Reader Story: How Angela Travels the World as an Au Pair

One of the biggest challenges for people is saving up for a world trip. It can be daunting trying to save thousands of dollars for your next big trip. Yet I always say “If you can’t save, go work.” The world has an abundance of jobs that travelers can get. Millions of travelers fund their trips by working their way around the world. Today, I want to profile one of our community members who does just that. Angela works as an au pair. This funds her round the world travel dreams, let’s her stay in a place longer, and get to know a culture better. Today we share her story and tips for being an au pair.

Nomadic Matt: Hi Angela! Thanks for doing this. Tell us about yourself!
Angéla:I’m Angéla and I’m 28 years old. I was born near Lyon, France, and am the eldest of four sisters. After graduating from school when I was 21, I started working as an au pair in Germany. I wanted to get out of France and work with children, so this was the perfect job! Seven years later, I’m still an au pair, currently in Japan! I love what I do because I get to travel and work with children, the two things I love the most.

Were you always interested in travel? How did you get started?
Funny enough, out of all my big family (I have three other siblings and lots of cousins), I’m the only one who likes to travel a lot! Nobody around me ever went abroad for more than a few days, and especially not very far away. So I didn’t know much about traveling, except from watching movies and pop culture.

I didn’t begin traveling until I was 21. I guess it was because I never did it that I wanted to do it. I’d always dreamed of traveling the world and seeing the places I saw in the movies

How did you decide to become an au pair?
It happened seven years ago when I was looking for a job in France and after finding nothing interesting, I decided to have a look at the au pair thing. It sounded interesting — working in another country and living with a family. By being an au pair, I would be able to have a job, accommodation, food, lots of free time, and some extra spending cash. It was perfect. I could enjoy traveling without needing a lot of money because I could use the money that I would earn during my stay. It lets me travel without huge savings.

In 2010, I found my first host family in Germany and stayed one year with them. I loved the fact I could work in another country and use the free time to explore a new place. Plus, I get to work with children all the time, which is my field of work, so now I have accumulated years of experience. I was hooked after that first year, and decided to do it again instead going back to France to find another job.

Where have you worked as an au pair?
I’ve been to Germany, England, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden, and I’m currently in Japan. I stay from eight months to one year in each country. All of them have been great experiences. I’ve been lucky enough to stay with very good people, and everybody I met while traveling has been super nice.

My favorite place has been New Zealand. It’s simply breathtaking! The landscapes are unbelievable. I can’t recommend it enough. Canada is probably my next favorite. It is a relatively safe country to live in, the people are nice, and I love the cold winters. I got to try ice fishing and totally loved it!

How does someone become an au pair? Is it easy? Hard?
I personally think it is easy. Your main job is to take care of children, so you must be OK working with them, but other than that, the tasks are often easy enough and you have lots of free time. You work on average between 25 and 30 hours per week. All your weekends are free, as are the evenings as soon as one parent gets home. You may be asked to babysit from time to time, though.

Everything is included when you live with the family, so you don’t have many expenses. The only thing I paid for myself was my plane ticket (although you can be lucky enough to have a family that pays it for you). I never felt like this was a so-called “job” — more like helping out a family and being a part of it.

To become an au pair, you can either use au pair agencies or one of the websites like Au Pair, Au Pair World, International Exchange, and Go Au Pair. With an agency, you pay them and they do the paperwork, show you different family profiles, and put you in contact with them. All along your stay, they are in touch with you in case of any problem. It’s like any other job placement service.

On the internet, there are a lot of websites for au pairs. This is more DIY. You create a profile, search for families (they can search for au pairs too), and if one catches your interest, you start by sending a message, and from then, if both parties get along, you get in touch via phone, mails, Skype. There’s no third party involved. It’s between you and the family (so no one is there if something goes wrong). I’ve only ever used these websites, as it’s free for au pairs to join, and I’ve always been lucky in my searches for families.

What qualifications does someone need to be an au pair?
While it’s not necessary, it’s good to have experience with kids, because the families might feel more confident in hiring you, but other than that, you don’t really need much. Every family is different. Some will want you to have experience and will ask for references; others don’t ask for anything.

What’s the biggest challenge?
I will say it’s learning how to live with total strangers. You’re in a brand new country, with people you don’t know, and you’re going to spend six months to a year with them. It takes some days for everybody to get used to each other and to know how the family works. You need to learn to accept their way of living. Sometimes it can be really different from what you’re used to, and it takes some time to just be a part of it.

Also the fact it is not your own place is a bit of a challenge. You may live there for a long time, but at the end of the day, it’s still not your place. I find it always a bit hard to pretend it is. For me, it is my host’s home. You can’t have guests like you would in your own home. You hear the kids playing, running everywhere all the time, even on your days off. Sometimes the parents may leave the house a mess and you have to tidy it up, because you can’t stay a day in such a mess any longer!

