Unless you’ve been freelancing for a while, chances are that at some point you’ll need to tell your boss and the people you work with that you’re leaving. Your colleagues may be surprised at your decision to travel - some may think you’re mad to be throwing away the security of a regular pay check, but most will probably admit that you’re doing what they always wish they had. You may even inspire a few to follow your example and leave on an adventure of their own.

When preparing to leave your job it’s important to plan for the least disruption to the people around you as possible. If you hate your job and can’t wait to throw the towel in, it may be very tempting to disappear overnight or tell your boss exactly what you think of him before you leave but you never know when you might need that reference. Being sensitive to the needs of the company you work for may open doors for you in the future - you may even be offered the chance to work remotely or come back to your job if things don’t work out. It pays to be professional, however excited about your trip and fed up with your current situation you may be.

Ensure you give your manager plenty of warning that you’ll be leaving. You may only have a 4 week notice period or less, but giving a longer notice period will allow them more time to find a replacement for you, start planning to distribute your workload to other members of the team and generally prepare for your departure.

Explain your reasons for leaving. Your boss may be shocked that you’re giving up your job for such a frivolous reason or they may be pleased that you’re leaving in order to ‘live the dream’ rather than because you can’t stand working there and can’t wait to leave. If your decision to leave was prompted by other reasons that made you unhappy in your job then you should take the chance to explain this in a fair and balanced way. It may be hard to remain objective but getting angry and leaving on a bad note will only burn bridges and possibly make things difficult for you in the future. Choose your phrasing carefully - “Recently I’ve not been finding my work challenging and feel it’s time for me to make a change” sounds better than “I’ve been getting really bored and I can’t take it any more!”

Be professional. It may be tempting to start winding down once everyone knows you’re leaving but if there’s work to be done, make sure you finish it properly before you leave. Do a proper handover with your colleagues or replacement before you finish working and consider writing up a handover manual that can be referred to when you’re gone.

Be flexible. You need to be prepared for the possibility that you may be offered an incentive to stay. Don’t be too suprised if you’re offered a payrise or a sabbatical. Take time to consider these offers before you turn them down or snap them up - will a payrise really make your job bearable enough to stay for a year? Will you be content with travelling for six months and then returning to your job? On the other hand if your travel plans aren’t set in stone, it may be worth staying a little longer if this will enable you to save a lot of money - it will come in handy when you have no regular income!

And finally… try not to gloat too much. your colleagues will soon get sick of hearing how you’ll be sitting on a tropical beach in a few months time!

If you’re still lacking courage, try reading Penelope Dullaghan’s story of how she resigned from her day job to become a freelance illustrator - very inspiring for those of us still chained to a desk!

I am currently on the verge of buying the laptop I’ll be taking with me on my travels. I currently work from a shuttle desktop pc which, compact as it is, is obviously not suitable for taking backpacking. I also have an old battered ibook which I dropped and broke the hinges on - it’s not in a fit state to take out of the house, let alone on a round the world trip. So this brings me to the task of choosing a laptop with travel-friendly attributes.

These include:

Light - possibly the most important factor in your decision-making. You really don’t want to be carting around a lead weight. Once you’ve had a backpack on your back for a couple of hours you’ll be glad of every possible ounce of weight you can save. It’s now possible to get fully-functional laptops that weigh under 1kg. Remember to add in the weight of power adapters and accessories. The lightest laptop around is purported to be the Toshiba Portégé R500, weighing in at 779g and there are several more around the 1kg mark, including the new breed of ultra portable notebooks - the Asus Eee pc the Acer Aspire One and the MSI Wind.

Cheap - expensive equipment will up your travel insurance and you’ll be constantly worrying about it being stolen or broken. Spend as little as you can to get the technology you require. Luckily laptops are constantly coming down in price and it’s easy to get a decent spec machine for under £300 ($600 or probably less in the US). Go second-hand if you can and you’ll be less paranoid about scratching it or dropping it.

Tough - changes are you’ll be throwing your laptop around in your bag a lot, operating it in extreme temperatures or humid conditions, getting sand and insects in it, using it as a pillow, bashing it off the table when you can’t get wireless to work etc etc… Some of the new thin and light laptops look sexy but I doubt their durability. You’re much better off getting something ugly and tough. Panasonic’s ToughBook range are designed to be thrown around/stamped on/blown up but there’ll be a model from most of the major company’s lines that will be suitable for general travel and not mind being bashed around a bit. Check reviews and message boards for the models you’re interested in to see how they fare after a few months of abuse.

