Last Stop and Travel Tips: Beijing and Home

The Great Wall, Chinese acrobatics, scorpions on a stick, frozen lakes, Hooters, dancing, my new best friend from London, firecrackers non-stop, hoards of Chinese tourists (thanks to the New Year holiday), mastering the metro, and losing my debit card pretty much sums up my experience in Beijing.  Ten days flew by (I never even went to the Forbidden City or the Summer Palace or the Olympic Park...), and it was really the other travelers I met in the hostel that made it wonderful! I was pleasantly surprised by Beijing in general - besides the touristy areas, the city did have a somewhat calm vibe.

Now that I'm back home and have had some time to reflect on my overall experience, I've compiled "Tracey's Travel Tips: Do's and Dont's": 

1. Don't plan too much. 

2. Do volunteer - it's a great way to get involved with the local community (teaching English, on a farm, etc.)

3. Do try and master at least these three key phrases in any foreign language: Thank-You, Hello, and Do You Speak English?

4. Don't fall asleep on the night tram in Prague. 

5. Don't buy bracelets from children in Cambodia (it just keeps them on the street.) Instead, support an organization such as the Cambodian Chilren Painting Project. 

6. Don't take too many pictures of buildings, when you get home you're not going to remember what they are. 

7. Do take advantage of hostel kitchens (especially in Europe where eating out is pricey!)

8. Do believe that people are inherently good. It's easy to automatically mistrust people (obviously listen to your instincts), but I think the world would be a much better place if we all saw the good in others first. 

9. Don't stress out too much if you miss your bus, train, or plane. You can always catch the next one (or just change your plans and go somewhere else!)

10. Don't drink a bottle of wine in a park in Seville an hour before you have to catch a plane to Rome (I'm surprised they let me through security!)

11. Do try the cheap/public modes of transportation vs. the tourist modes. You might end up sitting next to someone that offers you fried crickets. 

12. Do smile - when you're haggling, chatting with the tuk-tuk driver, trying to convince the airport check-in lady that your bag is under 7 kilograms (yeah, right, it was more like 12) so you can carry it on, or meeting new people. A smile is universal. 

13. Don't be afraid of squat toilets - they're more sanitary. 

14. Do follow your heart and your adventure will unfold in a way that's unique to you. 

15. Do stay or travel with friends/family whenever possible. I found some of the best times I had were with friends from home - Katie in Paris, Sydney in London, Gretchen in Garrucha, Pete in Portugal, Keelin and Ian in Thailand/Cambodia, and Wen's family in Changzhou. 

It's hard to believe that five months ago, going back to my first blog post, I was freaking out about being homeless for five months and wondering why nobody told me I was crazy. After about a month the thoughts of "What the hell am I doing here?" became fewer and farther between, and over time (especially within the last six weeks), a contentment set in and I know I would have been crazy not to travel. 

Walking the (freezing cold) streets on my last day in Beijing