There are many reasons we keep ourselves from heading out into the world.

Not enough money. Not enough time. I have to work on my career. I’ll get to it when I’m older.

The truth is that the external realities are rarely the reason we choose to stay in a job, relationship, or 30 year mortgage. It’s our internal inability to make that leap of faith; to deal with the uncertainy that comes along with a life on the move, with little more than the clothes on your back and your items in your bag.

Here are 12 websites filled with 12 people who decided to make that leap.

1. Down The Road

www.downtheroad.org

Quote: “We are Tim and Cindie Travis, an ordinary American couple who decided to live out our dreams. We saved our money, quit our jobs, sold our possessions, and set off to travel around the world by bicycle. We left our home in Arizona, USA on March 31, 2002 and have been on the road ever since. Our plan is to continue to bicycle tour and travel for the next several years.”

2. Gone Walkabout

www.gonewalkabout.com

Quote: “The term Walkabout comes from the Australian Aboriginal. The idea is that a person can get so caught up in one’s work, obligations and duties that the truly important parts of one’s self become lost. From there it is a downward spiral as one gets farther and farther from the true self. A crisis situation usually develops that awakens the wayward to the absent true self.

It is at this time that one must go on walkabout. All possessions are left behind (except for essential items) and one starts walking.

Metaphorically speaking, the journey goes on until you meet yourself. Once you find yourself, you sit down and have a long talk about what one has learned, felt and done in each other’s absence. One talks until there is nothing left to say — the truly important things cannot be said.

If one is lucky, after everything has been said and unsaid, one looks up and sees only one person instead of the previous two.”

3. Modern Gonzo

www.moderngonzo.com

Quote: “My tiny Modern Gonzo has now become a horde of inspiration from my journeys to over 50 countries (and counting) on 6 continents. I built and maintain the site myself, for I’m certain that within its pages lies a spark that can help others fire up their dreams too. Things appear to happen for a reason after all. You hear about these dream stories, and then one day, you wake up and find yourself living one. ”

4. Expedition 360

www.expedition360.com

Quote: “I had absolutely no interest in the watery sections of such a proposal, having always failed to be convinced by recreational mariners of the supposed fun to be derived from being cold, wet and seasick all at the same time and for extended periods of time.

But the overland sections sounded intriguing: my head was filled with wildly romantic images of riding bicycles across the steppes of central Asia, trekking through the frozen wilderness of the Himalayas, staring into the flames of a roaring campfire after a hard day hacking our way through the Amazon jungle.

And the 2 years the expedition was projected to take traveling through predominantly warmer climes sounded like a welcome escape from that cold, wet island known to us natives as England.”

5. Let Me Stay For A Day

www.letmestayforaday.com

Quote: “My name is Ramon Stoppelenburg . When I was 24 I left my house in The Netherlands, on May 1, 2001, with a backpack filled with clothing, a digital camera, a laptop, and a mobile phone. From May 2001 to July 2003 I traveled the world without any money, visiting people who invited me over through this website. I crossed distance with my thumb or with help of sponsors and supporters. In return for all support I wrote about this all in my daily reports on this website.”

6. Mark Moxon

www.moxon.net

Quote: “In early 1995 I visited a friend who had just bought a new house. I remember it quite clearly: at the top of the stairs he had a perfectly formed bathroom in which I had what can only be described as a religious experience. The bathroom was one hundred per cent peach. It had a peach-coloured bath, a peach toilet, peach tiles on the wall and a peach basin on which sat a bar of peach-scented soap.

Hanging on the racks were fluffy peach hand towels that neatly matched the peach carpet below, and sitting on the windowsill was a bowl full of peach-coloured potpourri. I realised then and there that if I didn’t do something pretty radical, I was going to end up with a peach bathroom all of my own, and the thought filled me with dread.”

7. Where The Hell Is Matt?

www.wherethehellismatt.com

Quote: “Matt is a 29-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. He achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he’d saved to wander around the planet until it ran out.

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt the idea of dancing everywhere he went and recording it on his camera. This turned out to be a very good idea. Now Matt is quasi-famous as “That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I’ll send you the link. It’s funny.”

