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Average Ratings=8,9 / 10 Star
stars=Matt Lambros
runtime=84 M
score=18 vote
USA
Directors=April Wright
Free Full Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie palace museum. Hello! Howdy! Ni hao! I recently returned home from a 4-month journey around the USA and China/Hong Kong, and I wanted to share it with you guys! This place was a source of information, advice, and inspiration when I was planning this trip, so I'm hoping this post can provide the same to others. This was a long trip, and this will be a long post... but I'll try to organize it the best I can. About Me 23 y/o Male from Scotland. Began 'travelling' on my 22nd birthday, going on a solo trip to Oban for the weekend. Fell in love with it. A couple of months later I went to Barcelona for 4 days, and then decided I wanted to do something bigger... which is where the planning for this began. Was fortunate to have a very nice, comfortable office job, however I left that in February in preparation for this trip. Never been to Asia, however my Dads side of the family live in New Jersey, so I visit the USA most years. Have been all around the East Coast as a child, but as an adult I've only been to NJ/PA/NY/NH. The Trip 23rd March - 14th July London Chicago Orlando/Bahamas Cruise Oahu Kauai Tour of the Western USA Las Vegas Los Angeles Washington DC New York China/Guangzhou Hong Kong Map of the route, and a map with just the USA. Calendar of the dates. Why? I had a newfound love of travelling. I've been inspired by places like this subreddit, and various YouTube videos... I wanted to make my own. I'm half American and I love the USA. I wanted to see more of it. I've relatively inexperienced and would feel more comfortable doing my first big trip in an English-speaking country. I've got friends/family to visit in the USA. I had a good amount of money sitting in the bank and had no real use for it. In Numbers 115 Days / 16. 4 weeks / 3. 8 months 6 Countries 9 US States 8 Hostels 7 Hotels 11 Campgrounds 13 Flights 6 Long Distance Trains 350GB of Pictures/Videos What I Brought My bag was an Osprey Farpoint 55L. It would be my first time living out a bag. Here’s a list of everything I took with me. Picture of most of it on leaving day! I bought the rest at my Dads house a couple of weeks in. What I Wish I Brought Warmer clothes. Chicago was very cold and camping in California during May is cold as hell! A GoPro. Compared to my Gimbal & Waterproof case for my camera, a GoPro & Pole would have done a similar job, taking up way less space. A Duffel Bag. The Farpoint 55L was great don't get me wrong but wearing It on my back was so uncomfortable. I used it as a duffel bag 90% of the time... and it was heavy. In the future I'll travel with a normal duffel bag, preferably one with wheels. What I Regretted Bringing Neck Rest. I mean... I lost it in London, before my first flight... Hiking Boots. Were fantastic during my hikes, but they were large, heavy, and I wore them maybe 5 times. Next time I'll get my trainers dirty. Underwater Camera Case. I was never going to not bring it… but still. Only used it 3 times, and it took up so much space. Water Bottle. It got sand inside and was impossible to clean, then it broke. Buying water bottles as you go along is so much easier. Jacket. Used it twice... such a waste of space! Refillable Toiletry Bottles. They're great on a short trip, but on a long one, once they run out they are just taking up space. First Aid Kit. Didn't use a single thing in there, and there was really no need for it with the places I was going. Airport Lounge Pass. I bought a Priority Pass card, 10 Lounge visits for £131. £13 per lounge visit. £13 for free food/drinks, a nice resting area, free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and showers. Worth it, especially as I was going on 13 flights! In reality I only got to use 4. Not every airport had a lounge, and even if they did, it wasn't always in my terminal, or it wasn't open when I needed it. Even got turned away for two because they were 'full'. Big waste of money. What I'm glad I brought My Camera. Got a lot of great photos and videos, a lot better than what my phone could do. Here is a comparison. It was also so small! A GoPro does good video, but not good enough for photos. Camera Gimbal. It was big and heavy but the difference it makes in videos is incredible. Example. Headphones. Seemed like a waste of space, especially when I had earphones, but they were so great to have when flying and laying in bed. Laptop. Used it almost daily for uploading/editing photos and