CRIS GOES ABROAD

Someone might think that the further you go, the more expensive it is. But it is actually not true. Flying to Asia might take quite some time, but it is less expensive than other places and there is a lot to see. I am saying this because sometimes taking the train and moving within our own nation is more expensive than leaving the country.

TIPS FOR TRAVELLING ON A BUDGET.

1. Buy food at the grocery store.

I know that one of the reasons why we travel is that we want to taste the local food, but it is also true that if we eat at the restaurant for each meal every day of our journey we end up with little money to invest in other things. This is why it could be a good idea to have lunch while wandering around and for dinner just get some food at the grocery store and fix something easy. Lunch is usually less expensive than dinner and since we usually leave accommodation early in the morning it is just nice to stay out and enjoy the day and come back only for dinner, after a long day.

2. Try to avoid public transportation.

Plan your trip in advance, so that you can focus on different areas of the city you are visiting each day. By doing so you won't have to use public transportation and it will be easier for you to get around. In some cities, in Copenhagen for instance, public transportation is expensive but it is possible to visit the city center by foot, do it! When I was in Rome I bought a 3 days pass because I thought I would use it, but the truth is I basically wasted money because I ended up walking the entire time.

3. Refill your water bottles.

I know that when you buy a bottle of water you think "oh well, it's just one euro, it doesn't hurt!" but you could actually just bring your own bottle and, if possible, refill it. In Italy we have a lot of water fountains around cities like Milan and Rome. During the summer it gets really warm and it is important to be hydrated. Save that one euro and invest it by tasting our tasteful espresso instead.

4. Couchsurf or stay in hostels.
For some people it might be a bit awkward to just crush at someone else's house, especially when they don't know whose it is. The idea behind couchsurfing is good. It is all about meeting new people and getting to know the culture of the country you are visiting. When choosing the person you want to meet always read the description, see if the profile is somehow verified and look at how many times s/he met or hosted someone else. If you don't feel up to staying in a stranger's house don't worry and try considering hostels instead. You will be sharing a room from 4 up to 12 people, but there are common areas and lockers for your belongings. If you are travelling on your own and don't want to find a private host you can still use Couchsurfing as a tool to find other travellers and arrange something with them during the day, like grabbing a coffee or sightseeing.

Concluding, I think that travelling isn't as expensive as everyone thinks. It all depends on what you will be doing. Each person has different wishes when it comes to a vacation, there's the one who thinks of holidays as a time to be spent in luxury, meaning to invest money on a several-stars hotel, expensive touristy places and chic restaurants. For others, it is time off from reality. It is discovering unknown little alleys and unique cafés in a totally new place. It is a lot of walking carrying a heavy backpack and a camera at all times and having a bed to sleep on till the next day comes.
Which kind of traveler are you?

I hope that these few suggestions will guide you on your future travels. If you have more advice, please let me know in the comments below.

- Cris

I'm looking out the window as I am writing this post. On the other side of the glass I can see the pond with the little waterfall and the sun slowly going down behind the Rocky Mountains. These past two weeks have been incredible. I visited Vail, my Rotary clubs, I've been to a Simple Plan concert in Denver and also to a Dinner Theater, where I encountered an interesting ad. It was for a media company, which is exactly the kind of firm I will have to intern with in less than a year. As a result I got an interview with its co-founder and subsequently with a second company. I did not make any decision yet but I love the fact that I've options available for my upcoming future.

Being back made me appreciate the smallest things. A cup of coffee with some friends, the sunset, car rides with my family, playing with my dog, the simplest chats ever and so on. I literally went everywhere I used to go to during my exchange, I went back to my high school to say hi to classmates and teachers, I ate tamales, other kinds of Mexican food, hamburgers, corn.

I realised that I missed waking up every morning facing the Mountains, driving through huge roads, having wine with my family after a long day, I even enjoyed helping at church!

It was amazing to be able to come back and spend a couple of weeks, but like every other amazing thing, it didn't last long, in fact here I am packing. I don't know if I ever found happiness in my life yet but what I do know is that every time I leave the US I feel terribly sad.

- Cris

I still can't believe that tomorrow is the day I dreamt of for two years. When I flew back to Italy I was so excited to see family and friends that I didn't realize what I was gonna say goodbye to.. and for how long. One thing is certain when you go on an exchange: one day you will return home. But when will you go back to your host country? And if you do, will it be the same? Will it be weird? Will I feel an outsider?

