Planning an affordable adventure often centers around one big buy: the plane ticket. Maybe you’re like me and receive e-mails every Tuesday from pretty much every airline detailing their special prices for the week. But, how do you know if that’s really the best deal? When is the best time and what is the best day to buy a flight? This can be such a stressful decision because it’s the worst feeling in the world when you purchase something and find out it’s on sale a few days later. I’ve traveled enough to start picking up on airline tendencies and it totally blew my mind when I learned that airline companies track your buying habits and can anticipate when you’ll buy. What’s even stranger is how companies use social media to better serve you.
It’s insane what a game this is, but there is a way to win without going through a travel agency. Here are a few tips for getting the best deal on airfare:
Be careful when you search
As I stated before, there is growing evidence about how airlines track your behavior online (and possibly your IP address) to place higher fares based on your air ticket searches. One tip I learned quickly was using incognito mode with your browser to block this from happening. But, to be sure you’re not being tracked, it’s safer to use different browsers when searching and purchasing. Some might even go as far as to use a different computer/phone/ipad to make the purchase if you’ve been searching on a different device.
Be flexible with your travel dates
The biggest way to score a great discount is being able to be flexible. If you’re set on a particular date, you’re going to be stuck paying whatever the airfare is. The cheapest time to fly is during the middle of the week. If you can be flexible and can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you’ll score a better price. It’s harder for airlines to sell higher fares on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays because those are the least popular travel days.
Don’t book too far in advance
Booking too far in advance can end up losing you money. Experts suggest booking anywhere between six and eight weeks in advance. Of the sources I’ve read, 45 days appears to be the average amount of time for best results when booking a domestic flight; 60 days is best for booking an international flight. When we’re ready to plan a trip, we often want to book our tickets as soon as possible because it doesn’t feel real until you get that confirmation e-mail from an airline. But, you need to be patient if you want to save money.
Book at the right time
Now you know when you want to travel and you’ve committed to being flexible – the next trap airlines will throw at you is timing. CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg wrote that he found the best day and time for buying air tickets is Wednesday morning at 1AM. But why? Greenberg says:
“Most low airfares seem to appear between Sunday night and Monday night. And then, when people book those fares, they have 24 hours in which to purchase them. At midnight Tuesday, all the discount fares that weren’t purchased come flooding back into the airline’s computer systems. And that’s when you strike.”
The trick though is calling the airline and speaking with an employee directly. If you have the patience, this is the best way to secure getting a cheap airfare when they’ve flooded back into the system. Another tip Greenberg mentions is that the best date to purchase tickets is on the 7th of the month because most people buy tickets right after they receive their paychecks. Paydays usually occur on the first or 15th day of the month, so purchasing in between those dates is when you’ll see the lowest airfare.
Follow airlines on Twitter
Something I’ve found useful is following air companies on Twitter. One of my favorite companies is JetBlue and they have an @jetbluecheeps account that tweets promotions and last minute deals. This is definitely for the more spontaneous person, but, if there’s an offer for a $10 flight, who wouldn’t want to steal that deal!?
I hope this helps you find some success in booking cheaper airfare. I know what a stressful situation it can be to get an affordable ticket, but, I’ve followed these steps before and have had some amazing deals: I flew RT from Boston to Portland for a little over $200 and was there for a week; flew from Cleveland to Nicaragua for just about $600 and was there for 9 days; and my RT airfare during my backpacking trip in Europe was under $800.
Airfare often makes or breaks a trip, so, be patient and smart when planning your adventure. You’ll be 100x more excited when you wait to score a great deal. Plus, think of the money you’ll save on airfare that could be put toward having more fun in your destination! Happy booking!
Ireland is an insanely beautiful country, but it’s not the easiest to travel when you’re on a budget and have no idea what to expect. I learned the hard way that you need a plan for getting the most out of your visit to Ireland, so I figured I’d write about some useful tips I learned after traveling around the country for two weeks.
Kilkenny Castle
Most people want to visit Ireland for the luscious green countryside and Guinness. It’s true: Ireland is just as green as you imagine it is and the Guinness actually tastes good. But, there are a few misleading things you need to know about traveling in Ireland before you go. If you’re like me, you probably have this wanderlust-filled idea of taking a road trip across Ireland, meeting a lovely Irish man and living in an adorable Irish cottage.
