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A List of Things to do in Dubrovnik Croatia Beautiful Croatia Croatia is a beautiful country.  Located across the Adriatic from the Eastern shores of Italia is Dubrovnik.  Dubrovnik is a medieval-like walled city surrounded by a picturesque landscape.  If you are ever wondering what to do in Dubrovnik, here is a list of 10 things to do in Dubrovnik …

 Reasons to Enjoy life There are endless ‘purpose of life’ philosophies out there.  Simply type ‘the purpose of life’ in any major search engine and you will have reading material for years to come.  Philosophies primarily differ depending on religious creeds, cultural backgrounds, family values, and the economic focus of the person.  At some point, most of the philosophies boil …

Famous landmarks of Louisiana Louisiana is famous because of its unique history and heritage.  The State is known internationally for its ties to colonial Spain and France, as well as its influence as an economic trading port via New Orleans.  Like any other place, Louisiana has several famous landmarks that have become synonymous with its brand.  I came up with …

Why you should go to less touristy parts of a country Motivation for travel off the beaten path More authentic experience.  A friend once told me that if you want to truly understand people, you have to live right next to them and walk a day in their shoes.  Although I think very highly of large cities, I find that …

Hostel Demographics: The Types of People at your Hostel Right Now This post is about the types of people who you usually find in a hostel.  Let’s call them hostel people.  It is not meant to be taken overly seriously.  It is just for fun, tell me what you think! The socialite – You have to start it off with …

The Best Travel Books that I have read 5 Good Travel Books that I Recommend Reading Reading is like traveling in many ways.  When a person is reading, every page can be a new adventure or twist to a story line.  People can live out their wildest dreams by reading a book, just as the traveler experiences a whole new …

Detroit Michigan The state of Detroit I have always been perplexed by places that people seem to despise.  In fact, if someone ever tells me that I shouldn’t go somewhere, I always seem to find my way there sooner or later.  Driven both by curiosity and intrigue, I seek answers.  I want to get to the bottom of things and …

An Unconventional Perspective on Backpacking Why you should go for it Surely not everyone is meant to or even has the desire to travel like a backpacker.  There are those who seek the comforts of home even when traveling abroad.  Then, there is the backpacker; the somewhat undefinable person, who seeks the difficult and thrives in the challenges of the …

A Gap Year: A unique time when someone does something random and different for a significant period of time, to experience new things. A gap year is a great idea for anyone.  Whether someone is fresh out of school or has been on the grind for a few years and looking to take some time off in the form of …

Changes that Come Through Traveling Traveling is not only an experience.  Traveling also has an effect on you.  To what extent, changes of course, but change still occurs nonetheless.  Mainly, I have found that the change depends on a person’s willingness to learn and overall difference between a person’s homeland and the place that one is traveling.  Change is additionally …

Study Abroad Europe: Make the most of it This article is for people who are currently studying in Europe or look to study in the future.  I am writing it to help you get around Europe efficiently on a budget.  Read on and I will teach you how to fly around Europe for under $10 and get bus tickets to …

Sleepless nights: When finances and timing just aren’t in your favor Every once and awhile when traveling we are forced to do things that are less than desirable.  Especially when backpacking on a budget, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to sleep outside or not even sleep at all.  This could arise from poor planning, over booking, …

Things to do in Brighton Beach (Little Odessa) Бра́йтон-Бич (Маленькая Одесса) Brighton Beach, New York is one of those places that really embodies the idea of America being an emigrant nation.  The area is located in the lower part of Brooklyn next to Coney Island. Travelers would be surprised to find that the signage is written in Russian. The region became …

The benefits of working in a hostel   Is working at a hostel the dream job that it’s cut out to be?  Moreover, is working and traveling the way to go?  Let’s face it, people who work at hostels have to put up with a lot of problems.  Guests can be both demanding and messy.  Hours can be long, and …

