BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi,
i am john

i am an malaysian living on the gold coast,Australia!
Been to europe twice but both were tours. Going again end of this year with abunch of friends backpacking!
GREAT website and hope to learn and contribute more!

Greetings!

My name is Lisa, and I am a single mother of two wonderful children. We live in the beautiful state of Oregon. Was recently "downsized" and now find myself looking for new employment. But first, I am taking my children on a real road trip. We plan to spend about a month on the road around the Western US; although I don't think a month will be sufficient. The more I look into it, the more I find to do! Now it's a matter of deciding what we want to see the most!

Other travels in my life have taken me to Virginia, Florida, Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore. Someday I will go to Europe. I want to go to Italy and Scotland. Oh, and definitely Switzerland for the chocolate.


Hoping to pick up some good travel information here, as well as provide a place to let my friends and family know what we are up to on the road.

Hi!

My name is Ryan, I´m a 27 year old software developer from Toronto, although I´m currently travelling through Europe with my wife for a year or until our money runs out, whichever comes first.

Up until now I haven't been very well travelled at all - all around the U.S. and Canada, and a couple of 2 week stints in Europe, but certainly nothing that would have prepared me for this.

I'm in week 3 right now so the initial wave of excitement hasn't worn off quite yet and I'm aving a blast right now. We're WWOOFing in Sweden at the moment and about to move down into Germany for a couple of months.

Glad to meet everyone here.

I'm Andrew, 22 from Ohio.I can't remember if I have ever been here to BNA or joined, but figured it was time. My mom is Canadian, so plenty of trips across the northern border. I travelled quite a bit as a kid with my parents, went to the UK with People to People, down to Jamaica on a family trip and have had a blast the last few years doing road trips with close friends. We did the Florida Keys last year, driving from Columbus.

I find myself really getting burnt out with the rat race. I know I'm much too young with this. Jobs and school have left me unable to travel the way I want: no study abroad, or short getaways for a week or two.

Soooo...

My plan is to finish the degree in the next few years, quit work and go. Just spend as long as I can traveling, stretching my dollar and coming home only when the money runs out. Really looking at Europe (east and west), UK and North Africa for this trip. No itinerary, no schedule, no Chevy Chase moments checking off some guidebook's list of must sees. If I end up in 3 countries for 4 months great, if I do 20 in a year, awesome. I have a strong belief that real education comes from life and not the class room.

When I move into my new apartment here soon, I will look into hosting for couch surfing to start meeting people. I know that will be one way to stretch my budget. Camping is an option. I also want to look at WWOOFing once or twice and seeing if I can work for a bed here and there at various hostels.

Hola, salut, Hallo, Ni hao, lei hou, Privet, konnichiwa, anneong hasaeyo, ciao...hello!!

My name is Devin, and I love foreign languages and travel. In high school I went to Quebec with my French class for an intensive French/Quebecois language and culture program. I loved it there, and knew I was hooked. In college I went to Germany for 2 1/2 months as a student, and Poland for 2 weeks. Since then-2005-I have been in the USA, deciding what to do with my life, and after a fortuitious reaching of my hand in the library, I think I know now. I found and read Rolf Potts' "Vagabonding" and have resolved myself even more to long-term world-travel.

I am, however, a little in debt from school, and am working hard to get out of it. I am also saving for a year-long backpacking trip in Taiwan: improving my chinese, getting to know the locals, and just getting away from home for a while. I am really excited, but am not quite sure how to plan such a long journey (visas, finding hostels, etc.), as my other trips were relatively short. But that's for another thread...

I also love abstract expressionism, anti-philosophy, forensic psychology, white cats, Indian mythology, combat martial arts, collecting jester masks, classical music, Russian literature, and a bunch of other neat stuff. ^_^

Hi!

I'm Heather. I've been a lurker here for a year or so and I finally felt compelled enough to join. I am 21, from southewestern Ohio and currently unemployed. I really wish that I had some fancy work title to put there to place a good impression on all of you but I guess I will have to stick with Voluntary Bum. I have been blessed to have family that up until lately has put up with my "Peter Pan Syndrome." Lol..... Alas, it is now time to finally start looking for some sort of job as I wish to vacation next summer for a few months in a location that is still unbeknownst to me. It keeps changing and growing... Agghh. How I long for a money tree to sprout in my very own backyard.