Long battery-life - you’ll probably be separated from a power source at many points during your travels. There’s nothing more frustrating than carrying round the dead weight of a powerless laptop that you can’t use. Look at battery life when you’re comparing different models and weigh this up against the cost and weight factors mentioned above. Probably a good idea to bring along a spare battery too.

As I’m leaning towards one of the new linux-based ultra-portables, I thought it would be useful to draw up a comparison chart of the higher spec versions of the 3 main contenders:

	Eee PC 901	Acer Aspire One	MSI Wind
Screen resolution	1024 x 600	1024 x 600	1024 x 600
Weight	1140g	995g	1100g
Size	226 × 22.9 × 175.3 mm	249 x 29 x 170 mm	260 x 19 x 180 mm
Storage	20 GB	120 GB	80 GB
Battery life	4.2 - 7.8 hours	3 hours	3 hours
Price (dependent on RAM and other specs)	£300	£250	£330

To me, it’s looking like the Acer Aspire One is the best value for specs against price but take some time to do the research and decide what laptop is the best for your budget and requirements. Happy hunting!

What you pack for your trip will depend on where you’re going, the type of places you’ll be staying (hotels/hostels/camping) and the activities you plan on undertaking. A packing list for a trekking trip through the Amazon rain-forest will look very different to a list for a beach holiday in Thailand.

In any case, the most important thing to remember when packing for any trip where you’ll be doing a fair amount of travelling is to keep it light and minimal. You may have heard the rule to lay out everything you plan to take and then ditch half of it - nice idea but I’ve never found this to be possible in reality. Much better to start out realistically, pack light and if you’re not sure whether or not to bring a particular item, it’s probably best to leave it. You can pick most things up on the road anyway.

Write down everything you want to take and then cross it off your list. This stops you from packing unnecessary items that you might unconsciously sneak in at the last minute and prevents you from forgetting anything. I loathe packing and am renowned for leaving it until the very last minute - this has resulted in some rather disappointing oversights, such as forgetting my camera when I went to China. An extra half hour or so making a definitive list is well worth the effort.

Following is a generic packing list for a backpacking trip that you can use to base your own list on. Tailor it to your own requirements and try to resist the temptation to put three times as much clothing in - you’ll only regret it later!

• Backpack - try on several and find the one that is most comfortable for you when it’s full. Decent backpacks are expensive and it’s really not worth skimping here if you want to save your back and your sanity. The smaller the better really (so you’re not tempted to pack more to fill it!) - somewhere in the region of 40 - 60 litres, depending on your personal requirements, is probably about right.
• Clothing - if you can afford it, go for the specialist travel or outdoor activity clothing that is made from tech fabrics. They are quick drying, wick sweat away from your body, wrinkle-resistant and some even provide UV and mosquito protection. In general, stay away from cotton (jeans in particular) as it takes forever to dry and once it gets sweaty it stays sweaty and smells. Not really what you want in a tropical climate. Your clothing list might looks something like this:
  • 2 x t-shirt, or 1 t-shirt and one short sleeved travel shirt
  • 1 x tank/vest top
  • 1 x shorts
  • 1 x long trousers
  • 1 x skirt (for girls)
  • 1 x long-sleeved top
  • 1 x micro-fleece
  • 1 x light waterproof jacket
  • 1 x pair socks
  • underwear
  • swimsuit
  • sarong (can be used as a towel, to sit on, as a skirt, shoulder-wrap and multitude of other uses)
  • 1 x pair walking sandals
  • 1 x hat or bandanna.
• Toiletries - bring small bottles and replace them as you go along. Lush make several varieties of shampoo and shampoo/conditioner bars which are great for travel as they are lighter than bottles and last for ages. Don’t forget sunscreen and use a high factor - don’t underestimate the sun when you’re near the equator. Baby wipes are useful on plane journeys and when you don’t have access to a shower. Don’t bring your entire makeup kit, whatever you do - I guarantee you won’t use it. Put everything in ziploc bags and find a decent toiletries bag with a hook. Bring tweezers and a small pair of scissors. Vaseline works as lip balm and to prevent blisters.
• First aid kit - band-aids, bandage, antiseptic cream, antihistamines, paracetamol, bite-relief cream, diarrhoea medicine, water purification tablets, malaria pills, tiger balm.
• Essential documents - money, tickets, passport! Also visas, insurance information, useful and emergency phone numbers and a copy of your itinerary. Take photocopies of everything and leave them with a friend or relative or keep a virtual copy in your email inbox.
• Daypack - bring a small pack that you can fit a water bottle, guide book and a few other items in and use as hand luggage on planes.
• Travel towel - specialist travel towels are light, fold down small and dry quickly.
• Silk sheet sleeping bag - light, comfortable and protect you from dodgy-looking hotel beds. You can get them cheap on ebay.
• Torch - for finding your way in the dark and reading in hostel dorms.
• Pocket knife - you don’t need one with a million different tools - a small blade, bottle opener, corkscrew and can opener should cover most eventualities.
• Clothes line - you can buy special travel clothes lines with hooks or suckers to attach to the wall and twisted cord so it’ll hold your clothes without pegs. Or just bring a lenght of nylon cord.
• Lighter and candle - for power-cuts and setting fire to things.
• Mosquito net and coils - needed if you’re camping or staying in basic accommodation in rural areas.
• Plug adaptor - essential for items below…
• Gadgets - camera, mp3 player and laptop if you plan to work from one while you’re travelling. You may also want to bring a mobile phone but get a local sim or use it only in emergencies unless you have money to throw away on huge phone bills.
• Books - travel guide for the first country you’re visiting. Ditch it or swap it when you leave. Do the same with a reading book.
• Travel journal - write about your travels, sketch, collect tickets, jot down email addresses of people you meet. Get artistic - a physical journal is much nicer to look back at than a blog. Have a look at the moleskinerie flickr group or read Everyday Matters for some inspiration.
• Miscellaneous items - superglue, duct tape and sewing kit for fixing things, Ziploc and supermarket plastic bags, ear plugs, cheap watch with alarm, money belt.

