Today’s post comes straight from Todd (@globetrooper) at Globetrooper and covers the act of travelling as being an invaluable education – a true University of Life.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this; there are already a couple of comments at Globetrooper, including one from Keith the Travelling Savage, so join in and let us know your thoughts…

Image: Costa Rica 2009 – Flickr Birgitta Seegers

We enter this world as newborns with an insatiable curiosity. Because suddenly, snatched from the comfort of the womb, we’re dropped into this foreign world where everything is new: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, everything.

But as we grow, and as we ‘mature’, our environment becomes familiar. We can no longer just open our eyes to find a world of discovery; we must manufacture it. So we end up entertaining ourselves with university, careers, and heaven help us, reality TV.

Surely there’s more…

The Problem
The last straw is when you catch yourself saying, “Wow, you learn something new everyday”. Because people don’t say this as a statement of fact; they say it when they’re honestly surprised to learn something new. Personally, I think it’s a grave travesty when learning becomes so unexpected.

The Solution
So how do we re-visit that day when we left the womb; the day when life wasn’t such a grind and the world really was our freshly-shucked oyster? Simple… We travel.

When you open your eyes in another dimension (let’s imagine Calcutta, Cairo or Cartagena) you’re not clutching for the odd life lesson, you’re completely swamped by a world of contrasts. As you look in any direction, you see a world of humanity and life, rather than a world of financial derivatives, legal contracts and diet books.

The Case Study
When Lauren and I first arrived in Montreal, we found ourselves learning like children again. Everywhere we looked, we thought, “We should do it this way at home”, or, “Are these people nuts, why don’t they do it this way?” There were countless lessons, and this was only Canada (quite possibly the most similar country on the planet to our homeland, Australia).

When we visited the Middle East and Africa… well, let’s just say we’d been living with our eyes half-closed for 20+ years. And I don’t mean closed to struggle, I mean closed to fulfillment, community and adventure.

The Curriculum
But the real lessons of travel (which aren’t taught on campus) show that your values have less to do with Lamborghinis and more to do with making a difference, exploring the unknown, and of course, spending time with honest and thoughtful people.

It may sound defeatist to look the other way of modern consumerism, but then it sounds pretty insane to voluntarily live in a prison (be it a cubicle, suburbia, an actual prison, etc.).

The Pre-requisites
Thankfully, and somewhat ironically, there are no entrance exams for an Education on the Road. Because to subsist on the road is an education in itself. So the only pre-requisite is a thirst to know what’s really out there.

In all seriousness though, imagine yourself post-MBA. Then compare that to yourself post-long-term-round-the-world-discovery. Which version of you would better grasp global issues? Which version would know how to make a positive impact? And which version would know what it means to lead a fulfilling life?

Apply Now
Where do I start? Start with these: The Great Circular Indian Railway Challenge, A Trip to Timbuktu, Trips visiting North Africa and Trips through Indo China.

Thanks Todd! Remember we’d love to hear from you. Do you agree with Todd? Leave a comment below.

This week our Travel Tuesday mention goes to the picture perfect Runaway Jane – full time travel writer and freelance illustrator (she refuses to choose between the two).

Disheartened by a career in sales Jane opted for a ticket to Australia instead. It turned out fairly well by all accounts, her own in particular,

“I’ve always been curious about the world outside my little town. It was that, and the encouragement from a friend that prompted me to quit my job in sales, and travel half way across the world in search of happiness. It’s a decision that I have never regretted doing.”

Runaway Jane is full of the type of content that anyone interested in travel would find a joy to delve through. Blog posts such as Top 5 Things I Love About Travel and Can Travel Change the World are her mainstays as is the travel photo of the week category, there is also a page dedicated to extracts from her sketchbook. Jane has also just started Jane’s Guide to Edinburgh.

At STA travelbuzz we strongly suggest you head over to Runaway Jane and enjoy her talents as a travel writer and illustrator – we certainly do!

#traveltuesday #tt

*Update* We’ve had a change of date for the meet-up! It will now take place on Tuesday 17th August with a 7:30pm start. Apologies for an inconvenience caused and we hope you’ll still be able to pop along…

We’re having a meet-up! This time around we’ll be at The University of London STA Travel store on Malet Street for an evening of Western Australia themed travel chat.

The date for the meet-up is Tuesday 17th August with a 7:30pm start. Everyone is welcome, so come along and get involved. If you do have any questions or queries just email, drop us a tweet @statravelbuzz with the tag #statravelWA or get in touch via Facebook.

Experts from STA Travel will be talking all things Western Oz, enlightening us with their wisdom and, if you’re looking for a head start, visit our Western Australia page which is full of info on a variety of locations in the region. There is also an A to Z of WA on the STA Travel site – 26 ways to enjoy the area including the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk and the Bungle Bungle Range.

Following the STA Travel talk will be Colin from Aboriginal Art who’ll be discussing not only the native art and culture but also didgeridoos! Start practicing your circular breathing now…

After featuring Alternative South Africa Facebook page yesterday we decided to go and hunt out some more info and see what we could turn up. We’re of course still eager to hear your own experiences and thoughts so if you’d like to contribute just comment on the wall, be it a link, photos, video or just a mention for the best place to have a night out. However, due in no small part to host of guys more than happy to share a little bit SA knowledge, we’ve got a few ideas to kick things off…

Richard (@richmulholland) describes himself as a guy, some tattoos and a big mouth and has told us about Little Eden. As you can see below it’s a fairly picturesque location ideal for nature lovers.