Personally, I’m really easygoing and used to living in any kind of place with different people. I never felt that was a “challenge” — from my first experience all was smooth during my stays. Maybe I find it easy to get along with people, and don’t mind their way of living.

Is it hard as a Westerner to get a job outside of “the West”? I always thought Western au pairs only worked in other Western countries.
It is true [that Western au pairs are] mostly in Western countries. In Japan, it is not common at all, especially because here the moms are often stay-at-home moms, so they don’t need another person to do the job. Also, it is in their culture to not accept a total stranger taking care of their own kids.

The few families I could find in Asia have always been expat families. Often one parent got a few years’ contract with a company and moved abroad, thus they know what the au pair thing is. In Nagoya, where I am now, I know at least three au pairs, but I don’t think we’re much more than that. So if you want to be an au pair, you’ll find that most of the jobs are in Western countries.

Tell me about life as an au pair. What’s the pay like? How often do you work?
The pay depends mainly on the family and the country you’re in. But my salary was usually 300-400 euros per month. It seems to be the average for an au pair working 25–30 hours a week.

The work mostly consists of bringing the kids to school and picking them up, helping with homework, cooking and having dinner, bathing them, and getting them ready for bed. Some families may ask you to do house cleaning in addition (in which case you’re paid more for that).

When the kids are at school, you’re totally free. Most au pairs will take language classes, or do sports or other activities. I usually take some of this time to cook dinner and clean the house (if needed). Mostly I try to hang out with friends or visit some places nearby. When in a country where au pairs are popular, it is really easy to meet up with them, as we all have the same free time. It’s an easy job if you are good with kids, sensitive, and practical. And especially if you get along well with the family, there’s no problem at all!

What’s your one tip for people looking to become an au pair?
If it is your first experience as an au pair and you don’t know how you feel being away from home, my advice would be to start in a country that is near your own. That way if you’re homesick, it will be much easier to go back. And if you like the experience, you know you’ll be ready to start again farther away! I started in Germany, knowing that if anything happened I was just few hours away from home.

Other than that, nothing specific, except I can only recommend it! It is a really good experience living abroad and a way to get out of your comfort zone, as you’re going to live for a few months somewhere totally new!

What’s been the biggest lesson so far?
Never think traveling is not possible for you. I had no exposure to it while I was growing up and would never have imagined myself a traveler, as I was very shy and introverted. I think, besides shocking my family, I shocked myself when I went away. But when you go away, you realize how easy travel is and how many opportunities there are out there to make travel a reality.

I think that traveling is a good opportunity to discover new parts of yourself. It changed the way I am now. I feel more confident and more open to talking to strangers. It’s made me a better me!

You’ve be traveling for 7 years now. What’s your number one tip for new travelers?
Be friendly to people and be respectful of the country you are in. Respect is important, and people will accept you more if you are openly happy and curious to be visiting their places. Don’t judge. Learn to listen.

When I was in Australia, I was told numerous times that French people there were acting really poorly, being mean to animals and disrespectful of people and the environment. I can’t understand this type of behavior, and it made me ashamed and sad to learn that. It is so important to show respect and be kind to those in the country you are visiting. You’re a guest in their home.

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Angela got a job working as an au pair in order to fulfill her desire to travel the world. When you have limited funds, find a job like Angela and use your skills or passions to earn money and keep you on the road.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to think outside the box a bit and figure out ways to use your passion and skills to get out there, escape the cubicle, and see more of this world.

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here are more examples of people who found work overseas to fund their trips:

• How Oneika found teaching jobs abroad
• How Jessica and her boyfriend found jobs around the world
• How Emily taught English to fund her RTW adventure
• How Arielle found a job working on a yacht
• How Ceil got a job teaching in Saudi Arabia

The post Reader Story: How Angela Travels the World as an Au Pair appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 31, 2017 at 03:58PM

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How to Pick the Best Camera for Travel

Photographs are an important part of the travel experience and, with so many budding photographers in this community, I wanted to create a semi-ongoing series about travel photography. Since I’m not a photographer, I’ve invited professional photographer Laurence Norah of Finding the Universe (and teacher of our Superstar Blogging photography class) to share his wisdom. In this post, Laurence will discuss how to pick the best camera (for any budget) for your travels.

Getting great photos from our travel adventures is something all of us want, and I know that when I started my life of full-time travel, deciding what kind of camera to take with me was a big decision.

In the end, I went with a bulky digital SLR (from the Canon Rebel line), and I’m pleased I did so, because it led me to becoming a full-time professional travel photographer. In my case, the investment cost and extra weight were the right decision for me — there was no such thing as mirrorless when I started out!