You’ve planned your route, bought your ticket and you’re all set to go but even the most carefree souls will have some preparation work to do before they can hop on that plane. It’s best to write a checklist of things that need sorting out at least three months before departure - six months would be better if you’re particularly organised. This way you can make sure everything is sorted before you go and you won’t be rushing around panicking in the last few weeks. The list below isn’t definitive but it will give you a starting point for your own list, whatever your circumstances.

1. Passport and visas - make sure that your passport will be valid for at least six months by the end of your trip - many countries won’t let you enter if your passport is due to expire. Make a list of the countries you’re visiting and check their visa requirements. Remember there will be a fee for your visas and this should be accounted for in your trip budget. Visa application can be a lengthy process so don’t leave it until the last minute!
2. Vaccinations and medical requirements - visit your doctor or local travel clinic for advice on vaccinations, anti-malarials and other medical considerations. The NHS fit for travel website (geared towards UK citizens but useful information for everyone) will give you an idea of what to expect in each country. If you’re in the UK, be aware that not all vaccinations will be available on the NHS and you could easily be looking at a few hundered pounds to get a full course. It’s best to arrange your vaccinations well in advance - some courses, eg. the Hepatitis B vaccine, take six months to complete. Visit your dentist for a checkup too.
3. Insurance - take out a specialist round the world or backpackers insurance policy. Make sure you have enough cover for cameras, ipods and laptops. If you’re going to be doing any extreme sports (and this is more likely than you may think once you’re travelling!) make sure you’re covered for that too. There are various comparison sites that will help you to find the best policy to suit you - try moneysupermarket for a start.
4. Leaving your home - if you own your home, decide if you’re going to sell it or rent it out while you’re away. If you rent, find out how much notice you need to give and put a reminder note in your calendar. If you’re sharing with housemates, give them plenty of time to find a replacement for when you leave. You’ll also have to make arrangements to either put your belongings into storage or sell or give away as much as you can before you go.
5. Pets - ask around friends and family for anyone willing to take care of your pets while you’re away. Remember that looking after an animal while you’re away for a year is a big commitment and you may not have a lot of volunteers, so start looking early. If you’re stuck you could try advertising in local classifieds. Use your local animal shelter as a last resort - their main priority is stray and abandoned animals and being put in this environment is likely to stress your pet. Make sure your pet is healthy and up to date with vaccinations before you leave.
6. Job - check your notice period and decide when to let your colleagues know you’re leaving. It will usually be appreciated if you give a longer notice period so that a replacement can be arranged before you leave, but don’t do this if your boss is likely to fire you on the spot! Try not to make everyone sick with your constant talk of travels (difficult I know!).
7. Money - work out a rough daily budget for each country so you’ll know when you’re overspending and can cut back before it’s too late. Think about how you’re going to access your money while you’re away and maybe set up a new account or apply for a new credit card. Ideally you should be using a card that won’t charge you for spending abroad. Take two credit cards if you can - they’re useful for emergencies if nothing else and it’s always good to have a spare.
8. Stock up - make a list of everything you’re taking with you (I’ll be writing a post on packing soon). Keep an eye out in outdoor and travel shops for items on sale. Buy things gradually over a few months and you won’t be rushed into buying expensive and unsuitable items at the last minute.
9. Tieing up the loose ends - remember to pay all your final bills, cancel your phone contract, stop your direct debits, change addresses for bank accounts etc. to your parents or a friend’s address, make sure everyone knows you’re leaving and how to contact you.
10. Have an amazing leaving party and enjoy your trip!

