Best of the Rest (Weekly Links Ending 9/11/11)

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Quite a week for the unRullis… Bumped off of our scheduled flight last Monday coming back from a Labor day spent in Nantucket (the Nantucket gang is featured above), we banked two $500 airline vouchers (obviously a nice score before we start our RTW travel). Despite the huge hassle of hunkering down overnight in NY and catching a 6am flight out the next morning, we were thrilled to get at least one international ticket paid for by the airline.

With the universe sending good vibes our way with the random $1,000 of airline vouchers, we could not feel better about our decision to travel for a year. Until that day in early January when we finally depart, we live through the experiences of the travelers who have gone before and hope you enjoy their articles as much as we did!

• The NYT’s Frugal Traveler had a great article this week about the role of gender in travel and it generated a great discussion. There are many different views of solo travel and how men and women experience it, but I truly think the differences are fewer than the similarities. For safety concerns, I think we all underestimate risk, but that we should not avoid experiences purely out of fear. Follow the advice of those who have already been on the road and don’t let your fear stop you from having incredible experiences.
• I wrote this week about the importance of quitting the “right way” before you start your travels. While it might feel ohhhh so good to give work the big F U and just walk away, you have to play a longer game. You are not a passive player in your life, so you must take control and work strategically to give yourself as much an advantage as you can. Whether you are still in college, just starting a new job, or about to set off on a RTW adventure… figure out how you can improve your situation in the long term. When we come back from our year of travel, I will definitely be glad to have left work on good terms since I will need their letter of recommendation for whatever I do next.
• Thinking strategically is crucial when you plan for a career break to travel around the world. Also important? Trying to have a soft-landing on your career break re-entry. But if you are not quite yet ready to end your career break and just need to pause, try a vacation from your vacation.
• Why aren’t we planning on going to Africa? We say it is because we wish to fly into a region and then bus everywhere to save on money. Africa does not seem like a safe place to be taking bus rides… but then, certain parts of Latin America and Asia do not have a great reputation either.  Maybe it’s worth a second look? If we did go, we could have our cake and eat it too (or more like, ride an Ostrich and eat it too) as well as get a chance to see Mrs. unRulli’s favorite animal.
• We love Europe. I went to Florence fall of my Junior semester and Meg went to Barcelona and ever since then, we have wanted to return. The only problem is how expensive it already is combined with how strong the Euro has gotten versus the dollar! We need our fellow travelers to share their best tips of how to save, especially on food (we love to eat!), and what the cheap European destinations are.
• Meet, Plan, Go! is having National events this October 18th and we are just going to miss the one in Boston by a week. But I really just wanted to show you their ticket for the event as I love how it shows what $15 can get you abroad compared to the states. When your friends think long-term travel is insane and prohibitively expensive, just show them this: