The Evil Neighbor

I wrote a book about my first world trip with Emma (you find her story on the about the authors page as well), and the following is an excerpt from my book. The best part is that this is not an exaggeration, and is something you may find yourself saying as well, that the people in THAT country are evil and bad, when in fact they are people just like us, who want good things for their families and to follow their hopes and dreams, and who think YOU are the bad guys.  ;-)

The post is in German, but below you can find the English version as a Journizer special. 

Der böse Nachbar
Jemand lebte in seinem Dorf vor sich hin so wie es alle anderen Leute auch tun. Es gab viele nette Leute in seinem Dorf. Einige waren seine Freunde. Eines Tages hörte er von dem Land Polen. Er fragte sich was die Leute dort wohl so machen. Er wusste es nicht. Daher beschloss er hinzufahren und nachzuschauen. Er erzählte seinen Freunden von dem Plan.
„Du spinnst! In Polen wohnen lauter Diebe. Die klauen Dir alles.“     
„Woher wisst ihr das? Wart ihr denn schon einmal dort?“ fragte Jemand seine Freunde.     
„Nein, natürlich nicht, aber es weiß doch jedes kleine Kind, dass die Polen Diebe sind.“     
Jemand war nicht überzeugt. Er wollte sich seine eigene Meinung bilden.
Also fuhr Jemand nach Polen. Er lernte viele nette Leute kennen. Einige davon wurden seine Freunde. Beklaut wurde er jedoch nicht. Jemand blieb eine Weile in Polen. Da hörte er von Russland. Er fragte sich was die Leute dort wohl so machen. Er wusste es nicht. Daher beschloss er hinzufahren und nachzuschauen. Er erzählte den neuen polnischen Freunden von dem Plan.
„Du spinnst! In Russland wohnen lauter Räuber und Mörder.“
„Woher wisst ihr das? Wart ihr denn schon einmal dort?“ fragte Jemand seine Freunde.     
„Nein, natürlich nicht, aber es weiß doch jedes kleine Kind, dass die Russen Räuber und Mörder sind.“     
Jemand war wiederum nicht überzeugt. Er wollte sich seine eigene Meinung bilden.
Also fuhr Jemand nach Russland. Er lernte viele nette Leute kennen. Einige davon wurden seine Freunde. Beraubt und ermordet wurde er jedoch nicht. Jemand blieb eine Weile in Russland. Da hörte er von der Mongolei. Er fragte sich was die Leute dort wohl so machen. Er wusste es nicht. Daher beschloss er hinzufahren und nachzuschauen. Er erzählte den neuen russischen Freunden von seinem Plan.     
„Du spinnst! Die Mongolen sind schlitzäugige Barbaren. Die trinken nur verschimmelte Milch und fressen ihre eigenen Kinder!“     
„Woher wisst ihr das? Wart ihr denn schon einmal dort?“ fragte Jemand seine Freunde.     
„Nein, natürlich nicht, aber es weiß doch jedes kleine Kind, dass die Mongolen Kinder fressen.“
Jemand war nicht überzeugt. Er wollte sich seine eigene Meinung bilden.
Also fuhr Jemand in die Mongolei. Er lernte viele nette Leute kennen. Einige davon wurden seine Freunde. Er trank mit ihnen die vergorene Stutenmilch. Kinder wurden jedoch keine gegessen sondern liebevoll in bester mongolischer Tradition aufgezogen.
So kam Jemand in die verschiedensten Länder der Erde. Er lernte viele unterschiedliche Menschen kennen. Die allermeisten waren nett. Er traf auch böse und schlechte Menschen. Aber dazu musste er nicht weit gehen. Die gab es auch daheim in seinem Dorf.

Want to read more? Checkout the book (but make sure you understand German)

Fernweh Mit dem Motorrad um die Welt 196 Seiten im Taschenbuchformat mit 41 farbigen Abbildungen und 9 Karten.

