Postcards from Paris

The Spoils of Tabaski on Shell island

jcaro — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 03:10:00 GMT

In a fit of restless ambition we made our way from Dakar to a small fishing village in the south of Senegal. We arrived early in the morning and before finding a place to stay on the mainland of Joal we decided to take the stroll over the narrow wooden bridge to the Island of Fadiouth. Our energy was immediately restored at the sight of an island made entirely from layers of mollusks. Every step you took was sounded by the alarm of tiny shells crunching beneath the soles of your feet. The shells are also seamlessly incorporated into the architecture of the island which is also a graveyard that is completely covered in empty clam homes. It is the only cemetery in Senegal where both Christians and Muslims are buried.

As time passed we realized that we were in Africa without a place to stay for the night and quickly made our way over the bridge to find accommodations. We came across a hotel “guarded” by a man sunning himself on a rickety lawn chair. We asked if he had any room available but with his limited English and our limited French/Wolof he quickly seemed confused enough to call the owner. He put me on the phone with another man I was unable to communicate with and shortly after the man I had heard on the phone was standing in front of me grinning awkwardly.

With his few words in English and my French translation book I was able to deduce that I had pulled him away from a very important family holiday preparation. He gave us a room and we apologized profusely for taking him from his family on a holiday. He seemed unfazed and invited us over to his cottage to enjoy in the spoils of Tabaski–which we soon found out was a Muslim holiday where tradition dictates that you celebrate by slaughtering a sheep.

This was apparent when we strolled past mountains of sheep heads and bloody sheep legs strewn across the beach on the way to his home. While this may seem horrific, this was one of the most unique and warmest experiences of my entire life. We spent the night communicating through laughter and charades with his family. This custom also demands that they get a new tailor made outfit, go home to their families and celebrate by eating mutton.

And eat mutton we did. We ate from a joint bowl with our hands from the same pot and the children danced to show off their new dresses to the strangers in their midst. I could not have asked for a more unique and intimate moment with strangers who invited us into their homes as family.

A Recipe For Traveling: 12 ways to save money for your big trip

jcaro — Thu, 1 Oct 2015 11:15:00 GMT

People always ask how I can afford to travel so much. How can I afford it? I just do. Travel is my priority. I chase it. I am not rich; I work in the service industry. I have student loans, dental bills, and I tend bar in the money sucking metropolis that is New York City. For nine miserable months out of the year, I work my labia off just to be able to afford the adventure: bicycling through Cambodia, horseback riding across Cuba, or mountain climbing in Tanzania. Those twelve weeks are why I suffer the other forty.

When people hear of my lifestyle, I hear things like, “I wish I had your life,” or “how do I do what you do?”

Sometimes I can’t help thinking that the grass is always greener. I travel for lots of reasons. It sets me free from myself, It releases all my inhibitions, I relax enough to see the beauty in the simplest of things, I can meet new people in a different place and because I am traveling I can be myself wholly and connect deeply.

However, I am constantly fighting with the expectation to be successful, my need to be creative, talented, and unique, and the reality that my life is never quite in balance.

Sometimes I have a goal to get to a place and I work so hard to get there that I don’t enjoy the time that I have in the here and now. I miss out on things with friends because i’m working or to tired from working.

I wanted to write a blog that would inspire every person to travel. But this isn’t Disney World, and I’m not so naïve to think that absolutely anyone can travel.

I know I am privileged. I am an American, I went to college, and I have a plethora of job opportunities outside my door. Not everyone is so lucky. There are those on this planet who have to worry about how they will feed, clothe and shelter themselves and their family. There are others with physical handicaps that are barriers to travel.

I consider myself insanely lucky that I haven’t suffered any major accidents or setbacks that have kept me from my passion, which is to see each and every curve of this planet.

And because there are so many people who aren’t so advantaged sometimes I want to slap ones who I know very well ARE and CAN travel.

As I write this, I am sitting on a couch I found on the street, and drinking shitty coffee I made before starting my fourteenth shift in a row. I have made sacrifices. But it’s worth it, because travel is my home. It is the greatest learning experience I’ve ever had, and presented me with the lesson of shut-the-fuck-up-and-listen.

It’s a lesson that I don’t think enough people have gotten and most people need. Travel has made me the person I am. I respect this girl and I don’t want to know who I would be without the footprints I have set around the world.
Life is short. If traveling is important to you and you know that if you made some adjustments in your life you could do it, then just fucking do it.