As far as my travel history goes. I have been all over the United States and just a tad bit of Mexico. A few cruises to the Caribbean. And one of those organized student tours to Europe, where I saw Germany, France & Spain in a somewhat whirlwind fashion. Of all the places I have been, I think my favorite so far is: Munich, Germany. I think partly because it was the first city European city I visited and the first time I put the 4 years of German I took in High School to good use. =]

Other than that I mostly spend my days at home on the internet, reading books and living a sort of hermit lifestyle. Suprisingly I am outgoing and can be a bit of a party animal when the opportunity presents itself. Not to be too in depth but its my lack of self esteem that hinders my self evolution. I look forward to getting out of this rut and further more, enjoying my life the way I should.

To end this post on a greater and much lighter note, I will be travelling to California in the beginning of August with family. And I also look forward to the day when I can come on here and really start the planning process. I've read and read and read. But there is nothing else in the world that can replicate the feeling of when you actually commit, whether its the first room deposit, train ticket purchase or airline booking. Now... where to find me a job.... <3

Helloooo!

Hope everyone is grand!

I just joined BootsnAll Travel yesterday and so far the articles that I have read have been really entertaining (Loved the article about exploring local delicacies!)- making me even more eager to get out there and travel!


I am currently living the UK but am really eager to go away and work abroad...possbily somewhere in Asia?

Have heard alot about people giong away to teach and so far all I've heard is really positive. Anyone recommend anywhere to go? Must see places in Asia to visit/work/live?


Am sooo overwhelemed about the choices....how does one come to a decision :S?!

Anyhoo any tips or advice would be gratefully recieved .

Bit of info....I'll be travelling by myself so any warnings or recommendations of places to go would be good to hear about too .

Tahhhh and ciao for now


Thanks

Kim

Hi, I have been offered a job in Geneva and will be traveling to Geneva in August 2008.

I have two international travels to my name both very short with the longest being to Nairobi Kenya for 1 week to attend a work related workshop (all expenses met by the employer and bookings done by the same) - in short not much travel experience was amassed.

The second one was a three day visit to Dubai for my wedding shopping. So during these days all I did was walk out of the hotel, get a cub, go the shopping malls, buy lots of stuff, carry baggage to the hotel and sleep - not very interesting!!!!!

With this opportunity I have a 12 month contract (renewable) and therefore have to go through so many "firsts" like, getting an apartment, getting schools for my daughters (8, 6, & 5yrs), getting placement for Hubby before he can quit his job to join us (He is an auditor in case anybody can help with this)etc.

This is definitely a new experience for me and all your contributions and suggestions on how to make it as smooth as possible are welcome.

I will be relocating from Uganda.

Well greetings and salutations to all.Im the new boy on the block,so treet me gently. Ho Ho. Ok Im originaly Estonian but finished up down under in perth Australia and have had itchy feet ever since.My work has been from nurse to undertaker,chef,Army,Airforce,merchant marine,and every else inbetween.My travels have been from australia to Russia,but Asia is more compeling for me as it is on my door step. My next swarai is to Chaing Mai north thailand in Sept 08.

Hello everyone!
Long time reader, first time poster on the forums. My husband and I are planning our round the world trip and we're set to leave as soon as the house sells.
We are ready to make a change in our life and get out of the rut that we currently find ourselves in. We plan to be gone at least a year to expand our horizons, explore our limits and get out of our comfort zone. Neither one of us has much travel experience except a couple vacations to Australia and some trips around the US and Canada.
The info and tips that I have read on this site have so far been invaluable as it is so much better to get opinions and ideas from the more experienced among you.
Thanks to everyone for sharing such helpful insights on all things travel. Keep up the good work!

