I traveled for the first time before even turning one month old.
And since then, I have been on hundreds of trips, some of them pre-planned, others unexpected; some to far away destinations, others to closer ones.
Using all the modes of tranpsort: airplanes, trains, buses, boats, and cars.
“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
My father would never stop the car without a good reason.
When we had a very specific time of departures there was no way to get around it.
It feels as if we were taught not to get dizzy (even if we did), we somehow learned how to fit into cars full of stuff and people, and we invented a myriad of games to keep ourselves occupied during the endless journeys.
And I just learned to live like that. With one suitcase. Ingrained into my body. Part of my DNA.
Living through traveling. Living just for traveling.
For the colors, for the new tastes. For the brand new smells. For the people. For the mischief and the adventure. For the unexplored which is also the most alluring.
But travelling people say is expensive…
That it is time-consuming…
Simply Excuses.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
10 ways to make trips more affordable.
-Get organised. The sooner you schedule a trip, the better and the cheaper it will be…
-Do not always choose the high season for each destination. Everything will be more expensive, more mass produced and less authentic. It will be filled with tourists. I spent one of my most memorable New Year’s eves in wintry Lisbon. On the other hand, I’ve been to Skyros at the beginning of May and in Chios island at the end of October. Simply majestic.
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxle
-Discover the less featured destinations… Places like Leros, Kalymnos, Nisuros exist… And there are so many other places on this planet that deserve to become your next destination.
-In terms of purchasing airplane tickets, go for the more quiet days (Tuesday-Wednesday). You can also activate online notifications that alert you of the best offers for all the destinations that are of interest
-Research, double-check and read as much as you can about your next destination. This is your new lover. Discover all the smaller or bigger secrets and strive to live this experience as a local and not as a tourist.
-Book online and in advance for most of the tourist attractions you want to visit. You will get discounts up to 50%.
-Always set a budget.
-Prioritize. Some people want to spend their hard earned money on food, others on hotels, others on exhibitions and museums while others want to shop until they drop. Regardless, this is your vacation.
– Set «travel» goals: This will help you to cut down on a lot of meaningless expenses. In my monthly budget, I have a category called «travel expenses». One of my favourites.
-Dream of your next trip, of the place, of the people with whom you want to share it with, because the trips you share with others are like confessions of the soul. It’s unadulterated sharing, soul and oxygen give and take…
“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor
PS. Next stop for WAWWD is Hamburg and Thessaloniki…