If you’re travelling on a budget it is inevitable that at some point in your travels you will have to share a bedroom with one to several strangers, in a variety of levels of comfort. This will be nothing new to the regular budget traveller, however if you’re preparing for your first round the world trip more used to package holidays in standard hotels and have little to no experience of sharing your sleeping quarters with strangers, it may come as somewhat of a shock.

I have stayed in my fair share of hostel dorms and in the most part it is a positive experience. You definitely have more opportunities to meet people when you’re sharing a room with them; you can get travel hints and tips, exchange travel stories, swap books and borrow other items. And of course the price can’t be beat (except in various parts of the world where it is perfectly possible to get a private room with bathroom for less than £1 a night).

There have of course been some unpleasant experiences:

• The room I stayed in Boston with the loudest snoring woman ever. I got no sleep for 2 nights.
• The hostel in New York that put me in a room with a woman who smelled so badly of rotten meat that it woke me up in the middle of the night.
• The hostel somewhere in British Columbia (Victoria I think) where I ended up in a dorm of about 30 beds, sleeping above a crazy woman who spouted a non-sensical monologue all night.
• The room I stayed in Reykavik where 17 year old girls would wake me up at 4am on their way back from clubbing and I’d then be woken again a couple of hours later by someone rustling plastic bags for half an hour.

Bad experiences are of course the exception, rather than the rule and I’d definitely recommend dorm rooms as a cheap and sociable option for solo travellers. There are a few tips I can pass along however that may help you avoid having a bad night and swearing off hostels for good.

1. Take earplugs or listen to your mp3 player if you prefer. It’s inevitable that someone will snore, people will come back drunk in the middle of the night and people will get up early and make a lot of noise packing. Block at noise as much as you can to get some decent sleep.
2. Be considerate. If you’re mindful of other people then they are more likely to do the same for you. This includes packing your bag the night before you leave if you have an early start, or dragging things out in the corridor so you don’t disturb sleeping dorm mates (see no. 1)
3. Be friendly. Say hello, ask where your bunk mates have travelled from and where they’re going to, take the time to find out a bit about them. It’s very easy to make friends in shared accommodation but you have to put in the effort.
4. Don’t leave valuables in the dorm, unless they’re locked away in a suitably secure locker. Don’t advertise the fact that you have a laptop or any other expensive gadgets. However friendly everyone may be, remember that they’re still strangers.
5. Check if the hostel you’re staying in has mixed or single sex dorms and request the type of room you’d prefer. If you’re a female solo traveller you may prefer to stay in an all-girls dorm (although i have never had any problems with mixed dorms). If you’re travelling with a boyfriend/girlfriend or friend of the opposite sex, you’ll probably want to stay in the same room if possible, so check this before you book.
6. Before you book a hostel, check reviews on sites like hostelworld.com. You can’t tell from a website if a hostel is any good or not and it’s a good idea to get some honest opinions before you commit. Message boards like the Lonely Planet thorntree forum are also good for recommendations.

There are many other possible ways to make your dorm room experience a more comfortable one, however half the fun of hostelling is figuring them out for yourself! I wish you happy and snore-free dorm rooms… and if you do end up sharing a room with a sociopath or a serial-snorer, at least you’ll have some stories to tell when you get home!

Great things happen when you just decide you’re going somewhere, buy a plane ticket and worry about it later. My favourite method for buying tickets is to sing to myself “La la, I can’t hear you”, as I type my credit card no. in, which works suprising well to silence my ’sensible’ side.

