Tag: alone

Backpacking: It’s a Lifestyle

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date February 27, 2014
No Comments on Backpacking: It’s a Lifestyle

Backpacking is a term mainly associated with travel, whether it be hiking or travel short and long term domestic or abroad. It is a lengthy sized backpack with many strategic pockets and compartments that sits right on your back wherever you go. If done so correctly and appropriately, you can practically live out of this backpack. You can fit about a weeks worth of clothing, electronics and accessories, toiletries, documents, finances and more (hopefully not the same weight as you or heavier). You may see these backpacks across major travel destinations across the globe in airports and city streets.

Prior to my days as a backpacker, all I knew of was suitcases within my desires as a vacationer. As my lust for travel grew more and more, I found myself desiring nomadic styled traveling wanting to go from one place to the next instead of the usual “comfort” stay ‘on the beach’ or ‘in the hotel’ trips I took all my life. I realized that my first “nomadic” styled trip around the island of Jamaica with a suitcase wasn’t doing me any justice. ESPECIALLY, in Jamaica! I never really understood the concept of walking around with a large backpack as well as the term “backpacking” and its concept very well until after I read online threads and viewed Instagram photos. Eventually I realized that a trip to Belize and Guatemala couldn’t be done smoothly rolling around and hauling a suitcase and book bag so eventually I purchased my first rucksack.

Ready to backpack through Belize and Guatemala

My first two backpacking experiences successfully took place through those two countries in Central America as well as in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, Canada. Considering my growing nomadic symptoms of travel, I realized something:

Backpacking is not just a way to travel, It’s a lifestyle

Backpacking is by far a way of life and enriches the possibilities of exploring places you want to see and more, meet new people you naturally connect with, and enjoy experiences of a lifetime. Although I do not have those freedoms and privileges quite yet of traveling destination to destination on my own time without putting in for “time off”, Just the simple fact that I can pack more than a dozen of necessities into one bag and in return see the world is the most amazing thing in imagination. It is this feeling within my constant wanderlust that makes me realize that all of this is a beautiful lifestyle and or realm I am hugely a part of.

As a backpacker, you can easily pick up and go at your own pace, learn to appreciate more with less, and best of all, escape the comforts of home and make the world your home.

Tags abroad, alone, backpacker, backpacking, solo travel, travel, traveling, traveling alone

Caribbean General Jamaica

Safe Budget Travel Around Jamaica

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date January 14, 2014
1 Comment on Safe Budget Travel Around Jamaica

Jamaica is a small absolutely wonderful island to travel to. Despite poverty and still a continuously developing island nation, it is very rich in culture and music known to the world, its scenery is magical, and its people are absolutely friendly. If not the biggest, tourism and travel is one of Jamaicans biggest resources for Jamaica with travelers from the US, Europe, Canada, and all over the world. Based on travel stories, YouTube videos, and other internet resources, most people associate or remember Jamaica via Cruise ship stop. Those that fly there, tend to lock themselves away from the island within the boundaries of an all-inclusive resort and tour guides.

I have stayed at an all-inclusive before in the Dominican Republic. It’s a fun amazing vacation experience and certainly a getaway. I respect the many that want to escape life’s everyday realities. But that is exactly what it is, a dream. It is an illusion, at least to me. Everyone deserves a vacation. Even travelers do in ways that do make sense. However for me, nothing excites me more than to surround myself with more reality. The best part of traveling is visiting a foreign land, embracing the culture, and returning home appreciating the things you have that most others don’t.

Not sure how a tab would look like for an all inclusive trip to Jamaica. For me, I left Jamaica with a unique cultural experience that I will never forget. With a price tag next to that, my trip was cheap. Fortunately, I took enough video footage to inspire YouTubers from around the world as well that budget travel, or should I say solo budget travel is possible in Jamaica. If you do consider asking what my tab was, it was approximately $1,100. Broken down that is:

$460 Flight (ATL-MBJ)

$220 Hotel (Ocho Rios)

$25 Cabin (Negril)

$80 Bus Transportation

$85 Dunns River Falls with Mystic Mountain & Bobsled

$60 Taxis (Approximately)

$80 Food (Approximately)

$60 Souvenirs/Money to bring back (Approximately)