1.Don’t Pay For Space You Don’t Need

I may be more flexible than most people. I live with three boys in a row home, where I technically inhabit the living room. (I stole a door from my previous residence to create a private room. They sucked anyway). It is a very relaxed, creative, forgiving and hectic household full of vagabond artists. Because of this, subletting has never been an issue when any of us travel.

I am very happy with my living dynamic. Certain people, (I don’t know why), would not be comfortable with one bathroom. In our household, we subscribe to a policy of “All ye may enter as long as you’re not pooping and even then… shrug”.

It is important to be flexible when it comes to where you’re living. Having roommates will give you a huge gain in your savings. You can downsize your apartment, move to a cheaper neighborhood, bring in a roommate, or look into renting out a spare room on AirBnB or sublet on Craigslist. This may not be ideal for some people, but it saves a crap ton of money. And if you’ve already bought your ticket to some beautiful distant land, the cost of the trip may be easier to swallow.

2. WORK IT!

It is clear that I have a love/hate relationship with my job because while eventually I would like a less strenuous and soul crushing way of bringing home the bacon, the service industry affords me an incredible amount of flexibility:I can get shifts covered, I can pick up shifts when I need extra money, I can quit and fuck off for 3 months, and I can come back and most likely find a job.

If this doesn’t work for you, pick up a second job to spur up savings. Think about your skills, reach out to your network and let your people know you’re interested in making some extra cash. You’d be surprised how many people know somebody who knows somebody who needs a hand.

You can try:

Tutoring
Helping people move
Painting houses
CRAIGSLIST GIGS!
Have no skills? Run errands on Taskrabbit app
Retail
Dog walking
Babysitting

3. Impulse Control

I wasn’t always good at budgeting or saving money. Impulse control has always been a huge downfall of mine. I forget a shirt for work, I think, “Cool, I’ll buy one. I’m tired, I don’t feel like getting on the subway. ‘TAXI!’”

But my love of travel begged me to adjust, so I found a few creative ways to manage and save enough money to buy that plane ticket.

Stop blindly buying things you can live without. Question yourself. Do I really need that? Am I ever going to wear it again? Am I just going to use it once and then never again?

I love clothes, but I couldn’t keep buying them at the rate that I was buying them and still expect to travel. So, I started holding BYO seasonal clothing swaps for friends who eventually started bringing their friends, (who we always hoped brought new stylish clothing in to the cycle), new clothes for nothing but the price of a $10 bottle of wine.

Consider purchasing pre-worn clothes from Good Will, second-hand stores, or school or church thrift sales. With little effort, you can find low-priced, high-quality used clothing items that can be worn for many years.

Hold off buying something for 24 hours. If you still want it, then you can get it.
Search Amazon for low budget items that you need. Buy books here, too, instead of paying $15 at a big chain store. Or better yet, borrow them from a friend.

Girls! Curb manis, pedis, and waxing if you can. Just need a trim? Head to a beauty school, be a hair model and get it done for $10 instead of $80!!!!

Be prepared. Bring the things you need with you throughout the day so you’re not buying things while you go just to be more comfortable. If you know it’s going to rain don’t leave the house without an umbrella. You don’t want to have to spend $12 on your 9th one. I have an entire stand full of umbrellas … It took me awhile to learn that lesson.

4. Buy in bulk and learn to COOK!

Like most people in the city, I have a tendency to buy breakfast on the go, lunch or dinner, and when I get hungry at work or on errands.

Most of us are busy, especially in NY, where we make ourselves busier than we have to be. I never seem to have enough time, but when I am saving for a trip, I make it a point to pop on some Rick and Morty and make my meals for most of the week.
I bought a 12 pack of mason jars. I would cook for an hour or two on my day off and then pack meals into the jars that consisted of a carb, a vegetable and a protein. (recipes here)

Get a Costco card, use a friend’s or head to Trader Joes and stock up. Buy wisely so as not to waste food and in turn, waste money.

Feeding ourselves can be a leech that depletes your checking account if you let it. Go out less, make sandwiches, cook your own food, have a combined dinner party where everyone brings over a dish or a bottle of wine and prepare your lunches for the week. As I get older… I enjoy this more anyhow.

