Advice #4: Projects While Traveling

I love traveling in every kind of way, but having time off is not necessarily the thing I love most about it. And six months away from work, school or any kind of project is not something that will make me less restless, which is why I’ve chosen to take some distance courses while I travel.

I’ll be studying French and English while I’m away, which is something I’m really looking forward to. The Swedish school system allows for me to take a student loan for half-time studies, which should cover all my monthly expenses. For those of you who have the same opportunity as I do, I’d say that’s a great way to finance your trip. I know several people who’ve traveled throughout the world while studying at their local university. The journey itself can also be integrated into the specific subject. Like Frida for example - she is an audio engineer. She won’t be studying, but is going to try to make a radio documentary/program about music in the countries we’ll visit. She’ll bring recording equipment and is already trying to find people whom she’ll interview or who’s music she’ll record.

Apart from studying I’ll bring my camera and make sure to work on taking as many and as good photos as I can. At home I sometimes find the surroundings somewhat uninspiring, especially with the lack of sunlight at this time of year, but when I travel it’s the complete opposite. Of course.

I think having a purpose (or at least making up a purpose) for a trip is a good way to experience the places you go to a greater extent. If you aren’t into creative stuff you might want to try something that’s a bit out of your comfort-zone or something you yourself feel is unexpected. (I always say that I feel the most at home when I’m out of my comfort-zone. Not everyone would agree.)

One of the best travel-memories I have is from when me and some friends went to the movies in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We only had one night and were told we shouldn’t walk around town after nightfall, so we went and saw a crap movie instead and then went home and watched a crap show on tv (yep, it was Tila Tequila). Doing casual things is a way to feel more at home in a faraway place and that might open up your eyes just a little bit, or at least might help you feel a little less like a dumb tourist. Or it might make you feel more at home in times of homesickness.