Category: Kickstart

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6 Hacks To Make A Low Budget Travel Plan

Often, we find ourselves scrolling through our social feed, daydreaming about faraway lands, inspiring photography and life-changing adventure. And then, we wake up to check our bank balance and drop the idea.

I wonder, how do people actually fund their travels? Not everybody has been saving money for years to make it happen!

After reading a lot of stories on known travelers, I’ve realized this one thing, everybody didn’t have a huge amount of savings. In fact, some were even left with less than $200 in the first place!

They learned how to make it work, how to survive on a budget and how to handle it in difficult times. Most people travel with savings, which I guess is the best thing to do!  It might be difficult, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible to travel on a low budget.

People always wonder how much they should save for their next trip and also how to save money on the road, or prior to their big adventure!

Sure, traveling costs money, but there are ways to make it easier on the wallet.

Here are our 6 best tips on how to plan a trip on a budget:

1. Make the most of sales events

airplane over a dollar bill - low budget traveling

While people are loading up on new TVs and tablets during Black Friday and the Boxing Day Sales, skip straight to the flight sites.

Bookmark the sites that compare prices of travel tickets and subscribe to their newsletters or notifications to get alerts and updates via email. You’ll be intimated if specific fares have changed or reduced: farecompare.com, farecast.com, yapta.com, travelocity.com.

2. Do you know how much a visa costs?

stamped passaport - low budget traveling

Some countries, like Nepal, don’t require a visa for entry as a short-term traveler, and others charge for the privilege of entering.

Be aware of what you’re getting into, as you can plan your journey around destinations with cheap visa processes.

While there are a few countries with easy and cheap visa processes. Make sure you have done your homework already! 😉

3. Stay in hostels

hostel in the mountains - low budget traveling

This is the best deal you can buy when traveling on a budget!

Hostels are much more wallet-friendly compared to hotels, resorts, and rental homes. Not only do you get your accommodation sorted at an affordable price, but also a backpacker atmosphere, and memories to cherish for a lifetime.

There are a lot of hostels in different cities and you get a chance to interact with people from different backgrounds.

Some of its advantages are that usually, you end up meeting people traveling to the same destination as yours, so you may end up finding someone to share transportation, dinner or day trips.

3. Walk as much as possible or rent a bicycle

bike san francisco - low budget traveling

Travel will turn you into a walker.

It’s amazing to explore large swaths of countryside on a moped or by bus, but whenever you can (and especially when you’re in a city), stretch those legs and stroll!

When you need to travel that bit further, rent a bicycle.

You’ll burn those pesky calories, save some pennies, and definitely get to know the nooks and crannies of your chosen city in far more detail. Not only does it allow you to get around on the cheap, but also, it also keeps you fit. 😉

4. Street food definitely means cheap food

street food - low budget traveling

Eating street food tends to be the cheapest way to feed yourself on a budget.

If you’re someone who fears how hygienic or healthy the food may be, there are places where you can actually watch the food being prepared and cooked, so it’s better than being hidden away in a kitchen.

While traveling, make sure you have a taste of the local food before leaving, it will definitely make your experience worth it!

5. Get to know the locals

people around the bonfire - low budget traveling

There’s no better way of getting to know a place than talking to the locals. They know the ins and outs, the dos and don’ts, the where-to-go – and the where-not-to-go.

They are, in a nutshell, the best tour guides you could wish for.

Some of them might even end up asking you to stay with them, enhancing your travel experience and at the same time cutting on your accommodation and food costs.

You might even end up learning the local language. 😉

 

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
– Anonymous

 

We hope that these hacks worked for you. Let us know in the comments section below if you have some hacks of your own. 🙂

Till then, you can browse through the opportunities in budget-friendly countries to enhance your travel experience while serving the Global Goals!

If you liked this blog, you may also like: 5 Reasons Why Traveling Can be Your Best Teacher


Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.

It’s okay not to have one true calling

“IT’S COMPLETELY POSSIBLE TO HAVE A LIFE WITH PLENTY OF VARIETY, THAT ALSO PROVIDES STABILITY.”

– EMILIE WAPNICK

Are you somebody who has multiple interests and passions? Are you jealous of people who have a clear-cut idea of what they want to do in their life? Did you find it hard to choose a major because you have so many interests?

Do you worry that you will never find your true calling? Or do you feel like you need a new calling?

If you answered yes, then welcome to the world of multipotentialites.

I first encountered this word when I watched a TEDx talk by Emilie Wapnick, about the challenges multipotentialites face and how to embrace them.

But first things first, what is a multipotentialite?

