Rookie Vagabonders

One of my fave hostels in Lucerne, Switz (3/07)

Howdy vagabonders and top of the morning to you. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve posted my Hostel FAQ, so check it out in all its hostel-y goodness.

And if there is anything I didn’t answer that you would like me to add, just let me know and I’ll get that up before you can say LEAP YEAR (there’s one tomorrow in case you were confused by the reference.)

Also, if you would like to share any of your hostel stories (good or bad) and tips for finding the best places to crash, feel free to post them here! Remember, mi casa es su casa…I’m rolling with the hostel theme here…I might have gone too far.

Anyways, hope this helps, and I can’t wait to share a dorm with some of you in the near future (writing this blog is making me yearrrrrn to be on the road again!)

Alrighty vagabonders, so now that you know how to legally travel abroad with those passports and visas of yours, how about some quality info on where to stay when you get there hmm? Let me introduce you to my pal (and soon to be yours), the HOSTEL.

Photo from a rooftop deck in Istanbul 4/07

A hostel is essentially like a dorm room for travelers, equipped with bunk beds and communal bathrooms, all for an affordable price (if you’re into minimalism, you can get them for as cheap as $8-$10 a night!).

Hostels usually offer private or shared accommodation, and you can choose to bunk it in single-sex rooms or go co-ed. Private rooms are usually a bit more expensive, but if you’re looking for a more hotel-y environment (i.e. peace and quiet), these are really nice. For those looking to make fast friends and save a buck, definitely book the dorm style – but be warned, these can hold as many as 20 bunks in one room!

A lot of hostels have their own restaurants and bars, so if cheap fare and great company is what you want, make sure you book one with this feature. It’s a fantastic way to meet people from all over the world, gain a travel buddy and swap stories over a local specialty dish or beverage (side note: if you’re ever in Athens, try Mythos beer…it’s amazing, and I don’t even like beer!). If you’re lucky, some hostels might even have rooftop decks, which is a unique place to rest your feet after a long day of sightseeing and provides a great setting for some killer photos!

Example of Hostelworld User Rating

Finding a hostel is as easy as pie and your best resource is of course, the World Wide Web. While there are ton of websites to choose from, my all-time, hands-down favorite is hostelworld. It’s pretty much like a one-stop shopping destination, offering a huge database of hostels located all over the world. The format is really user-friendly, showing you what rooms are still available for the dates you want and what the hostel has to offer in terms of facilities (Tip: book a hostel that provides breakfast – it saves you mucho dinero and you can stock up on food for the rest of the day). Despite all these amazing features, the best part of hostelworld has got to be their “Overall Rating” system. This is a HUGE help because it lets you know what your fellow vagabonders thought of the place, so definitely look at this before you make a reservation.

Within the next week, I’ll post a Hostel FAQ with even more righteous tips on what you should bring, what to expect and my thoughts on bed bugs (ewww). Next on the menu: unique places to stay, for those who just aren’t satisfied with four walls and a mattress.

My beautiful passport

As much as I’m all for spinning a globe and jetting off to wherever my finger lands, the reality is, being a vagabonder actually takes a lot of work. So, before you can climb all 1,710 steps of the Eiffel Tower or trek through the Sahara on camel back, you need a plan.

First things first: THE PASSPORT. If you go overseas, you’re absolutely going to need to get one of these, but it’s also a handy little thing to have even if you’re staying local. Passports are those magical things that allow you to get into countries and probably more importantly, allow you to get back into the ole’ U.S of A. Be warned, these puppies don’t come cheap: $97 if you’re over 18 and $82 if you’re under 16. They last for 10 years though, which is plenty of time to raise your vagabonder status from rookie to expert.

Speaking from personal experience, give yourself plenty of time to get your passports, because the process takes a while (it’s bureaucracy after all!). According to our friends at the U.S State Department, here’s a little check list of things you’re going to need in order to obtain a passport:

• A Passport application form: try the passport application wizard (!) if you’re not sure which type of passport you need (chances are it will be the DS-11 Form)
• Proof of your U.S citizenship
• Two current photographs
• Proof of your identity: a birth certificate would work
• Your Social Security number
• Your fee payment, of course!

A great source for all things passports is Kathleen Crislip’s Student Travel blog (make sure you check out the tips at the bottoms, they’re really useful!)