booking/planning stuff. Imodium. Holy crap I used this a lot! Ran out on my second day and had to buy more. Think I topped up about 5 times throughout the 4 months. Packing Cubes. Very, very, very handy. Highly Recommend. Hype is real. Power Bank. Only regret is not bringing two of them, a must have. World Wide Adapter. From one power socket I could charge my laptop, phone, watch, camera, stabilizer, and power bank at the same time. Smart Phone with a Data Connection. Would have been screwed without it. Google maps will get you anywhere! Accommodation I'd never stayed in a hostel before, and I was hesitant about them. I like my privacy, and I'm not the most social person... but the price difference was hard to resist, so I fit them in as much as possible. I really didn't like the experience at all. The hostels which had a privacy curtain on my bed were bearable, but the rest were just a real pain. Having to always look out for my stuff and share a bathroom wasn't fun. Oh, and people are very loud, especially at night. Trying to sleep when people are talking/whispering is the worst. Even with earplugs. Actually, that is a lie, the worst is when your bunk make brings back a girl at 3am and has sex with her on your shared, metal barred, squeaky bed. Eventually she left, and he went to sleep, snoring so loud the bed was literally shaking. (happened at the Seaside Hawaiian Hostel in Oahu) The good thing about the hostels is that they forced me to go out more. When I was in a hotel, I sometimes got too comfortable and stayed inside rather than going out... not an issue in hostels! Hostel staff are also normally very friendly and helpful. The staff at the previously mentioned Seaside Hawaiian Hostel were some of the loveliest people I met on the whole trip, would recommend staying there just for that! In the future I'm going to aim for cheap hotels, and maybe try Airbnb. Will also consider small hostel dorms, but only if there's a privacy curtain. I’m being harsh on hostels. If you're a social person and are looking to meet people, you'll love them. But that isn't me. I was there for the price tag, and I guess I got what I paid for. Camping was really enjoyable! One of my favourite parts looking back on it. Only downside was the lack of power outlets and the re-occurring 'did I just hear a bear? ' worries. The Trip Itself London Days Spent: 3 Money Spent: £198 Per Day: £66 My trip started off in a panic, finding out all trains from my hometown up to Glasgow Central were cancelled. But by pure luck I made it there. Pretty sure I jamp into an out of commission train going in for a repair... but I made it. The train ride to London was beautiful. My hostel was a bit out of the way. It was a 21-bed dorm, and once I got into my bed I was too scared to leave. This resulted in me not using the toilet and uhm, getting stomach problems. That lasted a few days. Made the experience interesting... I wasn't too fussed about London, I only really went there because the flights were drastically cheaper compared to anywhere else. Going to London for a few days and then flying to Chicago was cheaper than just going from Glasgow to Chicago. But I've never been and thought I would give the city a chance. I went to the National Gallery, walked along the Thames, went to the top of the Shard, saw the guards change at Buckingham Palace, and walked to the Tower Bridge at night. It was nice to just walk around the city, always looking for a toilet. Will likely re-visit again one day, and I'd like to see Windsor Castle when I do. I enjoyed London more than I thought I would! Photos from London! (there's an album at the bottom of this post with pictures from all locations if you would rather see them all at once) Chicago Days Spent: 4 Money Spent: £380 ($497) Per Day: £95 ($124) The flight to Chicago was with Norwegian and it was wonderful, highly recommend them. Half the reason I went to Chicago, at this time, was to go to my first ever concert (new experiences! ). It was at the All State Arena, which is next to the Airport, so I figured I would just get a hotel near the airport for 2 nights and same some hassle. I was seeing Lorde, and it was incredible. I was a few rows from the front and had a great view, but wow it was loud. Who knew concerts would be loud? The girl next to me was also there by herself and was nice to talk to! My time in the city was great. I did the river walk and went on a river cruise. It was so interesting hearing about all the buildings. I also went to the Field Museum which was fantastic, and went to the observatory for some skyline views. Got to try some Deep-dish Pizza and