A multipotentialite has been defined as a person who has many different interests and creative pursuits in life. They  do not have “one true calling.”

These people are usually full of artistic curiosity and can excel in two or more fields. Their interests span multiple areas and they often don’t want to “settle” in one field for good.

When I stumbled upon this term, I felt a great sense of relief.

In reality, I still feel restless sometimes, not because of “ having to become an expert at one thing” but more of “how can I do this, this, and that all at once?”

Being a multipotentialite adds so much more to life. It becomes a canvas and you can paint in oil, water, charcoal or whatever you want to.  But you also don’t limit yourselves to that canvas – you go on painting on walls, wood, glass, leaf to feed that curiosity and explore different aspects of it.

How do I know? I happen to be one!

I am a biotechnology student, who loves traveling, writing, painting, and designing. Yet,  I took up marketing along with HR as a department at AIESEC, where I happen to spend most of my time.

Adding to that, I also keep myself busy with the latest fashion trends and work on my photography page whenever I can. I haven’t stuck to any particular field, so I cannot say I am an expert or a specialist (in any)—words that the world loves.

artist - true caling

As a person with multipotentiality, I thrive on learning, exploring, and mastering new skills.

Like innovators and problem solvers, the multi-passionate have an urge to discover anything and everything to satisfy their curiosity.

And so, they keep searching for that single purpose that will make them feel whole again.

While having the drive to learn new things and master new skills is a fantastic quality and strength to have, a lot of multi-passionate people struggle with finding a career that “fits” them for they have such wide range of interests.

This makes it hard to narrow down a specific career since there are so many choices that they can thrive in and leaves them often asking “what do I want to be when I grow up.”

Success doesn’t have to elude you because of your interest in so many areas.

Is the struggle starting to make sense?

Come let’s take a closer look at how you can manage your interests well and embrace your multipotentiality. 🙂

1. Trust that the dots connect.

passion led us here written in the street true calling

Nothing ever goes to waste. The skills you learn along the way will help you in the future.

Who says you need a life calling anyway? The point of a true calling is to have a purpose, something that centers and drives you, a mission you’re working to accomplish.

The truth is, when it comes to passion, multipotentialites are serial daters, not the monogamists of the world 😉

So maybe you have a true love for a little while, and then, later on, you have another true love. Or maybe you have a couple of true loves at once.

You don’t have to adhere to the monogamy model to be fulfilled, be on target with your life or to do something great.

2. Take small steps.

notebook with list of ideas - true calling

“You need to be content with small steps. That’s all life is. Small steps that you take every day so when you look back down the road it all adds up and you know you covered some distance.” – Katie Kacvinsky

Especially when there are hundreds of things that you’d like to do, it helps to make a list. Write down your desires and start with one of them. That’s it. Don’t expect anything except the desire to learn.

When you feel saturated, stop and proceed to do the next thing on your list.

The list will grow and so will you. It’s the learning that counts.

3. Look for creative ways to contribute.

creativity - true calling

If you’re eager to explore more of your interests, consider turning some of them into a side gig. Think about the skills and interests you wish your job included. Is there a part-time, flexible job or an internship you can pick up that would use those? Or maybe a business you can start that taps into that?

The important thing is not to give up on your interests. Work on them whenever you are free. It’s like a meditation to free you from all the mental pressure and also makes you feel productive at the end of the day.

4. Connect with people who can relate.

connection with people - true calling

Joining a like-minded community helps put things in perspective. Forums and websites like Puttylike, started by Emilie, can help you restore your confidence and help you do better.

In the end, it’s all about perspective. So choose to focus on your strengths. Success will surely follow.

“Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty. I see a glass that’s twice as big as it needs to be.”

– George Carlin

Being a multipotentialite doesn’t have to mean living an unstable life that constantly worries you, or continuing at a job that you don’t enjoy.

It’s also okay not to want to stay in one job or field forever. If you still feel the pull to explore some of your other interests, maybe it’s time to start thinking about a career change! 😉

We at AIESEC also provide various opportunities with startups where you can explore your interests and learn more along with the same like-minded people. Check them out!

Until then, tell us if you are a multipotentialite too. What are your current interests and how are you smooshing them all together? Share with us in the comments below!

If you liked this blog, you may also like: 5 things to keep in mind before giving up on your goals

4 Reasons Why Learning A Second Language Is Important

“To have a second language is to have a second soul.”

– Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor

It can be intriguing at times, you know, to think why knowing a new language can be of any use. You could think:  “what’s the point if the one I’m reading right now will soon become the universal medium of communication?”