= Amazing cultural experience in Jamaica

It certainly took a lot of thorough research through travel forums, Q’s and A’s, and YouTube videos to make my vision of this solo trip possible. Using your typical flight and hotel search engines, I managed to find a safe cheap hotel in Ocho Rios. I also discovered the cheap cost efficiency of hostels, Bed and Breakfasts, and guesthouses by staying in a cabin on Negrils 7 Mile Beach. If had known any better at the time, I would have stayed at a Bed and Breakfast within the Ocho Rios city limits and lowered my costs instead of a hotel. Oh well, It was right on the beach. But any-who, how did I manage to go from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios or Kingston to Negril without a tour accommodation? With a video of my whole trip on YouTube, I am constantly asked how I did it. Even had one person tell me that I had seen more in 5 days than he had in 5 years. When it finally comes down to the main topic of, “Safe travel around Jamaica for cheap”, the answer turned out to be very simple and very useful resource in travel to Jamaica.

“Knutsford Express”

If you are an adventurer like me or simply don’t care for tourist accommodations, ride with the locals in a comfortable, safe, coach bus with local Jamaicans. These buses run daily and frequently around the island in “Style and Comfort” as they put it. They are correct and it was the best low cost investment to make my Jamaica dream possible. They even include a movie to watch during the venture across the island.

Although I may sound like I am advertising a bus company abroad, they truly deserve all my credit and more. My dreams of seeing four major Jamaican cities in less than 5 days were made possible through them. Now, the media displays all acts of violence in Kingston and I’m not denying its existence. However, I would have never known that Jamaica’s capital does have a lot of gorgeous parts and would have never have had that opportunity without this bus company. This is the same for my short yet highly desired one night venture to the rocky cliffs and laid back beaches in Negril.

Now if you are all about the all-inclusive thing and just want to have a nice getaway out of your homeland, you will have no problems doing so and enjoy. But if you want to get off the beaten path and do it YOUR way, whether you are a returning visitor to Jamaica, a new one, or even a native Jamaican going back home after many years, consider getting out of your comfort zone and ride the awesome bus I rode. If you feel even more adventurous, go ride in a traditional Jamaican bus! Get away from the all-inclusive and stay at a guest house or cabin like I did, Jamaica is purely awesome and I guarantee you will return home with great memories, that is if you do decide you return home.

Tags across, airport, alone, backpacker, backpacking, beaches, budget, bus, cheap, getting around, guesthouse, hostel, hotel, jamaica, kingston, montego bay, negril, ocho rios, solo travel, taxi, things to do, travel, traveling, traveling alone

Bermuda General North America

Life Changing Moment in Bermuda

Post author By Anthony Perez
Post date January 4, 2014
No Comments on Life Changing Moment in Bermuda

Everyone has a moment at some point in their life where you sit back, shut everything out, and think your life through as a whole. No judgement, no interruption, no feedback. Just you and your mind. This could be that moment where you grow up or simply become a better person. At first I thought this was silly but realistically this was a life turn around for me. I recently spoke to a good friend about this and he had a very similar experience where he realized key aspects in life by comparing youth wants to future necessities. As a result, on his ride home from a simple city night out, he balled in tears in such a way that was cleansing to him. Until this day, he has become a changed man and has in his words, become a happier and better person.

As for me, ironically and fortunately, I had this very similar life changing moment during one of my travels which I take advantage of every several months. This moment took place on the beautiful, unique, and rocky island of Bermuda. During the turn of the year from 2012 to 2013, I went through a transition from one doctor’s office to transferring to another. First of all, I shall add that I went to school for web design, failed at finding a stable job and moved on to something more, stable. During my transition, my ex-boss found a way to dislike me and work very hard at making me quick and leave. For a field that was supposed to promise decent stability, this was only putting me back in the direction of unemployment which I had started off at in 2012. Fortunate for me, A job transfer went through at the turn of 2013 to a new office. In addition, to expand my social atmosphere in South Carolina, a state I would last consider to live in, a second job opportunity at a gym opened up. In conclusion, I had a lot on my plate to balance out and work out.

Why am I mentioning all this? Because this short trip to took place right in the middle of all of this. I didn’t plan the great timing, it just happened that way. Bermuda, to those who are not geographically inclined, is the Bermuda triangle, or even worse, The Bahamas. Incorrect, It is a British Overseas Territory about 1/10 off the coast of the Carolinas in the United States. It’s geographic location and its existence goes back beyond the dinosaurs. It’s poking out of the Atlantic and rocky coast line make this island absolutely unique and scenic. It’s pink sand beaches, blue water, narrow roads, fauna, and kind people make even the shortest stay very, very memorable.