see the big old weird shiny bean thing. Chicago is so... clean. I was comparing it to New York the whole time, and in comparison, it is so clean and smells so nice. Photos from Chicago! Cruise to Florida/Bahamas Days Spent: 7 Money Spent: £12 ($16) After Chicago I went to my Dads house, as he had invited me to go on a cruise with him and his family. Hard to say no to! Always wanted to try one. In Florida I went to the Kennedy Space Centre which was amazing. Missed a rocket launch by one day, a shame... but the place was awe-inspiring. I also loved seeing the local wildlife. Florida is somewhere I'm dying to really see. In the Bahamas we just laid around on beaches and went snorkelling, which was fun. Felt like I was drowning at first, but I got the hang of it. (not a great swimmer) The cruise itself was neat, but I'm not really one for the 'relaxation' holidays, and the onboard activities didn't interest me too much. Buffet was wonderful though. I'd like to try another cruise, but probably only with a girlfriend/group of friends. Photos from the Cruise! Oahu Days Spent: 10 Money Spent: £683 ($895) Per Day: £68 ($89) Flew here via Virgin America and they were wonderful. Could order PB&J sandwiches from my seat! I paid a little bit extra to get a Layover in SFO rather than a direct flight, I feel like it was a good idea. Long flights are awful. I never thought I'd see Hawaii... but there I was. The weather was perfect, although it did rain a bit while I was there. The rain ruined my plans to hike the stairway to heaven, but I really wasn't fit enough for that anyways. The bus system was a breeze to use. I hiked Diamond Head, which was a great experience, and I also hiked Koko Head, which was a killer, but still beautiful. I also went snorkelling out at Hanauma Bay, which was so fun. The main reason I wanted to visit Hawaii is because I’m a huge Jurassic Park fan. So, I just had to visit Kualoa Ranch and go on the movie tour... seeing that place was amazing. I also went on an ATV tour through the ranch. It was raining, and I wasn't allowed to take photos, but it was so surreal. There I was, racing through Jurassic Park in a rainstorm on an ATV!! Even more surreal, I went diving with Sharks up at the North Shore. It was with One Ocean Diving, who specialise in doing dives without any cage. Just free diving with the sharks. We went a few miles off shore in a small boat, and then jamp in. We got to stay in the water with 8 sharks circling us for about 45 minutes. It was very windy and hard to stay afloat. When it was time to leave, I got tangled in the safety line as the sharks started getting closer and closer and I couldn't get free... that's a fun story! Highly recommend doing a dive with them if you're ever in Oahu and feeling suicidal. Can't wait to visit again. Photos from Oahu! Kauai Days Spent: 4 Money Spent: £122 ($159) Per Day: £31 ($41) Again, Jurassic Park made me come here. I went a few days after a state of emergency was declared due to flooding, so the north part of the Island was off bounds, as was the Kalalau Trail Hike. Bummer! Kauai is the closest place to paradise I have ever seen. Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast should both be separate wonders of the world. I got to go along the rim of the Canyon, fly over the island in a small plane, hike the Kalalau Lookout trail, and go on a cruise along the Napali Coast (where we were joined by a ton of Dolphins and Whales). Photos from Kauai! Tour of the Western USA Days Spent: 21 Money Spent: £2, 987 ($4, 182) Per Day: £142 ($199) The Tour I did was the Westerner 3 with TrekAmerica. It was me, a male tour guide, and 6 girls. Was a little worried about those dynamics, but they were all incredibly nice, and we were all likeminded people looking for an adventure. Being the only guy meant that I got my own tent and hotel rooms, which was very nice. Here's the route we took. Week 1 Big Sur was beautiful. San Francisco was beautiful. The Golden Gate Bridge was as phenomenal as I had pictured. Alcatraz was super interesting, especially with the audio tour, which was the best audio tour I've ever listened to! Yosemite was completely breath-taking. Everything was gigantic. We hiked up to the lower falls (I think? ) and it was great. Tunnel View was also amazing to see in person. Driving to Zion took forever, but it was nice. Long drives through wasteland, listening to country music, stopping at gas stations for snacks, seeing random stupid attractions on the roadside (I've seen the world largest thermometer now!! ). That is the American dream. Week 2 Zion, specifically Angels Landing, was the most