By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
You've bought your plane tickets, you've chosen a route, you've booked your accommodation and you've announced your plans. You've even bought your backpack and decided what to fill it with.
What next?
How do you know if you're really ready to leave?
If
you've never traveled before, it can tough to know what to expect.
Traveling will be unlike anything you've ever experienced -- don't
worry, it's in a good way. Here's what I recommend doing in order in the
six months before your departure date in order to put your mind at
rest.
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1. Join a Gym
It seems counter-intuitive, because
aren't you supposed to be saving every spare cent you make in the run up
to leaving? While that's true, I believe that joining a gym is a
splurge that's worth paying for in order to prepare for your big trip.
Backpacking
is hard work. Carrying 10 or 20 kilograms on your back for an hour as
you desperately try to find your hostel gets old quickly, and you don't
want your lack of fitness to hold you back.
It's not just carrying your bag that will tire
you out, either. Traveling involves long hours of exploring as you try
to visit as many tourist sites as possible. You'll be doing lots of
walking, as well as hiking and trekking, that your body may not be used
to.
Joining a gym before you leave will increase your fitness
levels and strengthen your muscles so that backpacking doesn't wear you
out as much.
2. Have a Trial Packing Session
You may
have bought everything you want to take traveling with you, but do you
know if it actually fits in your backpack? There's nothing worse than
packing your bags the night before and realizing you have too many
things and have to leave half of it behind.
Have a trial packing
session several months before your departure date as if you were going
to be leaving the following day. Place the heavier items at the bottom
of your bag, use packing cubes to keep everything organized, and decide what you're going to put in your daypack.
[post_ads]3. Check You Can Carry Your Backpack
After
you've gone through your trial pack, it's time to wear the clothes you
plan on wearing to the airport and lift the backpack onto your
back. It's important to do this, not just so that you know everything
will fit, but so that you also know if you can carry it.
After
you've put it on, see how it feels, and go for a walk. You'll want to
make sure that you can comfortably carry it for at least half an hour.
Feels too heavy? Leave some things behind or join the gym.
4. Sort Out Your Money
There's
a few things you need to do money-wise before you set off to travel.
You'll want to change $100 or so to the local money in advance so that
you have enough to get you to your accommodation, and can pay for visas
or entry fees to the country, if there are any.
Call your bank
before you leave to let them know that you'll be traveling -- this way
it'll be less likely that you'll have your card blocked overseas.
Keep
a spare $200 separated into two $100 sums and hidden in your backpack
as an emergency supply. If you're robbed and end up without any way of
getting hold of money, this will get you a few night's accommodation,
some meals, and a way of contacting your family. Prepare for the worst
case scenario.
5. Research What to Do Once You Land in Your First Destination
Make
your first stop as uncomplicated as possible by planning everything
out. Research the airport you'll be landing into and what the
immigration process is like. Take a look at the onward transport options
and figure out the best way to get to your accommodation for the night.
Take into account flight duration and arrival times -- you may be feeling too jetlagged to want to navigate the public transport system of an unfamiliar city.
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Make
sure to write down the address of your accommodation and some brief
directions. This will help if your phone runs out of battery and you
can't remember the name of where you're staying. Write it down in local
script, too, so that you can give it to taxi drivers or other locals
when you're trying to find it. I also take a photo of the
accommodation's location on my camera so I have a map if I need it.
