO THE PAGE FOR NYCGO Travel Writing Competition
Click on my semifinal entry #16410
IMPORTANT: Click green Add to Wishlist button under photo

Or try clicking directly on this link and singing up (or signing in) from there:

http://www.trazzler.com/trips/pirate-gr ... amasina-mg

That’s it! Thanks so much for your support and I hope to see all of you out on the road soon!

Hello,

I'm Debra from Texas. I'm planning a trip around the world starting in Paris and going to anywhere that interests me for the next few years. I speak French, Spanish and English and learn languages easily!

In intensive travel planning mode for the next ten months and plan to commence the trip in October, 2010.

Yours
Debra

Hello Everyone,

My name is Lisa & my husband and I are planning our RTW adventure for summer 2011. I've been to Poland, Czech Republic, Slavokia, Austria and Hungary. Since that trip (in 2005) I have been dreaming of my next big adventure. . . I'm so happy that my husband is just as excited to travel the world. He hasn't been overseas yet, so we're both pretty pumped for our trip to be here!!!!

So far our top 10 Places (in no particular order):
South Africa (espically Cape Town)
India (Goa & Agra)
Europe (Spain, Scotland and Greece - top picks from there)
Russia (would LOVE to do Trans-Siberian Railway)
China
Japan (even though it's so expensive)
Iceland (even though it's so expensive)
New Zealand
Peru
Brazil

Anyway, we're from the US & our ultimate goal is to find a place to live: settle down & have a family.
Can't wait to learn from my fellow travelers!

-Lisa-

Hey there,

my name is Mike and I'm back on the boards after an extended absence, so I'm re-introducing myself. I think last time around when I was really active I was graduating high school and planning a backpacking trip.

Since then I've been around Western Europe, Eastern Canada, some of the states, Costa Rica and lots of hiking, camping, kayaking and canoe trips. In my last year of Uni now and starting to plan my next trips and hoping to spend the next couple years working overseas. Good to be back!

Hey guys!

I'm Lindsey, and I'm a new member on this site. My husband and I will be traveling around the world starting in June, and we have just created a website dedicated to the trip. Our vision for the website is not just for us to blog. Our vision to create an online backpacking newspaper, complete with pictures, video, podcasts, and articles of course. We are interested in finding other writers to contribute as column authors. If you are interested, shoot me or Blake an email.

The trip that we will be embarking on is probably going to take a year or more. Right now, we are planning to start off in Spain (so that Blake can finish his master's degree in Salamanca.) Then we will head throughout Europe as long as we can Couchsurf or WWOOF. After that, we will head to India, Southeast Asia, South America, perhaps Central America, and on back to the U.S.

Unless we can find a cheap way to travel to/from/and around in Africa, I don't think we'll be visiting the continent this trip.

Suggestions are always appreciated!

Nice to meet you guys!