Travelling around the world

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I've been dreaming of backpacking around Europe (or somewhere). I think I need some sort of positive adventure, one that will teach me that I can be self-reliant and adventurous and get away with it.

Have other people here travelled much on their own? Gone off to "find yourself" (whatever that means)? I don't mean expensive package vacations that take you to a beach, I mean setting out alone, backpacking, sleeping in hostels (I don't know if I'll be able to sleep in a room with a snorer) navigating places where you don't know a single word of the language. Have any aspies done this? Any advice?

One year ago I went to Japan by myself for three weeks. It was the best thing I have ever done in my life, the best thing for my self-confidence, though it only ended up happening because a school trip I was supposed to go on had its itinerary changed unacceptably at the last possible second, leaving me with a plane ticket and no idea what to do.

I recommend Japan if you are at all interested because it is safe (as a lone 21 year old female, I had no troubles whatsoever), clean, and traveler-friendly -- there's tons of public transit, and there is a special cheaper rail pass that travelers can get which will allow you to go all over the place for a very reasonable price. Also, I know of some good places one can stay for around twenty US dollars a night and get a private room, even in Tokyo, which is less expensive and much nicer than staying in a hostel in most cases. The Japanese you need is extremely minimal, and no one really expects you to know it in the first place, though it's always a huge bonus if you do.

I can honestly say that taking a trip like that, by myself (and it was the first time I'd left North America; I had only ever been to Canada otherwise) changed me for the better. I had some bad experiences (getting lost in Hibarigaoka for three hours on foot with all my luggage on a ninety degree day was definitely one of them, and so was the time the shelf of books fell over on me in a bookstore in Sendai), but having to deal with them because there wasn't anyone else I could rely on made me conscious of what I am capable of dealing with and made me much more confident about dealing with everyday problems. It was amazing to wake up with the kind of freedom where I could just go anywhere I wanted, do anything, and not have to worry about someone else's schedule or interests or usual vacation annoyances. And traveling by myself gave me lots of time to hear myself think, to dwell on the things I wanted to dwell on. I also think I had more experiences with the locals that I would have if I hadn't gone alone...walking with a family or crowd of tourists through a shrine makes you unapproachable; being alone encourages all sorts of people who might otherwise be shy to strike up a conversation. I talked to a Japanese man who had met the Pope; discussed classical poetry with some grandmotherly ladies at Matsushima; hung out with neon-haired teenagers at the hide Museum in Yokosuka; had many other interesting interactions I would never have had while traveling with friends.

My advice is somewhat limited by where I traveled, but I can offer the following:
• You will always need more money than you think you will...it's impossible to anticipate every cost on trips like that
• Don't assume things like banks, post offices, and stores operate on the same kinds of schedule you'd see back home (for instance, in Japan, most of the ATMs have hours of operation or are closed certain days)
• Never overlook business hotels and small inns in favor of hostels; the price differences will surprise you if you search online
• Any lodging that will allow you to do laundry (or that has an internet connection for just figuring out logistics and finding maps) is worth its weight in gold
• Invest in a good hiking backpack with hip straps and a couple of bags that can be easily folded and carried inside it
• If you're going to be staying a while, consider staying a week or so in a centralized location and venturing out on day trips rather than switching lodging every couple of days
• Find a good phrasebook and some small flashcards (the kind you can laminate, if you can find them). Punch holes in the flashcards, put them on a ring (a keyring or the kind you'd find in a three-ring binder that you can open and close), and write essential phrases on them for emergencies. For instance, on the back you'd write, "I'm lost, can you help me find this address?", and on the front you'd write the phrase in whatever the language is where you're going, so in a situation where you might be panicky, you can flip to the right card, point, and a person will know what you mean no matter how bad your pronunciation is. This is great for interactions that require special vocabulary, like ordering tickets, exchanging money, etc. It can be stuffed into a pocket, so it's a lot lighter and less bulky than a phrase book, which you probably will get sick of dragging around.
• Consider a cell phone: for instance, in Japan I was able to rent one cheaply for the duration of my trip, and it allowed me to do such useful things as look up train times when I was far from a station. Very useful, especially in emergencies, and if you're a lot more prepared than I was, you can even program in the numbers of places like your country's embassy in case you should lose your passport.
• Pack clothing you can layer; you end up packing less even if you're unsure of the weather and you're more likely to be well-prepared.

