Traveling

My name‿ is Peter,│ and‿ I have travelled to twenty-three countries. I did not plan‿ it that way. When‿ I was twenty-two,│ I spent‿ a summer‿ in‿ Asia with‿ a backpack‿ and‿ a very small budget,│ and‿ I have been travelling‿ at leas(t) twice‿ a year‿ ever│ since.

The firs(t) time‿ I went‿ abroad,│ I booked‿ everything with‿ a travel‿ agency,│ and‿ I hated‿ it. Now I book‿ a flight‿ and‿ accommodation myself,│ and‿ I leave the rest‿ open. Las(t) year,│ we took the train‿ across Japan,│ an(d) one‿ evening we got‿ off‿ in‿ a town none‿ of‿ our friends had heard‿ of. That was the bes(t) day of the whole trip. The places‿ off the beaten track‿ are‿ often the ones you remember.

Travel‿ is not‿ always comfortable. I have had jet lag for four days,│ I have los(t) my luggage‿ in‿ Istanbul,│ an(d) once‿ I paid for‿ a taxi with the wrong currency,│ which cos(t) me 40 dollars. However,│ culture shock‿ is the reason‿ I go. If‿ everything were the same‿ as home,│ there would be no point‿ in leaving. My advice‿ is simple:│ learn ten words‿ of the language,│ eat what the local people‿ eat,│ an(d) do not compare‿ anything with home.