In late 2008, at the beginning of my writing career, I wrote a quiz called “What’s Your Service Style?” It was one of my first published articles, and it has since made it intothree magazines (Susie, Caris, and G4C). Since G4C is the only remaining of those magazines, it’s about time that the quiz was immortalized on the internet. I turned it into an interactive online personality quiz. You can take the “What’s Your Service Style” quiz here.
There are three possible results, and being the quiz creator, I’m a bit of all three of them. Several of the quiz questions ask about big travel, but the results only suggest local activities. (Mostly because I know travel is especially difficult for the teens that this was originally aimed at.) So here are a few suggestions from my travel and service!
Like Helping Children?
-In Peru, I helped teach English through games and activities at a school.
-Many countries still have orphanages, which you can visit to do things such as work on construction projects or teach lessons.
Want to Keep the Outdoors Green?
-Choose sustainable travel, such as long distance buses, or even resolve to only walk or bike within a city!
-I’ve worked and volunteered at camps across the country (and still sometimes do).
Enjoy Helping People?
-One of my most recent volunteer experiences was Diverbo, where had conversations with Spanish natives to improve their English.
-Another thing I’ve done in the past was go to The Mission in Mexico, which is kind of like an orphanage, but for severely handicapped people of all ages.
You’re about to replace me in a matter of hours. I thought it would only be fair to update you on a few things before you take this position.
The past calendar year has been an interesting one. I was beaten down by many roadblocks, but also accomplished so much. Maybe it all equaled out in the end; I don’t know. I didn’t keep track, and I suggest that you don’t either. Focus on the positives.
Your mission for your one-year term is to make 2016 even better and more memorable than 2015. This may prove difficult, as I also had to one-up 2014 Jes who served a memorable year. There were some weeks and months that I did not carry out all that I had planned to do, but you and all your future replacements will never forget the legendary Mediterranean Trek of 2015. That was 92 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Being once-in-a-lifetime sadly means that you will not be able to enjoy them for yourself, so go and make your own once-in-a-lifetime moments.
I explored seven new countries and two new continents. I climbed to the top of every historic Parisian monument, ate the local food with the local Spaniards, swam in the Mediterranean Sea, visited the two smallest nations in the world, marveled at the art and architecture across Italy, walked through historic Greece, and entered the intercontinental collision known as Istanbul. These things didn’t come easily, and I know you’ll be as proud of this achievement as I am.
Even back in the USA I had adventures. You’ll remember that I got to go Back to the Future (twice, including the official Back to the Future Day) at the site of the most thrilling scene of your favorite movie. I experienced Reno for the first time, played in the snow at Crater Lake, saw a fair share of wondrous waterfalls, went to the ocean for the first time in years, and got one last time to tour the historic Butte Creek Mill before discovering it burned down.
Although most time was spent back at your hometown and it felt strange to adjust to that, I got to see the area in a new way. I hiked the local mountains numerous times, learned the ins and outs of big corporation Harry & David, and had the special opportunity to spend time working at the Magdalene Home. I even got a totally different perspective by riding a hot air balloon for our birthday!
Unfortunately I have to leave you without the most ideal conditions. I’ve started many projects that will be your responsibility to complete. You will need to increase profits, and will be faced with decisions of involving large purchases and investments, such as buying a car. These tasks are intimidating. I’ve been working on them for several months and wish they could have been completed by now, but I suppose that this means you will at least get to reap the initial benefits. These more “normal” challenges may seem mundane compared to all you want to do, but enjoy what you can from it!
You’re coming in with exciting ideas for your year, but neither of us know what you will actually do. Maybe 2017 Jes or another later edition will be the one to actually complete the goals that we have set, but 2016 holds lots of potential for you. While 2014 Jes discovered that we can’t afford to rent a car yet at our age, you will be turning 25 which will allow so many more possibilities with driving, like better insurance and cheaper rentals. I’ve left some ideas for an epic road trip scattered in notebooks throughout your residence, so you can either follow through on that or fine-tune it for a future Jes to carry out. At this point I haven’t set any resolutions for you, but it would be interesting to see if you can actually keep up with any of the normal resolutions for an entire year, like reading through the Bible, exercising daily… you get the picture.
