IN THE SUMMER OF 2009, A PASSIONATE GROUP OF YOUNG travelers met in a Brooklyn hostel and were soon bound together by a common vision: that changing the world means seeing it. Off Track Planet was born from this vision, and through our website (Offtrackplanet.com) we began communicating the appeal of travel to our A.D.D.-ridden, social media and smartphone-addicted peers with the hope of inspiring them to give back to the world by exploring it.
We set out to create movement in the world by showing Americans the value of travel beyond just “taking a vacation.” We believe that luxury travel is for people with arthritis; backpacking, with an open mind and empty bank account, is the best way to learn about the world.
If thinking about traveling automatically triggers an excuse that’s keeping you grounded, let’s get a few things straight right off the bat.
“I CAN’T AFFORD IT.”
WE’VE ALL SEEN THE BOTTOM OF A CUP-O-NOODLE, MORE THAN once. So how can you afford to travel? By redefining travel to be more about hostels and street food and less about resorts and cruises, the biggest initial expense then comes down to that first flight out of the country. Some destinations may be out of your budget, but there’s no reason why you can’t afford getting down to Central America where you can find flights for under $300 round trip. Even parts of Europe are relatively affordable to fly into at times. And once you’re abroad, holy shit do you have affordable options. You can learn everything about tango in Buenos Aires, catch some good karma at the Chao Phraya temples in Bangkok, and get crispy brown at clothing-optional Greek beaches—all for free if you just get your ass over there.
“I’M SCARED OF GETTING SHANKED ABROAD.”
KIDNAPPINGS, MURDERS, RAPES, AND ROBBERIES HAPPEN, everywhere, all the time. The truth is, America’s violent crime rate is higher than that in many industrialized countries all over the world. Places like Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway have incredibly low stats when it comes to crime. Sure, if you go to war territories in the Middle East or stand around aimlessly in the border towns of Mexico, shit will go down. Cure your fear with knowledge and simple common sense.
“I’LL CATCH SOME DEADLY FOREIGN DISEASE.”
REALISTICALLY, YOUR BIGGEST TRAVEL HEALTH CONCERN IS diarrhea, and you can have a fatal case of the shits. But c’mon, diarrhea is something we’ve all had some experience with. The true fear here lies in the crap our media drills into our heads about foreign germs and bird viruses. If you get the flu, break your arm, or just feel plain shitty, every country has a hospital, clinic, or pharmacy that will take care of you.
“HOSTELS SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME.”
HOSTELS SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF DIRTY, DISEASE-SPREADING half-way houses, inhabited by crackheads and creeps, right? Despite what you’ve seen in the movies, hostels are generally safe and fun budget accommodations that allow you to meet like-minded travelers, and where you can exchange travel stories, cook meals, and, if you get sneaky, have the sexytime.
“NO ONE WILL UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH.”
WE ALL HAD TO LEARN TO SPEAK AT SOME POINT. BEFORE then? Well, there were a lot of hand gestures and noises to get our points across. You can resort back to your baby body language in foreign territory and get by fine. Additionally, speaking only English means that a good portion of the world will at least somewhat understand you. You can also tutor English to local college students in exchange for help with their native language or take a few formal courses while you’re there.
“I DON’T HAVE THE TIME.”
YOUR PARENTS MAY THINK THAT TRAVELING IS A HUGE WASTE of time, all about getting drunk and partying (and some of it should be), but it has real value that your lame day-to-day at home just can’t match. Add up your morning commute, time on Facebook, and those days you’re just too bored with life to get out of bed. What’s that equal? A whole bunch of empty time. Every minute of travel is a change and an opportunity to learn something new. You can really milk the value of travel—and add value to your résumé and college applications—by volunteering or studying abroad.