5. Get Creative

If you look at your bank or credit card statement, you might be shocked to see how much you spend on going out. You might have to put a budget on your entertainment expenses. This is not to say that you have to put a cap on your entertainment. Going out less not only helps you save money, but it also allows you to get creative with how you spend your time. (park concerts, picnics, roof projections, waterfight, sledding, building forts, story time by the fire, movie night) Have friends over for Twister instead of going out. Buying a bottle of wine for $11.99 or a box of wine for $20, (there is luckily now some very good boxed wine), and sitting on the roof to chat with a friend is cheaper than spending $12 per glass at a bar.

6. Peddle baby

I do my best to bike and walk everywhere. I got rid of my cherished Ford ‘94 Explorer long ago. It wasn’t worth the hassle between car payments, auto insurance, gas (avg price of gas now?), repairs and the dreaded parking ticket.

RETIRE YOUR TAXI WHISTLE!!! How much do you spend on taxis per day? Per week? Per month? Don’t like the numbers? It adds up. Get on your bike or get underground.
If you bike you can double that as your exercise for the day… who needs a gym, another expense SAVED.

Taking public transportation will save you buckets of money.

If it is not feasible to go public because you live in a rural area and a car is your only means of getting from point A to Point B, the alternative is to sell yours for a cheaper version and pocket the extra cash. Hell if you’re planning on traveling for a long period of time, you will only need it till then!

Want to keep your car? Think about renting out your car on RelayRides. It is the AirBNB of cars.I If you’re smart about how you rent it out, you could essentially cover your car bills for the month.

7. CUT BACK! Discipline!

Downgrading to a simpler way of life could allow you to save up for your trip without having to find extra sources of income.

You can establish a savings by putting what you spend on non-essential indulgences – beer, wine, cigarettes, designer coffee and so on – and setting aside the matching amount in a cookie jar.. If you can’t afford to save the matching amount, then you can’t afford to buy that $7 tall dirty skim latte with extra fluff and a cinnamon spritz that’s been brought in from Nicaragua. Tip: Go to Nicaragua and buy the coffee there.

Start a change jar, loose change will add up to in a few months.

Do your own laundry! Trust me. I had to cave when I realized I was spending 15-18 bucks on a load that I could be paying five or eight. I miss the crisp folding but I make do.

COFFEE!!! Coffee is a huge one. For a lot of victims I know it’s a life source. I am including myself in this. It seems like a small purchase even if it’s not a fancy coffee but $4 a cup plus $1 tip adds up. I could keep spending $150 a month on coffee or I could make my own and cover a week’s worth of expenses in Southeast Asia.

This is how I started thinking about money – in terms of days I could spend at a location. If I spent $30 on coffee that was one less day I had in Thailand. MAKE YOUR OWN!

STOP BUYING WATERBOTTLES! You are paying for something that you get FOR FREE! Get a canteen or use my favorite…. the Camelbak which is a hydration godsend… Especially when you’re hungover.

Do you need cable? (I mean we all have someone’s password to Netflix and HBOGO) Cancel it.

Make sure your calling plan matches the pattern of calls you typically make. Understand roaming charges. Get the cheapest plan.

Cancel memberships and things you don’t use. Planet fitness is the devil because you think, “OH its only $10 a month”. But then you forget you have it. Two years later you owe $240!

Pay yo shit on time instead of getting that late fee. i.e: Credit cards, phone bills, etc. This includes letting your bank go in the negative and getting that $35 fee.

Use only the ATMs of your bank or credit union. Using the ATM of another financial institution once a week could well cost you $3 a withdrawal, or more than $150 over the course of a year.

8. Don’t collect, SELL!!!

There must be a TON of stuff that you are hoarding in your attic that you will NEVER use again. Have a yard sale. Have nice clothes you’re never going to wear again? Amazon… EBay… consignment shops, bye! I just sold a small camera that I never use for $100. That could buy me food for days in Central America. More if I’m careful.
Get rid of it.

9. Cheap Fares

I live on Skyscanner, Kayak, Skiplagged and Hipmunk. I’m constantly perusing the apps for deals. If you don’t have a specific place that you want to go, that’s better. You can find insanely cheap places all over the world. I recently just saw a ticket to South America for $300. I went to Thailand once for $800 because it was the rainy season. (It was still AMAZING). It included a seven hour layover in Jordan, which turned out to be the best part of my trip.