Honestly, neither of us knows what 2016 will hold for you. Take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves to you. I’m sure you’ll have a highlight of the year, but don’t forget the small stuff too. Make something that you’ll be excited to tell 2017 Jes about!
Sincerely,
2015 Jes
January 2015: Lower Table RockFebruary 2015: Chinese New YearMarch 2015: Mill Creek and Barr Creek FallsApril 2015: California DesertMay 2015: Hot Air Balloon BirthdayJune 2015: Preparation for the Mediterranean TrekJuly 2015: Disneyland ParisAugust 2015: Pueblo Ingles and the La Alberca Pig
September 2015: Seeing the Pope at the VaticanOctober 2015: Crossing from Europe to AsiaNovember 2015: Alpaca FarmDecember 2015: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Traveling has allowed me to widen opportunities as a writer. Most of my published work has been devotionals or advice for running camps. But recently, more of my work has become travel-related. Here are a couple to share:
The Essential Travel Packing List for Moving Overseas
This is from a really cool site with resources on how to travel, especially if you’re interested in moving overseas or teaching English abroad. I wrote two pieces for them, and here’s the first to be published, The Essential Travel Packing List for Moving Overseas!
Wish You Were Here!
I write a lot for Girlz 4 Christ Magazine. I kind of have to, being the editor! I wrote several articles for the Winter 15/16 issue, including an interview with the Silver Ring Thing National Touring Team, a review of my latest favorite devotionals, a handbook for babysitting, and the secret that will have everyone forgetting about their diets as they indulge in your Christmas treats, plus a few others. For the final article in this issue, I decided to take a step back from my traditional writing and make my first-ever photo essay! I really like how it turned out. You can read all of the articles I just mentioned, plus columns from other incredible writers, by getting a free subscription to Girlz 4 Christ Magazine. Click here to visit the website and sign up!
Today I feel sick. Sore throat, stuffy nose, lethargic brain… you’ve felt it before. So while I will continue the story of my Mediterranean Trek later, today I would like to share what to do when illness strikes during travel.
Mediterranean Medicine
I was sick twice during my Mediterranean Trek. The first one happened before I was even two weeks into the trip. On my last full day in Paris, I watched Le Tour de France in person! To keep my good viewing spot, I had to stand there all day, no matter what. This also happened to be the only day during my time in Paris that it was cold and rainy instead of hot and muggy. Needless to say, I caught a cold. Even worse, I had to take a 17-hour bus ride the next afternoon. That bus dropped me off in Madrid the next morning several miles away from my hostel, and I walked there. I arrived at UHostels sick and tired, despite wanting to go out and see the city.
I got sick again about a month later. I had just arrived in Venice earlier that day. For dinner, I went out to get a pizza, and then found a place to eat it. I noticed that I didn’t have much of an appetite, but didn’t reach too much into that. A little bit later, it struck. I had an awful stomach bug, possibly even the flu. I had only booked two nights in Venice, and both of those days were spent either in the bathroom or in bed.
Supplies to Soften the Sickness
Pack a few of these items with you in case you get ill during your travels, or otherwise ask the front desk of your hotel or hostel for nearby places to buy these items.
-Diphenhydramine: Better known as Benadryl, I carried this around mainly for allergic reactions. But it turned out to be very beneficial as it was the only reason I was able to get any sleep when I had my cold. It can cause drowsiness, so it’s usually best to take it at night.
-Tissues and Handkerchief: I had a mini pack of tissues in my backpack. On the bus ride to Madrid, I used almost all of them up. I wanted to save a couple in case I needed more later, so I instead found something I could turn into a handkerchief: my Campack towel! It’s the same size as a handkerchief, and it’s quick-drying too! (Sorry if I grossed you out a bit on this one, but rest assured that thing went straight into the washing machine!)
–Traditional Medicinals Herbal Tea: A hot beverage usually makes everything better, but this brand of herbals simply cannot be beat. Gypsy Cold Care was a great flavor during my cold, and Ginger Aid helped my stomach during the recovery process. Just add hot water!