However, my choice certainly won’t be right for everyone. There’s a wide range of devices on the market that can take photos — everything from smartphones and point-and-shoots to mirrorless cameras and those big, heavy DSLRs. You have to decide which is right for you.

In this post, we’re going to help you do just that. And all you have to do is answer three questions.

How much money do you want to spend?

Your budget is a key part of choosing the right camera for travel. There’s no point dreaming about a high-end camera if you only have a couple of hundred dollars to spend.

Budget is a personal consideration, but there are a few things to remember that folks sometimes forget:

First, the accessories. When you buy a camera, you’re going to want to pick up a high-capacity memory card ($20–40), a case or bag ($10–200), a spare battery ($10–50), and maybe filters or a tripod. If you buy an interchangeable lens camera, think about the cost of any extra lenses as well.

Second, remember that travel can sometimes be risky. Things can be lost or stolen, and you need to think about what value of equipment you’re comfortable having with you. It’s also worth checking what your travel insurance will cover — most policies have relatively low single-item limits, so for high value equipment, you might have to consider specialty insurance.

There are good camera options at a variety of price points. For under $400, look at a compact point-and-shoot or an action camera like a GoPro, or spend that money upgrading your smartphone. The sweet-spot budget of $400–800 really opens up more possibilities, including some excellent mirrorless and entry-level DSLR options.

Above $800 and you are venturing into “prosumer” and professional territory. Unless you’re planning on going pro at some point, or want to really focus on night or action photography, you don’t need to spend over $800 on a travel camera.

How much gear are you willing to carry?

Camera equipment ranges from the “slip it into your pocket” portability of a smartphone or point-and-shoot to some backbreaking professional lens setups.

As photography is my thing, I carry about 20 lbs. of camera equipment and accessories. That is definitely too much for most users, though.

The most important decision regarding weight is only to invest in a camera system that you are going to want to carry with you. You need to be honest with yourself here. Having a camera that lives in your hotel room while you’re out traveling is a poor investment.

If you’re one of those “passport and a toothbrush” style of travelers, then you’ll want the lightest option possible — either your smartphone, a small point-and-shoot, or an action camera like a GoPro.

If you want something that is portable but still lets you change lenses, then a mirrorless camera is your best option.

How much effort are you willing to put into learning to use your camera?

A top-of-the-range DSLR or mirrorless camera is capable of taking great photos, but if you don’t know how to use it, you’ll probably get better results from a smartphone.

Case in point: I visited Antelope Canyon in Arizona once, and bumped into a guy with the latest Canon professional SLR and a $5,000 lens. This was a newly released lens that I’d not seen in the wild before, and I approached him to ask him how he was finding it. He confessed he had no idea how to use it, and was just shooting in auto — he’d just bought the most expensive gear on the market without investing in the necessary training to get the most out of it. Sadly, I knew that the folks with the iPhones were going to get better shots.

There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to spend a lot of time mastering a camera. Photography is a skill, and like any skill, it takes time and effort to master. But you can make your path easier by investing in a simpler camera that has a range of automatic shooting modes.

In that case, you’ll still need to master the basics of composition and learn what makes a great photograph, but the complexities of how to use the camera and its settings won’t worry you as much. Sure, you might not be able to capture every photo you’d get with a more advanced camera, but if you don’t learn how to use that fancy camera, you won’t be getting those photos anyway!

The types of camera on offer

There are six main types of camera to buy. I’ve put these in order of weight and complexity, from the lightest and least complicated to the heaviest and most complicated. There is a range of price points in each category, although generally, each category is on average more expensive than the previous.

• Smartphone: Smartphones win when it comes to portability. You can also edit your photos directly on the smartphone and share them on social media networks, no computer required. They are, however, relatively restricted when it comes to zooming in and low-light photography.
• Point-and-shoot: If you want a dedicated camera that slips into your pocket, get a point-and-shoot. These have an optical zoom and a wide variety of shooting modes for different scenes. They won’t perform well in limited-light situations, but for most travel photography scenarios, they’ll do a good job with minimum effort.
• Action camera: If your travels are of the adventurous kind, consider an action camera. These are designed for use in more extreme photography situations, including in the water, snow, and dust, but are basic in terms of manual controls and don’t let you zoom.
• Bridge camera: A bridge camera crosses the capabilities of a point-and-shoot with those of a DSLR, offering manual controls and a long zoom but no interchangeable lenses. Not as compact as point-and-shoots, but still relatively easy to use and affordable
• Mirrorless: Smaller than a DSLR but offering the same capabilities, mirrorless cameras have excellent image quality, interchangeable lenses, and full manual controls. They are more expensive and have a steeper learning curve, but they are my recommended choice if you are more serious about your photography.
• DSLR: A digital SLR, or DSLR, was for a long time at the top of the heap when it came to image quality, lens choice, and manual controls. However, they have been largely replaced by mirrorless cameras as the go-to choice for travel photographers.