English as the undisputed global language, is diverse in itself, easy to comprehend, widely vocal and written, and well, in our curriculum!

leters on a board - perks of learning a new language

It’s the language of the internet. It’s an intelligent channel of thought, culture, and unity.

But what might be little bothersome is the fact that a language dies every 14 days, and if we keep neglecting our native speech, it might become one of them.

Every new language teaches something, and here’s why we should make the most of it:

1. A language drives the way we think

“Language is a uniquely human gift, central to our experience of being human.”

– Lera Boroditsky, Cognitive Scientist, Psychologist and Linguist

We as humans are known to have opinions, thoughts, mindsets and even behaviors relative to the situations or environments we are put in.

That is not different when it comes to the language we speak. Our mode of communication, the literal language we speak can influence our thoughts and actions!

Surprised?

Here’s something even more interesting.

men looking at the sky - learning a second language

If you didn’t know, something as basic as the use of grammatical gender in a language can shape the way we look at things.

And this is actually well researched at Stanford University!

For example, a community in Australia uses specific cardinal directions in their daily language.

Like “You’re reading this blog from north to south.”  

The best part about talking in this manner is that the people stay aligned and oriented in their lives.

Hence, a second language can shape how you think and can influence your small acts.

2. A new speech imbibes a new culture

african tribe

Getting to know, comprehend and speak a different language can help you gain enormous clarity on the culture of the place.

The way people word stress while speaking makes you understand their thoughts, perceptions and reasoning. So once you gain a pattern of their ideas, you also get more knowledge about their culture.

It’s that simple.

Languages are a lot of fun as well. Like ‘Fahrt’ in German actually means ‘a trip’ in English.

The idea of having multiple languages, that too in one nation, is creative. It influences the way people experience their lives.

Personally, we consider a speech as a celebration of diversity and talent.

3. We become effective multitaskers

Switching to another language while speaking makes us exercise our analytical skills and become empathetic.

It helps in enhanced communication since what a person might not grasp in Language A, might get it better in Language B or C.

girl in a snowboard using the laptop

Once a habit, this mental repetition also invites wisdom and generally avoids miscommunication.

People who utilize their logical capacity more often become better at handling more than one task at a time, inviting efficiency and productivity.

Bilingual people are less likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s as well.

What might simply seem linguistic may have relations with psychology and science.

4. We can stand out in the job market

The more international languages we know, the more we reflect as a world citizen on our CV.

There are always certain companies which search for multilingual candidates.

This helps you in getting diverse and interesting job roles!

With knowing more languages also comes the idea of understanding more cultures.

Hence, your ideas can be welcomed at your workplace.

girls at work talking

As you can see, there are multiple reasons why it can be extremely relevant for the youth to learn a second language.

We become better world citizens, multicultural and keep the native languages alive for generations to follow.

Knowing more than one language can be an art of mastering life and dealing with intrinsic realities better.

So now, let’s actually mind our language and learn a new one!

Do you already know a language you wish to keep it immortal? Good news is you can do it by spreading it to the world! And in return, you might just learn a whole new language as well.

Explore our opportunities for interning abroad here!


Written by

Vanyashree Chaudhary is a light-hearted Journalism student from Delhi. She’s crazy about her love for graphic designing, Oreo shakes and Daft Punk. Find her the happiest while she’s traveling!

Curiosity, Gratitude & Spirituality – 3 Steps for a Meaningful Life

It’s easy to take life for granted. We assume we’ll live to be at least 80, we’ll always have that job, our tea will always be hot, we’ll always have food to eat, and that our pet will always come up to us showing love.

Already thinking how can all this be true? Of course, our tea won’t stay hot forever, within the next second we might face a huge recession and lose our jobs and who knows we might live till 80?

So we know that nothing is permanent, right?

But, sometimes we fall into the trap of acting like things are permanent, that everything will stay the same. We start ignoring opportunities that can change our lives to better, being satisfied with what we just have.

We didn’t think if our comfort will always be exactly as it is. In other words, we lose touch with our strengths that add “meaning in life” and fall into the trap of taking things for granted.

Here are these strengths and how they can help us achieve a meaningful life:

Curiosity

If you are high in curiosity, you love to explore what’s new and unique. Novelty is your best friend. Making inquiries is your default approach. Trying new foods and different cuisines, meeting new people, and making trips to new places are ways you fulfill your curiosity forever.

When you utilize curiosity to explore the world, you are looking, wandering, and wondering– you are looking for experiences, you are looking for adventures. Along these lines, you are attempting to understand your experiences and your general surroundings. That sort of attempt and sense-making is known as coherence and is the main component of meaning in life.

