New here but not to the desire to travel - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

StPatricksday · 09-12-2007, 11:36 PM

Hello, This is my first post here. This site looks HUGE to me, hope I can find my way around!! I figured I'd stop in and say hi. I have not traveled much, just to places within the USA (and never farther than one state over!) But have also been to England and Wales (when I was 16). That was the most fun I'd ever had! I learned a lot about myself in those 11 days and came home with refined attitude and a secret love of independent travel (even though I was with a bunch of other people at or exactly a year younger than me for school) Since then I've been plotting (yes plotting) my next Great Adventure! I say plot because I can't tell the rents... They think there's something wrong and terribly messed up in my head because I've expressed interest in traveling alone (NO ONE in their right mind travels alone, foreign people just WAIT for girls traveling alone to rape them and steal their things!). **** em! I don't need a companion to be happy and safe! (If you ACT like a tourist, then of course you'll be treated like one!) So with that said, I am taking the initial steps to having my next Great Adventure very quietly. I plan on backpacking it, camping as much as possible along the way. I plan on being gone for as long as it takes me to walk from the southern most point to the northern most point! Right now I'm about to start college. That's ok, I need to establish a regular income and get all the details straightened out. But anyway, thanks and I hope to post here on a regular basis! Oh, and not to confuse anyone, St. Patrick's Day is my user name though I am very much a girl!

**travelpunk** · 09-12-2007, 11:44 PM

Well, you rebel you, welcome to the boards

!

Seriously, you'll feel right at home here as there are lots of backpackers here that have traveled solo.

This is the warmest community online...in my humble opinion, of course...

**TheJake** · 09-12-2007, 11:50 PM

Heyo! Welcome to tpunk! We'd love to help you in your subversive travel plans!

**mooloo** · 09-13-2007, 02:12 AM

Welcome to TPunk!!!

These people are friggen awesome, you'll learn heaps and make some awesome friends!!!

How long until you plan to get ya groove on in the backpacking world?

**aliz** · 09-13-2007, 02:33 AM

hello! welcome! i may be going mad but did you say where your great adventure will be taking place? I'm hoping you didn't say it, then i wouldn't be going mad. if so, oh well, we all knew it anyway. umm yes welcome!

**lauren313** · 09-13-2007, 02:43 AM

Hey there, nice to have you on board! Hope you find everything you're looking for here, I'm sure you will!

**expatben** · 09-13-2007, 02:43 AM

Welcome!!! You'll find your way around no problem!

**MeTurk** · 09-13-2007, 03:28 AM

Welcome to the board, your never really alone. Every plane or train I've been on was packed with people.

Since it's been brought up I'd like to tell everyone that the Catholic church has offically moved paddys day to the 15th of march (normally the 17th). Events normally held on the 17th will be going ahead as normal, so basically from now on we'll have two St.Patrick days.

StPatricksday · 09-13-2007, 05:09 AM

Thanks for all the welcomes! Japan is the country of choice for this Great Adventure but I think it will be at least a couple of years before I am able to do it.

**joe7f** · 09-13-2007, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StPatricksday

Thanks for all the welcomes! Japan is the country of choice for this Great Adventure but I think it will be at least a couple of years before I am able to do it.

Welcome to the boards!

Japan is a great country to travel in! You'll have a great time!

Don't let people scare you off with how expensive it is. Frequently they were on business and that makes a huge difference. For example, a colleague spent 500 dollars on a train ticket from Kyoto to Hiroshima. I spent less than that for a rail pass. He had a business visa, I had a tourist one

Learning some nihongo (start with Katakana) will help you enormously as the English fluency ranges from pretty good to almost nothing. I did a trip through Tokyo-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Tokyo in May so if you have any questions let me know

--Joey

**freespiritz** · 09-13-2007, 06:29 AM

Welcome to the boards and I'm glad you plan to swell the ranks of female solo travelers who know better than to believe that we'll get raped and murdered on the road!