fun I've ever had hiking. The adrenaline made it so enjoyable, although I was acting stupid and probably deserved to fall and die. Narrows was less fun, but doing it right after Angels Landing probably wasn't the best idea anyways. Bryce was neat, as was Capitol Reef. MOAB is somewhere I'd love to stay for a week and just do stupid stuff. The best thing we did there was go to Arches NP and see the sunrise, then do some hiking. I'm in love with the sandy, rocky desert terrain. We even went up a mountain nearby and had a snowball fight (pretty odd after a day of hiking in the desert sun). There were some Cougar tracks in the snow, which was even cooler than all the dinosaur tracks we saw in the area. The only thing I like more than Dinosaurs are Cats. Monument Valley was one of the best parts of the whole trip. We got a guide in the valley from a member of the Navajo Tribe, and we got to camp down in the valley. It was my birthday, so they gave be a 'good health' bracelet as a gift and a birthday dance/song in front of the campfire, which was awkward but appreciated. Camping under the stars was incredible, they were so bright, you just wanted to stare at them all night. This was convenient as our Navajo guide told us some very creepy stories about Skin walkers... so sleeping was out of the equation anyways. Week 3 The Grand Canyon was as Grand as you'd imagine. We did a helicopter flight over it, and then a hike into it, which was exhausting. It didn't have the same magic as Yosemite, but I guess we had been spoilt with so many natural wonders by that point. Vegas was fun. I've never been 'drunk’, but I got pretty close there! We mainly stuck to Freemont street as our hotel was there, and it was really lively. Went up $80 on the slots, and then 10 minutes later I was down -$30… but Vegas. All I saw in San Diego was the Zoo, I'd say it has earned its reputation. The whole trip was incredible. It was to be my 'meet new people' part of the trip, and it worked well, I made 6 new friends! The experiences we shared made me question if solo travel is even right for me, it was so nice to be a part of a group like that. But it was exhausting. Up at 6am every morning, packing up tents, cooking breakfast, packing van, long drive, then setting up camp, cooking dinner, doing dishes. Plus, the daily activities, where we frequently went over 30, 000 steps and 100 floors climbed. In terms of price... yeah it was a lot. But could I have done the same trip for less on my own? I don't drive, so no. Even if I did drive, car rental prices would be a ton, and we drove over 3000 miles. Will be looking to do another tour with them one day, maybe around Yellowstone or in Alaska. Photos from the Trek! Las Vegas Days spent: 5 Money spent: £1, 608 ($2, 252) Per day: £322 ($450) I've always wanted to visit Vegas, but I made sure to line up the dates for my visit so that I could attend the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC). It is a massive rave and looked extremely cool! If you've heard of Tomorrowland, think that, but entirely at night and in a desert. EDC was more incredible than I was anticipating. I've never been to a music festival, or a rave, or a club, or even a proper party, so it blew me away. The lights were everywhere, the fireworks were insane, the music was so loud. People had crazy costumes, and everyone was so lively! But oh, so nice. I laid down for a few minutes one night as I was tired, and 3 different people asked me if I was doing okay. I got to see my favourite artist play (Illenium) and in general just had a great time dancing the nights away. Strangest moment was when some drunk guy came up to me and was fascinated by my led flashing glasses. He asked if he could buy them for $10, and I said sure! It was the last night and I was leaving anyways. So, he pulls out his wallet and has like five $100 bills, and he just says, "Aw man this is all I have". I just gave them to him anyways, he seemed nice. Also, maybe a drug dealer looking back at it... The downside of EDC was that I was asleep most of the day and away most of the night, so I didn't get to see much of the strip. I know there's not a whole lot to 'see' in Vegas, but I went there twice and never really got to experience it, which I'm sad about. Vegas is such a unique, interesting city. So different from everywhere else I went. Will definitely go back one day. This was also the only city that I think would have been more enjoyable going with someone else. After EDC was finished, I spent my last night there going out into the desert and doing a sunset Horsehide with a couple of cowgirls, and then