【推荐1】On my first round-the-world trip in 2006, I planned everything out in advance. I knew where I was going, staying for how long, and how 1 would get there. And then half-way through I ditched the plan and went with the flow(随大流). Over the years, how I plan my travel has changed. Now, I’m a last-minute planner and seldom travel with any plan.

Traveling without a plan gives you great flexibility (灵活性). Since nothing is booked far in advance, you can turn to something different when you change your mind or something better comes along. I changed my plans to meet a friend on an island in Thailand and stayed for a month. I wouldn’t have had that experience if I had kept to my planned schedule.

However, most new travelers are the opposite — they overplant their trips. Their whole journey is scheduled. Two days here, three days there. I understand why people do that. When time is short, you want to see as much as possible. You don’t want to waste a single second.

Actually, it is better to slow down your pace. Spending more time in one place allows you to get a better feel for the rhythm of life. You can visit at a more relaxed pace, see more than just the attractions, and open up your schedule to the happy accidents of travel.

When I first made my travel plan, I tried to include everything in it. Then I realized it was unrealistic, and revised my plan. I came up with a list of one or two things I want to see each day and spaced everything out. It’s an important lesson to learn. I think the best trip plan is to work out the general path you want to take, book the first few nights of your trip, and let your travels unfold from there. This way you are never locked into a certain place if your feelings change.

【推荐2】When you’re sitting in class or behind your desk waiting for the clock to strike a time when you can go home, it is natural that the mind can wander (漫游) a bit. It is common for your mind to wander to a vacation and even travel the world. What if there is a way that you can travel the world without having to pay any money?

A person that managed to make it around the world without spending much was Shantanu Starick. How did he trade off his service? Starick realized that as a photographer he had a service that people would usually be willing to pay money for, but he would instead offer his photography service to anyone who could provide him with food, shelter and transportation. Starick has been traveling for a surprising 30 months and has visited countries ranging from the United States to Ecuador.

In English-speaking countries, trading off service and communicating aren’t difficult for Starick. However, in more far areas where there isn’t an English-speaking person in sight it can be quite difficult. More than anything locals appreciate (欣赏) the effort behind trying to speak their language, even if you don’t exactly sound like a native speaker.

You can do it too!

Honestly, with a bit of confidence, drive and a skill you can trade, you’ll be able to do exactly the same as Starick.

Start thinking about what you can do to get around the world without paying money. With our social networks and the connectivity our world has, you can easily connect with and market yourself to people across the world without any effort.

【推荐3】Travel is one of the most exciting experiences a human being can have. Imagine how Italian traveler Marco Polo must have felt when he found himself on Chinese soil, seeing a way of life quite different from anything he’d seen before.

And how great must it have been to listen to Zhang Qian when he returned to China from his journey through Central Asia and West Asia! His brain must have been packed with everything he’d seen and heard, leading to the founding of the Silk Road.

Some people have traveled all over the world and travel is a way of life to them. They perhaps know what to expect before they travel. That’s why the best travel is when it’s for the first time. Imagine a person who has always wanted to travel to the United States. Of course, they’ve probably seen the Statue of Liberty a thousand times on TV, and the White House and all the other famous sights. But none of that would compare to the excitement of looking out of the window as the plane lands, watching the cities and streets of the real America come into view.

Although travel is often just for recreation, it’s also educational. We may not know that we are getting an education, but we still are. We’re learning when we’re travelling: new words in a new language, new people, and new ways of life. But this learning takes place in the school of the world, not the classroom. As we get to know foreign places, we come to understand that there are many different ways to live, and that the way we live isn’t necessarily the best way.

【推荐2】It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. As a result of medical accident, she was sightless. All she had to depend on was her husband Mark.

Mark was an air-force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost sight, he decided to use every method to help his wife.

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the us, but she was now too frightened to go to work by herself. Mark suggested taking the bus with us an each morning and evening.

For two weeks, Mark, in military uniform, took the bus with Susan to and from work each day, lie taught her to rely on her other senses, especially her hearing. He helped her make friends with the bus drivers who could watch out for her and save her a seat.

Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a taxi back to his office, although that meant he had to travel through the city. Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to take the bus on her own. He believed in her.

Finally. Susan decided that she was ready to start the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived. She said goodbye and, for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-Each day on her own went perfectly.

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was getting off the bus, the driver said," Miss, I sure envy you." Susan asked the driver why. "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine-looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the comer watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady," the bus driver said.

Tears of happiness poured down Susan’s cheeks. She was so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.