Hi all

My name is Dan, im 22 years old and i currently living in the sunny UK, unfortunatly i have not been travelling much recently which is something i intend to remedy, as for previous travel Well i was born in Hong Kong and did a bit of S E Asia, I also lived in Gibralter for three years so travelled spain and portugal abit too. I have been sat to long just feeling jealous of everyone on this site on their RTW trips with me sat in a dead end job wishing i was somewere else. carpe diem is now my mantra.

I look forward to talking to some of you on the forums

Have fun and dream big

Hi! My name is Mark, I live in Sydney (Australia) and I have recently joined this impressive travel community.

I am an avid traveller having visited around 80 countries and all seven continents and I greatly prefer independent travel. My trips have varied from long backpacking journeys to shorter more comfortable travels. Highlight journeys include ten months in Africa from Morocco to Zimbabwe(before it really went downhill), a trip down the west coast of South America and a boat to Antarctica. Ten single finest day has been to spend time with the enchanting but endangered mountain gorillas in DR Congo.

My main focus are places of natural beauty, walks, wildlife and places with amazing history.

Some of my thoughts and places that I really treasure are highlighted on my recently started blog http://www.travel-wonders.blogspot.com (Travel Wonders of the World) with some photos and short stories and reviews. I'd love feedback on this blog via email or via the blog to help it get better.

Happy travels

Mark H

Hello Everyone,
What an awesome website. I have been looking at the site for a while and love it. We are always planning trips and we get very useful information from BootsnAll.

My wife is Diabetic and we would love any valuable information that is avaiable for a diabetic traveler?

Thanks and looking forward to posting and reading.
Dwayne

Hello!

My story is...

I'm a mid-thirties professional woman, with a three-year-old boy, recently divorced.

I recently realized that I could do my job from anywhere (consultant/entrepreneur). How did I stumble upon tis? By scheduling a vacation from Tacoma, WA to Los Cabos, Mexico for five nights. Just me and my tot. We had so much fun (and it was so cheap) that we extended for 15 more nights, and I worked in the evenings after junior went to bed. TG for wifi.

Flash forward to today.

I've successfully rented out my home on a multi-year contract, and now have the freedom to go ... wherever!
I'm going to visit my former au pair in Brazil this fall, and after that, back to the US for a breather, then determine if I really have the wherewithall to travel for more than a few weeks.

Having my child with me is not bothersome. He's easygoing, pottytrained, lightweight, and loves all kinds of foods. He also packs light, what a nice guy.

Have you traveled with children in tow? Do you know any single people who have taken their kids abroad? Where do I find them? How can I locate the "family" hostels? Which countries/regions provide the best dollar exchange or cheapest accommodations? And are mostly safe?

Prior to receiving your advice, I'm thinking of France/Spain/Italy (due to a basic fluency in Spanish), or Thailand/Japan/Australia.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, advice, and/or any encouragement.

Thanks for your help, fellow travelers!

solosunday

Hello there!

My names Rob and I'm from Lincoln, England, I'm 21 and just finished my degree

I'm currently planning a two month trip around Europe with two of my friends and looking forward to it very much!

I'm hoping this forum can be very useful in helping with my preparations!

See you all around

Hi everyone! My name is Mimi, I'm 34 years old, married to a wonderful man for 11 years and we have 3 beautiful daughters ages 3, 5, and 7. We're pretty busy just trying to keep up with them, and we are blessed to both work at home so we get lots of time together (when we're not on the internet searching travel related sites
In my spare time (which is minimal) I love to ride horses, shoot guns, do both at once in a sport called Cowboy Mounted Shooting....thus my username mimimontado. Montado means "mounted" and I shoot 2 Ruger Montado single action revolvers when I compete, it is so much fun. I am also an avid scuba diver, got certified when it was 1st "legal" at age 12 and dive any chance I get. My dream is to dive in Australia.
I grew up in a family that cherished travel over "things" and I am SO grateful. Our travels when I was a child took us to places like Saint Vincent and the Grenadines where we performed missionary dental work. We also visited places such as Maui, sailed in the Sea of Cortez, the British Virgin Islands, Tahiti, and Belize, cruising through (or actually around) Mexico, London, Scotland, France, Japan, and Vancouver BC.
I was a Navy baby so I grew up in Guantanamo bay for a short time when I was young speaking spanish as my 1st language. I recently traveled with my husband and my parents to Israel and Jordan on a bible study tour. We desire to raise our kids with the same incredible adventures and learning experiences that we had as kids so that they will have lasting memories. I love this forum and it is so chock full of information, I am so thankful to find all of this help in one area. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful network! I look forward to getting to know the members in this great community.