The best travel camera for each style of traveler

Having given you some things to think about when buying a camera — weight, cost, and complexity — here are some suggestions to consider. I’ve tried to whittle down all the many choices out there to a few solid options, based on my real-world experience.

• Smartphone: iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8. If you just don’t see yourself carrying around any kind of camera, you can still get good results from a recent high-end smartphone. The iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 offer best-in-class performance. You won’t be able to zoom in on faraway objects with great detail or have amazing low-light capabilities, but at least you’ll always have the camera on you, which is the most important thing in photography.
• Point-and-shoot for low budgets: Panasonic Lumix ZS50. At just under $300, the Panasonic Lumix ZS50 is an excellent investment. It has a long (30x) optical zoom as well as image-stabilization features, meaning you can shoot faraway objects and still get reasonable results in low light. It’s easy to use and will slip into a pocket.
• Point-and-shoot for high budgets: Sony RX100. If money is less of a concern, take a look at the Sony RX100 series. These offer outstanding image quality and manual controls in a compact form, although the price tag of almost $1,000 for the latest model is quite steep.
• For adventure: GoPro Hero Series.If you want a camera that will happily go everywhere you go, I’d suggest investing in a GoPro for around $350. It is restricted in terms of manual options and you can’t zoom, but it’s the best option for action shots.
• For image quality and features: Sony Alpha Series. If you’re more serious about photography, then I recommend investing in a mirrorless camera system. The Sony Alpha 6000 (around $500), for example, is a fantastic camera, with a relatively large sensor, full manual controls, and interchangeable lenses, all in a reasonably compact form. There are more recent models in the Alpha 6xxx range, but I still think the original Alpha 6000 is one of the best options for travelers looking for a great camera.

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As I said at the beginning of the post, this investment is definitely one that you need to take a bit of time to think about and research. There are countless options, and you might even find that none of the above work exactly for you — which is fine! If you do all the research and decide that a DSLR is the way to go for you, then go for it! The most important thing is to pick the camera that works for you and the way you travel. Hopefully this post has helped you get a little bit closer to making that decision. Happy shooting!

Laurence started his journey in June 2009 after quitting the corporate life and looking for a change of scenery. His blog, Finding the Universe, catalogs his experiences and is a wonderful resource for photography advice! You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Flickr.

P.S. – Did you know Laurence and I run a photography course? If you are looking to master your camera and take amazing photos when you travel, Laurence and I developed a comprehensive photography course that will get you out of auto and have your friends go “Wow! That’s really breathtaking!” in no time. You feel more confident and improve your ability to take pictures from day one! Click here to learn more about it.

P.P.S. – Want to be featured on my Instagram account AND win some sweet prizes? I’m holding a contest on Instagram right now, so check out my account for the details!

The post How to Pick the Best Camera for Travel appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 24, 2017 at 03:00PM

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How to Find a Cheap Hotel Room: Sites to Use and Sites to Avoid

As much as I love hostels and other forms of cheap accommodation, there is something nice about the luxuriousness of a hotel: the clean room, comfy bed, desk, iron, strong shower, and bottled soap for the taking (errr…I mean borrowing). They are quiet, relaxing, and a respite from the world.

But luxury comes at a price. Hotels certainly aren’t cheap, and I hate spending money on a room I am only going to be in for a few hours. After all, it’s just a place to sleep (and take soap). It’s why I mostly avoid hotels — I don’t think they are a good use of money. I would much rather stay in a hostel or Airbnb, which cost less, have more social interaction, and don’t make you feel as removed from the destination you’re staying at. I always feel hotels are so isolating like a concrete bubble keeping out the place you’re visiting.

But there are times when a hotel can’t be avoided. Hostels aren’t everywhere, booking a last minute hotel room is easier than finding an Airbnb host, and sometimes you just really need a nice bed and shower. Plus, I have a ton of points so free is worth the isolation.

A few years ago, I was traveling to conferences and other work-related events a lot and staying in a bunch of hotels. I decided to see which hotel booking sites came back with the cheapest results. I picked five cities to research (London, Los Angeles, Paris, NYC, and Seattle) and stays close to the date of my research and then far in advance, on both weekdays and weekends.

I searched six booking websites — Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Hotwire, Priceline, and TravelPony — in 2-, 3-, and 4-star categories.

The conclusion? Well, there wasn’t really a great conclusion.

The overall numbers showed that some sites were stronger in certain regions or for certain classes of hotel. TravelPony was the winner in the US and for higher-class hotels, and Expedia dominated London and Paris, while Priceline was great for 2-star hotels and Hotwire for 3-star hotels. The big loser? Booking.com.

That was in 2014, and booking websites and options have changed a lot since then. The only constant in travel is that nothing is constant — and a booking website is as only good as its inventory, which, as someone who now owns a hostel that’s not listed in every booking engine, I can tell you varies widely.