-Extra Privacy: My sleeping arrangements during my cold included sharing a bus with fifty other people and a hostel dorm room. Although my stomach bug was even worse, it was nicer to deal with that in the privacy of my own hotel room with ensuite bathroom! It was very coincidental that I happened to have that bug on the only two days that I had booked a private hotel room. But if you can afford it, there’s often the option to upgrade to a private room, or even a private ensuite room.
-Gatorade: This was one of about four beverages I bought during my entire trip, but it was oh so worth it! Since I was staying just a block away from Venice’s main tourist spot, St. Mark’s Square, there weren’t very many real grocery stores nearby. I was dizzy, overheated, and tired, so I just went to the closest beverage sales I could find and bought an overpriced bottle of Gatorade. The next day, I was feeling better, but still needed to rehydrate and be gentle with my stomach. I walked further and found a real grocery store, where I got a bottle of Gatorade twice the size for half the price!
-Saltine Crackers: I found these in the same grocery store as the Gatorade. (I tried eating rice crackers from a snack shop the day before, and that wasn’t too bad.) For some reason, in Italy, they only sell saltines in packages of extra large or extra extra large. That was fine by me, as I lived off of them for the next week!
-Cipro: I got a prescription for this just out of precaution, but thankfully I did not have to use it. I considered it when I had flu-like symptoms, but in a way, it was motivation to get better. “I may be sick, but at least I’m not so sick that I have to take Cipro!”
-Rest: This one was hard for me to do all the time, but it’s helpful in both preventing illness and getting better. Sometimes annoying roommates interrupt your sleep. Sometimes there’s something happening that you’ll want to stay up late or wake up early. Sometimes the excitement of being in a new city just makes you want to go out there and get exhausted from a full day of discovery! Do whatever it takes to suppress your urges enough to get some decent sleep every night.
-Flexibility: All travel plans have some degree of flexibility. While going from Paris to Madrid, I couldn’t make changes in travel plans due to my tight schedule and tight budget. But I did have more control once I got to Madrid. I could stop to rest whenever I felt it was necessary. In Venice, I had more flexibility as I hadn’t yet made reservations for my next destination. On my checkout day, I booked two more nights in a downgraded room so I could actually enjoy all the city had to offer.
Just thinking about all the resources I have to help with recovery is making me feel better already! I was able to get better from both illnesses in the Mediterranean in just a couple of days, so here’s to hoping I can heal just as quickly at home!
Touchdown. Just one day before, I had left Medford, Oregon, United States, for the biggest journey of my life. (The biggest journey so far, that is!) From there I took a typical flight to Salt Lake City, and then came the big jump all the way to Paris. Now there I was, my feet in Europe for the first time at the Charles de Gaulle airport.
When leaving via the Medford airport, it’s almost mandatory to take a picture sitting on this rock. (And yes, that backpack next to me is all my luggage for the trip!)
I wove through the maze of hallways and directions, passed customs, and then tried to navigate to the pick-up location of my bus. From my research, I knew most cost-cutting visitors to Paris took the metro into the city, but I had done a bit more research and found a company called EasyBus that would drive me into town for just a fraction of the cost of a metro ticket. The problem was, every sign I passed had an arrow pointing toward the metro, but there was no indication of where the EasyBus pick-up point was! As I continued to walk, I noticed a Visitor’s Center that sold the Paris Museum Pass. I knew I wanted to buy one of those anyway, so I stopped there and got some extra free information, like a city map and, thankfully, directions to EasyBus. The funny thing was, if I had walked just a little bit further, I would have found it! The little bus was there, but the driver wasn’t, so I stood around waiting with others for the official departure time.
My first European photo: The Louvre!
The ride into the city wasn’t that interesting; just a typical freeway. Things got interesting once the bus dropped me off. The only downside of using EasyBus was that they only had one drop-off point, which was two miles away from my hostel. That was no problem, since I had plenty of practice walking around my neighborhood with my backpack for this very purpose. Unfortunately, since Paris has a unique layout that allowed me to easily get lost, I ended up walking a whole lot more than two miles! When I pulled out my GPS and tried using the Europe map for the first time, it had some problems adjusting. So I relied on my paper map, but even that got confusing. Cities often have a north-to-south, east-to-west layout, or at least something pretty close to that. Paris has a spiral layout. This made it a bit trickier to get to my hostel, and I walked a lot further than I needed to. But I made the most of it by seeing my first famous European sights: The Louvre, Seine, Eiffel Tower, and Arc de Triomphe!