Well, the truth is, it’s a lot more complicated than you think.
If you want to rent a car in Ireland, you have to be 25 or older. Car rental agents won’t rent a car to you if you’re considered a “young driver” without insurance, which is generally between $2,000 – $4000. You have to put a deposit of at least $1000 or $2,000 (depending on the agent) if you decide to take the risk, but, if anything happens, well, you’re screwed. Also, “full coverage” in Ireland often doesn’t mean “full coverage,” as parts like windows and tires usually are not covered.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Now, normally I’m one for taking risks and I really wanted to drive around Ireland, but, you have to remember a few details:
1) Irish roads are very narrow and small. And some roads aren’t even real roads. And cattle crowding the roads is actually a very typical occurrence.
2) They’ll also charge you for a GPS, and you’ll need it because you have never been to Ireland and unless you have a data plan on your phone, you can’t use it for navigation.
3) They drive on the opposite side of the road. It’s more difficult than it sounds.
4) The majority of rental cars are manual, so if you don’t know how to drive stick, you’ll have pay more to request an automatic and it’s pretty expensive if you aren’t traveling with a group.
5) Gas is super expensive. You’ll get pretty good mileage, but when you do have to refuel, it’ll suck.
6) Ireland is really spread out, so unless you’re staying for a few weeks, you’ll only be able to cover so much ground.
Another option is to train around Ireland, however the stations aren’t in the most convenient areas. Trains are accessible from Dublin, but they don’t go out into much of the countryside, so, you’ll miss a lot of the good stuff. Plus, you’ll need to get a taxi to actually get into the city from most rail stations. Tickets are pricey and if you’re planning to train everywhere in Ireland, you’ll end up spending more on train tickets and cabs to get from point A to point B than enjoying yourself.
If you’re under 25, here’s what I suggest:
Make Dublin your hub city
Dublin is full of young, fellow travelers and there’s always something going on in the city. Every bar has live Irish music every night. There are clubs, pub crawls and parties going on all the time, so, it’s the most lively city in Ireland if you’re young and want to experience the Irish night life. There are also a ton of hostels and most of them usually combine their events so you can meet everyone. My best advice is to find a hostel you like or a good host on AirBnB and plan a few day trips. This way, you’ll get to experience Dublin and see the Irish countryside.
Stay in a Hostel
Dublin has a great hostel-culture. When you’re older, B&B’s might be more preferable, but for now, you have to check out the Irish hostels. The hospitality is outstanding and though there are always pros and cons to hosteling, for a country like Ireland, you’re going to want to go exploring with liked-minded people. You will find those people in a hostel.
Take a bus tour
The Cliffs Of Moher
At first, I hated the idea of riding a bus and being on a tour all day. I wanted to be driving a car with the windows down listening to my favorite music. But, in all honestly, the only way you can get that moment is if you’re traveling with someone older, have some serious cash to spend and at least two weeks.
There are a variety of different tours you can do in Ireland – from day trips to weekend getaways and week-long adventures, so the hardest decision (after deciding to do a bus tour) was figuring out what the best deal was. If I had been in Ireland for longer than two weeks, I would’ve done a week-long adventure tour because it’s a great way to be around a bunch of young people while seeing the countryside. My friend and I ultimately decided on three day trips with Wild Rover Tour which turned out to be a great decision because we were able to see everything we wanted to see: The Cliffs Of Moher, Kilkenny Castle and Belfast + The Giant’s Causeway. If you do the Cliffs of Moher tour, they offer you the opportunity to stay two nights in Galway and get picked up by the next tour that goes out there. I didn’t do this but I wish I had because Galway is a super cool little town filled with cobblestone roads, interesting history and adorable Irish pubs. Plus, there’s a hostel called The Barnacles and it’s rumored to be the best in Ireland.
Taking a bus tour might seem dull at first, but it’s honestly the best way to see Ireland if you don’t have a car. You’ll cover a lot of ground and travel with a tour guide who is very knowledgable about the area. Ireland has a very interesting and recent history, so it’s totally worth learning about.
