Most frequently asked questions: Conclusion after the first five weeks - you can do it
Five weeks ago I started my trip from Hamburg and that's when I started writing my blog as well. Since I was traveling with a friend who wanted to travel with an travel agency, I ultimately decided to travel with AIFS as well. AIFS asked me after a few weeks how I was doing and whether I would write a blog that they could also follow. As they liked my blog, they wanted to publish it on their homepage so that other travelers could share my experience. Sure. Especially when it comes to the question of whether it would be really useful to fly with a travel agency, people hold diffirent opinions.
Do I need a travel agency: yes or no?
Many are of the opinion that you don't need a travel agency and that you just spend a lot of money on nothing. At first, I thought that as well, wherefore I wanted to fly without one. In retrospect, however, I spent around € 200 more on the agency than if I had booked the flight, visa and insurance myself. And in the end, I got this € 200 ‘back’ with a number of benefits like discounts on buses, trips like Fraser Island, Whitsundays or hostel tips. There was also a preparatory meeting in Germany provided so that one could have got to know other backpackers, possibly travel mates, before leaving. I never really attend to informational events like this because I always feel like: What for? And I often go out in the end and say: I mean it was nice, but not worth going. In addition, I wasn't looking for a travel mate, so I didn’t see a reason to go. The first week in Sydney was also in the package included. We received a SIM card, opened our bank account and got some safety instructions. We got everything as a manual hand-out as well, just in case. Personally, I had a few questions unanswered in the first few days and used the AIFS office several times to plan my trip and I was also grateful for the help of the AIFS girls, who all travelled to Australia themselves and were able to give us such helpful tips. It is not that easy to estimate how big the continent really is, how many days you have to allow for per place and trip. Of course, I could have done it without, but the help at the beginning was really nice.
I can highly recommend travelling with an organization, especially for backpackers who travel alone and who are perhaps not yet so self-initiative or who find it difficult to approach people. Especially because you have the opportunity to call AIFS 24/7 and ask for help, e.g. if your bank card was stolen or your cell phone or anything else. A kind of ‘mom’ as a backup call haha. But in the end, everyone has to decide for themselves what they trust themselves and whether they consider it necessary or sensible.
Another question that I get asked often: Aren't you homesick at all?
I can only say that for me, the first few weeks all alone, at the other end of the world there were moments when I missed my family a lot. I was desperate because nothing went as it should or as I did imagined it to me. I got into situations that were simply alien to me. Before starting the trip, I was aware that this situation would come. Where do I sleep the next night, where can I go shopping, where is my hostel, how do I get there, how do I find a job, how do I apply and is my money enough? These are the questions you ask yourself almost every day as a backpacker. In addition, you suddenly encounter situations that you have never experienced before and that challenges you. It is important that you then make yourself aware that you are not alone, you get to know so many new people whereever you are who experience similar things and also travel to the most beautiful places in the world. There is always someone to support you. Always think of the alternative: What is the point of sitting at home with mom, at 8 degrees in the Germany or wherever, who asks you to hang up the laundry after you set down on the couch for five minutes to watch netflix. Boring. I'd rather sit bankrupt on the beach in Australia and think about where to sleep. Sure, it is of course easy to sit down at the laid table at home, but does that get you anywhere? You always have to be aware of how good life is and how you can master difficult situations. In my eyes it is just a waste of time not to travel when you have the opportunity. You stay in your comfort zone at home and you don't face any challenges. You have your friends and family around you and you live from day to day. Why don't you try something new?
What helped me in desperate moments? I cried and scolded. Once and then never again. Once it's out, life goes on. Straighten the crown and get up. I can promise you that after 2-3 hours or at the latest the next day you will have forgotten all the grief and get used to this lifestyle. One takes a little longer, the other shorter and for the next, the whole backpacker thing may be nothing at all. But don't wait until it gets better, just enjoy every moment or change something. A tip that I got myself and that has been completely confirmed. However, if you then don't enjoy the 'lifestyle' abroad and then decide "okay, I've tried it, but that's not my thing, I'll fly home after 2-3 months or even tomorrow", then that is totally okay too. I htink you should definitely not force yourself to do things that you don't really enjoy and that you don't stand behind. I've heard that from several people here, and there is just one appeal to many parents: Better ask your children how they are feeling and whether they like it instead of "Do you already have a job? Rattle off the farms." ' Thanks for the wise advice. It's so easy to say that at the other end of the world. I can only say to all the parents: You are not making anything easier for your child, on the contrary. Most of them are really writing applications every day and trying to find a job. Applying further pressure is really so counterproductive and demotivating, and only makes the journey unnecessarily difficult. That is certainly not the whole point. In the end, it is always a matter of the mindset: If I tell myself that everything is so difficult and not working for me, then it is obvious that I am not getting a favor. But if I approach things positively and they don't work out, then I just say to myself: So what? It's not the end of the world. Every crisis is an opportunity for improvement. What can I do to improve my current situation? You're homesick? Then talk to others about it. You are overwhelmed with the planning? Then give your agency a call. But do something that gets you out of desperation and try to control your thoughts. Orientate yourself to the positive things.
How much money do I need?
The question is difficult to answer. Of course, it all depends on what you are willing to take on, how you deal with money and what you want to spend. East Coast hostels cost around $ 20-30 per night. The cheaper the hostel is, the less you can expect when it comes to hygiene, facilities, the number of people in the room, etc. The Hostelworld app is very helpful in this regard. In the app, hostels are categorized so that you can get an idea in advance and compare the price-performance ratio. Second point: groceries were touted as excessively expensive to me before I flew to Australia. But if you cook with several people together with basics such as pasta, toast, eggs, apples or rice, you don't pay more than in Europe. Of course, if you always go out to eat or cook a steak every evening, it will of course be more expensive. Alcohol is expensive. Everyone has to see for themselves how they manage their budget and what they want and can treat themselves to. My advice is to have € 4000-5000 before you start your trip, in my case 6-7 months, in order to be able to finance round-trip flights, visa, insurance and the first month without a job. So you can approach everything more relaxed and you don't have this pressure on your neck all the time.
In the end, I've already traveled several times without my family and homesickness has been a great part of it, but after the unbelievable first five weeks here, I'm glad I took the step and I'm enjoying my time to the fullest. It is so liberating to be able to decide what to do, how long to stay in which place and whether or not I feel like doing something, without making any compromises. For me that is absolute freedom! Many think that when you get pictures of friends or family back home you miss things, but in the end nothing changes at home. Only you, yourself have experiences that nobody can take away from you and that you would not have had in normal everyday life. I believe that you only have to get out of your comfort zone and then learn to jump over obstacles on the way. And these are the moments that change and make you grow as a person. You are on your own and master moments that you are not used to. It's always a matter of attitude. If you see difficult moments as challenges and grow with them and go about them with a lot of ease, then you will succeed. But if you hold on to the negative things, then you spoil the trip yourself and stay on the spot. So enough of me today. Enjoy your trip, your independence and self-determination!
Helpful Apps:
- Hostelworld
- Skyscanner
- Couchsurfing
#Keepingup
@joanna.mrs