 

Sherrie's note:  I LOVE this.  Check out my German Newfoundlander.  Patrick and my father bonded over Oma's (granny's) homemade schanps, and as my parents had just spent 2 weeks with us when this was filmed, Patrick had begun to tag "right" onto everything.  (Newfoundland is known for its distinct dialect, of which my father is a proud speaker.  But not in a nationalist way.  More in a "Ive always spoken this way so F$%k off and don't talk to me if you don't like it" kind of way.)

 

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Planning A Motorcycle Trip: 3 Months From Germany To Turkey and Back

Warning:  You may accuse us of many, many things.  And this is where Patrick would say "speak for yourself," but since I have accused him of many things, the sentence stands. But there is one thing you can not accuse us of, and that is taking ourselves too seriously.  Because if we did we would never let these videos see the light of the day.  MAJOR dork content.  But then I guess I had to earn my nickname "Dork Princess" somehow.  And in all likelihood it was not by being cool....

So, with the warning out of the way and to continue on with the post, we filmed our last trip with a regular point and click digital camera, as in the older version of the Olympus Stylus Tough and we passed the raw material onto our friend Andi who in addition to doing an awesome job transforming them into episodes for your viewing pleasure, he also does it while having to sort through my muscle spasms whenever the camera is pointed at me.  (We do improve with time, promise)

So without further adieu, here is the first one where we start to plan and prepare for our trip:

And may I also say that after doing these videos I now have a brand new appreciation for anyone who does live TV, as there is something about a camera pointing at you that makes you feel (and act) like a complete and utter turd.  Even if you suspect that the only people who are even going to watch it are your mom, your close friends, and the random person who stumbles over it by accident while searching for something else on Youtube (like a cat video).  The fact that our views range in the 2000 views (from about 400 up to almost 9000) just goes to show what a fantastic job Andi did!

 

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Travel Tip: How To Budget For A World Trip (Or Any Trip!)

 

 

I met Patrick on his first world trip (his second is planned for next year, and in between there has been a multitude of motorcycle trips lasting a weekend to 3 months, most of them with me along for the ride, and the later ones with me alongside! Or 200 kms behind depending on how fast he is going, but again I digress.) Patrick is a natural born saver. He hails from Baden-Württemberg, an area of Germany known for their wealth (Porsche, Mercedes and Bosch are just three companies that hail from the region) as well as their insistence on locking their millions in a vault and arguing over 50 cents.

 

 

This would imply that Patrick may be the better author for this entry. Prior to meeting him I funded my travel though the teach and travel method, never the months at a time without a job style that we do now. And although he does not have millions tucked away anywhere, he is a natural born saver. As in it does not cause him physical pain to deny himself something and put his money in a savings account. He only spends money he has, and creditors have no idea who he is. But then I thought a little more about it, and if I can save money for a major trip, then anyone can. Admittedly there were tears in the beginning, I may (or may not, its my word against Patrick's) thrown things at his head and called him less than kind names, but in the end, my ways were converted.

 

For our major 3 month motorcycle trip from Germany to Turkey I managed to save the 3000 Euro required to go for 3 months (our budget, in the end we spent 2600, but we also returned almost 2 weeks early because of rain), as well as pay the 2000 that it cost to get my German motorcycle license, and actually buy the bike. (But as I was also paying off old credit cards and student loans, Patrick did have to help with the bike purchase). But again, rambling!

 

I did that while still paying my half of rent, contributing to the food budget, and living. I was not living the high life mind you, but I was still living. And although I still have one outstanding student loan, my credit card debt is gone and I am living within my means. So despite it being not always easy, it is not impossible. And although I have passed on budget saving ideas in other blogs, this one is revamped for Unleash your adventure, and with my present wisdom in mind. So without further adieu, my top 5 simple recommendations to afford to travel (and long term travel in particular).