A hard roundabout to get around: The Arc de Triomphe has twelve different streets shooting out from it!
After about a zillion wrong turns and who-knows-how-many miles (or kilometers), I made it to my hostel, BVJ Champs-Elysees Monceau. While it was difficult to find the hostel, fortunately it wasn’t nearly as difficult to find an ATM and a money changer on my extended walk, so I paid for my bed and then found my room. I shared this room with six other girls, with a connecting room with ten more beds. Way better than my accommodations the night before (sleeping on the airplane)! At this point so early in my trip, I didn’t care how many people I shared a room with. In the past when I’ve gone on a trip that involved staying at hostels, I tired myself out from doing so much during the day, so I would just crash at night regardless of the noise or lights. This would serve true for Paris, but when you travel for 92 days straight, those annoyances do end up affecting your sleep as your body gets accustomed to so much walking. Speaking of walking, that’s exactly what I did next.
The hostel used to be a mansion owned by a Parisian artist. While not quite so uppity anymore, it still has some of its fanciness!
After a quick break of making up my bed and detaching my daypack from the main bag, I set out for Paris once again. I walked through half of the Champs-Elysees to see what stores were there, stopping at a perfume store and several auto showrooms. I then went in search of a crepe. It took awhile, but I found a creperie in front of the Eiffel Tower where I got a concoction of Nutella and banana. I sat down to eat near a water feature that lots of kids were playing in, and realized that I needed to figure out how to change my phone’s clock to make up for the nine hours I lost on the flight over. There would be a lot I would need to figure out on the verge of this three-month journey. I’d need to figure out how to make phone calls using apps and WiFi, and when to call so I wouldn’t wake people up at home in the middle of the night. I’d need to figure out the value of a Euro, and how to get the maximum experience while staying in my budget. I’d need to figure out how to best communicate in places where I may be the only native English speaker. I’d need to figure out how to plan the future legs of my trip while still enjoying the place I was. I’d need to figure out what was really worth keeping, and what extra pack weight I would regret. I’d need to figure out which of my five outfits to wear next, since I was still wearing the same clothes I left the United States in the day before. I’d also need to figure out how to get a lay of the land, not only for Paris, but for all the other cities I would head to later on.
A crepe with a view! At this point in time, I didn’t think it was possible to get sick and tired of Nutella. Spoiler Alert: it is!
But this was just the first twenty-four hours of my trip. Everything may seem so foreign now, but as I learned more about life, it would become my life.
Rewind and Fast Forward
I can’t even begin to go through all that it took to actually get me to the Mediterranean, although many older blog posts here are dedicated to just that. As I looked back, it seems like these first twenty-four hours, July 16th and 17th, were so long ago. They couldn’t possibly be part of the same trip that ended in Istanbul, could they? And was I the same person back then as I am now?
My plan over the next several weeks is to recount the entire trip. I won’t go as in-depth with the other days. I’ll probably have one or two blog posts for each destination, so most posts will cover up to at least a week instead of just one day. But the first day of a new journey is always memorable, because so many thoughts are going through your head.
A lot of new thoughts are going through my head now, albeit different kinds of thoughts. I gave up a lot in order to pursue the Mediterranean Trek, and now I’m working on rebuilding that. A year before my trip, I gave up my apartment, my car, and my full-time job so I could move in with my parents, borrow their van, and work several part-time jobs. Over that year, I did without a lot of things, like keeping my outdated and literally-falling-apart computer instead of getting a new one. (I’m actually writing this using the same janky laptop, praying it doesn’t crash without saving my work and having to adjust the screen every few minutes since it can’t stand on its own anymore!) Now that my goal of backpacking the Mediterranean has been accomplished, it’s almost as if I have too many options now! I ordered a new computer, and I’m searching for a job, car, and place to live. And while this is what I need to do and want to do for the time being, secretly, I may be dreaming up what my next big adventure will be!
