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Monday, December 26, 2011

"knapsacking abroad"

Today my family and I went to my grandmother's house. We're in the process of cleaning it out so that she can sell it and move into an assisted living home. This seems like a daunting task, and it has definitely been a challenging and emotional process, but there is a bright side. And that bright side is basically that I get to go through all of her awesome stuff from the 1960's and take what I want. (Vintage stand mixer, anyone?!) So I was in my dad's old bedroom and was rummaging through the bookshelf when I found this gem from 1967 --



It's called Knapsacking Abroad. My dad told me that he bought it when he was a senior in high school, which made me giggle. Now I don't need to wonder where I got that travel bug from.
Most of the advice is incredibly outdated. Take this choice selection, which answers the pressing question, "Isn't This the Beatnik Way of Travel?" --


But I've been getting a kick to see how travel has changed over the last forty years, but it's also amazing to see how the impetus for travel hasn't really changed much. There's also a whole chapter on saving money and preparing for travel. Those steps have remained remarkably similar. Start by "Gathering Information" and "Accumulating Funds," followed by "Acquiring Documents." (It's a little disheartening to realize that the visa process hasn't really gotten much easier over all of these decades, for the record.) Finish with "Winding Up Affairs" and "Packing." I love knowing that I'm not the only one out there itching for an adventure, and it's even more comforting to know that thousands - if not millions - of others have also suffered from wanderlust, sometimes even enough to purchase this book.

I leave you with this quote, regarding facial hair while traveling. Potential suitors (and current boyfriend), please take note --


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