Blog #2 The “I know they said I need all this to start traveling but what do I “need, need?” Post

“Start where you are. Use what you can. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe

Let’s start off by stating what you don’t “need, need”.  

A travel buddy

A whole bunch of money

A passport 

Travel Buddy

So you can’t find anyone that will actually follow through on a trip with you.  Everyone is too busy, too broke, or too scared. Well, welcome to the internet!  A place where you can find an endless number of travel groups with experts on solo travel or seasoned travel groups that will let you hop right in. Here is one of my favorites! 

Black Travel Movement

Another great option, if your’e like me and still a little hesitant to travel alone or with strangers, is going to visit your travel buddy.  Every year I fly overseas alone to meet up with one of my college teammates who lives abroad. Scroll through your mental rolodex and think of who you know that lives in a cool place and ask can you visit! 

Money

Let me start by saying I work hard for my money and because of that, I like to hold on to it!  With that being said one of my ultimate goals in life is too travel like a millionaire on a low-class budget.  I’ll dive further into how I manage to do this in a later post but for now I’ll share with you the basics.  

First look for free.  Who can you stay with, do I have enough loyalty points or travel credits for a free flight, can I cook meals or get free breakfast with my stay while there?  Some or all of these can usually be achieved with just a little thought and planning. 

Second, look for deals. Timing in travel is key. Having a list of destinations you want to go and eyeballing them for when deals pop up can be the difference in thousands of dollars. If your situation allows you to choose when you’d like to vacation, definitely try going places outside of peak season. 

If you’re like me and you have restricted slots of time for travel, accumulating loyalty points can be a godsend.  Even if you can knock off one to two days of hotels or buy one leg of your flight with points, that’s more cash you will have to spend while there. Use sites like Airbnb or Hotwire for the best hotel deals.  Use the explore option on Kayak for random dates or ITA Google Matrix for specific dates to find the cheapest flights across all airlines. Find local spots to eat away from the hotel so prices are less likely to be inflated.  Figure out what you can afford and adjust whichever of the three you have to in order to find your sweet spot. 

Passport

Yes I said it, you don’t actually have to have a passport to start traveling outside of the U.S. (but it definitely expands your options). Here’s a quick list a few places you can go when you’re pointlessly holding off on paying the whopping $145.00 for your access to the world (*Note Sarcasm, just buy the passport). 

  1. San Juan, Puerto Rico

  2. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 

  3. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

  4. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 

  5. Hawaii*

  6. Alaska* 

*While these last two are still one of the 50 states, they are so isolated and serene it feels like another country.  Obviously no passport required! 

To start traveling, the most important thing you need is desire.  Lodging, food and travel methods come on every range of the spectrum.  Find what fits your budget and GO!  

Have you ever taken a trip solo, on a low budge or to a place outside the 50 states with no passport?  If so, share your experience/advice below!