8. Hitch50

www.hitch50.com

Quote: “Why are we doing this? We both just graduated college and didn’t exactly pursue the typical business jobs our classmates were chasing, so we needed something to do. Something fun to do, which involved traveling and meeting people and sharing experiences with them. So… we decided to hitchhike to every state capital, in 50 days or less. This gives us the opportunity to meet fun people and see fun places all over the USA.

As much as we’re into seeing all the great places we’ll visit, we’re even more excited to meet the people that will take us to those places. Hitch50 isn’t really a project about places; it’s about people. Are you one of those people?”

9. Vagabonding

www.vagabonding.com

Quote: “I view travel as life’s great educator. There’s no better way to learn about people and nature and your place in the world.

I got hooked on travel during my final semester in college, when I studied literature and theater in London. After school ended, I stayed in Europe for a year, working at pubs, record stores, and Italian restaurants to fund further travel. I managed to get as far south as Morocco and as far east as Turkey.

Those dramatic, vivid destinations fueled my appetite for more travel, more experiences, further-flung places. The more you travel, the more you realize how little you’ve seen.

I came home from Europe penniless and began to write for a newspaper in my hometown. These vagabonding dreams were born at that newspaper. I figured I’d travel around the world and write a column for the paper as I went. Of course, travel is hard to fund on a bottom-rung journalist’s salary.

I took a job in Chicago a little later, writing copy for web sites. I’d never seen a web page, had never sent an email before that job. It doesn’t seem like a day’s gone past since I haven’t. I bought the vagabonding.com URL while at that job. That was 1998.”

10. The Travel Junkie

www.thetraveljunkie.ca

Quote: “My year around-the-world taught me a lot of things: never turn down an invitation, bargain hard and always carry a roll of toilet paper. Most of all, travelling made me globally aware.

I learned about abducted child soldiers in Northern Uganda; the loss of indigenous culture in Tanzania; the construction of the “separation wall,” also dubbed the “apartheid wall,” across the disputed Israeli-Palestinian land. I learned that the Turkish government has been accused of denying the Armenian genocide; that despite the AIDS epidemic in Africa, humanitarian aid money often doesn’t reach the people it is supposed to help. I learned about the persecution of the Falun Gong and saw the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.

I may be a McGill University graduate but travel has been the ultimate education. My trip has given me a deeper understanding of what’s going on in the world and where I fit within it.”

11. The Argonauts

www.theargonauts.com

Quote: “Ask yourself this question, “If you could do anything — anything in the world — what would you do?” You can guess my answer. I feel that life is a gift and that I have only one chance to live. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

And, to be honest, I had more than my fair share of angst and riding around the world was the only option I could see to overcome my malaise and become (or is that prove) to the world who I thought I “should” be.”

12. Goliath Expedition

goliath.mail2web.com

Quote: “Many years ago, when based with the Army in Dover, I would stand on the white cliffs looking out across the English Channel at the distant shores of France in wonder.

I swear, some days I could almost see a ragged figure looking back at me, a spectre from my future. I could not help but wonder what he had seen along the way and who he was now. It was difficult to imagine what he’d given to get to that point. What would he be thinking, looking back across the Channel at that young paratrooper on the other side?

Well now my life is all about closing that loop. It’s about standing in France looking across the Channel at the White Cliffs of Dover. Maybe I’ll be able to spot that young man so eager to prove himself, prove that he could hold his own and go the distance. Prove it to himself more than anyone else…

One day I will stand on the coast of France, closing the loop and you will be there with me.”

Are they any websites I missed that have inspired you to go traveling ?  Please share them in the comments.

There are those who believe that the simple approach to dressing works equally well on holiday. Pack 10 T-shirts in a suitcase, throw in some swimwear and flip-flops and that’s about it. But then there are those who believe that you will have a better time on holiday if you feel right. Clearly “feeling right” differs from person to person and holiday destination to destination. That said, there are some guiding principles that can help to up your style ante as you escape the cold weather for a summer sojourn overseas. We’ll leave it to you to think laterally and adapt to suit.

- Have an airport/travel look that comprises of warmish layers and your heaviest holiday shoes. This is not the time to channel Angelina Jolie in a black silk mini dress as seen in a Japanese airport this week. You’ll be cold and grumpy and desperate to buy a bad cardigan from a second-rate duty-free shop in no time. Instead, this is the time to wear a rolled chino, a light knit, knockout sunglasses and a pair of leather sandals.