Two days after returning home from my 92-Day Mediterranean Trek, I invited some people over to my house for a Mediterranean Night. This involved a potluck of Mediterranean or European-inspired foods (many of which were left at my house and made delicious leftovers for the next few meals), and also featured a slideshow with over 200 of my trip photos. (This didn’t seem like many compared to all the photos I actually took!) It was a fun way to show and tell my experiences with many people who would be questioning me about my travels anyway. And while it just took place in a living room, it kind of felt like I was back in all those exotic cities, but this time I had friends and family right alongside me!
We discovered the evolution of the bridges over the Seine River and debated the merit of Love Locks.
We laughed at how Disneyland Paris portrayed our American culture in It’s a Small World After All.
We cringed in disgust from stories like how this horse statue in Madrid was once accidentally a death trap for birds!
They watched as I learned how to properly carve ham right off the leg…even if I didn’t want to eat it!
We questioned why this cathedral in Barcelona keeps 13 geese in the courtyard and whether or not the legend behind it is true.
We marveled at the scenic landscapes of every city, and even the world’s second smallest nation of Monaco!
We were fascinated how places like Verona could just casually house so many millenia-old buildings and artifacts!
We shared a sunset over Venice.
Pinocchio and Gepetto’s workshop came to life to us in Florence.
We wondered why the Leaning Baptistery of Pisa doesn’t have the same fame as the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
We were in awe of so many magnificent pieces of art. (I had never pictured Mary or Jesus as being blonde before!)
We questioned if the guards at Athens’ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was really a reverent location or more of a fun tourist stop.
We learned that Thessaloniki has its own leaning church akin to Pisa’s!
And we finally left Europe with a boat ride to Asia in the intercontinental city of Istanbul.
I know I couldn’t invite that many people into my parents’ living room for a night of personalized armchair travel, but over the next several weeks, I would like to invite everyone to journey with me for the inside experience of backpacking the Mediterranean, just like the ones mentioned above. We’ll explore each city together and have some fun along the way. Will you join me in reliving this Mediterranean Trek?
Back in April, I got to visit one of the most iconic locations where Back to the Future was filmed. As you can see in the photo above, this place is often written off as a large empty parking lot at a mediocre mall. But for me, I could see the places where Marty skateboarded to the Twin Pines sign (which warped into a Lone Pine sign by the end of the movie), where Doc introduced his latest invention of a time machine, and where the Delorean took its maiden voyage back to the future.
Although the mall scenes only appeared in the first movie of the trilogy, something very significant happened in the sequel. Doc and Marty travel from 1985 to 2015. More specifically, they travel to October 21st, 2015. Of course many people across the country and around the world are celebrating this day in history, or should I say this day in future? Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry, California, better known to fans as the Twin Pines/ Lone Pine Mall, had to jump on board with the festivities. The photo below was taken today, in the same place as the photo above. Check out the cool mall sign!
This month the mall added a Twin Pines sign in the same spot it is seen in the movie. But that’s not all. If you look down at the parking lot (just as Marty did in the movie), you’ll see a peculiar white truck parked down below, likely surrounded by people taking pictures with it. This is Dr. Emmett Brown’s truck that he uses to transport the Delorean time machine to the mall parking lot for a test drive in the movie.
I was very thankful to have this unique opportunity on this special day. It wasn’t even the reason I went to California to begin with. I originally wasn’t even supposed to leave Oregon until tomorrow, but plans changed and things just happened to align! If you’ll be in the area, Puente Hills Mall has the sign and truck free for fans to view through the weekend.
Liked this post? Answer one of the following questions:
1. Did you do anything special for Back to the Future Day?
2. Have you ever visited a movie prop or set? What was it?
3. What do you think the future will be like in 30 years? Will we finally get flying cars and hoverboards?
Ninety-two days
Seven countries (well, eight if you count USA)
Fifteen hostels
Six shirts
Twelve socks
Five long-distance bus rides
Nine days of train travel
Six flights
Eighty filled journal pages
Countless people met
Countless memories made
Countless sights seen
Countless delicious Mediterranean treats
Countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Countless lessons learned
Countless reasons to go back
I’m home now. You just got the Mediterranean Trek by the numbers, but so much of what happened simply cannot be quantified, and maybe not even described. I’m not sure how this trip impacted my life, but it did. I’m not sure how this journey will affect my future, but it will. I’m not sure what I feel now that it’s over, but I am here and ready to start new adventures!
