One of the things I’m frequently asked, when it comes to permanently traveling the world, is what my husband and I would do if everything went wrong.

Whilst it’s a relevant question, I don’t think it’s a very good one. Firstly, there’s the question of definition; what does one mean by “everything”? Secondly, there are so very many things which could go wrong that it’s hard to answer.

At the very least, this is what I’d recommend as a “contingency plan” for anybody wanting to travel permanently (perhaps running your business as you do, or perhaps not):

1. Have a financial safety net - a little nest egg tucked away that could get get you a flight home, cover your expenses for a few months or get you out of a sticky situation, should the need arise.
2. Have a trusted contact on hand - somebody who you can contact whenever and wherever you are - who is practical, logical and won’t fall apart if you ever need their help. It’s also worth plugging their contact details into your cell phone or in your diary as the “ICE” (in case of emergency) contact should anyone else ever need to contact them for you.
3. Carry the numbers of your travel insurance company for emergencies and any other professional advisors you use - Abha posted some great advice about whether to get travel insurance for your travels or not.
4. Take paper copies and soft copies of important documents with you - taking a snapshot of your documents with a digital camera is a quick and easy backup option

I’m a planner by nature so I like to have contingency plans for as many things as I can think of - whether they will help or not, hopefully we’ll never have to find out!

If you’re like me, you get inspired by personal stories. I want to hear the specifics; something that I can relate to—the internal debate, the rash decision, the unexpected twist. That’s what I like about the book “Getting Out.”

Published in 2006, “Getting Out” only caught my eye recently for the first time. It covers a lot of the same topics included in other inspirational travel books—visas, studying abroad, odd jobs, country-specific advice, transition—but largely makes its point with quotes from the personal experiences of travelers.

It’s easy to page through, with manual-style illustrations and clean design. But once you read more closely, you find out that the content and approach are just as honest and alternative—categories for each of the 50 countries listed not only include climate and life expectancy, but also attitudes towards cannabis, abortion, and homosexuality.

I was intrigured by travelers’ experiences with different visas—business and tourist, official and good enough. And in the Hungary listing, I got pulled into one traveler’s account of the limited expat community in Budapest—either a warning for others to set their expectations correctly, or a nod to the easy integration into local Hungarian life, depending on the disposition of the traveler.

Granted, it’s not comprehensive and the nature of the book is somewhat angry (it’s entitled “Getting Out” for a reason), but the uncommon advice and personal approach seem to go a long way.

Want your photo or story to be featured in a national travel magazine? How often do you get that chance? In the case of Budget Travel, once every 10 years.

It’s the 10th anniversary of the “Vacations for Real People” magazine, and they’re celebrating—letting the readers have free rein over the June 2008 issue. That means they need your help with everything from the cover photo to critiquing guidebooks to buying local finds on their dime (or $100). If you’re keen on travel writing, pitch them an idea for a story—they’ll be choosing four.

“It can be anywhere in the world as long as the idea behind the trip is unique. Include some background on what makes the destination special,…why you think other people would care, and why you’re the person to write it.”

Submissions are due December 31, 2007.

If you apply too late, you can always submit story ideas for other issues. For more information, check out Budget Travel’s writer’s guidelines and calendar.

Founded by Frommer’s in spring 1998, Budget Travel was acquired by Newsweek in 1999 and now reaches a circulation of 600,000. BudgetTravel.com serves about 1.8 million page views per month.

Unfortunately, it’s easier for some to vagabond than others; border control is one of the main obstacles for some people.

I often get emails from Asian nationalities asking me about vagabonding visa issues. This is something Americans and Europeans hardly have to worry about as in majority of places they don’t need a tourist visa or they get one on arrival.

As an Indian, I need a visa to enter practically any country (except perhaps Jamaica and Thailand!). When I get one, it’s normally for a specific number of days. So unfortunately, it’s not easy to just take off and wander the world.

It is possible though. It’s a painful process of planning and paperwork, but it’s possible.

Living abroad is a whole new ballgame. I first wanted to take-off to live in Costa Rica. Dubai (where I was living at the time) had no embassy, so I had to apply in India. It has been about 2 years, my visa is still processing.

So when that plan went down the drain, it didn’t mean I couldn’t do what I wanted, it just meant I had to re-plan. I looked at what I wanted: Spanish language and Latin immersion. And I landed up Spain.

I have been hopping around the country for the last 15-months. But am constantly fighting a lot of bureaucracy and red tape to be here long term; it’s the price you pay to make it happen.