 

# 1 - KNOW your travel style

Number one however is almost always the same. KNOW your travel style. If you are here because you are a motorcycle traveler then chances are you know you are a camper. Paying nothing and camping wild is something you would do even if you did have that million in the bank. You want to factor in the occasional shower (on the road I shower every 3 -5 days on average, its true, keep that in mind if you ever see us and want to have a meet and greet. We are always open, but maybe you won't be so open to us. ;-) ) Your budget wants to take into paid accommodation for city stays, when you are sick, or when even your travel partner declares you need a shower. (You can also shower on the side of the road, therefore extending the amount of time in between paid accommodation. We think its fun.)

 

 

Of course that does not mean you HAVE to camp. If you are a backpacker or a motorcyclist who likes a little more luxury, check online at hostelworld or hotelbooking.com to get a feel for the prices of the style of accommodation you need. It makes no sense to lie to yourself about the costs you will anticipate. It just means that you will need to save more or find income on the road. When I was teaching English in Japan my trip to Thailand cost almost as much as my 3 months to Turkey and back. I could have done it cheaper, but I wanted to splash out.

 

You can also use hospitality club or couch surfing on the road as a free place to stay, or if you want to work for your board check out WWOOFing. However if the idea that staying with strangers freaks you out, don't count it in when you take stock of your travel budget. You will either ignore the option and spend more than you planned on accommodation, OR it will suck the joy out of your trip. Neither option is optimal.

 

Another aspect of travel style that we forget to take stock of is our time. The faster you go the more money you need. That is why 3 months through a country will often cost the same as the same trip in 2 weeks. When time is a pressure you need to pay whatever price is required, or choose faster and more expensive over slower and cheaper.

 

# 2 - The Travel Jar

After you've taken stock of how you like to travel, you now need to go about accumulating the money you've decided you need. My number one recommendation: The Travel Jar. (It almost deserves music). But whenever I make plans that get canceled (be it movie, dinner, whatever) I consider it money spent. That money goes into the travel jar. At the end of the day, all my coins go into the travel jar. Yes setting aside a set amount out of your pay every week/month also works. But you would be surprised how fast you amass travel jar money when you play by the rules. And if you are faithful enough to take a set amount out of your pay that goes into another account to cover your budget, use the travel jar as money to buy something you want but do not necessarily need for your trip (like a new camera when your old one is still adequate, or those boots which you know will pay off but the thought of taking out a chunk of change come next pay day just hurts) or your on the road “treat” money. (A nice restaurant for your 3 month on the road anniversary, or a balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey)

 

 

 

# 3 - The library

The library is your friend. I love books. I do not just love to read them, I love to touch them, I love to smell them, and I particularly love the way they look on my shelf. But once I declare that I am saving for a trip, my book buying drops drastically. When I want to buy a book I go to the library first, and then the money I would have spent I put in the travel jar as money already spent. I borrow DVDs from the library, and I go there instead of to the local coffee shop when I want peace time between classes (be it the kind where I am the teacher, or the kind where I am the student), and again the money I would have spent on coffee goes into the travel jar. (That is not to say complete denial, I still meet my friends for coffee, it is just when I am alone I do not.) And when I find myself wavering I think of something like this:

 

 

# 4 - Use your employer

Find out if you even need to save. If you are really lucky you are a teacher within the regular school system, or in a union that lets you do “2 over 3” or the equivalent, in which you get less pay your first 2 years that you work, but then you get to take a year off with the same pay as the 2 years previous, Plus your job is still there when you get back. (And even if not, and you are less afraid of the money aspect and more of the job aspect, check to see if you can have an unpaid leave of absence).

 

# 5 - Buy less and buy smart!

I can't even tell you how many dresses I have that I never wear. Chances are you have a closet full of clothes you barely wear and you keep adding to (men do it too!!!) The sad part is despite being aware of this I still spent almost 100 Euro at a Mango outlet in Ankara. 10 dresses, all less than 10 Euro! I bought them the end of March, it is now the end of June, and I have worn ONE and that was ONCE. I admit I will bite you if you try to take them from me. But now I avoid outlets. But if I had to buy clothes, I would recommend an outlet.