I don't know. Not yet. All I know is that I am ready to go back. I should turn off my laptop and go to sleep because in less than 8 hours I have to wake up, take a shower and go. But I can't, I'm too excited. I haven't slept in days, partly because I came back from a trip two days ago and today I woke up at 5.30am to go to work, but also because I keep thinking that in 24 hours or so I will be in Colorado.

I tried to come up with a plan to try to get the most out of my short stay in the USA. I don't know if I succeeded but I do know that I want to do a lot of things and don't waste even a second (and eat a lot of food because why not, everything is allowed on vacation).

I packed. Yes, I'm ready. Even though I couldn't care less about clothes. All I really want is on the other side of the ocean. I look forward to hugging my American family, drive through the big Coloradan roads, watch a movie altogether, and all the fun stuff we did when I was there. I want to feel like I never left. That's all that counts. I did charge my cameras though because I might release a short movie when I come back.

UPDATE: At the airport, I met a Danish girl who was going to LA to reunite with her boyfriend, who lives there. We had a nice talk, I told her I was going to Denver because I lived in Colorado in the past, and she told me that she commutes to LA every once in a while because she wants to see her boyfriend... the power of love.

Now it's your turn. Have you been back since your exchange year? If yes how long after? how was it? And for those of you who didn't have the opportunity yet, I'm sure you will get one in the near future. What are you looking forward to doing when you go back? Is there something or someone that you specifically miss? Leave a comment.

CONTINUE READING: BACK TO THE USA.

- Cris

It has been months now. I should be okay, I should have moved on. But I never fully did, and probably will never do. Everywhere I go, there is something that reminds me of this and that. No matter how much I try to convince myself that it is not as great as I remember it, my heart wants it more than anything. And even if I will go back, and I will visit, it will never ever be the same. The same school will be full of strangers, the same rotary clubs will be full of new foreign students and I will just be looking from the outside, because I won't be able to be a part of it, not anymore. My time's up. I keep dragging memories everywhere I go and sometimes it gets too much. If you haven't understood yet, I am talking about my exchange year.

If you travel with me I will be really annoying. 

I am not flexible on what I want to do or see, which means that you need to be careful if you express your desire to go somewhere with me because I will be asking you to walk a lot, to stop to take pictures and to skip fancy meals as I can't afford them. If you are still ready to roll, you know where to find me.

- Cris

To fully enjoy our exchange we also have to laugh at ourselves when we do something that might be a bit awkward. The following is a list of things that happened to fellow exchangers:

Accidentally yelling "pussy" instead of "cat" on a bus full of Rotarians, not to mention the time when I told my french teacher that "when I was a kid I used to hate men's balls, but now I love them" instead of saying "squash".

I guess one of the awkward moments of my exchange would be, as a girl, asking my host dad "where are the balls" instead of "bowls".

When I was riding a taxi with my host family the song "I'm horny" started playing on the radio. I was convinced to sing "I'm honey" but apparently I screamed "I'm horny" for three minutes. 

So once I went to dinner with my host dad and my tiny host mom. Then out of curiosity the waiter asked me if my host dad and I were married. Basically he though my host mom was younger than me.

I tried to order bananas, I ordered penis instead.

My youngest host brother would open the door while I was showering, leave it wide open, sit on the floor and watch me. With the entire family hanging out in the other rooms.

I had to explain what "fuck me" means to a 40-year-old Thai man because he kept saying it to me and my friend.

I asked "how much it costs to sleep with you" to a waitress when all I wanted to ask was "how much do dumplings cost?". I love Chinese.

I told my host brother "we will fuck tomorrow" but all I meant was "we will get haircuts tomorrow". Thanks Danish.

I was in Brazil and I said "I want Dick" but I only wanted some bread.

I'm a guy. I asked a girl if she had a dick. I wanted to know if she had bread. I love Portuguese.

My host mother caught my next door neighbour and I kissing, awkward enough?

I told my host mom I wanted some dick for dinner. Chicken, I meant chicken.

You know that accents in Spanish are important right? If not, you should. Because I asked a person "How many assholes do you have?" instead of "How old are you?".

Imagine. It is a warm day. I try to ask if he was hot, but I end up asking him if he is horny. He replies "no?" with a really high voice. Lol.

So in Japan after a big family dinner I said "Thanks for the pussy" instead of "Thanks for the orange". Well.. I tried.

At first we might think "fuck! I just made a fool of myself" but all we have left to do is laugh, really. Whatever happened was just a result of you trying to practice your host language. Of course being grateful for pussy during a family dinner isn't right but if your purpose was to thank for the food then the people will understand, and hopefully break the awkward silence with a big laugh. Do you have some stories to share of your own? Drop them in the comments!

- Cris