Although most people I know consider a cruise, As always, I flew. Bermuda is very expensive but worth every dime spent. For the first time, I stayed in a cozy guesthouse and could not have felt any more at home. Everything I had done between fort sight seeing, cave discovering, scooter riding, to lighthouse climbing was by far a one of a kind experience. But nothing beat the sunsets I caught on the rocks at Horseshoe Bay Beach and Cove. Here you will find Bermudas infamous pink sand and rock formations. Here was where my heart desired to be throughout the whole trip and worked extra hard in returning every evening to watch the sun touch the Atlantic Ocean and vanish into the pink sky.

Retuning to that “moment”, despite all the problems I had faced in the past up to that moment. From career struggles, to sour relationships, to loss of friends, and life mistakes, I literally felt like every single negative encounter I experienced in life was lifted from from my mind and soul and carried away in the cool winter Bermudian air. As this moment occurred, I immediately balled into tears and shut everything out. This very moment right here changed me forever as the past remained past and I opened the door to the future to allow more opportunity, more experiences, and more memories to create. I not only left that island prepared for a new year with a new lifestyle, but I left that island a changed man. I left Bermuda a happier person with the positive mindset I have always wished to have. So here I am, one year since that very day I had that moment, looking back smiling twice as happy with a great life in the Carolinas, continuing to pursue my dreams of traveling, with an amazing girlfriend who I little by little show the world of travel to, now closer to my family than ever and last but not least closer in touch with myself as a happier more positive, inspiring person in life as a whole. Cheers to an amazing trip to the island of Bermuda.

Tags abroad, alone, backpacker, backpacking, beaches, belize city, bermuda, bermuda cruise, caribbean, scooter rental, solo traveling, things to do, traveling, traveling alone

Bermuda Canada Caribbean Florida General Jamaica North America Ontario Quebec USA Voyage Journal

Traveling Solo Is Great

Traveling alone! Most people frown upon it as a sign of loneliness, a lack of fun, dangerous, or just plain out stupid. Everyone is surely entitled to there own opinions. One word I would like to generally tie to all of these responses is the word fear. Sure there is fear of loneliness or danger. Of course there is a fear of not enjoying ones self. I was once there. Typically, these mindsets share the common feeling of fear when it comes to travel alone or let alone doing anything alone just like going to the movies. Personally and oddly, I can easily go to the movies alone just because I love movies with a passion. Although I prefer company, If I really want to see a flick and can’t bring my girlfriend with me, unless she really wants to see it also, I just go alone and enjoy the movie. The same goes for traveling. Traveling alone is something I just do out of norm and by default. Although it can entail missing out on more moments, spontaneous group decisions, less safety or having that extra cameraman for that perfect picture, you do end up finding it easy to make decisions on the fly and worry less about who can afford what. As for having a girlfriend who wishes to travel but can’t right now, it does make planning solo trips slightly more painful.

If I do plan a trip to a new place overseas or within my side of the world, chances are I will travel alone and meet people along the way based on how my trips have turned out. Solo travel for me didn’t begin by choice though. Several years ago, a week after my college graduation, I made a stop in Miami for a few days before celebrating my first travel trip post-college in Key West. Ready for a nice celebration with about five people, the day of departure, I saw each individual back off for different reasons leaving me, my bag, my car and the road in front of me. Although the Florida Keys is not off the beaten path, a simple drive down the scenic US 1 changed my perspective for travel in an entirety. I left for the Keys with the hopes of enjoying myself and returned twice as satisfied as anticipated.

Later on, I’d find myself enjoying the island of Jamaica, Bermuda, and the cities of Toronto and Montreal alone with many more destinations possibly solo as well. Although the appreciation of having a plus one, two, or three would be better, I still do not let invitation stand ups hold me back. You are more than welcome to come but I shall not be your chaperon. I just go! Do it now and while you can. Traveling solo does not mean you’re alone, you just don’t depend of the company of others to follow your dreams. It is a discipline and surely a lifestyle at this point. The world is far too big, life too short, and youth far shorter to say I can do it later. So if you want to go somewhere that may be difficult for others to tag along, don’t turn away from that dream. Just do a little research, go, be safe, and come back with great memories and no regrets.