The idea that traveling is always expensive is ludicrous. There are places you can go and travel for under 40 bucks a day. Realistically I am aware that not everyone WANTS to or can travel for an extended period of time and in the way that I am accustomed to. Not that I travel in squalor, but I have taken a poop in more wooden huts with poop filled holes in the floor than I can count. So even if you’re not sleeping on the floor of a monastery staring down a big grey (non-poisonous) spider, I still want to see you out there traveling.

But again, you don’t have to be rich or have three months off a year to take a vacation.

10. Buy tickets ahead of time

It forces you to start saving. I buy a one way ticket and keep an eye on flights home when I start running low. Once you have bought the ticket the idea that you are going on an adventure becomes a reality. You’ve made the promise to yourself. There is no more room to say, “Meh, I’ll figure it out tomorrow” because every day is a plan of attack for your upcoming journey. You make it work. You find solutions.
It is scary, but mostly exciting!

11. Take advantage of economical downfalls

I know this makes me sound like an asshole. But if you can only travel cheaply, this is the way to go. If anything, you are contributing to their economy through tourism. i.e. Greece (more)

There are places in SE Asia that you can travel for under $20 USD a day if you lay off the booze. In Tanzania I could find a place to rest my head (safely) for $3 USD. In Nicaragua I could find a meal for $5 USD.

Once you get going you become accustomed to stretching your dollar. Europe is going to cut your length of time in half and places like Ecuador are going to afford you much more time.

12. Get a Travel credit card

I use AMEX Jetblue and I freaking adore it! I charge EVERYTHING ON IT, and then IMMEDIATELY pay it off online. That way, I am constantly accruing miles and reward points on everyday purchases. If you can use it responsibly and properly it can be a great traveling asset to get some free flights (Don’t get caught up in debt. it’s not magic money).

These are all just guidelines for making adjustments to your own life. You know what you spend your money on. You know what you need and what you can live without. Learn to simplify! If you’re an excel buff, (which I am not), and you want to get real serious you can list out your expenses as you go.

This is how I live. It may not work for everyone, but if you think about it, there is usually a solution within a compromise. Sacrifices need to be made but when you step off that plane and realize how unhooked you feel from your life, it is worth almost everything. Learn how to disconnect and freely indulge yourself where nobody knows your name… yet.

I know it is scary. I’m always racked with fear and excitement when I push my sweaty index finger to that confirm flight button .You’re going to be afraid about finances. You have to be willing to do it anyway. And chances are you’ll be hooked.
I know when I look back on how I spent my money on traveling and experiences instead of living room furniture it will make me smile with fulfillment.

You’re going to hit snags, but you’ll figure it the fuck out. You’ll meet people that will change your life, eat things you never dreamed of, and do things you could have never imagined.

Traveling can challenge you in ways you never expected. It will make you a stronger, more confident, open minded and compassionate human. And if you’re lucky you’ll get to fist bump a monkey.

In the words of Nike and Shia Labouef “JUST DO IT!” Because you don’t want to be the person who said I wish I could have when you could have and can.

Go on…. Get lost.

Why I Wander

jcaro — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:44:00 GMT

I've always been a traveler. It's in my DNA. My aunt says I was always good at packing up my cow shaped purse with Barbie dolls and moving from house to house.

I've always been an explorer with itchy feet, I only feel at home when I'm unpacking my backpack in a new location. I am restless often because I want to go on an adventure and when that's not possible I feel trapped.

I will beg borrow and steal to get to a dot on the map just because I saw something beautiful in a magazine or heard a cool tale. I want to sit down to dinner with strangers and hear their stories, eat their food, climb their mountains and fist bump their monkeys.

I want to see every fold of this planet so asking what my dream destination would be, would be everywhere else tomorrow.

Photos: Myanmar

jcaro — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 06:51:00 GMT

Andrew is a Unicorn

jcaro — Mon, 7 Sep 2015 14:55:57 GMT

It took me longer to discover my happy place. Longer than it takes most. I started to realize that my sole purpose for returning to NY was to fund my next adventure. Traveling is the only time I feel like i'm home. If I wake up in a forest and don’t know which direction I’ll head first, that’s a perfect morning.

I will beg, borrow and steal to get to a dot on a map that I read about one time. I think something crazy like "I want to see a sloth" zero in on that, obsess over it and then find myself on Ometepe island a few months later. I haven't seen a sloth yet but i'm on the case.

I'll sleep where most people won't, I'll climb something, try anything, and do everything. I want to say yes where people say no. I want to hear the stories that people didn't care to listen to, I want to see the things people were too afraid to see and show people what they shouldn't be missing.