 

# 6 - Be environmentally friendly!

Environmentally friendly means using less of everything, less electricity (you don't need to freeze over the winter, but if you are from a cold country think about an extra sweater rather than reaching automatically for the thermostat.) Your planet and your wallet will thank you. Before jumping in your car think about how far it is to walk, can you do it instead of wasting money on gas? Car pool instead of driving?

 

When you think about your wallet and the planet before buying something everyone wins. Do you really a need a brand new sofa set? Is “new to you” just as good? We can't keep consuming at our present rate, our planet will give up and there will no longer be a point to travel (unless that is you always wanted to test your skills in the Thunderdome). Buying second hand is your friend!

 

# Most Imortant

Finally, outside of sticking to the budget, the number one rule of traveling is to not just pick a date, but tell everyone about that date. Then when you are tempted to buy things you don't need, or break into your travel jar, you just need to remember how embarrassing it is going to be when everyone looks at you and asks why you haven't left on that trip yet.....

 

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Welcome to buy less ride more

Welcome to Unleash Your Adventure, a blog about long term traveling and motorcycle travel in particular, but open to any type of travel on the cheap really! So if camping, hostels, and locally run B&Bs are more your style than 5 star hotels then you have come to the right place! If given 2000 dollars (euros, pounds, francs, insert currency here) you think “that is 2 months on the road” rather than “that gets me accommodation for the week at least,” you are most definitely at the right place. And even if you are a big spender on the road, you are still welcome here, and we hope to change your mind!

 

 

If you have read the “about the authors” section on this website, you know that the authors put travel as their number one priority in life. It may in fact be just about the only thing they have in common as Patrick is a German engineer and Sherrie is a perpetual student (history Masters complete, now trying for a Science Masters as well)/English as a second language teacher.

 

But that is also what we want to bring to this blog, a combination of money saving ideas that help you achieve your travel dreams, along with products that we have tried and tested and know to be worth the money (if any is required, we are also big on reusing stuff so we have to buy less), and most importantly, told by two totally different perspectives: one from a very practical viewpoint and the other from a more, shall we say, earth from a slightly skewed perception of reality rather than with two feet firmly planted on the ground. (In Sherrie's defense, this refusal to accept reality has meant living and/or traveling in 25 plus countries, which for a European is about average, but for a Canadian that hails from an island it is rather impressive indeed).

 

But what we really hope to achieve is not just to show you that you can travel, (and travel with less and still travel more), but that you should travel. And that you can do it by buying less and traveling more. You may wonder a little how we can say that since we would really like you to buy the recommended stuff off of our website (and that is because we want to travel more as well, and if you like what we say and buy what we recommend then everyone comes out happier, if however you decide we are full of crap and you would rather drop money at another place, no bad feelings, to each their own, you are still a welcome reader!).

 

 

But we also believe that sustainability is something we all should be thinking about, especially since buying less means we can travel more. Even before we thought to start this blog, whenever we were asked the question “how do you afford to travel so much?” we always answered with “look at our car payments, look at how many pairs of shoes you have, look at how many we have, look at how your apartment is decorated, look at ours, examine how often you buy new clothes, look at how often we buy them” etc etc (admittedly this behavior came much more naturally to our Southern German friend then our Newfoundland one, who did at first feel like she was being denied a basic human right of new shoes and pretty dresses.) However when you travel, and (admittedly biased view about to be expressed) in particular by motorcycle, you quickly learn that a night by a campfire is worth a million dresses, and even a small amount of “stuff” is more than most people in this world have. We are incredibly privileged, and we often waste it.

 

We do try to reduce our consumption of stuff as much as possible, saving money and the planet, and when we do buy stuff, we try to buy smart, and in the end, we get to ride more.

 

 

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