Gratitude

Gratitude goes beyond expressing thanks to somebody who has been decent to you or has given you a gift or a blessing.

People who are thankful have a wide feeling of gratefulness for life– they appreciate their very own life, regardless of whether they are in the midst of battles. They rush to catch themselves underestimating life or taking life for granted.

These people are thankful for every opportunity that comes their way, and they never let a good chance pass by.

These are the people who can quickly move their concentration from autopilot thoughtlessness to mindful attention. They notice what is great around them and what could be made greater by simple efforts 🙂

Spirituality

Spirituality has been defined consistently as the search for or communing with the sacred.

But what is sacred?  

Sacred is one of a kind to every individual. It can be spending time with your kid, taking part in a religious custom, enjoying the magnificence of nature, or even contributing to other people’s development.

Gautam Buddha was also a teacher, did you know that? Teaching was holy to him.

Even traveling solo is sacred because many people do that not just to explore the world but to explore themselves. They travel around and notice things. They leave a mark wherever they go. They find themselves and find a meaning of their life.

Meaning of life fits this strength like a pen in hand. If you are investing time deliberately engaging in what you accept as sacred, unique, or heavenly, it would be almost difficult to not see that as meaningful and important in the meantime.

When we permeate something as holy we are pressing significance filled goals and vitality toward that path. We are demolishing the effect of taking life for granted.

By using these strengths, we can achieve anything!

We can easily overcome every situation or battle we are fighting.

How? Because these strengths never let us give up and we hope for better and taking every chance we get as an opportunity.

So, how are you using these strengths in your favor? Let us know in the comments!

To read next: Choices, chances & changes – Three Cs that can change your life

5 Ways You Can Make A Difference

“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”

– Michelle Obama

As humans, we long to make a difference, to leave our mark. The vast majority of us knows that helping better others’ lives affects our own — it makes us more joyful, balanced, and imparting a more noteworthy feeling of purpose every day.

But, it tends to become difficult when we get hindered by our daily routine and miss the advantages, to ourselves and our community.

Most of us don’t know where to start from, but it’s easier than you think.

Have a look at these 5 suggestions and start making a difference today:

1. Become a Mentor

Turn into a coach to somebody who might profit by your abilities, information, and experience. Perhaps there’s somebody in your groups of friends or profession you might want to help along the way.

You might also help to educate kids that come from a poor family. It can make a huge difference or their future.

 2. Donate Blood

With one gift of donation, you can save numerous lives. Every drop counts, as a single patient can require multiple donors.

For heart surgery procedure it’s required the blood from up to five donators. Leukemia treatments require a maximum of eight contributors every week. Emergency care for an automobile accident can utilize something like 50.

Each donation makes some kind of effect on somebody’s life. What more noteworthy blessing would you be able to give? Find the nearest donation station, and help save somebody’s life. It won’t take you even 1h.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering energy and abilities to any association is an extraordinary method to offer back to our planet and community.

Regardless of whether it’s a medical facility, food bank, youth group, senior’s home, or an animal shelter. There are huge amounts of organizations that would benefit by your time.

A speedy search online will help to discover local and global opportunities. Or on the other hand, contact organizations you’re keen on assisting to help you contact with their nearby group.

4. Organize a Clean Up

All you have to hold for a fruitful clean up is a major box of garbage bags, a greater box of recycling sacks, a significant amount of elastic gloves, a gathering of friends or volunteers, and an area that needs some love.

girls cleaning the street on world cleanup day

What’s more?

Nowadays most public parks, beaches, and neighborhood avenues need a little TLC (tender, love & care). Sometimes people simply require a little motivation to urge them to assist.

Lead the way, and see what follows!

5. Plant a Tree

person planting a tree

We all know the importance of trees on this planet. The process is as similar as of organizing a cleanup. All you have to do is to carry a plant, a spade and an expert in the plantation, for instance, a gardener.

Look for an area where the plant could be placed, for example, in the boundaries of the public parks and you are good to go!

If you wish to plant in a specific area or a society, then just talk to the president of the society. I’m sure they won’t deny it, even if they do, they’ll tell you another place to do so. 🙂

See who follows you!

It’s about time that we start considering the fact, that we, as the future of the planet, should start making a difference.

We at AIESEC work on delivering various opportunities to contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals that we need to achieve by 2030. If you want to contribute, check our opportunities at www.aiesec.org.

Did you like this post? Leave some claps or a comment to let us know!


Written by

Anisha Bhawanani is graduated in Marketing and Finance and loves writing. She is a happy go lucky girl with a head full of dreams, very passionate about traveling and exploring different cultures. One day she wants to win a man booker prize.