Customs: What you should not say Passing customs, and its degree of intensity, depends on many factors.  For example, where you come from, your travel history, finances, age, appearance, and intentions will all come into play at some point during an official checkpoint. Customs officers are highly trained officials that are taught to effectively screen all people coming into their country.  …

How To Stay Entertained When Flying After you have read the safety manual and sky mall booklets multiple times, you might be thinking how am I going to burn the time?  After all, what are you going to do with the Skymall magazine full of things that you find useful, but yet cannot quite pinpoint when you would use it?  Some people, …

Hitchhiking in Morocco Hitchhiking has always been an intriguing travel option to me.  Mainly for two reasons I think: One because it is an economic and practical way to get around, but also because in so many places it carries with it a stigma or is considered somewhat taboo. Well, after a long time of actually wanting to  do it, I finally …

Why we travel… Recently, when staying in a hostel in Dublin, I took part in some of the more interesting conversations that I have had in my life.  Perhaps, it was just the people or the timing, or both.  Or maybe, it was that we were all seeking the same thing: answers and knowledge. We were all fixated on getting …

The other day my friend asked me how a single traveler meets people.  “Isn’t it difficult”, he asked. In my experience, it is actually easier to meet people when you are traveling by yourself than with a group.  The reason is when you travel with a group you tend to alienate yourselves and stick together.  Whether you realize it or not …

This article is basically dedicated to the new traveler, or any traveler unfamiliar with what to expect when traveling abroad.  In effect, this article is a compilation of the kinds of things that people are usually not ready for when traveling.  By saying this I mean, that these are the challenges and ‘cultural differences’ that can lead to cultural shock.  Culture shock is no phenomenon.  …

$9 Cheap Flights in America, Impossible?  I think not, read on. A few years ago Ryanair busted the European cheap flight market by offering extremely reduced fares for flexible people.  Their business model pushes non-luxurious A-to-B flights.  This model has been so successful in Europe that many have tried to make similarly structured plans.  Some similar companies exist, but Ryanair …

When you are traveling, there are some unwritten laws that I believe should be followed.  They are more moralistic than real laws, but still nevertheless I feel that they are relevant to all travelers. Manners It’s all about the experience How fortunate you are These may seem like a somewhat different list, but it is what I feel works.  People should …

Boston Marathon 2012 I was so inspired by the performance of the Boston marathon that I chose to write about it.  Perhaps, it was the weather, which was absolutely perfect.  Or was it the mass amount of people? The food? The determination that I saw in the runners?  To me, it could have been some culmination of the above.  The marathon housed …

So, last night at a dinner someone asked me what the worst place that I have experienced was. Their reasoning for the question was because everyone always asks about the best, so they wanted to know the worst. Fair question I thought, but I realized that it was not such an easy one to answer. Realistically, it would be easy …

10 Timeless Travel Quotes Here is a list of my favorite quotes about traveling. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  Lao Tzu It is better to travel well than to arrive.  Buddha No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow.  Lin Yutang …

Backpacking is at times challenging enough.  When you throw in different aspects such as languages or currencies, things can become even more complex.  The reason is you have set standards in your head that you are accustomed to back home.  Let us face it, 1 means 1 at home.  Traveling does not always yield the same.  I think that there are a …

Common Hostel Myths I think that the biggest hostel myths that I have encountered among people backpacking are here below. Only for Youth There are many people out there that still have this idea that hostels are for young people.  To be honest, there is some truth to this myth as there usually is.  The fact is in the olden …

Debunking Travel Myths We have all heard the constant thoughts about traveling abroad.  Even mentioning the words traveling to others brings with it a certain connotation.  Here I have compiled my short list of a few common travel myths. #1 Travel is Expensive Probably the most common travel myth, is that traveling abroad is expensive.  The truth is that traveling …

In some places spring is here, and that means Summer 2012 is fast approaching.  You are planning your trip and trying to decide on some fun places for the summer.   Here you will find 5 possible destinations to go to this summer. 5. Rimini, Italy Italy, in general, is a usual destination for people. If you are looking for …