You’ve just got to not let anything stop you, and do it. It’s easier to make excuses, blame the system and stay put, but where there is a will there is a way. Always.

The eternal question that always comes to mind whilst making your payment for that trip. If you are traveling on budget airlines, sometimes the price of the insurance is close to the price you paid to fly. That’s when I always think: “Nah! nothing is going to happen to me, I’m not going to bother with travel-insurance.”

I think I have only ever bought travel insurance once in my life, years ago, that too because my parents gave me the ”it’s a question of your life — just pay the extra and get it.”

And honestly, I think they are right.

I’ve always taken it lightly, because by some stroke of luck nothing has happened to me on travels: no accidents, no robbery, no nothing. (I hope I haven’t just jinxed myself).

So the question is, should you get insurance every time you take off, even if it’s a short trip?

A recent article on CNN answers that quite succinctly:

You should consider purchasing travel insurance if you can’t afford to lose the money you invested in the vacation or if you can’t cover unexpected medical and emergency costs at your destination

I am personally not fussed about losing stuff, but when it comes to health there really shouldn’t be a compromise. Travel-insurance is useless if it doesn’t include medical care.

As it says in the article: “People think they’ll be fine…and they decide against travel insurance. But you can’t buy it when you need it.” For instance, in the emergency room.

Having said that, I went to Rome for a long weekend last week, I didn’t get travel-insurance. But had I gone to Thailand I would definitely get it.

So I’d say if it’s a question of money, short trips in your own continent may not warrant travel-insurance (including medical care); still check the danger scale of the country before you take a call.

If you are crossing continents don’t think twice, just get it. If you can generally afford it anyway, get it either way because really, you never know.

Next month at the RolfPotts.com Writers page I chat with Eric Hansen, author of travel books such as Stranger in the Forest, Motoring with Mohammed, and The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer. Hansen’s articles have appeared in the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and Natural History Magazine. Here are some outtakes from our interview:

• “The craft of writing is similar to dancing. If you want to get good fast, learn slowly. And practice. If you don’t master the basics of storytelling and writing in the beginning you will suffer by making the same mistakes over and over again.”
• “The oral tradition of recording personal history is the very best way to frame a story. It’s all about engaging the listener and making your story their story. My professional career started with the publication of my first book — Stranger in the Forest — which is an account of living with groups of nomadic hunters and gatherers in the Borneo rainforest. I have never studied writing and rather than the usual approach to getting published via magazine and newspaper work, I just sat down and wrote a book with the help of a very good editor who brought out the best in me as a person and as a writer.”
• “Getting on the road is the big challenge. The planning and concept phase can take years. Like a dog circling a blanket, waiting for just the right mood before settling in. Once I am on location everything just happens effortlessly. Nothing is more natural for me than to immerse myself in strange and new places. It is a process that I refer to as ‘throwing myself into the weirdness of the world.’ More a state of mind than anything else. It is all about suspending judgment and absorbing what ‘is’ rather than ‘what I think it is,’ if that makes sense.”
• “Write the truth of the experience. Exaggerations and fabrications cheat both the writer and the reader. My favorite quote about writing comes from John Steinbeck: ‘The discipline of the written word punishes both stupidity and dishonesty.’”

Full Eric Hansen interview online here.

A few weeks ago, the IgoUgo travel blog came out with its Top 10 Big Media Travel Blogs. One thing that almost all of these so-called “Big Media” blogs have in common is their obsession with writing about air travel– as if the airplanes themselves are destinations rather than means of transportation. Over at the Budget Travel blog, every two or three posts is about air travel, and check out their recommendations of the “best blog posts elsewhere”, all of which are about transportation rather than destinations. USA Today’s Today in the Sky is also featured on IgoUgo’s list of best travel blogs, as is the Denver Post’s travel blog, which is aptly titled “Winging It.” Guess what those two are about.

A Google search for “cheap flights” yields over six million hits, “cheap airfare” is just under two million, and “cheap plane tickets” gives just over 1.5 million. Now, one of two things is possible: either there are almost 10 million inexpensive airline tickets for sale online (which I find unlikely), or people are obsessed with finding cheap airfare.

Because there are so many people who worry about air travel, I don’t expect every travel writer to simply ignore it. It’s a billion-dollar industry, and a large part of many frequent travelers’ lives. For instance, I don’t expect CNN’s Business Traveler Blog to review the best hostels in Slovakia. And obviously, finding the best fare is important– no one wants to pay more than they have to. But unless I’m on my last dime, I’d prefer to pay an extra twenty bucks for a flight and get on with my life rather than scouring the depths of the internet looking for the absolute best fare. It often seems that people spend so much time researching and writing about cheap airfares, seating charts, and average wait times, that it comes at the expense of learning about their destination.

