Here’s the thing: Living the American Dream is expensive.
If your income is unpredictable or fixed, as it is for self-employed and retired Americans like my husband Hank and me, the financial weight of home ownership and a rising cost-of-living can feel overwhelming and render travel an unaffordable luxury you once enjoyed.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
I asked my 22-year-old niece, just back from summer travels in Europe, to give us the inside scoop on hosteling. Learn her list of myth-busting tips and packing must-haves.
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO HOSTELING
by Madeleine Clute
My first foray into hosteling was at the end of high school when some friends and I took a road trip to Quebec, Canada, and it’s been my preferred method of seeing new places since. Most recently, my friend Elizabeth and I traveled on students’ budgets for 30-days in Europe, spanning 10 cities and 8 countries, primarily staying in hostels.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
I’m going to be honest with you: I would have never guessed that at the age of fifty I’d be a nomad.
Here’s the thing: I’m a homebody at heart and up until a few years ago I viewed the contentment of home and the thrill of exploration as mutually exclusive destinations.
Then my husband, Hank, and I set off on a multi-year journey with a vague plan of temporarily inhabiting Latin America and the adventure opened my eyes and heart to new truths about myself and the world around me.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Should you add South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, to your Wanderlist?
(South Sudanese celebrate winning the referendum on independence)
Read what our partners at WorldNomads.com, global insurance experts, have to say on the subject in their recent article, Safety in the World’s Newest Nation - South Sudan .
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Thousands of protesters continue to gather in Cairo, Suez, Alexandria and Luxor, in an uprising against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
The protests have now put the country into a state of civil unrest. Foreign Offices around the world have urged travellers to avoid visiting Egypt due to its level of instability. High incidences of looting, vigilantism, prison escapes and “open revolt” have now enveloped the country and as the world looks on, Egypt’s future is uncertain.
© W.M. Wiggins via YourLifeIsATrip.comAt our sister site, YourLifeIsATrip.com, our ‘Ask the Captain’ columnist, W.M. Wiggins, just evacuated Cairo via Rome and reports on his experiences.
READ his FIRST-PERSON REPORT FROM EGYPT confirming that the situation is extremely volatile and due to demonstrations and vigilante-style community protection actions, making the streets unsafe for travelers.
If you, or any travelers you know, are currently in Egypt, you might find this Evacuation Guide from our partners at WorldNomads.com helpful.
To travel safely and stay up to date on what’s happening in Egypt, what to do, and what the government is saying, READ MORE.
And to our Egyptian friends, please know that you are in our thoughts and that we’re hoping for a positive and speedy resolution.
Ellen
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
With their hard plastic chairs, plastic food and service to match, airports are about as inviting as a root canal. Sure, elite members-only lounges are a wonderful perk if you have access. But thankfully, more and more airports, especially in Europe, are offering in-house options where even the economy-flier can relax, work and freshen up in civilized surroundings. Here are a few airport rest-stops worth checking out next time you’re passing through.
MUNICH AIRPORT photo by llinke via flickr (commons license)
MUNICH
As the five-star Kampinski Hotel Airport Müchen, designed by Helmut Jahn, passengers are welcome to use the indoor pool, sauna, steam bath, whirlpool and gym for 22 euros. Thus refreshed, head to Airbräu, the world’s first airport brewery with an outdoor beer garden, for a cold one brewed right on the premises.
HELSINKI-VANTAA AIRPORT
At Helsinki’s award-winning airport, known for its Finnish cutting-edge design and first-class telecommunications capabilities, Finavia offers free unrestricted wireless Internet connection, but for a private microenvironment where you can watch a film or work online in peace and techy comfort, check out the “artpod” chairs at eService Bar near gate 20.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".