Spend a weekend in Cork
Cork is an adorable little city near the Blarney Castle, so if you really want to kiss the Blarney Stone, I’d suggest staying in Cork and taking a tour from there. Actually, if possible (and cheaper) you should think about flying into Cork (it’s a really nice airport) and kicking off your trip with a few days there. The public bus system is super easy, relatively cheap and convenient in Cork City, so you’ll be able to get around the area. Cork also has a great night life and there’s a really cool brewery, called The Franciscan Well that offers unique craft beers. If you’re traveling in the summer or fall, you’ll want to visit the city of Cobh, which is also accessible by bus from Cork.
Hike in the Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains are stunning and I can only imagine how beautiful the fields must be during the Spring and Summer months. There are a lot of hiking trails in the Wicklow National Park and even some lodging options at the foothills of the park, so if you’re a big-time hiker, I’d suggest thinking about spending a weekend there. You can easily access the mountains by public transportation, so I’d suggest escaping to the mountains for a few days!
Go to Northern Ireland
I feel like I’m pitching the Wild Rover Tour too often, but, there’s no way I could’ve seen and done as much as I did in Ireland without them. The really nice thing about the Wild Rover Tour to Belfast is that the cost includes taking a Black Taxi tour to learn the history of the country. You are also offered the opportunity to tour the Titanic Museum, which has so much history to it, but, the Black Taxi tour is the best opportunity to see the current political issues of Northern Ireland for yourself. The trip also takes you to the Giant’s Causeway, which is one of the most amazing landscapes I’ve seen. You get to walk around the causeway for a bit and the tour guides are very knowledgable. The causeway is honestly the most worthwhile sight, but if you don’t have a car, you’ll need to take a tour to get this far North. You have to go to Northern Ireland to get the full Irish countryside experience. You have to.
Giant’s Causeway
Honestly, Ireland is a place you’re going to need to visit multiple times, at different stages in your life. The purpose of this blog post was to explain what you can do as a young person. When you’re able to rent a car, go back and do the road trip you want to do – you will be able to do a lot more and have a more customized trip. Ireland is beautiful, use your first trip to understand that and see as much as you can – but be okay with knowing you can come back some day and see more.
When you set out on an adventure, you may think you’re just going to disconnect from the technological world and “relax.” But, in reality, there are some really cool smartphone apps that will actually make your life easier if you download them before embarking on your journey. Here are 14 apps I really love and recommend to anyone traveling:
I love hostels, but it’s easy to get sick of them, especially when you’re traveling for awhile. AirBnB is my favorite app right now. It’s super easy to use: you can set filters to find accommodations in your price range and ideal location, you can set a date range for when you’re looking to stay, as well as read reviews about hosts and guests before booking. Hostels are great for the experience, but I believe AirBnB offers an even greater package. Not only do you get to see what it’s like to live in the city you are visiting, you get to meet people who actually live there to. Usually, the hosts are just as in love with travel as you are and often more knowledgable about the area than a hostel worker (who, especially in other countries, is often a traveler doing a work/stay deal, by the way) so they’ll often go out of their way to help you. Some will even pick you up from the airport or train station. Maybe that scares you, but, it’s totally safe and you can read about your hosts or contact them before you decide to book. I’ve had so much fun meeting my hosts and they’ve always given great tips about their neighborhood (where to eat/what to do/where to drink) so it’s really fun. When you’re with multiple people, it can be cheaper than a hostel. Even if it’s a little more expensive (maybe by a few dollars because of the AirBnB service fee) it’s honestly totally worth it to have your own space and not have to worry about your stuff being stolen. Plus, it’s super fun to browse through houses on the site and dream of staying in a beautiful Spanish mansion. I just love this app so much, please use it.
If you’re traveling abroad with multiple friends, this is the best app to have. While I was backpacking through Europe, my friends and I had issues keeping track of who paid for what and who owed who money. Sometimes one person would buy a round of drinks at a bar or book a hostel on their card, so Venmo was a really simple way to organize that stressful process of paying your dues. Rather than writing everything out on a post it note and trying to do math, all you have to do is get the app (everyone has to have it) and link it to your bank account. That sounds sketchy, but it’s totally safe – they use bank-grade security systems and data encryption to protect your account. The best feature of this app is that you can pay someone and label what the payment is for. This way, you’ll be able to look at your profile feed and remember who you paid, when you paid and what it was for. It’s free to send and make payments as long as you use your bank account or a debit card – there’s a 3% fee if you use a credit card.
