Travel With A Purpose
Voluntourism
Are you tired of the same old kind of trip where you drive or fly somewhere and then get a hotel room and see the sights?
I discovered volunteer vacations when I went to the Elephant Nature Park but there's alot of other places you can go all over the world or even stateside.
Some trips seem to me to be rather expensive so that sort of defeats the purpose of volunteering yes?
Check out these websites:
Volunteer Vacations - American Hiking Society - Adventure Service Trips
Best Solo Traveler Volunteer Trips 2026 & 2027 | IVHQ-
They have some really neat trips all over the world from animal sanctuaries to teaching English and the prices are very reasonable. For instance you can volunteer in Bali for the sea turtle conservation project for $800 for two weeks which includes 3 meals a day and airport pick up. Now the housing is shared with other people so this may not be for you but check out their website.
Elephantnaturepark.org-
Of course don't forget the elephants! They won't forget you.
Unforgettable Vacations with Purpose - Volunteer Vacations
Discover Corps-very nice opportunities but very pricey too.
Buying your tickets early is the best choice as they'll be cheaper and you'll get a good choice of seats. Several airlines ( I usually use American) will let you pay over time with Affirm or Klarna which leaves you more cash for your trip. Ticket choices will come up with choices like Economy, Main Cabin, Main Cabin Extra, Main Cabin Extra Extra (ha). If you are absolutely sure your plans will not change then get Main (economy). I usually go the next step and pay a little extra for the right to choose my seat and change my plans.
One more thing. Yes, I am old and old-school. You can get your ticket on your phone, but I like to print up my ticket at the kiosk in the airport if there is not a big line. First of all, I keep them for mementos. Second when you are in line to get on the airplane the last thing you need is for your stupid phone to die or screw up. I write down my flight info in my little notebook that I keep with me. I hate to keep having to refer to my phone for everything. That's just me!
I always get a ticket where I can pick my seats before checkout. If you wait until check-in you will most likely get ugg a middle seat! A window seat is nice if flying during the day. At night it's good as you have more room but if you have to get up to pee like me every hour it's better to get an aisle seat.
Cheaper seats tend to be near the wing although that's a smoother ride.
Did you know you can look up your exact seat view for any airplane? I use seatmaps.
I always carry a travel notebook with me. I don't rely totally on my phone for much actually. I have a page for everything: plane reservations, airline loyalty number, hotel reservations with phone numbers and addresses, currency conversions and a daily budget to spend on food, souvenirs, and misc. I write down what I've spent in it. If I'm overseas I write down where the closest embassy is (you never know...) I write down my contact phone numbers for emergencies too as who knows anyone's phone numbers by heart anymore!
I also keep notes on cool things I've found to do or incidental things I've seen that I don't want to forget. People I've met. I have a few blank pages for sketching too which turns into my travel diary. A couple of years ago took a class on making a travel diary.
If you've never flown before you may want to read these tips!
I never bring a checked bag. I think I would go crazy if I had to wait at baggage claim in a large airport. Plus, I would pack too much. You can fit a lot into a suitcase for a week in an overhead. I usually bring a backpack with clothes and essentials and then a bag that will fit under my seat with my travel purse, a magazine, things to do, earphones (on Singapore airlines they give you earphone).
Always join the airline loyalty club. It doesn't cost anything but some airlines charge you for wi-fi and movies where if you are a loyalty member you get these things for free.
And...I bring adult underwear-that's right. I have a tendency to drink a lot anyway which is ok if you are flying. You don't want to get dehydrated. But...sometimes when you are ready to go the seatbelt sign comes on or there's a really big line, or you think you can hit the restroom when you get off the plane to get to your next flight, and you only have minutes to spare. On my flight to Asia, I developed airplane OAB or overactive bladder. I was all settled in, had my dinner, had gone to the bathroom and wham I have to go again. What? I'm sitting by the window. My poor seatmates climbing over them every 1/2 hour in the middle of the night! On the flight back I had wonderful adult underwear with spares in my bag.
When I arrived at Chiang Mai airport I had a driver waiting for me-the kind with the sign held up with your name on it. Fancy huh? Well, it was really inexpensive and saved a lot of hassle. The last thing you want is to be traveling alone and look like you are totally confused and traveling alone!
I wasn't sure how confusing it would be to find a cab or Uber there as some American airports are a nightmare for sure.
So I paid for it ahead of time when using Booking.com. It was $10 and saved the whole waiting for the Uber Driver, where do I wait? The driver was waiting for me after I went through customs.
Oh, by the way, I'm not endorsing Booking.com I'm just use them once in a while for my trips.
Before I go overseas—especially to Asia—I make a stop at my bank about a week before I leave and order about $250 in local currency, like Thai Baht. Airport currency exchanges? Absolutely not. They’re usually nowhere near where you actually land, and they charge fees like they’re doing you a favor. Yes, ATMs are everywhere, but having cash right away is less hassle. In Chiang Mai, my first lodging wanted cash, the night market wanted cash, and I tipped my driver… in cash.
I also download a currency converter or jot down a few cheat‑sheet conversions in my travel notebook. Something like:
100 Thai Baht = $3.00 250 Thai Baht = $7.50
The night before I left Thailand, I went into a 7‑Eleven and grabbed three drinks, two bags of nuts, a big bag of chips, and a slice of cheesecake. The total flashed: 175 Thai Baht. I nearly had a stroke thinking I’d just blown my budget on snacks… but no, it was about $5.25. Thailand is dramatically inexpensive.
In China they prefer not cash but everything with AliPay something similar which is strictly digital currency for everything.
In Europe and Asia, they use different electrical currents than we do. So, the best bet is to buy a universal all-in-one travel adapter or a worldwide travel adapter for about $20 for cell phones and laptops. There's different websites you can use to look up this information. I've got a universal adapter, and it works everywhere. If you have an older laptop or cell phone it may not be dual voltage (in the US, we use 110 and in Asia they use 220-240). So, don't rely on my information or the internet be sure to research thoroughly what you may need.
"I don't know where I'm going but I'm on my way"
Carl Sagan