Since my friend passed away theres been a shift in my outlook. I've always been an ambitious traveler but this was something more tremendous. It was a wake up and stop wasting time kind of message. Do what you do best, do what you love, stop stalling. Tell your stories, take your video and go!

Traveling is who I am, its in my DNA, telling stories with my camera is something i've always unconsciously done and that is how I would like to sustain myself. Right after I take over the world.

Its Turtle Time in Xpu Ha!

jcaro — Tue, 26 May 2015 17:44:25 GMT

For reasons I don’t understand I’ve found that most peoples idea of a relaxing holiday does not mean digging a two foot hole in the sand with your hands. If only people knew what kind of experiences they could fall into if they stepped away from the itinerary. Seriously step away from the itinerary.

On this particular trip thats exactly what happened.

Air BnB settled us in Chan Cheymuil, Mexico next to the house of a determined Oklahoman woman, Rozanne, who moved there to save sea turtles. My two girlfriends and I latched on with a coo. She obliged our incessant pleas to tag along the beaches of Xpu Ha where she and Guillermo, the mother Theresa of turtles, had created a nursery to increase the percentage of hatchlings that reach the ocean. The luminosity of new residences and businesses mimic the moonlight and, distract turtles from their innate survival path--to go seaward.

After witnessing two nests of turtles hatch I was hooked on becoming Rozanne and Guillermo's protege after a morning of sand digging, relocating eggs and chauffeuring tiny turtles. My friends flew home to Philadelphia and I stayed on, superglued to the volunteer duo - running for stakes, carrying buckets, and cleaning ant ravaged nests. I gave them no choice but to induct me into the group.

On my last night at Xpu Ha beach with Guillermo we led a mission of fifteen curious tourists to experience this emancipation. By the time we had reached the sand, gusts of a spawning hurricane sent thirteen of the hopeful turtle watchers fleeing back to their rooms. And then there were two: Guillermo...and myself. He checked in with me but, my definitive nod charged us on our way. The adrenaline rush empowered us to slice through the rain like machetes. We hatched over five hundred turtles -our eyes wide as the tiny reptilians finned their ways through eggshell.

Even premium ponchos would have kept us dry. Lightning flickered, teasing the bioluminescent plankton that glowed between my toes. Within a few feet of the tide we primed our Lagerheads and Blancas for release. The cutest army you'll ever see teetered their way toward the moon's reflection on the Gulf of Mexico. A cuteness offset by the improbable journey to adulthood.

It was after this trip that I realized to trust my gut, especially when it comes to traveling. Buy the one way ticket and see what happens. For me it was jumping out of bed at 6 AM to Guillermo outside yelling, “We have turtles!”.

My Scholarship entry - Seeing the world through other eyes

jcaro — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:28:21 GMT

Paris holds its alluring attributes despite having to share it with everyone else. It’s truly magical. Cliché? Oui! True? Oui! People expanding and compressing accordions down by the Seine, the architecture breathing elegance and the food just belongs in your mouth.

Walking down the rue seeking out a specific book, maÎtre d’s welcoming me, a woman resting on a crimson piano, dancers spinning the floral wings of their dresses and a pig roasting with a charred apple in a corner window. A man leans out of his blue shuttered windows to tend to blooming flower box bouquets.

Journeying past a few people practicing Capoiera in the sun, stopping only to take a photo of the cow mural near them. At first I wasn’t sure I understood but it became clear that 3 young French girls were suggesting I include them in the picture when she giggled and said “I look like a cow no?” I laughed and obliged.

The twilight of Paris is consuming. Tourists and natives alike congregate on steps, around fountains, under columns or pause in transition to look up and glimpse the soft yellow yawn rescind allowing the glittery blue to softly blanket over the city. I watched from the travertine stone of the Sacre Coeur. Her pearly whites, blackening in the corners despite the fact that it exudes calcite to ensure the Basilica remains free of wear and tear.

Paris at day and night is fast and slow, chaotic and sedate, anxious and beautiful. Flowers call out to you from little plots of dotted grass with graceful statues that dance and wink. When the traffic hurts your ears you can dip on to a side street and read a book under a shaded archway with vines that glance over your shoulder. Paris dares you not to see its beauty and when a boy asks you to dance in the middle of a busy walkway while he sings in his deep French accent, to not find it utterly what it is, romantic.