Money Mondays is a weekly post about how you can save money without sacrificing your travel dreams.
I can’t believe I only have half a week left of my three month Mediterranean Trek! I will miss seeing foreign countries every day, but I am also looking forward to a change of pace (even if it is pretty much back to the old routine). But even though I’ve been on the road for a long time, I can easily count all the times I paid for a beverage:
-I bought a bottle of Perrier in Paris because I wanted to enjoy the fizzy water in its home country.
-I bought a quart of milk in Barcelona so I would have something to go with my cereal. ( The hostel didn’t provide breakfast.)
-I bought two bottles of Gatorade in Venice because I got sick and desperately needed that potassium and rehydration salt.
-I bought a slushie in Thessaloniki because buying a drink on a boat would entitle me to a free cruise around the bay.
That’s it.
I guess you could say I technically bought beverages when they were part of a prefixe meal, such as a tapas tour in Madrid or three course meals in Rome. But because these drinks were part of the package, if I had paid for everything else individually, it would have cost more than the price of the meal with beverage included. I think that’s almost like saying I pay for the tea and juice included in a hostel breakfast. I guess in a way I do, but I would be paying the same whether or not I accepted these free drinks.
So what have I been drinking? I occasionally come across a free beverage (last week in Athens, a restaurant offered me a free one to convince me to sit down at one of their tables), and you may remember that I brought some Traditional Medicinals teabags with me. But mostly, I’ve been drinking tap water.
Tap water is safe for Americans to drink in most European countries. Just make sure to look it up ahead of time. Today I’m heading to my final destination, and it’s the only place I’m going with unsafe tap water. I guess I’ll have to buy some water there! The good news is, bottled water is typically pretty cheap in places where you can’t drink the tap.
Needless to say, not paying for beverages can save a lot of money on a trip, and drinking only tap water doesn’t really change the experience. This is also something that can be done prior to your trip, and the savings can go to future travel. How much you’ll end up saving depends on your current habits. If you already mostly just drink tap, it won’t make much of a difference. If you drink a soda every day, consider how much that costs you over the course of a month or a year. If you go to bars, stopping drinking could save you a ton! Also factor in that beverages in restaurants, vending machines, and tourist destinations will probably cost more than at home.
Here are some more tips to help you save on beverages:
– Bring a large refillable bottle. My Camelbak worked well for me on this trip. But these water reservoirs are uncommon in Europe, so I got some weird looks and questions when I drank from its tube!
– Go to street fairs. I’ve been to three on this trip. The first one in Paris provided me with juice, cola, and lots of different food. The second one in Rome scored me milk, juice, bottled water, and Nutella Bready. The third one in Athens provided me with a hat, tee, and pin. If this trip is any indication, then two out of three street fairs will get you free beverages!
– If you really want a beverage, go to a grocery store for the cheapest selection.
– Some restaurants try to sell you bottled water, or may charge for tap. Discuss this with the waiter before you order, and make sure to bring a bottle with you so that you can drink from it if all liquids cost money.
– Look around town for places to refill your water. Oftentimes, if the water is flowing and there’s no sign that says “non potable”, it’s safe to drink.
-For those times when you do have to buy bottled water, buy it in bulk instead of individual bottles. You can always use a big jug to fill smaller bottles, and this translates into less waste and often lower costs!
There are times when it’s more than appropriate to buy a beverage. You don’t want to miss out on a local drink that’s part of the experience. But if you’re addicted to soda or crave coffee, a simple switch to water will improve your health, the environment, and your spending!
What’s your favorite thing to drink? How long do you think you could go without it?
MoneyMondays is a weekly post about different ways to have awesome adventures that won’t break the bank. Enjoy!