Thank you. This is just the sort of encouragement I was hoping for.

I have no idea if you are like me, (easily baffled by new surroundings and lots of strangers) If so, What I would do is work my way up to it. The only travel outside the country I ever did was Mexico on a guided tour and those aspects were terrifying-but, it was well worth it. Beautiful, fascinating place. The world is probably full of such places. I hope you get to do it and I hope you have a great time.

I've dreamed of going to Japan just for the fun of it but I don't think I could handle the culture shock which isn't that different to ours.

There's really not that much culture shock on a short trip. You should go!

I don't seem to have much trouble with new surroundings. It's the surroundings I've got that baffle me. As for strangers, since I'll probably never see them again (and they won't recognize me if I do) I tend not to worry about what they think.

My NT Mom got culture shock in Cuba, but I was just "cool, I can cross the street without a million cars trying to run me over!"

Yes Ive backpacked around Europe, the states and canada, best thing ive ever done in my life i want to do it again.

When I get the time i'll try and give you some advice n recomendations

If you're looking to travel to a country that has culture radically different from North America, I strongly recommend Israel. I went there, and I had a blast (no pun intended, I swear ) You don't even have to be religious to enjoy it; it has something to offer to anyone, whether it's religious sites in Jerusalem, partying until morning in Tel-Aviv, scuba diving in Eilat, floating in the Dead Sea, hiking in the nature preserves of Galilee, or eating the best falafel you could ever find.

Here are some of the things you might find there that you won't find in the U.S.

Almost every public place, like a store, a restaurant, a museum, and especially a religous site, will have a securty guard standing at the entrance. You will be expected to show him that you're not concealing anything dangerous in your pockets, inside your jacket, or in your purse or backback. Although if you're visibly Jewish (look and/or dressed like one), the guard may simply wave you in.

Unless you're Muslim and look like one, I don't recommend visiting areas with large Arab populations. This includes the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem and some neighborhoods of Tel-Aviv. Although the street crime is much lower than in North America, you won't get a warm welcome. Some cities, like Haifa and Eilat, do not have strong animosity between Jews and Arabs, so most neighborhoods there are safe there.

In some neighborhoods with large Orthodox Jewish populations, you may get an unfriendly welcome if you don't wear a yarmulka and don't wear long pants, even on a summer day. Also, don't drive or ride through them on a bike on Saturdays. (It's a violation of one of the basic Jewish laws.)

The vast majority of restaurants in Israel are kosher, even McDonalds. Very few restaurants serve pork, except a handful of ones in Christian neighborhoods. Jewish laws prohibit mixing of meat and dairy, and both Jewish and Muslim laws prohibit eating pork.

Prostitution is completely legal is Israel. Numerous agencies advertise online and in phone books. Most are based in Tel-Aviv, although pretty much every major city has them.

Beer and wine is sold on the street vendor stalls, or in mini-stores that look more like kiosks. Drinking on the street is legal, although it's considered bad manners by native Israelis. Many tourists, especially from "repressive" North American countries, do it anyway.

Gambling is illegal in Israel. However, Eilat has a casino on a boat that sails into Egyptian waters for a few hours, where gambling is legal. Free world-class food and drinks are available onboard. When sailing back into Israeli waters, the gambling area is closed and locked.

If you decide to go clubbing, you won't find any bumping and grinding, like you would in American clubs. Most people dance while holding hands and/or hugging (non-suggestive), even stangers. Although it was nothing like what I'm used to, I enjoying it a lot. Another big difference is that I saw a security guard throw out two girls who started kissing.

Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers walk around the streets in full uniform and armed with AK-47s. They walk into stores, restaurants, and religious sites, and everyone acts normal, sometimes even feeling safer. I even saw a petite 4'11" girl, weighing 100 lb at most, yet carrying a full-size AK-47.