I used to be a huge kayak.com fan, but then I started to realize Skyscanner was not only faster, but it found better deals. Sure, sometimes the deals were only better by a dollar or two, but still, it’s a difference. I’ve had issues with sites like Kayak.com where the app doesn’t always find flights from certain airlines, but Skyscanner consistently pulls from all of them. It’s also really simple to use – you can literally book a flight in three clicks.
Alright so you’re probably wondering why I’m listing Pinterest and I have two great reasons for why you should have the app on your phone: 1) There will be times when you’re walking around Sweden or Norway wondering why you can’t afford all these beautiful items you see in a store. There will be times when you’re walking around London admiring buildings or staring at the beauty of the luscious Irish landscape. The nice thing about Pinterest is you can take an image with your camera (if you have wifi or a data plan) and pin it to one of your ‘Travel’ boards. Or, you can simply upload photos later (when you do have wifi) to your boards so you can remember something later. 2) It’s seriously the most addicting app and when you have time to kill at a train station that actually has free wifi, you’ll be so happy you can pin things. Plus, when someone pins an awesome photo and you realize you can actually go there, you’ll be so freaking excited.
5. WhatsApp
This is just a super easy, convenient and free way of sending text messages to friends or family when you’re traveling abroad. You can iMessage freely with other iphone users, but if you have that weird friend who doesn’t have an iphone, WhatsApp will let you message them for free. The only issue is, your friends have to have the app too if you’re going to use it. But, it does have some great advantages, especially the fact that it doesn’t use up a lot of memory on your phone!
While WhatsApp is easy for communicating too, I honestly found Facebook to be the most effective. If you don’t set your WhatsApp to allow Push notifications, you might miss conversations from people, and that happened to me all the time, especially when I had very limited WiFi. But, let’s be honest, everyone checks Facebook regularly and the new Messenger app is convenient and simple for staying in touch with friends/family or people you meet while traveling.
While backpacking through Europe, I had a frustrating experience figuring out where to eat on a budget. I personally found that Yelp is not commonly used overseas as it is in America. While I normally use Yelp more often than TripAdvisor in the States, I think TripAdvisor is more common abroad and will be more useful to you. TripAdvisor is just really useful when you’re somewhere you’ve never been and have no idea what to do – it’s great for finding free things to do, cool bars to check out and to find cheap eats.
If you’re backpacking, you’re going to be staying in hostels. Though I made my love for AirBnB obvious, there’s no doubt travelers want to/love to experience hostel culture. HostelWorld is definitely the best app out there for finding a hostel in any country at a good price. Some great features include: an easy calendar to help you see what’s available in which rooms as well as consistent reviews from previous guests. I know there are other apps out there for finding hostels, but I personally found this to be the most effective with the best results.
If you’re traveling to multiple countries with different languages, a translation app is obviously necessary. There are a lot out there, but I found Google Translate to be the easiest to use because it’s simple, fast and does exactly what you need it to do.
Another simple and obvious app to have while traveling, but XE Currency is pretty easy to use, has a simple layout and lets you quickly figure out an exchange rate.
So, this is the best money app ever and I highly recommend it to any college student or recent graduate. I wish I knew about Level while I was traveling abroad because it lets you keep track of your spending, set yourself limits and helps you visualize your bank account. It’s the perfect way to find balance. It’s super easy to manage your account and helps you cutback because you can see how much you’ve already spent in a week, what you want to allocate for yourself in a week and what effect a particular purchase would have on your account. It’s really helpful if you’re trying to budget yourself and especially useful if you’re traveling for an extended period of time.
I’ve only used this app in NYC, but, it’s a super cool technology that helps you find directions via public transit, walking, BIKING, car rentals and taxi. I was apartment hunting in NYC and it was super useful to figure out where the nearest subway stop was.
So, Passbook is this totally awesome app that allows you to keep boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons and other stuff all in one place. It’s on your iphone, but most people don’t know how to use it efficiently, like me. Then, I came home from my adventures and my Dad told me about. I had a “head in the face” moment when I realized how that would’ve made everything SO SIMPLE.
There are so many travel websites and I used to be a huge fan of Kayak.com, but, after having some issues using their app and not always finding the best deals, I turned to Skyscanner to find my flights. However, while traveling abroad, I started to hear about booking.com deals more and more through people I met. Upon returning to the U.S., I realized this site was great and, i’ll admit I’m a bit biased, but they have THE BEST COMMERCIALS:
If that doesn’t make you want to use their site, something might be wrong with you. Okay, not really, I’m sure you’re fine but, I hope you find these apps useful on your next adventure!
