TRAVEL IS IMPORTANT

I never know how to start blog posts, essays or reports so I’ll do it the way someone in my freshman English class did. BANG! Now that I have your attention, I’m going to tell you about how I travel with limited time, funds and on a budget.

This year I've traveled to eight countries and nine states, imma try do an individual blog post about the weird happenings in each of those places with pictures and stuff to appease the needs of this generation's inability to focus on words (but i'm a lazy piece of trash so who knows when that'll happen).

I know what you’re thinking, that seems like a lot of travel for someone who has been unemployed/working for minimum wage for the past two years! I do travel on a budget and find the cheapest airline tickets possible, but I should also add that I receive help paying for my insurance and phone bill so I can share my photos with the world, which I haven’t been very good at doing lately, my b! I am very thankful to have that kind of support to help relieve my financial burden.

My travel tips and tricks if you can even call them that, just want to share my experience:

•       The greatest thing I’ve found is that flexibility is key in traveling. Leaving on a Thursday instead of a Friday could save you hundreds of dollars. I’ve been working at coffee shops, so it’s easy for me to take time off in the middle of the week. Fun career hack! Stay in the service industry as long as possible so, as a person with a bachelor’s degree, you are the best employee, making yourself indispensable to the organization so you get as much time off as you want! I travel mostly on week days, keeping flights and places to stay cheaper than a weekend. I also find that traveling on week days shows you more of the cities culture, you can see people living their everyday lives rather than just tourists on the weekends. 
•       I am most comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s why I fly budget airlines! Thanks to my amazing ability to feel comfortable wherever I am (which is probably a safety issue, sorry mom) I can fall asleep effortlessly on turbulent plane rides on Spirit Airlines while sitting in the middle seat between two random budget-conscious people. Spirit and Frontier are my lifelines when it comes to saving money.
•           PACK LIGHT. Most airlines I fly only allow “one personal item” #annoying so I fit seven days of clothes, shoes, snacks and toiletries into my Vera Bradely backpack (s/o to Clare for getting that discount). I can usually squeeze it under the seat in front of me but sometimes (shhhh…) I put it in the overhead bin so I have more leg room. Having only a backpack also makes it super easy to run around a city without having to lug around a heavy suitcase. 
•       I’m not a huge touristy person. Thanks to growing up in the small town of Ely, Minnesota, where the biggest industry is tourism, I hate people! The less people at a destination, the better. I do research on a city I want to go and mark key areas. I also look on Instagram to find the hidden gems of the city. Instagram has actually been the best tool for me when researching food, coffee and photo opportunities that I wouldn’t have found myself. I’m 10x more likely to go to a business with a strong social media presence. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS REAL IMPORTANT, PEOPLE.
•       Take something you love and find it in every city. I like baseball. Shocking. So I, just like many other middle-class white people, have made it my goal to see a game at all 30 ballparks. BUT I’ve also made it my goal to compare and rate hot dogs at each park - blog post coming soon (Cleveland is actually in the lead rn). Maybe you’re into art or coffee or comic books. Seek out the go-to place when you're traveling and then… ya know… go to it. It is so cool to see how a city/state/country runs a business different than you’re used to.
•       Get around on public transit whenever possible. It gives you a feel for the city and I have actually met some awesome people on subways and buses. Public transit is environmentally friendly AND good for your budget.  I do research on the bus/train system in a city and find out the cheapest method for getting around (unlimited pass vs pay per ride) this is easy to do on any cities transit authority site! 
•       The last thing I have to note is that my nutrition while traveling consists of one large meal a day, goldfish crackers, granola bars and water. Which isn't the healthiest thing to do, I know, but it does save money. I'm sure this is a personal attack to any foodie reading this, but get off my back I make minimum wage, gotta skimp and save so I can see more of the world!
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