If you're lost in an unfamiliar city, go to a nearest police officer or an IDF soldier, and tell him or her that you're with a Birthright Israel group (they'll know); say that you're lost, and give the address you're looking for. They'll help you faster than they would otherwise.

Last edited by Aspie1 on 23 May 2006, 11:00 am, edited 2 times in total.

Thanks for the advice, Aspie1. Just one thing:

"tell him or her that you're with a Birthright Israel group (they'll know)"

Maybe they know, but I don't. I'm not going to lie.

This is so interesting. I've found that being Aspie restricts my travel quite a lot - I can do anything which becomes routine but I tend to dread going away to the point where it can make me physically ill to think of it - and I'm dying to visit places but so bad with connecting bits together - such as, I can get the train or plane but how to get from plane to hotel or whatever...

I speak French with fair fluency and am dying to go back to France (I've been a couple of times with family when I was younger) but I'm afraid I'll freak out. I've had one freakout incident at an airport (so embarrassing...) and I'm just not sure if I can make myself do it.

Those who've backpacked and travelled and whatever - how do you deal with panic impulses? Do you ever feel physically ill at the thought of long distance travel? My sister has been to Australia and New York and she's six years younger than me. I'm so jealous that she can do those things and I can't - I'd love an Aspie-eye view of how to break the mental block!

Apple

A Birthright Israel group is an organized tour group that travels to Israel through a company called Taglit [tahg-LEET] Birthright Israel. They offer free trips to Israel to anyone who's Jewish, between ages 18 and 26, and never been to Israel before. I'm serious, the trip is completely FREE. It's organized by Taglit, and paid for by various Jewish charities and the State of Israel. The only expeses you're responsible for are the souvenirs and entertainment in cities.

Taglit means "discovery" in Hebrew, and almost everyone in Israel knows about this US-based program. Jerusalem even has signs hanging around its big streets (they're actually 4 lanes wide), in Hebrew and English: "Jerusalem welcomes Taglit participants." Since Taglit travelers are always first-time tourists, the police and/or the IDF soldiers will generally go out of their way to help them (which gives Israel a PR boost as an added bonus).

By the way you can read about the program at http://www.birthrightisrael.org.

Long-distance travel itself doesn't bother me, but I do have to make sure I am adequately prepared, which is what helps me fight the panic impulses. If I can say to myself, "I will be able to get through this!", even having an outright panic attack becomes eventually manageable.

For example, in going to Japan I made sure that I had a cell phone rented and a list of emergency numbers on me. I printed out and studied maps of the airport, train stations, and similar areas I would be in, so I could find things. I had a phrasebook and a set of cards with essential phrases that I could show to someone in a position of authority if I were having an actual breakdown. I had done my research ahead of time and found out what obstacles I might be able to expect while traveling in that country (etiquette and such). I had a plan for what I would do if I found myself becoming panicky and always carried some water and energy bars on me so that if I became lost or need to sit in one place for a while, I could have a snack, breathe for a while, and give myself some time to think.

Don't get me wrong -- I did have panic attacks. I did have bad moments, freakouts, and some serious instances of sensory overload. To say that these things won't happen would be a lie; it's all in how you deal with them. And people in general were very kind to me, especially when I was lost or flustered, and that helped a lot. I found that in Japan my differences and awkwardness were attributed to my being a foreigner, and not to my being an aspie, so my social faux pas were overlooked...just not an issue. They were expected, so to speak. In that particular country, not being Japanese is the great equalizer for foreigners, so I found it a good place for someone like myself to practice long-distance travel.

I cannot speak for you, because I don't know where you are on the spectrum in comparison to me. But I would say that from my perspective, as cheesy as it is, if you say you can't, you won't be able to, whereas if you try, you may find that you are capable of a kind of independence you didn't think you were. Maybe if you try traveling with someone who has already had some experience doing so, you can sort of ease into it. Or maybe you'll just need to plan ahead and be very selective about the places you visit. But don't give up without trying! ^_^

Europe is the best place, I think for Autistics.

I think this should be the new Aspergia, what I mean is that it should be the home land for autistics.