However when planning a round the world trip or a multi-stop ticket, a little planning is well advised to ensure you make the most of the time and money you have available to you (of course if someone offers you a free one-way ticket to china tomorow, you should take it, run and don’t look back!)

1. Think about where you want to go - write up your dream list. It might not be practical to do everything in one trip but it’s a starting point for a more structured itinerary. My dream destination was Tibet so I started planning my rtw trip with a starting point of Tibet and Nepal. At the time I booked my ticket, the political situation in Tibet meant travel there was impossible. So I started thinking about other alternatives and ended up booking an overland trip through India to Nepal - even though India was somewhere I’d never considered before. Now it looks like I might be going to India and Tibet - a bit of brainstorming away from your dead-set destinations could make wonderful things happen! If you’re stuck for a bit of inspiration, try a few hours browsing around the lonely planet website or some travel blogs - I can recommend Solbeam and Me-Go for a start.
2. Think about how long you want to travel for - you might not have a clue but it helps to have a rough idea - a couple of months? a year? longer? are you taking a career break and coming back to your job or are you trying to escape the rat race for good? Are you going to visit the top destinations of the countries on your list and move on or do you want to settle in and get the real feel of how it is to live somewhere and maybe stay put for a month or more? Not an easy thing to decide until you get there maybe but it will affect…
3. How much money do you need? It’s very helpful to work out a rough daily budget for the places you intend on visiting before you leave and then you’ll know how much you need to save up before you go or how long you can stay in each place before your money starts running out. You can always top this up by working as you go along if necessary but trust me, you won’t be a happy bunny if you end up spending all your money 3 months into a year long trip! Your daily budget will depend on where you are and how extravagantly you’re living. You can get by in Southeast asia on a few pounds a day if you’re staying in the cheapest accommodation, eating street food and only enjoying the nightlife occassionaly. On the flipside, if you’re staying in average hotels in Europe, going out most nights and eating in restaurants, you could easily spend £100 a day (Tip - don’t go to Iceland if you’re on a budget!)
4. When do you want to leave? - this is dependent on several factors:
   • The places you’re going: It’s best not to visit India during the Monsoon season or The Caribbean during Hurricane season, so try to factor this into your plans when you’re deciding on your itinerary.
   • Your committments before you leave: This may be work or personal related. I had several things I wanted to be in the UK for, such as a friend’s wedding, before I left on my trip. You may also be restricted by rental contracts and various other things. Make sure you take these all into consideration and plan a realistic leaving date.
   • The amount of money you need to save: work out how much you can save per month. Take your total rough trip budget, as calculated above and divide it by your monthly savings - this is how long you’ll need to save until you have enough money. If this seems too long, you can speed it up by making more money! See my previous post for some ideas.
5. Decide on your route - once you’ve worked out where you want to go, when you want to be there and how long you can afford to stay there, you should have a rough idea of your route. It’s best to put your stops in one direction around the globe, as zigzagging back and forth can add a lot to the price of your tickets. Your travel agent will be able to advise you on different variations of route and you may be able to add in a few extra stops for around the same price ticket.
6. Buy your ticket - Get a few different quotes before you go ahead and book. There are several companies specialising in RTW tickets and you will probably get wildly differing quotes. STA Travel are a popular company for RTW travel and have lots of offices so it’s easy to go in and talk to someone face to face. Don’t assume they’ll be the cheapest though! Trailfinders is another popular company, offering a range of RTW tickets. Remember that the cheapest ticket may not always be the best deal - check that you can change your dates while you’re travelling and if there is a charge for this. You may want to arrange overland trips to coincide with your flight times and it will be easier to do this through one company that can arrange both. I booked my ticket through a company with Travel Nation and I’ve been very happy with them so far - they’ve dealt with all my queries quickly, sorted me visas and accommodation, incorporated my slightly unusual route and saved me several hundred pounds on my ticket.

As I’m currently pulling out all the stops in my attempt to save up for an extended round-the-world trip, I thought I would write a little guide to saving money for travel (of course this advice could be used if you’re saving for anything). Most of these tips can also be used while you’re on the road and a bit of extra cash when you’re without a regular salary is never a bad thing.