- Speaking of footwear, unthinking loyalty to thongs is a style copout. It takes minuscule extra effort to choose a pair of sandals to take away with you, yet they add a style dimension to even the most basic shorts-and-vest holiday look.

 Angelina Jolie arrives in Tokyo with her brood in tow, (from left) Shiloh, Pax, Maddox and Zahara.  Photo: Reuters -

Don’t have a holiday wardrobe, have a holiday style philosophy instead. One that means you wear your usual summer clothes but in a crafty holiday-ish way. Not only does this save cash and time spent in badly lit changing rooms, it is the fast track to looking more stylish. This means admitting that the summer dress you bought for a party can easily be your sightseeing dress. A blouse you normally wear with jeans will look good with shorts for an alfresco lunch. This isn’t wardrobe downgrading, this is wardrobe multitasking. And your holiday snaps will thank you for it. - Take into account your holiday pals and the kind of look they will be rocking at the check-in desk. In terms of how right you feel on holiday, it’s up there with reading an accurate weather report ahead of time. - No one of any style repute actually wears a kaftan or a sarong. Beach coverups are for Liz Hurley to design and then tell us about on the pages of an August issue of Tatler. Sarongs are for soap stars doing photo shoots. They are completely unnecessary, if you need to cover up on a beach, then just get dressed. Pull on your shorts, button up your silk blouse, shove on a sundress – whatever. But don’t fiddle about with a useless piece of floral-printed sheer fabric. - There is no need to buy a dedicated beach bag, unless it is along the lines of a Marc by Marc Jacobs bright canvas shopper: ie, something that you will want to shake the sand out of and use again. Failing that, use your Monday-to-Friday leather bag, provided it’s a decent size. It gives the impression that you are more nonchalant about beach style and is infinitely chicer. - Jewellery in the form of overly fancy earrings or a big, shiny bangle will add kick to your style quota but almost nothing to the weight of your luggage. - The secret of holiday hair. The keenest eyes will have already noted that the scruffy top-knot has silently become the hairstyle to have this summer. Its reach has extended out from the standard Hollywood pap shot of celebrity-plus-Starbucks-plus-scruffy-top-knot, to the parks of east London and beyond. Basically, it is a high bun with loose tendrils of hair pulled out to frame the face. It’s super easy to do so there is no need for a patronising explanation and it makes for the most perfect holiday hair. Great for the beach, great for a windy ferry crossing and great with a brilliant pair of sunglasses. - What does your luggage says about you? Too much luggage, even on the super-deluxe scale, is a bad thing. Consider the picture that Paris Hilton tweeted of her pre-World Cup packing. Genius and iconic yes, but testament to her superior holiday style, not at all. It doesn’t suggest that she has a huge holiday reading backlog to get through, it says she’s indecisive and not particularly confident in her holiday-styling ability. Ditto Coleen Rooney and the clutch of suitcase minders she recently had to employ after her most recent hols. Coleen’s cases also highlight another luggage truth: suitcases (barring Vuitton trunks and The Queen’s stamped Globe Trotters) are ugly. If you really want your luggage to say you are stylish, then you need an unbranded minimal leather holdall. It suggests that you are pretty loose with the packing, and thus well-travelled and effortlessly chic. Sadly not the most portable option.

IMOGEN FOX        Guardian News & Media 2010

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Discounts on London airport train

Going abroad will be fun in all kinds of ways.  These three will make your trip mind-blowing.  You will be hooking up with a whole slew of internationals and you will have a damn good time doing it (safely, of course).  If some drugs are on the menu, we won’t judge.  Moderation is always key (nobody likes a crackhead).  As for partying, there are beach parties, club parties, hostel, hot tub and pool parties for the taking abroad.  Here are a few things we have learned along the way that should maximize your fun times:

Sex

The conditions abroad are perfect for getting laid.  Everyone is excited in every way when they travel so they let go of their inhibitions.  Hooking up with fellow backpackers should be fairly easy as they are in the same boat with you mentally (and sometimes, close to the same bed).  Check out our Hostel Sex article for advice on how to seal the deal with hostelmates.