having a BBQ dinner with them. My first time on a Horse. I did lose my phone at EDC, which was a real pain. But thankfully I had my laptop, so I was able to buy a new one and get a new sim card for a low price of £581/$761. EDC cost me £393/$515, the horse ride was £145/$190, my hotel was £67/$87 a night... see how Vegas cost me so much?! On the bright side I did win $30 gambling! Photos from Las Vegas! Los Angeles Days spent: 5 Money spent: £410 ($574) Per day: £82 ($115) By this point, I was exhausted. LA was great, but I was too tired to enjoy it in all honesty. I spent more time in my hostel bed here than I did anywhere else. The public transportation was fine despite what everyone says. One of the better subway systems I used, it gets you to all the tourist points easily. No airport link was a pain though. Hollywood Boulevard was neat; however, it is something you can see in an hour. I did go down to Santa Monica but came back after an hour, was too tired to do anything there sadly. I went up to the observatory, and the views from there were outstanding! I'm a big GTA player so seeing all these places in person was really cool. I went to Universal Studios, which was a fun day. The 'solo' lines were great and so fast. On the studio tour I got to see Steve Harvey and he waved to me! Wouldn't be Hollywood without bumping into a celebrity I guess. The best thing I did was hike up to the Hollywood sign. The hike was a nice way to get away from the city, it was pretty easy, and the views were amazing. Being so close to the famous sign was great, and watching the sunset from up there was an experience I'll never forget. Even if walking back down in the dark was terrifying, always looking out for P-22. (I swear it was stalking me) Photos from Los Angeles! Washington DC Days spent: 2. 5 Money spent: £195 ($273) Per day: £78 ($109) My journey to DC was an exhausting one, which included another night on the airport floor. By the time I got here I was pooped. Went to my hostel and just slept. Woke up at 2am, and decided to head out, cause what else am I going to do? I spent the next 2 nights on a bike riding around DC & the National Mall all night. It was incredibly cool; the streets were so quiet, and the monuments/memorials were all empty. Walking up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial, and entering that empty room with just me and Abe there was unforgettable. On my last day I had some time to kill, so I went to the White House. There was some kind of event going on, and I'm sure if I waited with the news reporters for long enough I could have seen the president, but I had to leave. I also went to the Museum of American History, but could only stay for 30 minutes. Will need to go back one day to see all the Museums! On the way back to my hostel I saw a car crash which was neat. (not a bad one) Photos from Washington DC! New York City Days spent: 6 Money spent: £410 ($573) Per day: £68 ($96) NYC is my favourite city in the world and I've already been here around 5 times, but I was determined to make this the best visit yet! I went to the 9/11 Memorial and took the Staten Island Ferry. I visited the Westfield Mall, which I've somehow never seen before, and while there I went to the Shake Shack for the first time. Don't judge me, but that Shake Shack meal was the best meal I had over the entire 4 months. Easily the best. I went to the MoMA and concluded that I don't like art museums at all. Great place but not for me. I went up to the Top of the Rock and saw that postcard view, which is incredible. You really see the scale of the city from up there. Other activities included walking the High Line, going to Gantry Plaza Park for sunset, and of course Times Square. Oh, I also walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, where I was a bad tourist and got myself hit by a cyclist. Got shouted at, but we were both okay (physically, I am still scarred emotionally). The highlight was going on a Fly-Nyon doors off helicopter flight across the city. Now that was an experience. Flying right over the top of the Empire State Building and tilting to the side so you can get that perfect picture... was sure I was about to fall out! The city was smelly, the people weren't the nicest I met, and the subway was awful. Seriously how is it that bad? I got lost every time I tried to use it. And the heat was the worst, even worse than Vegas. But for every bad part about New York, there's 10 great parts. With all the cities I visited on this trip, nowhere beats New York. Nowhere ever will. Photos from New York City! Guangzhou / China Days spent: 13. 