So I decided to do another search. This time I searched Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Agoda, and Priceline for prices in London, New York, Paris, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and Berlin. I searched on July 3^rd for space later that week and then one month later during the weekday and weekend (prices and availability change on the weekend).

The results?

Well, the complete opposite of the previous results. Back in 2014, Booking.com was terrible, TravelPony showed promise, and Agoda was only good in Asia.

This time around the clear winner was Booking.com, followed by Agoda. Though it didn’t return the largest number of total places, Booking.com returned the largest number of cheap places – and that’s the most important thing. I found the best deals and largest variety in all the destinations I searched for on Booking. For example, in my September search in Paris, it listed over 2,300 results, including 250 2 star listings and 750 star listings (and it told me the place was over 60% booked when I searched). Agoda still had the best results in Asia (it returned 2,900 results in Bangkok compared to 2,500 for Booking) but had definitely expanded their listings around the world – it roughly tied Booking in Paris, Buenos Aires, and Sydney for overall listings, though they had fewer budget listings than Booking.

And all those other major booking websites? Well, Orbitz and Travelocity are part of Expedia and use the same database, and while they turned back a large number of results, they tilted more to the higher end of the price spectrum. And websites like Priceline and Hotwire have top-notch blind booking and bidding options that can get you a very cheap hotel (in the star category and area you want). Sometimes prices are up to 40% off. The downside? You don’t get to know the name of the hotel you’re staying in until after you have paid.

There are a lot of hotel websites and I’ve tried many over the last few years as I’ve started to book hotels more and more, but this test just proved what I already thought: for cheap accommodation, Booking.com and Agoda are just the best resources that have the largest selection of results. If you search these two companies, you’ll always find the best hotel bargains in the 1, 2m or 3 star category.

Note: Years ago, I said to skip Trivago because I found it misleading: when you went to the other sites to compare results, the hotel classes and prices were different. I found the same thing this time. I clicked over to their cheapest deals, then did the search on the website they took me to only to find out that the place Trivago listed wasn’t even in the same class I wanted — and there were better options on the redirected website. In short, I would still skip Trivago.

How to book a cheap hotel

Besides using the right booking websites, there are some hacks you can use to score the cheapest room rate possible:

Contact the hotel websites directly – If you’re booking a big-name, global-brand hotel (think Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, etc.), book directly with that hotel. They often have the best deals on their website, but if you find a better deal elsewhere, they’ll match it. The big benefit to direct bookings at these global hotel chains is that you only earn loyalty points and status when you book directly, so if you love points, don’t book their rooms elsewhere.

Bargain – Want a better deal? Call up a hotel and ask for one. Sometimes they can give you better rates, especially if it’s during mid-week on some non-peak time of the year.

Use loyalty reward programs – The best way to stay for cheap is to stay for free. Collect points with the big chains by using their branded credit cards, shopping portals, and other travel hacking methods.

Use discount rates like AAA or AARP – If you are part of the AARP or AAA you can get special rates that are cheaper. Fun fact: Anyone can join the AARP. I’m a member. They have amazing travel benefits (including deals on hotels and British Airways flights). It’s well worth the membership.

Get discounted gift cards – You can book major hotel chains with hotel gift cards. Check out a website like Giftcardgranny.com for discounted gift cards and use it to book your hotel. (Gift card purchases also count toward point earnings and status.)

Buy someone else’s reservation with Roomer – Often people can’t go on a trip and can’t cancel the reservation, so rather than lose the money, hotels put these rooms on Roomer, where they sell it at a discount to earn some money back. I’ve never used this website, but I’ve heard decent things about it. It’s worth a try.

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Hotel pricing is a lot more set than airline pricing and tends to fluctuate less. I wouldn’t spend hours searching hotel websites or days tracking prices like people do with airline prices. I’d spend, at the most, 30 minutes on booking a hotel. I found that the variation between sites isn’t enough to justify more time.

Just follow the steps above, get a great cheap room, and enjoy your trip.

P.S. – Want to be featured on my Instagram account AND win some sweet prizes? I’m holding a contest on Instagram right now, so check out my account for the details!

P.P.S. – Want to travel with me? There are only 4 spots left on my next reader tour! I’ll be taking readers on an intimate group tour of Vienna and Prague, where we will visit all my favorite sights, restaurants, bars, and off the beaten path places! Come explore the world with me!

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July 20, 2017 at 03:00PM

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Learning to Live like a Local in France

Earlier this year, I went to Paris, saw it though the lens of the 1920s, and wrote about how traveling with a theme can spice up and add focus to your trip. Narrowing your focus helps you go deeper.

