London Update!

So I don't think I could be neglecting my blog as much as I am right now. It is really difficult to keep up with a blog while traveling because in pure honesty, I rather be exploring than sitting on my computer. That's fair right? BUT I'll write a short post about my time here in London!  ~~~~~

                                     

                                 

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So after our very LONG 26+ journey to London from Arizona, USA we had finally made it.  We knocked on the door of the perfectly located Hampstead Heath, London home to Dan and Judy our helpx hosts! This has been the best helpx location so far let me tell you! My sister and I click with Dan and Judy so perfectly! They are so kind and their beautiful, small and cozy home is located just down the street from the PICARESQUE Hampstead Heath. True countryside in the middle the one of the worlds largest cities. We can also hop on a single bus and be in busy Piccadilly square quite quickly. (such a score!) On top of the two being just lovely, they are always spoiling us with chocolate, Ben & Jerrys and Toblerone while encouraging us to go out pub hopping in Camden, innocently of course! They encourage having fun! Sadly, we leave for Amsterdam tomorrow via ferry. We will miss Judy & Dan very much. They have welcomed us back already thankfully! :) ~~~~~ 

Are you happy? :)

Hi Y'all! So I have had this gradual realization about my expectations and how they play the biggest role in discovering happiness both in life and in travel. So please for the sake of yourself and my blog listen to me now: 
FIRST:  I want you to imagine yourself looking out an airplane window.  ~~~~~

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You are headed on your dream vacation. Lets say it is on an island.
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Imagine your perfect day on this island.  Maybe a Mai-tai. Maybe a piña colada. Virgin if you're pure. How would your perfect day play out?  Think about this for a second.  What is your perfect vacation? 

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Now erase everything you just dreamt of because that is not how it will happen.

Brutal, I know, but the chances of it laying out that way are extremely low.

This is what I want you to do:

Go with no expectation..

or perhaps go expecting the worst. 

 Seriously. Imagine that you will do nothing more exciting than sitting in your hotel room.  Now when I say this I hope you don't actually go and sit in your hotel room. Do make a small list of the most important things that you must do but allow your schedule to be flexible. Allow time for opportunities to take place. I strongly believe things happen the way they do for purpose. For a  lesson and an opening door.
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My favorite proverb in this entire world.

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My biggest advice for both life and traveling is:

Never set expectations. 
Open yourself up to flexibility.  If you get a nudge to go a specific way or to get on a specific train, do it.  Beautiful things happen.. some might even call it magic :) 

Cellular Devices

No matter how hard you want to resist and/or think having a phone while overseas is not necessary, it is. You might use your phone once a week to never at all, a cellphone is still important. 
Why? 1. Safety 2. Having contact with hosts (if volunteering) 3. Convenience (Need a cab? You don't have to walk a mile just to use the payphone to get one) 4. Emergencies I learned this the hard way. I never thought I would be put in a situation where my family from the US would NEED to speak to me right away. I ended up finding out about a very tragic event hours after it had happened. 
Biggest problem about cellphones overseas: The outrageous overseas fees.  Solution: 1. SIM Card OR 2. Buying a cheap prepaid phone


SIM Card:  If you select this option see if you can suspend your current cellphone account while gone. What you will need before you leave home: An international phone with a SIM card slot. (FOR iphone users like myself: Iphone 4S or 5) What you will need to buy while in Europe: A SIM card (that you will 'top up' = load money/pay as you go) I have a Vodafone SIM card. 

Prepaid Phone: What you will need before you leave home: Nothing.. other than your important phone numbers.  What you will need to buy while in Europe: A cheap pay as you go phone (starting at $25 for old-school no-touchscreen bricks) that you will top up = pay as you go. 


Important reminder for everyone with smartphones:  Keep cellular data turned OFF at all times when not in use.  Data is still being used when you aren't using your phone because apps continually update themselves.

How to not get kidnapped or stolen from while traveling.

The first thing people had to say when I told them I was volunteering/backpacking abroad:  What if you get kidnapped? How do you know this is safe? 

Me, not scared, just done after walking miles in the icy cold. Ireland 2012.

I get where they are coming from.. An 18 year old girl, flying out of the country for her first time, not to mention alone, 5,000+ miles away from home, in the big, foreign, scary land of Europe where creepy middle-aged men pickpocket your belongings or throw you in a prostitution ring. Well, if you say it like that then yeah, Europe does seem scary as hell...... but y'all are a little too paranoid. Rachel's top safety tips:

1. Educate yourself about the horrible things that do happen to people who go abroad.
• The biggest and scariest ones: Sex trafficking and being conned by strangers. Yes, it is a very real and serious tragedy but can easily be avoided by being an educated traveler (even if it is your first time) NOT a naive, happy-go-lucky one. Here is a three piece series about safety written by Solotraveler because I feel she has got the point across better than I ever could. READ THEM, THEY ARE IMPORTANT!
• Solo Travel: Stranger Danger Part I
• Solo Travel Danger Part II: Caught in a Con Game
• Solo Travel Danger Part III – Recognizing Danger
2. Watch your bags. Watch your valuables. Keep them hidden. Don't show them off.
• Keep money/cards/tickets/passport in a money belt under your clothes. 
• Keep all electronics in pocket that is either locked or not easily accessible to pickpocketers. 
• Here is an informative article about pickpockets. Just read it. Stop being lazy.
3. Walk confidently and with a purpose like you know where you are going even if you're not even sure you're walking on the right side of the fecking street! Just keep acting like a koool kat 8)
4. Trust your intuition. That gut feeling. Feel the vibes man~
• Is it feeling a little sketchy? Don't ride that wave of doesn't-feel-rightness dude. Trust yourself and get out of there.

This hotel room is damp, dirty, and smells of stale urine and I still can't afford it.

Hotel rooms are just not in my budget and I am guessing that if you're here, on my blog now, it probably isn't in yours either. Do not let this stop you from traveling! There are some cheap, even free alternatives!  Backpacking Hostels

Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Backpacking hostel I worked for in 2012.
Hostels get a bad rep. If you have ever seen the horror movie Hostel you probably want nothing to do with one (severed limbs, no thank you!) but please remember it is just a movie folks. Hostels are actually a fairly ordinary thing in Europe and in many cases, just seem strange and foreign to us Americans. I like to think of it as having a sleep over with a potential friend!  If bringing a towel is an inconvenience you can rent one for a few dollars! HostelWorld is a very well known/popular hostel finder worldwide. Use it too!

Airbnb

San Lorenzo, Italy $67/night 2ppl
If you aren't comfortable sleeping with 4+ others in a single room and can't afford the outrageous prices hostels charge for individual rooms then Airbnb is perfect. You pay for a room in someones home. A private room for less than what it costs to sleep next to several others in a hostel? I'LL TAKE IT!
Couchsurfing

Don't want to pay for a room at all? Sleep on someone's couch (or bed!) This is a groovy travel platform that connects you to other travelers who have a couch to lend! You might even get lucky and sleep in a bed! Stick with people who have good references. But whatever you do, be respectful and don't treat it as you would a hotel room. Create relationships with your hosts, not sleep and leave. 

University Dorms

Trinity College. Dublin, Ireland. Twin ensuite accomodation. While students are away for the summer some universities rent out dorm rooms to travelers at a low cost. Isn't that innovative? Here is a link that will guide you in the right direction for college dorms! I must make a confession: After working at several backpacking hostels, a dirty and damp hotel room doesn't sound half bad if it means privacy!