Traveling for the Young, Fabulous and Broke - Getting Started

So as much as you love Thursday $1 drink night, you find yourself wanting to get out and explore the world. How do you turn that day dream in statistics class, into a reality that puts you on the beaches of Greece reenacting your favorite scenes from Moma Mia? Whether you're planning on going for a week or planning on going for a year, with intentions of meeting that sexy Spanish Bull fighter and never returning. The key word is PLAN. The plan is an absolute must. The easiest way to begin, is to ask yourself the following questions and tackle them one step at a time.

The Where - Where do you want to go?
The Who -Who do you want to go with?
The When - When do you want to go?
The Why - Why do you want to go?
The What - What do you want to accomplish from this trip?
The How - How are you going to make this happen?

THE WHERE?
Most people already have an idea of where they want to go, but if you don't -- have no fear! It's nothing a basic google search can't solve and pretty soon you're discovering exactly what that destination just might be! Once you have an idea of where you want to go, you may want to go to the bookstore and check out some of the guidebooks that are specifically written about what part of the world you wanting to travel. However, I wouldn't buy anything just yet, you can gain plenty of knowledge from just skimming. Plus, unless you're loaded, these guidebooks can add up quickly (the average guide book costs about $25). If you just absolutly can't leave the bookstore empty-handed, I have found the Eyewitness Books excellent and the best place to start for a number of reasons:

1) there are lots pictures, so you can actually see where you want to go.
2) they brake it down for you as to what is a "must see."
3) In about 15 minutes, you can already start speaking intelligently about where you want to go;
4) You can instantly start impressing people with your knowledge of that part of the world -- whether it's convincing the parents to hand over cash to fund your adventure or convincing the lovely lady at the end of the bar to go home with you and your "free spirit."
5) the book also looks pretty awesome on your coffee table or in your bathroom library and is always a good conversation starter, both before and after you return from your trip. Unless you run away with that bullfighter, and at that point, selling the book online, is always a viable option.