Last month I went back to France and again wanted to travel with a theme. But, instead of focusing on only Jazz Age attractions, eating French food, visiting modern art museums, drinking at bars that start with the letter Q, or whatever, my theme would be a style of travel, something a little broader. I’d be traveling using only (at least when possible) the sharing economy, the term given to the plethora of websites designed to connect travelers with locals, offer more unique experiences, and make travel more affordable.

While I’ve used the sharing the economy frequently before (I am a big fan), they have never the primary focus of my entire trip. I usually add a few activities in while I’m being a normal tourist seeing the main attractions.

But this trip was going to be different. My plan was to rely on Airbnb for accommodation, Couchsurfing for meetups, BlaBlaCar for transportation, VizEat for meals, and Vayable and greeter programs (programs run by tourism boards that set you up with a local guide) for activities.

I wanted to get off the tourist trail, meet more locals, and (hopefully) learn more about a country I love so much.

But I also wondered: Would this be the best way to meet people? How much cheaper is it, really, to use only the sharing economy? Would it be more work? Would I even like using the sharing economy all the time?

So, with those questions in mind, I found myself waiting on a street corner in a random section of Paris for Justine, my BlaBlaCar driver, for the one hour ride to Orléans. I was little nervous. Not because of where I was, but because all her responses to my messages had been in French, and I was worried we wouldn’t end up talking much. I was right. After making some initial small talk with her and the other rider, we exhausted their English and my French and they just spoke French to each other while I buried my nose in a book. I can’t blame them though. It’s a lot easier to speak in your native tongue than grasp for words in a language you don’t know well.

So my two-week trip with the sharing economy began not with an exciting social bang, but a simple, polite whimper.

The rest of the two weeks? The results were mixed (and depended a lot on the service I was using).

In Orléans, my Airbnb hosts were young graphic designers, super accommodating, helpful, and had an excellent tea selection. However, they spoke little English, weren’t so keen to hang out, and mostly left me alone. But their home was beautiful. They lived in an old medieval house and I loved the ancient hardwood floors, exposed beams, and tiny staircase that gave the place a real sense of history.

In Tours, I quickly left my first place (they smoked) and found myself with Anne Marie and Patrick, an older couple who proved that the third time is often the charm. They cooked me breakfast (including adding a candle to my croissant on my birthday), and were incredibly friendly and polite. We swapped stories (they recently returned from a trip to the States and were in love with the $2 bill, Whole Foods, and the national parks) and laughed over a shared bottle of wine. To me, they embodied what Airbnb is really about and ended up extending my stay with them. (If you find yourself in Tours, I highly recommend staying with them.)

In each destination (and I went to many), I fired up the Couchsurfing app — but often found no one around to hang out with. In Orléans, Bloise, and Amboise, there was no one on the app. Sometimes Couchsurfing requires a shotgun approach, so I basically fired off emails to about a dozen hosts in Tours to see who wanted to hang out and ended meeting two people for drinks.

In Lyon, I had much better luck (it is the second largest city in France, after all). The app always showed activities and people interested in meet-ups. I had dinner with a few people, drinks with another small group, and spent a day in the park with even more. I met a local psychologist, a recent college grad touring his own country, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo (which I found to be an enlightening – and very depressing – experience), a fun Dane, and a Japanese tourist who wanted to be a farmer. They filled my time with laughter, fun, and insights.

The meal-sharing apps were hit and miss. EatWith, BonAppetour, VizEat, and AirDine always came back empty in smaller cities. There were just no hosts. I eventually found two last-minute hosts on VizEat in Lyon: one, a jazz musician, cooked me an awesome burger, and the other, a Thai guy and his boyfriend, made some delicious Thai food.

In terms of looking for fun things to do, Vayable yielded no results. I even branched out into other sites, like Withlocals and Airbnb Experiences, but those were all duds too. I was left to play the traditional tourist, though I did spend my last morning in Lyon walking around with a retired teacher from the Global Greeters program.

As for transportation, I used BlaBlaCar three times. After a few pleasantries to the driver in terrible French and English, or trying to speak in Spanish (a bridge language with a few drivers, as I spoke no French and they spoke no English), the conversation typically went silent as the driver and their passenger talked to each other in French and I found myself staring out the window or at a book.

As I left Lyon to fly back to States, I started to have mixed feelings about the sharing economy.

First, it’s not convenient. You’re dealing with people, not companies, and people have things pop up. Life gets in the way, so you can have encounter cancellations, delays, rejections, and odd meeting times. It’s not as simple as checking into a hostel or hotel or just buying a ticket for the train. You have to work around people’s schedules, which can often waste a lot of your day.

Second, it’s not always cheaper. While BlaBlaCar and Airbnb were much cheaper than traditional accommodation and transportation, listed meals tended to cost 30% or more than those found at a restaurant. And the listed tours were quite pricy too, often rivaling traditional tour companies. While there was the odd meal or activity that was cheap (though never available), the money saved using Airbnb or BlaBlaCar was eaten up (pun intended) by VizEat.