As far as hooking up with locals, there are a few factors to consider that will increase your chances:

• Looking your best abroad may be hard.  Groom, shower and primp if you plan to get laid.  Go grungy when you’re in between places.  Balance is key.
• Culture matters when it comes to sex.  Some places, like Jamaica, are very lenient on the sexual liberation front.  Other places, like the Middle East, have very strict hook-up rules and pre-marital sex may be out of the question all together.  To get in the know, check out the Top Ten Horniest Countries according to askmen.com.
• Buying drinks or playing dumb will not get you laid everywhere.  Modify your tactics based on location.
• Smile often.  Brush your teeth.

None of this working out for you: Here are the prostitution policies of 100 countries around the world.

Drugs

Amsterdam comes to mind instantly, right?  It is known for its liberal drug laws and partaking in some pot smoking (or brownie eating) is allowed and normal.  There will be cafes that sell marijuana; all different kinds, in varying forms for different types of consumption (on premises).  You will be tempted to get stoned out of your mind.  Just keep it fun and don’t overdo it for risk of sleeping through your whole trip to Amsterdam.  Also, great greasy food will be available everywhere to cure those munchies.

Colombia is where cocaine lives.  It will be cheap ($5 a gram), varies in form and will be available all around you. We’re not suggesting you go out into the streets of Colombia and start asking everyone for cocaine, we’re just saying there’s lots of it out there. Keep in mind that the drug wars here have been raging since the beginning of time. Stay sober enough to be careful and don’t let it become a reason to stay in Colombia.

All kinds of drugs will be available everywhere and their legality will vary from place to place. Here is a tool to find the drug policies in the places you want to visit so you can know where to smoke, snort and shoot up (we really hope it doesn’t get to this) abroad.

Partying

A party is to be had anywhere in the world.  You can find something that fits your partying moods and needs in every country.  Some will be organized annual celebrations, some impromptu park  and house parties, there are clubs, bars and costume balls (during the day, night, morning and any time in between). A taste of what’s available:

• Oktoberfest in Germany  (September 20 to October 10, annually) is dedicated to beer consumption and messiness.  Here are some photos from last year’s party to call your taste buds to attention.
• Carnival in Brazil (February 22-28, annually) is known worldwide for their elaborate costumes (with built-in nakedness) and wild celebrations.  A couple of photos for your viewing pleasure.
• Botellons in Spain: these are organized park drinking parties.  You bring booze, everyone else brings their booze and you share.  Most large plazas in Spain will hold one around 10pm every weekend night!
• Australia Day: January 26^th.  The whole country (well continent) celebrates the discovery (through European settlement) of Australia.  It’s all about beers, barbecues and beaches.

Read Matador.com’s list of top ten parties for more inspiration.

When it comes to sex, drugs and partying, the same precautions apply abroad as they do at home.  Keep an eye on your drink at all times (roofies are roofies at home or while traveling), don’t get belligerent (you’ll look stupid and possibly get robbed and/or raped) and know your limits.

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In a modern world where traveling between destinations is viewed as a waste of time and resources, it is hard to actually comprehend the beauty of some of the most spectacular rides on the planet. Far less comfortable, yet far more beautiful and interesting, the time spent between two destinations is equally captivating and offers many sights and sounds.

While we are very much in a century where we have ‘no time to stand and stare’, there are still some awesome train rides across the globe where the trip itself turns into a destination. So how about hopping on these 10 grand train journeys?

Glacier Express

Arguably the slowest ‘express’ on the planet, the 180 mile ride on this delightful route takes a good 8 hours. Not that we are complaining about the pace as this offers you loads of time to catch a glimpse of the magical panorama that lies on its path, which links the two mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. 291 bridges, 91 tunnels and an altitude of 6,670 feet make this train ride similar to an expedition through fairyland.

Images courtesy of Puddles, +Jun+, janetmck

Spectacular, stunning and picture perfect, this is a trip that the shutter bugs will really love!

