Anyone want to go backpacking across Europe?

Kamlan 28mm F1.4 MF for APS-C

11/30/2005 06:55:01 PM · #26

Originally posted by Riponlady:

You are 18! You must be at the stage when you are considered an adult officially as well as physically. Lots of 18 year old in the UK take off for a gap year - backpacking, travelling for weeks or months to Europe, Australia etc. I think you must try to get your parents to cut the apron strings and realise you need to stand on your own feet and make your own mistakes! You can't be protected from life - you have to go and live it!

BTW if you get to England, Caleb, we would be pleased to see you in Yorkshire and have lots of room for you and travelling companions to stay.

And Vincent, thinking about it, we are very respectable, old enough to be your parents ( even grandparents!), teachers and so your parents might even feel we were suitable chaperones while you were over here! (Big joke!)

P
:)))

Couldn't of said it better myself.

Yeah...I was thinking about getting a network of people all over the place that I could stop by and see or stay a night with. Like people off of here and a few other places...I think that would be a blast. I'll have to start getting some numbers and addresses soon...that would be pretty cool.

Manic

DJI Mini 3 Pro

11/30/2005 06:57:36 PM · #27

Originally posted by Riponlady:

You are 18! You must be at the stage when you are considered an adult officially as well as physically.

Not only that, but you'll be legally old enough to drink in Europe, so you'd have a chance to get those drunken adventures in too ;o)

ArpeggioAngel

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

11/30/2005 07:05:12 PM · #28

What a wonderful opportunity you will have. Europe is such a great place to explore and meet new people. If I didn't have all the responsibilities of "home" I would definately want to join you.
And that quote is perfect...as you can see, it is part of my signature!

liebe

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

11/30/2005 07:06:17 PM · #29

Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:

If I left later, say June, it would just give me more time to make money...

haha- me too. I go to an environmental high school, and so some of our classes are "field studies" aka: go travel somewhere. I actual just got back from a hiking trip to New Zealand... so i'm very strapped for cash.

modgethanc

Nikon D90

Nikon AF Fisheye-Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D

11/30/2005 07:13:41 PM · #30

Don't underestimate the powers of crazy Asian parents....

Although I suppose if I just decided to take off for a few months the only thing really holding me back would be my own guilty conscience.

It's such a great idea, it's extremely tempting the more I think about it. Ever since I spent a couple of weeks in Italy, France, and Switzerland this past summer I've been itching to go back, I've thought about just taking off and not giving my parents a chance to say no about it. I've done some spontaneous stuff since leaving the house for college already, just randomly jumping on a bus and going around the state to visit a few friends, but nothing as big as this.

I think I might give it a shot when I go home for winter break...or something like that. I will get back to you if there's any hope :D

shabbychic

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

11/30/2005 07:16:54 PM · #31

I've been trying to get a plan together to go to Europe this summer with a couple of my friends, but we haven't proceded past "Hey.. let's go to Europe." I really want to go but there's no way I'm going alone, so if you're interested in a traveling companion I'm definatly interested in going!

Riponlady

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

11/30/2005 07:27:36 PM · #32

Vincent - I think, TELL them this is what you will be doing ( politely, of course), rather than ASK them but at the same time I would work out exactly what you are going to do, where you plan to go, how you are going to finance it, arrange it, the safety precautions you are going to take and how you are going to keep in touch with them, BEFORE you speak to them. Then they will see that you mean it, you have been sensible and adult in organising it and you will be able to calm their fears and respond to the questions and doubts they will have, with definite answers rather than saying "I am not sure" or "I don't know". Are there any friends who have done a similar thing, whose parents might be willing to talk to your parents about how much their child/offspring gained from the experience?
P

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

11/30/2005 07:27:39 PM · #33

I second the go it alone idea. I have travled this way in the long ago past, and found that if you go the hostel, lonely planet, backpack, eurail route you will not lack for company. The pleasure of meeting and moving along the same path as new people you meet is, at least for me, of greater value than the benfit of traveling with someone you are loosely tied to, with the resulting compramises that you need to make to suit two peole's idea of what to do.
I travled through europe and arabia for ten months alone, and met freinds that I keep in touch with to this day, including meeting my wife on a beach in Egypt. Had I been keping company with a friend that I was tied to, I doubt that we would have struck up a friendship, and my live would have followed a different path. I say go alone, meet freinds out there.

" I didn't travel the world to see the world, I did so to see my home town." M. Twain

11/30/2005 07:27:43 PM · #34

Originally posted by shabbychic:

Yeah...it's the same way with my friends. I'm like...hey, wanna go backbacking through Europe this summer? And they are like "Yeah...well, maybe"

Yeah Sarah...drop me an email if you want: calebphoto@yahoo.com

I'm getting excited! I can't wait to start making plans and stuff...good times.

maxj

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

11/30/2005 07:29:16 PM · #35

I would love to go, however im not what you would call financially independent quite yet.

however, I would strongly reccommend doing this with at least one other person. Not only someone to share stories with, but simply safety in numbers.