Third, it’s hit or miss. Every time we passed through a smaller town (or even a medium sized one), I would fire up the apps to see what was going on and — crickets. I probably would have had more luck if I had lined more hosts (at least on Couchsurfing) in advance but who can say?! That’s just a guess.

Finally, it’s very time consuming to research dozens of rideshares, meal hosts, tours, Couchsurfing hosts and events, and Airbnb listings. I probably spent a good eight hours altogether researching everything. It’s one thing to book one or two things using the sharing economy; it’s another to need to look through hundreds of potential Couchsurfing hosts, meals, activities, and hangouts every day.

Sidenote: One thing I didn’t like about BlaBlaCar in particular was the highways. I had envisioned this as a great way to talk (nope) and see the countryside (nope). Since most people are going from point A to point B and are in a rush, they stick to the highways. That isn’t to say this happens all the time, but I enjoyed the trains more, because I could see more of the countryside.

After using the sharing economy for two weeks, I don’t think I would devote so much of another trip to doing so. You can count me in for BlaBlaCar when I’m in expensive countries and major cities (though I would also try to find drivers who spoke English), the Couchsurfing app is going to continue to live on my phone (the hangout feature is golden), and I’ll use VizEat and EatWith in larger cities, as they led to some amazing experiences (one VizEat host took me to a French hip-hop jazz concert, and the other was just friendly as hell — and Thai, so we bonded over that!). Airbnb, despite its hiccups, is still also my preferred way to travel. I’m also not ready to fully declare the meal sharing and activity services as more expensive. They could be cheaper in other destinations. More research is required.

But, in the end, the sharing economy is not the panacea I thought it was and still has some growing pains (there should be a penalty for hosts who cancel last minute, not vice versa!). I won’t spend as much time researching and trying to find hosts or events. The time I spent sitting at my computer would have been better used outside doing something.

Yet still, for all its faults, the sharing economy is an interesting way to travel and meet locals. I may not devote an entire trip to it again but there’s no way I’ll abandon it completely.

The post Learning to Live like a Local in France appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 10, 2017 at 05:39PM

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The Science of Adventure: Why Some People Are Better at Escaping Their Comfort Zone

Everybody wants to have more exciting, interesting, and adventurous travels. It’s those epic trips that make for the best stories, the best photos, and the best memories. Wanting to find out how we can have more adventurous travels (and lives!) I sat down with scientist, influencer, adventurer, and author Jon Levy to discuss the possibility of creating more consistent adventures.

Tell everyone about yourself!
My name is Jon Levy. I am a behavioral scientist, and I specialize in understanding influence and the science of adventure. I’ve spent the last decade traveling around the world trying to understand what causes people to live fun, exciting, and fulfilling lives. What I discovered was that every adventure follows a four-stage process that can make any person’s life more adventurous. I chronicled these discoveries in a book called The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure.

What is “the 2 AM principle?” I hear nothing good happens after that time!
Nothing good happens after 2am — except the most epic experiences of your life!

The book is about my research and discoveries in the science of adventure. It includes some outrageous stories of my life: I get crushed by a bull in Pamplona. I beat Kiefer Sutherland in drunken Jenga, then he forgets that he invited me to his family Thanksgiving, which we both realize when I show up. Within 10 seconds of meeting, I convince the woman at the duty-free checkout counter in Stockholm airport to quit her job and travel with me.

When people go on adventures, they will often try to push the experience long past the point of enjoyment. As a result, they remember the experience less fondly and are less likely to participate in the future. The 2am principle is the idea that there is a clear time when you should call it a night and go to bed — or you should push onward and make the experience more “EPIC.” What do I mean by EPIC?

I discovered that every adventure follows a four-stage process: Establish, Push Boundaries, Increase, and Continue (EPIC). These stages have specific characteristics that when applied make life exciting. The best part is: anyone can use the process. In the book, I explore the science that makes this possible, so that any person can lead a more adventurous life. All they have to do is follow the process.

For example, there’s a simple idea called the peak-end rule. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson found that human beings judge an experience based on the peaks and the end, not its entirety.

Imagine that you are having one of the best dates of your life. However, at the end, your date turns to you and says the most awful thing that you ever heard. It might be something that completely contradicts your values or that you find offensive. If someone were to ask you later how your date went, you would say it was terrible. In reality, it was three hours of good and three seconds of terrible.

This means that we need to understand when to end an adventure, and when to keep going. Often you are better off ending early and on a good note. Otherwise you could end up at a pizza place at 4 in the morning trying to convince your friends to keep going. The fact is if you don’t end positively, you will remember the experience less fondly, and be less likely to participate in opportunities in the future.