Too many travel sections in newspapers, magazines, and blogs have mistaken transportation for travel. It seems to me that on any good trip, the plane ride is always forgotten anyway.

Kids everywhere are trying on costumes, teens are stocking up on toilet paper and eggs, and the old lady down the street has already purchased that horrendous peanut butter candy with the black and orange wrappers (the kind I used to trade for apples with razor blades). This can mean only one thing– Halloween is just around the corner! At least, it is for those of us in the UK, US, and Canada (and elsewhere).

Of course, not everyone in the world has the same ardent desire to celebrate paganism and the occult. Over at the San Francisco Chronicle’s online travel section, Christine Delsol explains Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is celebrated on November 1 and 2, primarily in Mexico and other Latin American countries. She writes that the holiday “illustrates the Mexican people’s uniquely fatalistic yet eternally optimistic philosophy toward life and death.” She continues:

To northern visitors, locals streaming to cemeteries laden with flowers, candles and food baskets may appear quaint or, at the other end of the spectrum, morbid; in fact, the Day of the Dead is a profoundly serious occasion frequently celebrated with great joy — an expression of the belief that death is not the end of life but the continuation of life in whatever world comes next.

The article also offers information about Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico that are well worth visiting, including those in Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Mérida.

This site has still more information about the holiday, including its history, some photos and recipes, and more Dia de los Muertos-related merchandise than you ever could (or would) want.

If you are new to traveling and you are in the process of planning your first big trip, you may very well have done your homework by reading all the right guidebooks, discovering hidden ‘must see’ gems in the travel forums and read the sage advice from experienced travelers now sharing their collective wisdom on respected travel blogs such as this one!

You will no doubt be itching to chase after your own authentic travel experiences, comparing your adventures to the ones you’ve read about and perhaps sometimes wondering why yours don’t match up.

I know that’s exactly what happened to me after I’d completed my first ‘proper’ travel experience of inter-railing around Europe for 6 weeks with 2 of my best girl friends over 10 years ago. It is not that we didn’t have a good time, it’s just that it wasn’t quite as I’d expected the experience to be. I asked myself questions like:

• “Have we missed out on some of the key sights?”
• “Are we not being sociable enough and meeting enough of our fellow travelers?”
• “Have we done what x, y and z recommended?”
• “Are we having fun yet?”

Despite all the advice you read about how to make the most of your journey - why you should make local friends on the road, why you should take your time when you travel, why you should shun the tourist spots, how to find the out-of-the-way secrets and all the sage advice from us more “experienced” travelers - my best advice to first time travelers would be this:

Your journey is just that; it is your personal journey.

Sure there are things you might do to make it more authentic, more adventurous or more like John’s, Jane’s or Rolf’s but when it comes to long term travel, I recommend setting your own purpose and going with an open mind.

Don’t worry what any of us more experienced travelers will think of your journey, or whether your experience is as good as anyone else’s; you are the best judge of whether you are having a great experience or not.

Matador Travel member “novoarte”, better known in real life as Julie Schwietert Collazo, spends her days bouncing between Mexico City, Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, and New York City. Married to a Cuban, she also spends a fair bit of time in Havana, visiting the in-laws that her husband has had to go years without seeing. This semi-nomadic lifestyle, Julie writes on her profile, “is a constantly fascinating contrast in internal reactions and external realities: blue skies vs. cold winters; freedom to be almost anything vs. colonialism internalized; 24/7 culture vs. globalization American style; fire escapes vs. windows with no glass and no screens.”

Julie’s blog entries about life in all four places are articulate, thoughtful, and beautifully written. She asks tough questions and confronts often ugly realities, while also capturing those moving, human moments of daily life. I’d recommend them to anyone interested in the blurred lines between long-term travel and ex-pat existence, and what it really feels like to be immersed in another culture. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Immigrant’s Suitcase – On preparing for a trip to visit family in Havana, and her husband Francisco’s packing habits.

La Llegada and Cuentos Duros; Muy Majadera; “Oye, Mono”: Some Thoughts About Race, Sex, and Economics; Reluctant Tourists at the Buffet Bar… All You Can Eat, But No Appetite – All from Julie and Francisco’s recent trip to Havana together, Francisco’s first visit home in 27 years.

Sunday Morning Stroll in Reforma – About finding a routine in Mexico City.

Calor Humano – On Julie and Francisco’s return to Old San Juan, PR.