Far From Home

Traveling abroad can be an exciting and thrilling journey, filled with foreign sights, sounds, smells and tastes. If you're a dental assistant or a professional cupcake decorator who has yet to see the world, it can be both thrilling and shocking. For some travelers, this adds up to sensory overload and the result is known as culture shock. When immersing oneself in a foreign culture that is vastly different from their own can be a bone ratting experience. To prevent this, it is a good idea to research the area you plan to visit and educate yourself as much as possible about the customs, laws and mores of that society. If one feels confident and secure in their knowledge of how things work, and how to behave, the result can be a memorable journey of self discovery and rejuvenation. When you find yourself far from home, it is unrealistic to expect things to be the same as your culture, and often times people find themselves way out of their comfort zone, yet this is also an opportunity for exploration and discovering new things about the world and humanity in general. People travel for many different reasons with varied goals in mind, yet all of these tourists are susceptible to the experience of culture shock, if they are not prepared for what awaits them once they disembark from the airplane.

Leaving the security of your community or your family home is not always an easy undertaking. Yet part of the excitement of travel is the escape from daily life. Securing your home before your fly is a great way to relieve anxieties about your home and the possessions you have inside of that home. This may involve asking a friend or neighbor to check on your house a few times a week, or to collect your mail and feed your goldfish! Preparing for your travel in this way not only alleviates the stress of worrying about it while you are away, but also allows you to focus on your travels and enables you to live in the moment. This is a huge advantage to any traveler, as time usually flies on a holiday, and being totally present in your own mind while you are so far from home can make your trip that much better.

The cost of travel can at times be astronomical. Finding ways of saving money while you are away is not always easy, and sometimes there are expenses that you incur that were not in the budget. This could be anything from an emergency visit to the hospital, or paying for a mandatory prescription or simply spending more money on the fun things - splurging for that helicopter ride over the Pacific Islands, or hiring a private boat to scuba dive at the Great Barrier reef. It is a good idea to have a bit of room for play in your budget and trip planning, since you never know what you might encounter while you are so far from home. Having ample disposable funds with you is another way to relieve stress and ensure that you have a great time. This may mean that you have to wait a little longer to purchase that piece of Oakville real estate or that gorgeous condominium downtown Toronto, yet the memories that you make on your trip will last a lifetime.