Taking a year off, whether it’s between high school and college, after college or a transition between careers, is nothing but a good idea. Yet, it’s an adventure most people hesitate on because it’s a lifestyle not necessarily idolized by our working class society. Sure, movies will tell us it’s easy – quit your job, round up your friends and head to Costa Rica. Or you’ll watch some other unrealistic drama about teens bypassing education and turning into overnight celebrities.
But let’s face reality for a moment: for the normal American teenager, we spend the first eight years of our lives in grade school, usually followed by four years of high school and then four years of college. Whether or not you go to college, you end up working at some sort of full-time job, with rent, loans and bills to pay for x amount of years. So, say you’re like me and you finished 16 years of schooling. That’s 16 years of homework; of waking up like clockwork early in the morning and cramming for tests until the late hours of the night. That’s 16 years of fluctuating with your weight, worrying about internships and working part-time jobs to save up money. It’s 16 years of trying to make new friends and yearning for a boyfriend or girlfriend. 16 years of running on an academic schedule and writing passive aggressive Facebook statues about how you’re “so done with school.” 16 years of stress, of anxiety and most of all, daydreaming about what you really want to be doing.
What exactly does it mean to “take a year off?” The reality is, it’s letting that daydream come true.
But there are two thoughts that’ll keep you awake at night when making this decision:
1) What will my friends/family think of me?
Will they think I’m lazy? Selfish? Going nowhere in my life?
2) Is it a waste of time to take a year off?
I should get a real job. I should be in a relationship. I need to focus on my career.
To answer the first one: taking a year off means taking the time to do something that you fully want to do. It’s a time where you make a solid decision about what’s best for yourself. That is not selfish because there’s nothing wrong with doing what you want to do. More importantly, stop asking yourself this question because it does not matter what anyone thinks. If you have your own money and a mind begging to take you on an adventure, go. Secondly, sure, you’ll hear about your friends and the new jobs they have. Though you’ll be happy for them, you’ll start wondering if you’re wasting your time. But you know what’s going to make you stand out in an interview – being cultural, having character, telling unique stories and proving that you can adapt to different environments and step out of your comfort zone. Travel helps you acquire all of those skills. And if you’re too afraid to admit it, I’ll say it for you: YOU DESERVE A BREAK.
So here are my 10 reasons for why you should take a year off:
1. You’ll learn more about yourself
It’s a big misconception that all people who take a year off are “finding themselves.” I spent the first half of my year off saving money and the second half backpacking through Europe. I’ve known for awhile who I am and what I want to be doing, so I wasn’t off on some great self-discovery trip. In fact, most people I met weren’t like that either. Travel can help you understand yourself better: how you interact with new people or adapt to changes. You’ll learn whether or not you get homesick and what your limit for staying in a hostel is. It’s not a matter of discovery, it’s an opportunity to understand.
2. You’ll meet like-minded people
You’ll meet people in the cities you visit, hostels/hotels you stay in or trains you travel on and you’ll quickly learn that you’re not the only one taking a year off. It’s refreshing when you meet people who share a similar perspective or opinion on travel and you’ll click with those people instantly. Some might even become life-long friends. Meeting people outside of your city/hometown/country will make you appreciate engaging with strangers – you’ll think about all those elevator rides, dining hall experiences or simple walks down the street where you were too busy to talk to anyone. But, when you travel, you’ll have this new personality trait where meeting new people comes naturally to you.
3. You’ll get a new perspective on life
It’s still not about “finding yourself” when you travel. This wraps all these points together because you’ll learn new ideas – about the world and yourself – that will help you evaluate what you deem important in life. Once you return, everything will seem weird, to put it simply. Whether you were backpacking Europe, in an AmeriCorps program or volunteering abroad, all those every day struggles you used to share on Facebook will seem so trivial. You’ll learn to see the good when everything feels like it’s falling apart. You’ll feel more confident in the directions you move in. Most importantly, people will start respecting you because your perspective will be more honest, clear and mature.