5 Money spent: £29 (¥258) This was another trip with my Dad & his family. My step mum is Chinese, so we would be visiting her family. The 14-hour flight was brutal, and after arriving at 7am, we went straight into a full day tour of Guangzhou. Tired doesn't even describe it. Baiyun Mountain is very pretty! The tour guide only spoke Chinese, so I had no idea what was going on half the time, but we got to see some neat places. A highlight was going on a river cruise and seeing Canton Tower light up at night. After that we went on the bullet train up to Chenzhou and did a 3-day tour of the Dongjiang Lake and nearby mountain ranges. Another Chinese speaking guide so again I had no idea what was going on, but the locations were spectacular. The rest of the time was spent in my Step-Mums hometown. ( It is described as a 'small town', but this is what it looks like?! ) I wish I could remember the name of the town, but it keeps slipping my mind. What I do know is that they get almost no Western Tourists. This resulted in people constantly staring at me, asking to take photos with me, and sneaking photos of me. I even make a group of school girls scream with joy just by telling them my name hahaha The heat & humidity in China was brutal, I never stopped sweating. Most people I met were so incredibly kind and welcoming. It's a very different culture, so you need to be accepting to new behaviours. Spitting, shoving, and staring may be considered rude in the USA however it is normal in China. Through the tours and staying with families I got to try lots of new food... but I'm not much of a food person. It was not my favourite part of the trip. Something I ate made me sick and I had to sit out some of the hikes, which I was sad about. Very nice ramen though! Overall it was a completely new experience, but it still felt familiar. Most countries work in the same general way, and most people in the world are good hearted. That is something I took away from this trip. Always believe in the kindness of strangers! Can't wait to see more of the country one day. The country is developing so fast, you can see entire new cities being built. I must have saw hundreds of skyscrapers under construction. Pictures from China! Hong Kong Days spent: 5. 5 Money spent: £242 (HK$2, 486) Per Day: £32 (HK$328) Rather than going back with my family to New York, or going straight to London, I opted to go to Hong Kong for a few days first, as I've always wanted to visit and it was so close! I took the bullet train down, and wow they're fast. Having one fly past me in the station was genuinely terrifying. I went to Shenzhen and then walked across the border to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an English-speaking city, so getting around is easy. Being able to access social media again (China blocks most websites) was wonderful! I wanted to go on some hikes, but the heat was too much. Instead I went out to see the giant Buddha, which was a real sight. Later that night I went up to the Peak to watch the sunset, and wow. Some of the best views from the whole trip came from up there. Other activities included the Ladies Market, various shopping malls for that sweet AC, seeing the new Jurassic World movie, watching the light show, riding the world's longest escalator, and going to the Happy Valley Racecourse. The city smelled strangely nice, and there was great food everywhere, which was a relief for my stomach! Would love to go back one day, if not just for some hiking. Pictures from Hong Kong! Pictures Here's a combined album of all the above pictures! I'm too lazy to add a description for all of these, as I already did it in the individual albums for each location. If you want to know a specific place you could check them, or just ask! I've also got a ton of videos. Here's a fun one to see what EDC was like... I'm planning on making a sort of montage video at some point and I'll be sure to post that video here when it is done. Semi-related, I printed out most of the above album and got a physical photo album for all the photos. Here's what is looks like. I like it as it is a fun way to look back at everything, and it's easier to show people than flipping through photos on my phone. Would recommend it! Best of all, I've got back ups, so if I lose it a new one will only cost around £20. Considering doing a photo album like this for all my future trips… only issue is that most trips aren't long enough to produce 200 good photos. Money Category Spent USD Spent Percentage of Total Spend Accommodation £1, 948 $2, 552 17% Food £1, 126 $1, 475 10% Transport £2, 643 $3, 463 24% Activities £2, 170 $2, 843 20% Pre-Trip