I would after all, like to see some photos of your excursion on this site, not on the daily news. :-P

xcharrier

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

11/30/2005 07:30:11 PM · #36

I'd definatly be down for this trip... I was thinking about taking a month or two to do the exact same thing anyway. I'm looking at the June 2006 time frame... let me know when you're planning on going.

elsapo

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f1.2L

11/30/2005 07:43:47 PM · #37

Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:

Originally posted by shabbychic:
I've been trying to get a plan together to go to Europe this summer with a couple of my friends, but we haven't proceded past "Hey.. let's go to Europe." I really want to go but there's no way I'm going alone, so if you're interested in a traveling companion I'm definatly interested in going!

Yeah...it's the same way with my friends. I'm like...hey, wanna go backbacking through Europe this summer? And they are like "Yeah...well, maybe"

Yeah Sarah...drop me an email if you want: calebphoto@yahoo.com

I'm getting excited! I can't wait to start making plans and stuff...good times.

Im planning on going with sarah too, I just have to raise some more money ;)

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

11/30/2005 07:46:07 PM · #38

Originally posted by elsapo:

Im planning on going with sarah too, I just have to raise some more money ;)

Cool cool...you know, when I posted this thread the first thought that ran through my head was "I wonder if elsapo is going to post in it"

Not kidding either, lol...

But yeah...drop me an email if you want man, that would be righteous.

Caleb

Cutter

Nikon D700

11/30/2005 08:24:48 PM · #39

what I did and would highly suggest is this:

I studied at a college in Europe which had a relationship with my university. It could be as little as 6 weeks. There are tons of opportunities with that. But the cool thing is you get to put that on your resume, you meet like minded people, you get to go alone (as suggested), and guaranteed you will meet people who want to backpack/travel with you after that time is up. And you get to experience a city as a local for a period. Consider that. I did it in Athens and have no complaints. My girlfriend did it Budapest and loved it. PM me with any questions because we just did it 2 years ago.

nico_blue

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

11/30/2005 09:31:15 PM · #40

I am going to be in germany for the world cup (if all goes according to plan) and wouldnt mind backpacking afterwards or during or for a few days inbetween. I think its a really cool idea!

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

12/01/2005 10:24:33 AM · #41

Originally posted by nico_blue:

I am going to be in germany for the world cup (if all goes according to plan) and wouldnt mind backpacking afterwards or during or for a few days inbetween. I think its a really cool idea!

Heck yeah...that would rock.

behindthescenes

Nikon D70

12/01/2005 10:46:37 AM · #42

Caleb.. keep me in mind if your plans turn solid. Its something I had planned for this summer/fall anyway (my plans were either Europe or S. America) its better for me to do it in the summer because there is less work then so i wont miss much.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

12/01/2005 11:26:18 AM · #43

Being wedding photogs, summer is our busy season - if anyone decides to do a winter down under backpacking tour THEN I may be in. lol

New Zealand and Oz - I've already done ChinaKoreaJapan.

mbardeen

Canon PowerShot G3

12/01/2005 11:39:24 AM · #44

Originally posted by mavrik:

Being wedding photogs, summer is our busy season - if anyone decides to do a winter down under backpacking tour THEN I may be in. lol

New Zealand and Oz - I've already done ChinaKoreaJapan.

Why not South America?

Anyway - I just spent 4 years in the UK (Brighton to be exact) studying. It was good, but I didn't go to many of the places that I should have. I was, unfortunately, too busy studying and had no money. Backpacking was an option, but then I would have had no money for rent. Anyway - yes, go when you're young. Go alone if necessary! I don't regret any minute of my experience abroad!

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

12/01/2005 11:53:15 AM · #45

Originally posted by behindthescenes:

Cool man...drop me an email if you want sometime.

jpeters

Nikon D200

12/01/2005 12:04:12 PM · #46

If you really want an experience, a friend of a friend of mine is on atwo-year sailing trip around the world. He and a couple of friends bought a 45-foot sailboat and were off. No way in hell that they will come back the same people.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

12/01/2005 12:06:37 PM · #47

Originally posted by mbardeen:

Originally posted by mavrik:
Being wedding photogs, summer is our busy season - if anyone decides to do a winter down under backpacking tour THEN I may be in. lol

New Zealand and Oz - I've already done ChinaKoreaJapan.

Why not South America?

Truth - I'm a little worried about Brazil and Columbia. Even Venezuela. There's a lot I'd like to see, but most of it probly is on tourist paths. There's a romance to backpacking across Europe that is lost on backpacking through pot fields and coco plants. I think Europe would be my first choice, New Zealand/Oz 2nd and Asia 3rd. South America 4th and North America 5th. And there ain't no way I'm backpacking Africa. lol

M

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

12/01/2005 12:24:25 PM · #48

Originally posted by jpeters:

That sounds amazing...would be soooo much fun.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/01/2005 02:09:06 PM · #49

Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:

Originally posted by jpeters:
If you really want an experience, a friend of a friend of mine is on atwo-year sailing trip around the world. He and a couple of friends bought a 45-foot sailboat and were off. No way in hell that they will come back the same people.

That sounds amazing...would be soooo much fun.

It sounds romantic/wonderful but it's a LOT of work and a LOT of danger and a LOT of expense. It's nowhere near the same category as backpacking in Europe. Trust me on that one. If you haven't been around boats all your life already, sailing around the world is not an option unless you spend the next 5 years preparing for it :-)

R.