In addition to a passport, some countries also require that you obtain a visa, so do a little investigating, gumshoes, to see if this might pertain to your destination. I recently came across this fantastic resource, which basically lays out every last document you’ll need, categorized by country.

Now work visas are a whole other sack of potatoes, and one for another time kiddies. But now that you have a better idea of the proper documentation you’ll need, start putting those ambitious travel dreams into action! And I can sleep at night knowing you won’t be tasered by crazy custom agents when you start traversing the globe…everybody wins! More juicy travel tips to come so check back soon, same bat time, same bat channel…

Conversations generally require two or more participants.

A profound statement right? Well no, but it is important, especially when it comes to blogging. So this is where you guys come in. As much as I would love to do all the talking here, I really need your help to make this space what I know it can become: visually stimulating, chock full of diversified, useful information and of course, totally rad! (I’m trying to bring this back, work with me here.)

Please send me any and all of your pictures, videos and more from your travels, be it while volunteering, studying abroad or really anything you’d like to see me post about! Visuals always make things better (see: textbooks) so feel free to share whatever you’d like!

Shoot me an email at rmitch3@email.unc.edu, or leave a comment for all to see (free advertising!). And if you have personal sites with pictures I can use - or at least link to - send me those as well.

To quote my latest favorite movie, “Juno,” you guys are the “cheese to my macaroni,” so please help me to add a little extra flavor by making this space as much yours as it is mine.

My friend & I in Athens (3/07)

According to my latest world map (and the STA Travel slogan), there are 193 countries in the world. 193. Just think of what all that simple number encompasses: the people, the food, the culture, the sights! A little overwhelming right? Enter Rookie Vagabonders. Think of this space as a student travel guide for dummies, an insider source of tips and tricks to seeing the world on a budget from one (fairly) inexperienced traveler to another. Because, let’s face it; with the high price of a college education these days, who can afford to fly first class…or stay in a hotel for that matter!

As young people, we might as well take the opportunity to see the world while we still lack those abstract responsibilities we don’t quite understand yet like mortgages, insurance payments and family (eek). Plus, in order to really make a difference as a generation, don’t you think we ought to make connections with the incredible cultures around us? If your answer is yes, then you’re in the right place.

Seeing as this is a travel blog and well, 2008, it seems a little funny to think that a 19th century author would hold any relevance here. But author Paul Richard proved me wrong and I believe he perfectly sums up the purpose of this space when he said:

“The vagabond, when rich, is called a tourist”

Who says you have to be flushed with cash to see the world? In fact, some of my most memorable experiences abroad were the times when I spent no money at all! The best way to experience a place is to become a part of it, to live and experience it the way locals do, and as young people, we’re lucky enough to be able to do this. Not to mention, students don’t have high expectations, so we can easily deal with the occasional bedbug or less-than-pristine bathroom, especially if the hostel offers free food (first tip: definitely take advantage of this).

Just to clarify: This royal “WE” I’m talking about is Generation Y, a population of close to 70 million in the United States who are beginning to make a serious impact as they finish college and enter into the professional world. Although Gen Y-ers, also known as millennials or echo-boomers, generally encompass a wide range of ages, for the purpose of this blog, I’m going to narrow the focus to18 to 25 year olds. Some of the key characteristics of Generation Y are:

• They are very tech-savvy and are master multitaskers
• They are more civil-minded, socially responsible and enjoy volunteer work
• They want to advance in their careers but they don’t want work to be their life
• They don’t like to stay in one place too long, changing jobs, careers and locations often
• They have confidence in themselves and their abilities, but need constant feedback
• Generation Y is the most ethnically diverse generation to date

So what does this mean for travel? Well, Gen-Yers are increasingly looking to travel as a means to both engage in volunteer work and also to escape the confines of the workforce after a few years on the job. Plus, in an emerging trend related to ‘not making work their life,’ a lot of students are choosing to turn what they love to do into a career, whether that means becoming a travel writer or a mountain-climbing guide.

Now that we have a snapshot of who we are and why we’re traversing the globe, stay tuned for how to put those ambitious travel plans into action. So fellow vagabonders, I leave you with this thought: As J.R.R Tolkien once said, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Are you ready to test out that theory?