Purchases £1, 978 $2, 591 18% Everything Else (Toiletries, Souvenirs, ect) £1, 186 $1, 554 11% Total £11, 051 $14, 477 Per Day £97 $126 I've got a whole spreadsheet with more information in it. Here is an album of the screenshots! I recorded all prices in GBP for some reason. Constantly Googling the exchange rate before entering it into my expense tracker was effort. My 'Per Day' average is a bit off as I spent around a third of the trip with my family having very little expenses. If you remove those days, the new average is £154 ($202) per day. If you cut out my long-distance transportation costs and my Pre-Trip purchases, and just look at what I actually spent in each location on accommodation, food, activities, local transport, toiletries and everything else, then the average is £106 ($139) per day. I definitely could have done it cheaper. Cut out the new camera, lounge pass, comfort hotels, and the expensive activities, and I'd save thousands. But the best part about travelling for me is the activities/experiences. The occasional comfort was nice, and I enjoy photography... so i've got no ragrets! I know you're thinking 'how did you afford this?? ' I'd say about 30% of the money came from the last year of work and making money from my PC. I live a very boring life, so outside of giving my Step Dad rent money, I don't have any large expenses. I don't drive, drink, smoke, or socialize much... so I save a lot! The other 70% was from inheritance money I received a few years ago after my Mum passed away. Had no real use for it (no interest in driving, free university, not enough for a house without a mortgage), and the pound is crashing, so why not spend it on an incredible journey? I know that if I ever die and leave my children some money, I'd want them to use it to celebrate life and do something like this. I know my Mum would have wanted me to do something like this with it. I spent less on food than I anticipated, but I did drink more than I thought I would. I budgeted £0 for alcohol (I don't drink remember! ) and spent around $150 on the stuff. My original budget for the trip was £11, 000 ($14, 400), so I was pretty much spot on. To come up with my budget, I followed this plan: Decide everywhere I wanted to go and how long I would like to spend there. Decide what route I would take and specific travel dates. Price out all the flights/trains and make a note of the likely prices. Look into the accommodation, see how much an average hostel or hotel will cost per night. Make a note of this for each location. Look into all the paid activities which I wanted to do, including any tours. Get prices for them all. Add £20 a day for food Add £10 a day for 'other' costs (toiletries, souvenirs, whatever) Look at how much a transport pass for the local subway costs, or in general see how much people spend on local transport while in each location. Make a list of everything I need to buy beforehand and the prices. Included clothes, camera, insurance, ect. Add £500 just in case of an emergency. Then you add it up: Flights/Trains + Pre-Trip Purchases + £500 Emergency Cash + the cost of each location. For the cost of each location it would be: Activity Costs + Local Transport Pass + (days in location * (20 Food + 10 Other + Nightly Accommodation Cost) That gave me a total cost, and then I just worked on cutting stuff out and changing dates until It was at the right level. (Had to remove Miami, Boston, New Orleans, and Alaska:() I also kept increasing my budget… which I guess is nice if you can do so. I originally wanted to do this trip on £3000 ($4000). Ha... If you want to be spontaneous, obviously the above wouldn't work for you. Expect to pay more for last minute bookings. But, that is an exciting way to travel and I wouldn't discourage it. I just like to plan in advance. Favourite Memories (with pictures! ) Pooping at the top of the Shard. Did not realize you could close the blinds, so I may have pooped in front of London. Lorde closing out her show with 'Green Light' at my first ever concert. (not my video) Watching Chicago light up after sunset. 