Here are a few quick bits on how to travel smart, light and safe (omitting Q, X and Z for obvious reasons):

Ask for suggestions on where to eat and what to see from your hotel or hostel.

Budget carefully.

Carry on luggage as often as possible to avoid baggage fees.

Don’t be afraid to go it alone.

Eat local dishes.

Forgo excessive drinking.

Get up early and hit the pavement.

Hostels are a great way to meet people and find the best local spots.

Invest in good luggage.

Judge a book by its cover (meaning, if someone or something looks shady, it probably is).

Keep your things close to you (especially on public transit), pickpockets are tricky.

Learn how to read a paper map.

Make time to sleep (go to bed early).

Never give out too much personal information to a stranger (such as what hostel you’re staying at).

Open your mind to new experiences.

Prioritize what you want to do before you leave.

Respect the local culture and customs.

Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Take pictures of everything (please get permission before taking pictures of people).

Update someone (perhaps your parents) daily to let them know you’re safe.

Walking tours are a blast (be sure to tip if they’re “free”).

You are more resourceful than you think. You can do it!

Note: this is a queued post.

I have traveled with about half a dozen other people, so I’ve come to realize there are things that make a good travel buddy and… not so much.

A good travel buddy…

• Compromises. If you want to do different things, they will find a way to make sure you both get what you want.
• Is assertive. “Where do you want to eat?” “I don’t know, where do you want to eat?”-esque conversations drives me nuts. Give me some sort idea of what you want (or don’t want) and we can work from there. Or else, we’re eating at the first place I see that has pictures on the menu (a true sign of affordability).
• Doesn’t try to fill silences all the time. When you’re traveling with someone, you’re with them every waking (and sleeping) moment. Not all of those have to be filled with words (in fact, I’d prefer it if they weren’t).
• Is punctual. Nothing is worse than sprinting across the airport to catch a flight because your travel buddy thought there was “plenty of time.”
• Is someone you can trust. You will be venturing into the great unknown with this person, make sure they have your back.
• Is on a similar budget. If you’re not on a similar budget, you’ll end up eating pizza from a kebab shop while your buddy has a lush sit down meal.
• Is resourceful and practical. If you get in a sticky situation, you want to be with someone that can hold their own to get out of it so all the weight doesn’t fall on you.
• Is enthusiastic and energetic. Don’t get me wrong, I need my siestas, but a good travel buddy will be excited as I am to hit the pavement and make the most of our time traveling!

I stumbled across this fun list challenge and it really put into perspective how lucky I am to have been to so many places and seen so many things!

I have been to 77/250 of these attractions, which is in the top 16% of users! My personal favorites include:

• Eiffel Tower (read about my visit in my Paris post)
• Berlin Wall (read about my visit in my Germany post)
• Colosseum (read about my visit in my Italy post)
• Niagara Falls
• London Eye (admittedly not the greatest thing in the world, but it adds a lot of character to the city)
• Edinburgh Castle (read about it in my Newquay and Edinburgh post)
• Pompeii (read about my visit in my Italy post)
• Brighton Pier (okay, maybe not, but it’s really cool that Brighton made this list!)
• Giant’s Causeway (read about it in my Dublin post)

Top places I would like to go to but haven’t (yet!) include:

• Petra, Jordan
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
• Great Barrier Reef, Australia
• Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
• Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• Blue Lagoon, Iceland
• Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
• Halong Bay, Vietnam

As I’m getting itchy feet again, I thought I would take this moment to reflect and be thankful of all the places I’ve been rather than dwelling on the places I haven’t:

Note: destinations without a link indicate that I have not posted about it, have been there often or have lived there and have talked about it a lot in passing.

North America

• Canada: Goderich, Grand Bend, London, Montreal, Toronto
• United States: Los Angeles, Maui, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Tucson

Europe

• Czech Republic: Prague
• Denmark: Copenhagen
• Hungary: Budapest
• (island of) Ireland: Belfast, Dublin, Giant’s Causeway (northern coast)
• Italy: Cinque Terre, Florence, Naples, Milan, Pompeii , Positano , Rome, Sorrento, Venice
• France: Nice, Paris
• Germany: Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Garmisch, Giessen, Munich, Oberammergau, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Trier, Wurzburg
• Luxemburg: Luxemburg City
• Monaco
• The Netherlands: Amsterdam
• United Kingdom: Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Newquay, Southampton
• Vatican City

Stay tuned for the “… Done That” version, which is like a reverse bucket list!