1. Make the most of the money you already have - don’t stick with the same old bank account you’ve had for years. make sure you put your money into a high interest savings account to maximise your interest. Have a look at moneysavingexpert.com for some good advice on the best savings and current accounts to pick.
2. Stop spending money on things you don’t need - If you buy your lunch every day you could easily be throwing away £100 or more a month. If you buy a Starbucks every day that’s another £50 or £60. Little things easily add up. Look at where you could be saving money and cut back - If you can walk to work then do so instead of driving or paying for the bus - you’ll lose weight and get healthier too! Have a hard thing about how much you spend on socialising every month - there’s no need to stop going out altogether but wouldn’t you rather be drinking that beer on a beach in Thailand?
3. Have a clearout and make money at the same time - Ebay can be a godsend but so many people seem to either not understand how it works or can’t be bothered to take the time to use it. Trust me, it can be well worth your time and effort. Take a good hard look at your possessions - what haven’t you used in a year or more? what is worth more to you as money than it is sitting around the house? If you’re planning an extended trip you’ll probably be needing to put your possessions into storage anyway - better to get rid of as much as you can before you leave. And don’t assume that what you have isn’t worth any money - you’ll be suprised at how much some people will pay for things that you consider junk. I find Amazon marketplace easier than Ebay for selling books, DVDs and CDs. The fees are higher but you’re more likely to find a buyer looking for what you’re selling. Ebay is great for clothes, electronics, magazines and other general items. For general junk and stuff that’s not worth listing, try a car boot sale. I’ve made £500 in the first month of clearing out things that I no longer need on Amazon and Ebay and I will continue to do this until I leave on my trip.
4. Advertise your skills - If you’re a writer, illustrator, web designer or programmer, you will be able to sell your skills on a freelance basis to bring in some extra cash. Most of my freelance work has come in by word of mouth so try asking around your friends and colleagues first. You can also try sites like elance and getafreelancer which allow to you bid for work, although the prices have been pushed down by outsourcing companies in countries like India in recent years. Try a google search for websites concerning the type of work you’re interested in - popular sites often have message boards with freelance oportunities posted on them. Finally, if you’re an illustrator, try submitting work to threadless - you can earn a nice chunk of money if your illustration is chosen to put on a t-shirt.
5. Get crafty - if you have artistic skills, whether it be sewing, painting or jewellery making, you can make money from your skills. I recommend Etsy for selling your work - if your pieces are popular, you can make a lot of money doing this. Think carefully about the time you’re spending and how much to sell your work for - unless you’re a very fast knitter it will be difficult to persuade someone to pay you at a decent hourly rate.
6. Get paid to answer questions - AQA and Texperts will pay you to work from home in your spare time as an internet researcher, answering questions that people send in by text. Both these companies are over subscribed and have long waiting lists at the moment but it’s worth taking the Texperts test to see if this kind of work is for you. I’m currently waiting for a position to open up so I’ll let you know how much you can earn as soon as I know more!
7. Cashback sites - they won’t make you rich quick, but every little helps. These sites offer you cash back every time you buy something online by clicking through their site. If you’re planning to buy something it’s worth checking on these sites first as you can often get around 10% cashback. They also offer you money without the need to buy anything - just for clicking on websites, filling out questionnaires and also by changing your gas and electric company etc. My favourite site is Rpoints and I’ve earned about £250 from them to date, but I’ve also heard good things about Quidco and Pigsback.
8. Mystery shopping - I’ve done a little bit of mystery shopping in the past and never really made a lot of money from it but if you’re serious about it and flexible about when you can work, it could make you a nice little chunk of cash for your trip. Check out the moneysavingexpert forums for reccommendations on the best companies to work for and what to expect.
9. Get paid to review music - Again, it’s never going to make you rich but you can pull in a few extra pounds a week (or more if you can stand it!) by reviewing music by unsigned bands at slicethepie. 5 star reviews earn 12p per track, although I think it’s pretty impossible to get to that level! Anway if you like listening to new music and spend a lot of time on your computer anyway, it’s an easy thing to do while you’re working on something else.
10. Make money from your websites - this is something that I’m still working on so I don’t know too much about it but there is money to be made for those who are willing to put in the time and effort. The main premise behind the idea is to drive traffic to your site and then make money from advertising and affiliate sales. This is a huge topic that I’ve not quite got my head around yet so I will direct you to problogger to learn more.

This blog will be focused on general travel and backpacking topics but also about making money while travelling, particularly from freelance web design, writing and other ways of making money from a laptop in the middle of nowhere!

I hope you enjoy reading. Please contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions: rach@travelswithmylaptop.com