'Atlantis, welcome home. ' at the Kennedy Space Centre. Snorkelling with a school of fish, Bahamas. Riding an ATV through a rainstorm in Jurassic Valley, Oahu. Cageless Shark Diving in Oahu. Sailing along the Napali Coast, Kauai. Hiking near the Kalalau Lookout, Kauai. Ending a day in San Francisco at Baker Beach. Doing the Angels Landing Hike, Zion National Park! Camping and making new friends on my TrekAmerica Tour. Spending my Birthday camping in Monument Valley. Helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. Gambling & Drinking at Freemont Street, Las Vegas. Seeing Illenium at the Electric Daisy Carnival, specifically the ending of 'Beautiful Creatures'. (not my video) Feeling like a Cowboy, riding a horse in the Las Vegas desert. Hiking up behind the Hollywood Sign. Riding around the national mall at 3am on a bike and getting to experience it all to myself. Flying over NYC in a door less helicopter. Hiking in the Chinese Mountains. Seeing the Big Buddha in Hong Kong. Watching the sunset from Hong Kong’s peak. Waking up in the final train back to Glasgow to see the misty Scottish countryside, knowing i was finally home. What Went Wrong Lost my phone at EDC Vegas and had to buy a new one. (+ sim card) Lost my wallet in Washington DC. Thankfully it was returned at a later date. Lost my neck rest & my cooling towel. Got very sick in China and never got to enjoy much of the hiking. Getting homesick bad around the 3-month mark. Stuck with me the rest of the trip. Being too exhausted to really enjoy LA or DC. Should have stayed in Vegas a bit longer to relax. Ending the 3-week tour and saying goodbye to the people on it. You spend 3 weeks with these people, all day every day, doing the most incredible things, and then you leave, and you'll probably never see them again. That was hard. Wearing one pair of shoes so much that they started to smell horrendous. Had to hose them down with 'Stink Stopper' constantly. Accidently deleting nearly every photo/video I took during the first week of my TrekAmerica trip. Included Santa Barbra, Big Sur, San Francisco, and Yosemite. :( Watching Liverpool FC lose the Champions League Final. I'm a big fan. Amazing to get there don't get me wrong... but that game was tough. -The journey home from Hong Kong took 55 hours, with multiple flights and trains. Poor planning. What I Would Have Done Differently Looking Back Got a credit card with no foreign transaction fees and use it to book the whole trip. Could have gathered a lot of points... Had an extra 3-4 days in Vegas to rest. Tried more local food. Tried to be more social. Saw more of DC during the day. Left the hiking boots behind. Tips Running out of space here, so I'll include all my tips in comment to this post! Summary This whole trip was incredible and at times surreal. The USA is such a diverse and beautiful country! There's nowhere else like it and I'm so grateful that I got to see all these places in person. China and Hong Kong were also incredible in their own right. China has so much more to see and I can't wait to go back. Despite how much I spent, it was definitely worth it. All the experiences were... wow. Did I really do all that?? EDC Vegas? Shark Diving? Helicopter flights? I barely even leave my bedroom; how did I do all that?!? Not sure if I would say it changed my life, but it has made me more confident in myself. Made some new friends and have some great memories/stories to hold on to. Overall it was just… fun. Such a good time! There were some bad parts, however they were few and far between. It was everything I expected and more. Thanks again to this subreddit for the help/inspiration! I originally asked for some advice here. The trip ended up quite different looking back at it! What's next? University for 4 years, so no long trips. Not that I could afford one anyways. I'll try to go to some places around Europe, taking advantage of the cheap flights. Current ideas are Rome/Venice, Paris, Vienna, Liverpool, and Belfast. Also want to see more of my own country, spend some time in Edinburgh and check out Orkney/Shetland! I have plans to get a motorbike next year, and the Scottish Highlands are on my doorstep, so I'll have some nice trips to go on with that. Next time I'm at my Dads house, I may take a train to DC or Boston. Potentially fly to Florida if it is affordable. I've seen most of where I want to see in the USA, but Alaska, Yellowstone, New Orleans, Boston, and Miami/Tampa are still on my list! I loved EDC so much that I want to go back, however it won't be possible with how the dates line up with University. Instead I've started a savings pot to go to Tomorrowland. Hopefully in Summer 2020! But the dream is to save up as much as possible for when I graduate. My target is £25, 000 ($32, 000). Then go on a trip around the planet, for 12 months, which will put this one to shame. After that, the next dream is to get a motorbike and go across North America. But I’m worried I may have a 'family' and 'commitments' by that point... Thanks to anyone who read this novel, have a good day!! Feel free to ask any questions!
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