gee, i feel like it's my first time.
oh, it is my first time. on this or any other....whaddya even call these things?

i've travelled in US, canada, iceland, italy, ireland, scotland, oz, nz, and central america. total of....16 months, over 5 trips. i'm 31, married with a one year old baby. we live in cordova, alaska. i'm a studio potter, mama, and self-sufficiency (here-abouts called subsistence) enthusiast. i love everything about food -- growing, harvesting, gathering, hunting, fishing, preserving, cooking, and sure as hell eating! even food politics, history and general philosophizing. most of my travels revolve around food in some way. it's certainly universal subject.
my husband and i are scheming a quick-use-up-the-miles-before-they-take-them-away trip to europe. looking mainly at czech rep and s.italy. our daughter willow will be almost two by the time we go (next spring?), and it will be our first overseas trip with her, so i'm particularly interested in all the parental chat.
this site is super exciting for me. always thought there oughta be something like it, but i don't spend much time on the computer, so it took me this long to find it.

one specific question...any and all feedback on wwoof hosts in czech and s. italy? i've wwoofed enough to know there's a HUGE gap in quality of experience.

thanks!
mjm

Hey there! My name is Alexis. I'm currently living and working in Los Angeles, but I'm originally from the NYC area. Definitely more of an east coaster but someone who wants to explore all parts of the world. I'm about to do my third road trip across the U.S. in a couple of weeks going through the southern U.S. which is the place I've seen the least of. If you have any suggestions in terms of "must sees" in the south please let me know!

I'm currently working for VisitLasVegas.com which is a nice resource for travelers as to what to do in LV. I've been to LV many times since I was a young kid -- my first experience there resulted in a rash on my face in the shape of cat whiskers after a face-painting incident at Circus Circus.

Anywho, just saying hello!!

-Alexis with VisitLasVegas.com

Hi everyone,
My name is Max, and I'm new here as of today. I joined primarily to get info for travelling around South America, which is where I currently am, but after reading through some threads, it looks like I'll be here a lot more than I suspected.
I'm only 19 years old, which means I only graduated from secondary/high school one year ago. It also means that I haven't been to uni/college yet, and not knowing what I wanted to do in college was the main reason that I started travelling.
I started off working in a ski resort in Canada last winter for 8 months, and after that I travelled around Mexico for a month with friends from Canada.
Since then, my friends went home, and I flew to Lima, Perú with a return flight booked for three months time. This seemed like a great idea at the time, but because I'm an inexperienced traveller and I have a small budget, I discovered that I needed help, which brings me back to why I'm here.
Anyway, I look forward to meeting a lot of people on this website, and sharing experiences with everyone here.

HI everyone! My name is Mitchell Ammann all my friends call me squirrel. Well thats because I am short, a little wiry and cannot sit still in one place. That goes for living in one place too!!

I am originally from Traverse City, MI and have moved around for the last few years in Arizona and now Alaska. I am living in Southeast Alaska working as a mine engineer. I choose this profession so I would have the chance to move around the globe to work and most importantly see new people and places!

I have seen a majority of the US and I have done two trips to Europe, one including Western Russia. If you ever get a chance to go into Russia I would recommend Volgograd. The young people are really friendly and enjoy practicing their English!

I am currently planning a backpacking trip to Switzerland! I choose this destination because it is where my ancestors came from in the late 1800s. It is a chance for me to fully live by the saying.. "Know your roots and know your fruits"! One of my Australian co-workers once told me that!

Well I think that is enough for now! Hope to see out and about!

Mitch