When I am within the United States, I know what my money is worth. I know exactly how many minutes I had to work to get a dollar bill, so I almost always made frugal and worthwhile purchases. I knew if prices were too steep or if a salesman was trying to rip me off. Sadly, I can’t say that most other Americans are that in tune with what they make, but I think I understand the value of a dollar.
But I don’t understand the value of a Euro. Or a Peso. Or a Nuevo Sol. Or even a Canadian Dollar!
It can be tricky to spend money in a denomination different from how it was earned. I hope to improve at this, but for now, I’m learning from my mistakes. Hopefully you can, too.
Pesos: Chuck E Cheese Tickets
My very first time using foreign money was when I was 14 and on a cruise to Mexico. Like most tourist areas of Mexico, items are priced in pesos, but you can pay in dollars. At the time, signs were posted near the shops: $1=10 pesos. So if I bought something for three pesos and paid with a dollar bill, I would get 7 pesos in change. Now that I had these new coins, I might save one or two of them for keepsakes, but I had to pick out more things that could be bought with my newly converted money.
I had outgrown the thrill of Chuck E Cheese by this time, but apparently I didn’t learn my lesson of how arcades make money: convert your cash into tokens, convert your tokens into tickets, and then with those tickets you can buy prizes. The value of your prizes isn’t worth what you actually shelled out for them, but the tokens and tickets you got were only redeemable there, and you had a fun experience in the meantime. However, Mexico is not Chuck E Cheese.
Nuevo Soles: Trusting the Vendor
A few years later I ended up on two mission trips to Peru. Some stores here also accepted American money. But there were no signs stating what a dollar was worth in Nuevo Soles. In fact, most items in most stores did not have a marked price. So I would place the things I wanted on the counter, the shopkeeper would give me q total and, knowing a dollar was about three soles, placed at least that much cash on the counter. I would get change as the vendor saw fit. Obviously in hindsight, I was taking risks with my money, both with unpriced items and an unknown amount of change. I was on mission trips, so I figured whatever money I spent would just benefit the local economy. More likely I was enabling shopkeepers to stash some extra tax-free cash and teach them how to take advantage by profiling Americans in the future.
Canadian Dollars: It’s Cheaper Than It Looks
Last summer, I went to Niagara Falls, both countries. Since my time in Canada was short and close to the border, I decided that instead of exchanging money, I would use my credit card. And whenever I saw a price, I told myself that CAD is with less than USD, so I paid for things even if they seemed a bit pricey. When I looked at my statement later, I realized that the dollars at the time had a nearly 1:1 ratio. Plus, since my credit card charged a foreign conversion fee, I ended up paying more! I should’ve checked these things ahead of time to know what I was really spending. The other foreign countries I went to in the past had a lower cost of living and better exchange rate. You can’t compare placed like Canada to places like Peru or Mexico.
Euros: Everything’s the Same
Since I’m in Europe at one of the best exchange rates, I mistakingly think of Euros the same way I think of dollars. But a Euro is worth more (ranging from 10-14% more over most of this trip. When I make small purchases, that doesn’t seem like much of a difference. But with three months and a few thousand Euros spent, I’m seeing the difference now!
Even if the money you spend doesn’t look the same as the money you receive, it isn’t Monopoly money. It has a value, and it’s up to you to know its value!
What is your mindset when it comes to foreign currency?
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I was sick twice during my Mediterranean Trek. The first one happened before I was even two weeks into the trip. On my last full day in Paris, I watched Le Tour de France in person! To keep my good viewing spot, I had to stand there all day, no matter what. This also happened to be the only day during my time in Paris that it was cold and rainy instead of hot and muggy. Needless to say, I caught a cold. Even worse, I had to take a 17-hour bus ride the next afternoon. That bus dropped me off in Madrid the next morning several miles away from my hostel, and I walked there. I arrived at UHostels sick and tired, despite wanting to go out and see the city.
-Rest: This one was hard for me to do all the time, but it’s helpful in both preventing illness and getting better. Sometimes annoying roommates interrupt your sleep. Sometimes there’s something happening that you’ll want to stay up late or wake up early. Sometimes the excitement of being in a new city just makes you want to go out there and get exhausted from a full day of discovery! Do whatever it takes to suppress your urges enough to get some decent sleep every night.
Jessica Lippe 