4. You’ll learn to budget
The first thing I told my father when I returned home from Europe was that is was the most expensive adventure ever. I told him I didn’t regret spending my money, but that I could not believe how expensive it was. The biggest thing I learned while traveling was how to budget my money. When you put yourself in a situation where you’re traveling and can only spend a certain amount each day, you learn to cut back on things like coffee and snacks. And you learn to live with less. You watch your bank account like a hawk, use cash as often as possible and actually take the time to think before purchasing anything.
5. You’ll have unique stories to tell
Don’t lie, this is a huge part of why you want to go on an adventure: because you want a story to tell. There’s nothing wrong with that because stories are a part of who we are. You never know who you might inspire with a brilliant story some day. Don’t you want to be that old grandma or grandpa whose always telling their grandchildren about the time they chased a heard of elk in a rainforest or got kicked out of the house they were staying at in Budapest and had to take a late-night train to Vienna!? Yep, both those things really happened.
6. You’ll go somewhere you never thought you’d go
Never in my life did I think I would be in Finland. I never thought I’d get to see Norway either – the fjords were mountains a friend had told me about and I never thought I’d actually see one. You have to go to that place you keep a calendar of in your room. You have to frolic through those lavender fields on the background of your computer. You have to just stick your finger on a map and go there because if you don’t, you’ll always be wondering what it’s like. Or someone else will go before you and you’ll have to dread looking through their Instagram feed.
7. You’ll become more cultural
By visiting new places, you will become more cultural. You’ll learn about the foods and traditions of another country. You’ll learn how different every country is – in its government, its behavior, its technology and religion. You can read about those ideas or you can live through them. And in being cultural, in being worldly, you learn to love how different people are. You’ll pick your favorite parts of each culture that will add to your new perspective and it will be so damn beautiful. You’ll be diverse and your life will feel nourished.
8. You’ll become more aware of your health
You’ll be constantly aware of your body for two reasons: 1) you’ll be afraid of getting sick because the last thing you want to do is call your parents to say you’re in a hospital overseas and 2) you’ll be tempted to eat too much. When you’re traveling, it’s easy to just eat a bunch of bad stuff and “worry about it later.” You can’t do that when you’re on the road for a long period of time. Sure, there will be moments where you live off Nutella and bread to save money, but after a few days of doing so, you’ll realize the negative impacts and learn healthier habits.
9. You’ll learn to appreciate your family
When you leave, you’ll think you have so much freedom – that it’s so great to get away from home and you’ll never go back. But, the reality is, you will get homesick. You will miss your parents, your siblings and your pets. You will yearn for the comforts of home – the home cooked meals, your bed and the safety. But you’ll share photos with your family and find little gifts along the way that remind you of them. You’ll send e-mails to update them, they’ll send e-mails to check in on you. You’ll miss them and they’ll miss you – there’s something nice when you both recognize that. You may not think so initially, but you’ll think about them constantly and wish they could see places with you. You’ll realize all that teen angst is gone, all that search for approval and outcast feelings will disappear because you’ll recognize how lucky you are to have a place to go home to. And on the inside, your family will love how wild you are because it inevitably will spark something in each of them.
10. You’ll go outside your comfort zone
The very fact that you decided to take a year off when everybody else is doing something normal makes you different. It puts you out of your comfort zone and you’ll be terrified, yet excited. You’ll be nervous, but anxious. You’ll go so far outside your comfort zone that you’ll have the ability to adapt to any situation. You’ll lose fear. You won’t be afraid to spend time alone. You’ll become independent. You’ll do things you never thought you’d do because you were comfortable in college. You were comfortable in high school and living at home. You were comfortable with the idea of following the norm and getting a job immediately after graduation. But when you take time off to travel, to be adventurous, you’re going to be so comfortably uncomfortable that you’ll forget you were ever even worried about it in the first place.
Before you know it, you’ll have a job, a house, a family of your own and you won’t be able to remember the last time you lived a great adventure. Don’t wait for that moment to catch up to you. Don’t believe other people when they tell you you’re going to fall behind if you take a year off. The best piece of advice about travel was given to me by an MTV Executive who told me: “Everyone is going to LA and competing against one another for a job, so if you have something different you want to do, do it. But come back and tell people about it – share photos, make a documentary or keep a blog. Having those stories will make you stand out. And that’s far more exciting than what everyone else is doing.”
Adventures of a Childlike Wonder 