So many choices....

Having trouble deciding where to go? Well, according to my cousin Randi choosing a place to go is the most difficult task when planning a trip. Although I could recommend my fave countries (a topic for a later post? I think so), let's focus on how to narrow down the choices. Most of my traveling has been down very last minute. I actually went to Guatemala because I'd had a bad day. I bought my flight at 9pm and it left 3 hours later. Talk about spontaneity! When you're planning a venture overseas, start by picking 3 countries you absolutely have to see before you croak. Honestly, for first time travelers, Europe is the easiest and safest route to go. And in terms of cost, the closer you are to the Mediterranean Sea the less expensive everything is. Now do not be fooled. It's not super cheap, but it is cheaper than the countries north of that. So when choosing your top 3 places to explore, make sure you continually keep you budget in mind. Research everything from the average cost of hostel rooms to the price for average train tickets in each country you are interested in. The more info you have, the more comfortable you'll feel about you decision. Remember, you can always go on other trips to see the other countries that are on your bucket list. Whether you're planning a short 2 week adventure or a 6 month world tour, having an idea about where you want to go and what you want to see will help you stay within your budget. However, I wouldn't recommend trying to plan every detail. Once you start meeting other travelers you'll be introduced to new places and ideas that you hadn't planned on. I would have missed the Cinque Terre in Italy had it not been for some randoms I met on a train. Whether you plan your trip based on your budget, or plan your budget based on your trip, know what is important to you, what you're willing to sacrifice, and what you're not. And if push comes to shove and you are clueless about where to go, grab a globe, close your eyes, spin and point. Need budgeting advice or recommendations about where to go? Post a comment and ask away!

So many of you may be wondering.... "How the hell am I supposed to convince my friends and family that this traveling solo business is a good idea?!" Well, I am here to help with that my friends. The reality is once you've made the decision to venture out on your own, the best way to gain the support of those closest to you is to be open and honest with them. Do your research and show them you are capable of doing this crazy expedition. Get them to see how independent and confident you are and prove to them this adventure will only make you a more amazing. Even if this is your first trip on your own, making sure your family, especially your constantly nervous mother (yes mom, I'm making fun of you), are comfortable with the idea of you testing yourself is crucial to the success of your adventure. Having that motivation and support will help you as a solo traveler overcome the difficulties that are sure to arise while galavanting around a foreign country. Once while in Budapest, I was having a horrid time getting from the train station to the hostel I was supposed to be staying in. If any of you have ever been to Hungary, you will know no one speaks English (so be prepared). It was disgustingly hot and humid and carrying a 40 pound backpack is a pain in the ass when you're sweating balls. After 4 hours of wandering the streets (there are very few street signs and apparently you have to go UNDER the streets in order to get to the other side), I finally said f#ck it and decided to find a different hostel. This required getting on a trolly that would get me across town. Unfortunately you couldn't purchase tickets from the trolly driver. So I had to find some fruit stand where I could get a ticket (really? From a fruit stand?) Of course with my luck, the fruit stand man was sold out, so I had to hunt down the nearest bank to buy this damn trolly ticket. By this time it was 5:30 and all of the banks were closed. Dammit!! That was the breaking point and for the first time during my trip I cried my face off. I had never missed my crazy mother more than I did at that moment. So I walked into a hardware store, snot and all, and vented to the Hungarian lady behind the counter. Although we didn't speak the same language, tears are pretty universal. The stranger let me cry on her shoulder while I vented about my awful day. After that I meandered my way back to the train station and left for Prague. This story made my mother laugh (although I'm sure it also made her warm and fuzzy inside). But knowing that my family supported what I was trying to accomplish made the tough times easier to overcome.

Okay, so first things first. What motivates you to hop on a plane and get the hell out of dodge? Well, there are plenty of reasons. I, for example, usually feel the need to experience a new place, meet amazing people, and eat and drink my face off in other countries when someone (usually a retard of a man) tramples all over my awesome heart. Lame, I know, but painfully honest. Love, running away from it or hoping to find it, can be just the push you need to get out there, stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower or hike the trail to Macchu Picchu and say, "I am fuc&ing awesome!" Each time I have left the country because of a broken heart I have come home more confident, content, and plain old happy. Besides, who needs a guy who doesn't appreciate you when you are clearly awesome enough to do what most folks are too afraid to even attempt? Pushing yourself to experience something unknown and challenging is an incredible way to clear your mind of everything that might be weighing you down: work, school, relationships, bratty kids, deep fried food. And this miraculous endeavour doesn't need to be some lengthy expedition into the middle of the Amazon or to the arctic temperatures of the North Pole. No. It can be a short 2 week trek to Guatemala or Panama (both countries are easy to get to, relatively safe, and really cheap.) Any unexplored location will most certainly do the trick. And who knows. You might just find Mr. Right on you trip to forget about Mr. Wrong. So what about you, loyal readers (if you exist yet)? What inspires you to explore the world?

Welcome to Life on My Backside! This nifty little blog is my attempt to encourage and inspire women of any age to strap on a backpack, grab their passport, and tackle the overwhelming and insanely rewarding task of exploring the globe. Of everything I've ever done (or attempted to do and failed miserably at), making the ill-advised decision to become a bona fied globetrotter has by far been the most rewarding experience in my life to date. Much to my worry wart of a mothers dismay, strapping on my R.E.I backpack with nothing more than the bare essentials (chonies, deodorant, flask, ect) has been a way to remind myself how independent and capable I am. Now I know we have all had times in our lives when shit hits the fan and we find ourselves in an ugly funk. But fear thee not, my fellow fabulous chicas! For those of you who have the desire to test your boundaries and color outside of the lines, I am here to give advice, share my own ridiculous experiences, answer your burning yet otherwise justifiable questions, and hopefully help give you the confidence to show the world (and yourself) what you are truly made of. Cheers!

Danni