What made you decide to write this book?
I think what inspired me most were movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; I wanted to understand how those characters did what they did. I wanted to understand what it would take for me to live a life that is worthy of Hollywood. I was a geek growing up — and back then, there was no such thing as a cool geek. I thought that my love of science could help me figure out how to fit in. This book is really for the ones that didn’t quite fit in, who didn’t know how to act at a party or maybe never even got invited.

Is there really a science to adventure?
Undoubtedly, yes, there’s a science to just about anything that you want to do. As a species, humans have certain universal characteristics. What excites me might be different from what excites you, but we both experience excitement. That means that we are both capable of having adventurous lives. As I define it, an adventure has these characteristics:

• It’s exciting and remarkable – The experience is worth talking about. As a species, we’ve spent millennia passing on our knowledge orally. If it’s not worth talking about, it’s not culturally relevant.
• It possesses adversity and/or risk (preferably perceived risk) – You have to overcome something. Although our brains process imminent peril (a snake biting you) differently than a perceived risk (looking over the edge of a mountain), the physical response is incredibly similar. You can participate in activities that are frightening but incredibly safe. It is the difference between climbing Everest and skydiving. Almost no one ever gets hurt skydiving.
• It brings about growth – You are changed by the experience. You will notice that in every great hero or heroine’s journey, the participant is changed from the experience. They have a greater capacity and skill set in the end compared to when they started. The true gift of an adventure is not just the stories you will tell, but the person you become in the process.

If you can do something that fulfills these characteristics, then you’ve had an adventure. For some people that might be visiting a new city; for others, it might be talking to strangers.

What is it about travelers who have adventures that is different than everyone else? Is there one shared trait?
I think the difference is our desire for novelty and our willingness to be uncomfortable. Our brains have a novelty center called the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA). Researchers Nico Bunzeck and Emrah Düzel examined this part of the brain with an MRI and found that it reacts differently when exposed to new stimuli. For instance, novelty motivates the brain to explore.

Ultimately, the size of your life is proportional to how uncomfortable you are willing to be. It is uncomfortable to leave home and our friends, to be in a new culture where you don’t know the customs, but it is exciting. Some of us have that desire for novelty and others don’t. That’s fine — we don’t all need to be the same. But if you are willing to be daring, push your comfort zone, and put yourself out there, life is a grand adventure.

How did you get into travel?
The reason I started creating ambitious travel project is about as clichéd as one can imagine. It was because of a girl. I don’t know if you have ever gone through a really bad breakup, but I did. To reward myself for getting through it in a healthy way, I decided that every month for a year, I would travel to the biggest events, no matter where they were held.

I didn’t know how I was going to pay for it. I was working a full-time job, and I didn’t even know what some of these events were until right before. After telling all of my friends, family, and even the internet that I am going to do this, I had to make it work. Within a few weeks, I was on my way to Art Basel in Miami. Soon after, I was attending the running of the bulls, Burning Man, the Cannes Film Festival, etc. Another year, I went to all seven continents. No matter what, I always set a goal that I didn’t know how I would complete.

You say you used to be a nerd. What changed for you? Was there a pivotal moment?
The first experience I had of fitting in was when I was about 15 and went to a winter camp. I started telling a story to a group I didn’t know and was surprised that they were enjoying it and laughing. I realized that I could be funny and social — I had never felt that way before.

Sometimes all you need is a little bit of positive feedback, and the next thing you know, you have a brand new confidence and your life completely changes direction.

In the book, I talk about this interesting quirk called “the winner effect.” After a win, our bodies get a jolt of testosterone (Both genders have testosterone, but women are at less risk of being effected by the winner effect, as their levels of testosterone are lower to begin with) that prepares us for the next battle or challenge. (In the wild, animals experience the same.) In boxing, fighters will take on smaller fights that they know they will be able to win to prepare for a more difficult fight. The key is to pile up smaller wins to increase your confidence for a bigger challenge.

What is the #1 thing you want people to do after they read your book?
I want everyone to take on a one-year travel challenge. I do one almost every year. Some examples of challenges I’ve done are visiting 20 countries, all seven continents, and the biggest events in the world. For readers, their goal should be whatever excites them. It should be completely absurd, and it needs to get them out of their comfort zone. I want them to push their emotional, social, or physical boundaries. The experience should make them redefine who they thought they were.

Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist, consultant, author, and expert on the topics of influence and adventure. His book, The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure, examines the process of how adventures happen – and how we can recreate them to grow and challenge ourselves. You can find him on Twitter and at his website.

P.S. – I’m currently hosting the next round of Nomadic Network meet-ups around the U.S. (and in Canada!). If you want to meet up, come check out the dates and sign up!

The post The Science of Adventure: Why Some People Are Better at Escaping Their Comfort Zone appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

July 06, 2017 at 02:47PM

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