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Images by Stef Flater (1 + 2)

Linking some of the best cities of Europe including London, Venice, Rome, Budapest or Prague, the Orient Express is the most charming way to travel on tracks. With scores of movies, novels and romantic Hollywood scenes captured on this luxurious trip, this is one for those with deep pockets. The three day trip past the beautiful countryside of France, Switzerland and Austria will cost well over 2,000 Euros for the old-age charm of the Orient Express.

Pride of Africa

The Pride of Africa is a train journey that no nature lover should ever miss if they wish to explore the beauty, majesty and the hidden grandeur of the spectacular Dark Continent at a leisurely pace. Apart from the impeccable comfort it has to offer, the once in a year trip planned on the ‘Pride of Africa’ will take you on a 14-day epic expedition through Cape Town, Dar Es Salaam, Kimberley, Pretoria, the Kruger National Park, Beit Bridge, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Lusaka and through Tanzania to Dar Es Salaam.

Images by Rovos Rail

Billed as the most luxurious train in the world, you’d better not lose the opportunity if you’re planning a romantic vacation through the heart of Southern Africa.

Eurostar

Image by lewishamdreamer

While not many will really be happy with the fact that you get to spend plenty of time in the Eurostar under the sea, it sure offers a great mix of comfort and class. Apart from getting you to your chosen destination in a pretty short time, it is a much better option compared to choosing the flight between London and Paris. Innovative …

Flam Railway

Remember the awesome Norwegian Fjords? Well, here is a train ride through the world’s longest fjord Sognefjord, where on a 20 kilometer trip you’ll get to see an amazing descent from an altitude of almost 3,000 feet into the fjords of Flam. The ride looks both enthralling and hair-raising with its narrow passage way and the unforgettable sights.

Images by Sugeo, Laurakgibb, kurlvink

A popular tourist attraction in Norway, this is all about exploring unadulterated beauty of nature at a leisurely pace.

Palace on Wheels

Images courtesy of nzer and rdtc.in

Step on the Palace on Wheels and you will find exactly what you have been promised with the name. The train that starts from Delhi in India and ends up in the royal state of Rajasthan, offers complete luxury on tracks, much like the pampering enjoyed by royal kings in the days long gone. Just to roll back time, a steam engine is used to pull the train initially out of Delhi, adding further to the experience. An elephant welcome in Jaipur, lunch at the Lake Palace in Udaipur, a camel safari near Jaisalmer and an afternoon at the Taj Mahal; the Palace on Wheels is the most comfortable way to explore India.

Eastern & Oriental Express

All images courtesy of Orient-Express Images

Stretching between the ultra-modern Singapore and Bangkok, and traveling through lush green tropical forests, the Eastern and Oriental Express is modern, stylish and comfortable.

Apart from all the delights it offers in terms of cuisine and hospitality, the train journey presents a perfect window into South-East Asia, its changing topography and the contrast between its urban present and its naturally-endowed past.

Royal Scotsman

If you are getting on board the Royal Scotsman, then you must have really deep pockets – it’s the most expensive train ride on the planet. Just consider the fact that a 4-day trip on the Royal Scotsman costs more than an entire 19-day first-class trip on the Trans-Siberian, and you will get the idea. The observation car accommodates 36 passengers (yes, only 36 passengers allowed) in comfortable armchairs along with cabins specially designed for dining and other purposes.

Images by lolothian, christymacintosh, jeffmcneil

The train pulls over at night when you need to sleep and while the trip offers a great passage through little known waterfalls, mountains and valleys, it is obviously not for everyone.

Trans-Siberian Railway

There is hardly any doubt that a 6000 mile ride across the vastness of Russia that carries you over a distance of one-third the planet is the grand daddy of them all. The Trans-Siberian train ride is a journey that has already achieved a mythical status for the vastness it encompasses and the magnitude of brilliance that it has in store.

From Vladivostok across Siberia to Moscow and then to St. Petersburg, the 19-day ride offers more than you could ever find on any other train. Carriages once used by the Politburo are fitted with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a sitting/dining-room, complete with private chef. Carrying you in comfort across seven time zones, this is the ultimate experience on tracks.

It is a unique feeling to carry home when your whole journey becomes your destination as there is never a dull moment on your trip. Instead of waiting for fun and good times to start rolling as you sit in your airline seat, the great train journeys turn every moment into a memory you can cherish for a lifetime.