Web sites are appearing that can save you the cost of a hotel room. They match people who are willing to offer a free bed, couch or floor to total strangers. Vagabonds seeking a free place to stay register at sites like CouchSurfing.com and GlobalFreeloaders.com. Believe it or not, there are thousands of people around the world willing to let you sack out on their floor. Lucky folks might even end up in a bed. For example, I went to CouchSurfing.com and found 18 people in my current town, Chiang Mai, Thailand, willing to put up with you. GlobalFreeloaders.com lists over 14,000 members in the United States. I’m thinking about offering my extra bedroom.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Places at 3:52 AM EST

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If you haven’t traveled overseas before, it can seem like landing on a different planet. If you’re traveling to look for a prospective lover, you’re in for a great time. Don’t hesitate to travel alone. You don’t have to be alone for long. Don’t feel you have to make some contacts before you travel.

Expect unusual reactions when people find out you are planning a trip to travel alone overseas. I used to read a book on Thailand while on the bus to work. I got some surprising comments. One woman on the bus said her male friend was looking for an Asian wife because he was fed up with American women. A man warned me that communist guerillas were planning an imminent invasion (that was early 1984, and we’re still waiting). Another woman groaned in disbelief when she found out I was going to Asia, of all places, alone, for a vacation!

Planning Your Trip

This book is designed to supplement, not compete with, information available in commercial travel guides. There are many excellent travel guides available, and I will make some recommendations at the end of this chapter. I recommend you read up on the country you plan to visit before you leave. If nothing else, a good travel book tells you what to expect. That and good planning can save you time and money and enhance the enjoyment of your trip. Do your research before you leave rather than waste precious time while overseas. The more you know about the culture and country you visit, the more you’ll enjoy your trip.

Traveling alone can sound intimidating to rookie travelers, even if you have someone special waiting for you at the airport. Some people — undoubtedly those who don’t enjoy life to the fullest — may tell you that it’s unsafe, that all kinds of potential mishaps await people who travel overseas alone. They’ll talk about terrorists, communists, wars, thieves, malaria, even AIDS — anything to keep you from going abroad and having the time of your life. They haven’t got the guts to go themselves and are jealous.

Several people may ask you why you traveled alone overseas, without any friends or contacts to meet when you arrive. It comes down to two fears: Weren’t you lonely? Weren’t you afraid? You need not be either. It is safer walking down the streets of Bangkok than in most American cities. As for loneliness, it is ironic that people should be concerned about that, of all things. One reason you’re going to travel to exotic places is to get rid of loneliness. Most people, once they know what they’re doing, will feel less lonely during their travels than they ever have.

Making Friends after Arrival

Should you decide to travel overseas without previous contacts, you will meet interesting people after arriving. The easiest way is to just head for the singles bars. Don’t overlook the opportunity to meet and make friends during your travels. It can actually be easier to make interesting friends overseas than it is in your home country. There are many English-speakers living and traveling in popular travel destinations. The best places to meet them are in the bars and restaurants frequented by international travelers and businessmen.

People in many parts of the world are open, friendly and interested in getting to know you. Chances are they will take you to meet their families, who will be extremely hospitable. They will be eager to help make your trip to their country as enjoyable as possible.

You will find many places to meet people: thriving open markets, universities, stores and discos. Just hanging out in one of these places gives you an excellent chance of meeting a friendly and nice-looking local eager to practice their English on a native speaker. This is especially true of university areas, where you are most likely to meet a young, English-speaking student for companionship. Most people in the tourist service business also speak good English.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 5:14 AM EST

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Deciding which country to seek love in is a tough but enjoyable decision. You can look for love anywhere on the planet. I hope this information will arouse your curiosity, and eventually, when you meet someone in person, your ardor.

Deciding How to Look

Before you decide where to look, start thinking about how to look. My advice is to develop a game plan. Develop a method to achieve your goal. Some factors to consider are your personality, independence, financial flexibility and whether you’re interested in friendship, a love affair, marriage, or all of the above.

The kind of personality you have — your lifestyle, religion and general attitude toward life — are the most important considerations when looking for someone from another culture. Different people from different countries have different personalities and customs.

Of course, anything I state about the characteristics of people from a particular country are based on personal experience, what I’ve heard from others, and research. There are exceptions to everything. For example, the people of Malaysia are a combination of four or five different cultural and religious traditions. Don’t expect everyone in each country to be similar. There are striking exceptions, so be alert for them.

Study the Culture

Before making a decision on which country or countries to target, I recommend that you research the history, culture and customs of countries that interest you. I hope to give you some ideas about where to look, but the world is your playground. There are so many countries in the world, and the map is always changing. It is estimated that there are thousands of cultures to choose from with a vast diversity in customs, languages and race.

Research Tools

A list of nations is found in any good world almanac, along with brief information about the country. An encyclopedia such as the free online Wikipedia has more detailed descriptions of each country and its peoples. The encyclopedia is a surprisingly good source of information for people interested in seeking love overseas. These resources give some hint to the kind of person you are likely to encounter: customs, religion, temperament and eating habits. A good travel guide will also have helpful information. Most libraries have books on all major countries. Hopefully, understanding something about their country will help you make a decision on which country you are most likely to find a person you can love.

The CIA World Factbook is an excellent reference on the economies, politics, geography and climate of every country in the world. It is available in the reference section of the public library and on the Internet. Of course, there are some things a book can never tell you. These can only be learned by seeing and touching the person you desire.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 1:24 AM EST

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Full-time RVing is catching on these days. Do-it-yourself technomads, though, may find commercial RVs a bit flimsy. Boondocking technomad’s can put together their own with a bit of resourcefulness and dedication. I seriously considered spending a year or two RVing fulltime with my 12 year old daughter throughout North America. I was going to build my own, though. I planned to pick up a cheap used travel trailer for around $5,000 and haul it with an old Ford Bronco or something. Instead, I opted for Southeast Asia where boondocking is a bit less practical than in the States. If you do decide to take up that RV nomadic dream lifestyle, and build you own rig, check out Scott Bidstrup’s page at http://www.bidstrup.com/fulltime.htm. Boondocking is RVing by parking for free in places other then fee-based RV parks like Walmart parking lots or national forests. Scott spent six years as a nomad. He offers practical tips on everything from buying and converting a used U-Haul box to a home to the joys and practicalities of bringing the kids along. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting reading.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Places, Tools at 1:00 AM EST

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Involvement with someone from a foreign country will probably include contact with one of four religions: Buddhism, Orthodox Protestant, Catholicism or Islam. Korea and Thailand are mostly Buddhist, while the Philippines is over ninety per cent Catholic.

The chances are good a Malaysian will be Muslim. Don’t necessarily let this hinder your ardor. The American press doesn’t portray Muslims fairly because of their preoccupation with sensationalizing terrorism. Malaysia is not an Arab country. The Muslims there are peaceful and tolerant of other religions.

Don’t let religion be a barrier to coming together with the right person. Few follow their religion with a fervor that prevents them from marrying someone of another religious belief. A belief in God satisfies most, and some will even marry an atheist.

Make sure you know what to expect so there will be no disappointments or false expectations. As a Buddhist, Muslim or Christian, your intended might not want to live with or make love to you until you are officially married. You can clear that up by being honest and open in all your communications.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 1:01 AM EST

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