Richard is also a fan of Jonnie’s Roti, ‘Gigantic Roti’s to Rave About!’ There’s a whole photo set devoted to it! Anyone else a fan?

Mike is a proud South African as described on his Twitter profile (@mikestopfourth) and as a sports fan is likely to be able to give you some pointers when it comes to such matters. He’s also recommended Kaapsche Hoop, which is renowned for the wild horses that roam freely about the village described as ‘a haven of beauty, peace and tranquillity.’

Ona sporting note, if it is golf you’re after then Craig (@craigrodney) listed a few resorts (resorts because there isn’t just golf available) he rates – Pezula, Simola, Oubaai, Pinnacle Point and Fancourt.

Mongezi, a writer and entrepreneur (@mongezi), suggests that going to Constitution Hill is a worthwhile visit,

“While in Johannesburg, I recommend you go to the Constitution Hill in Braamfontein. It has the Constitutional Court and one of the oldest prisons of Johannesburg. That is where some of the prominent leaders of South Africa, like Mandela, were held and tortured. […] The most defining moment for me, is that most of those were younger than I was at the time. If you can stomach it, there’s a coffee shop with great muffins there as well.”

And following on from the mention of muffins, it is the Banana Jam Café that gets his vote when it comes to going that little bit further,

“Banana Jam, a tropical feeling place. A young waiter with spiky hair welcomed us at the gate. He danced and chatted with us as though we were old friends. More than anything, he also managed to surpass every expectation we had of the place.”

Finally we have Nic (@nicharry) who gave us plenty on being a little more adventurous when it comes to touring Johannesburg,

“When in Jozi don’t do the things you’re told to do. You’ll be told these things by apprehensive Sandtonites who rarely travel past the Zoo on Jan Smuts. So what I suggest is that you get over it.”

He strongly believes that if you’re sensible you’ll be fine in the ‘big city’ and Jo’burg is a city you don’t want to miss out on,

“Head straight over to Market Square […], just take a walk around and be street smart. […] Live a little because Jozi is a city that breathes and moves and lives, you may as well live with it.”

Hopefully all of this will give you a bit of an insight into what you can get up to in South Africa. I’d like to finish with a big thanks to the guys above! Great work.

If you want to read more about the rainbow nation and get involved in passing on your thoughts don’t hesitate to investigate Alternative South Africa. We’d love to hear from you!

Our Alternative South Africa Facebook page is up and running ready for the sharing of tales from those fortunate enough to have visited the nation.

If you’ve had an adventure, we want to know about it. Your thoughts and experiences of Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger National Park – or maybe you’ve travelled the Garden Route or even dived with a Great White Shark?

On the page already are Ricc’s experiences that range from the Sun City zip line to the beauty of Indigo Fields,

“Indigo Fields is not a spa, it’s exactly what I picture seeing when I die…kinda like Russell Crowe walking through the fields in Gladiator. They drive you to a cabin in the bush with a Land Rover and spoil you with hot stone massages and wine. After that, it’s hot tub and champagne, after the salt scrub and sauna of course.”

Also up is a link to Caz and Craig’s y Travel Blog who discusses a ‘green’ mode of transport available in South Africa – Ostrich. I kid you not and in case you were wondering, here’s a video,

If you’ve not been to South Africa but have an interest then there are numerous places online to jump on board and see what there is on offer. We’ve got our very own STA Explorer Clarissa who explains all on rainbow nation and there is also Marie in Lesotho.

Aside from these there is also the excellent African Travel Guide, South Africa – Travel Accommodation and Adventure, Travel Concepts, The Travel Tart, Go Backpacking, Truly South Africa and the Edge of Africa.

That’s plenty to start getting your teeth into, and if it whet’s the appetite then we’d love to hear what you’ve got to say over at Alternative South Africa.

It is that time of the week again – Travel Tuesday. Wrapped by our warm hug of travel based appreciation this week is GoBackpacking, the work of David Lee, who you can find on Twitter @rtwdave.

GoBackpacking encourages all those with even an inclining of wanderlust to embrace it and go. And that is a noble cause. The result of this is a website fit to burst with the sort of guides, stories and insights that veterans and novices alike can learn from. At it’s heart is the sharing of experiences, which in turn expands the pool of knowledge when it comes to seeing the world to vast proportions.

David’s credentials are born from the experience of leaving the USA in 2007 with a 20-pound pack, an ATM card and a desire to discover new things. He visited 22 countries in 20 months and from this decided to encourage others to do the same.

“This blog is dedicated to inspiring and motivating others to make their travel dreams come true, whether it be a one week vacation or a 5-year vagabonding odyssey.”

The site now has numerous contributors, all of who are listed on the GoBackpacking about page. To David and the whole team our Travel Tuesday three cheers should be resonating your way right about now!

GoBacking is on Facebook too so be sure to join in there, also David can be found managing Medellin Living, a blog about expat life in Colombia, and behind the scenes of Travel Blog Success.

#traveltuesday #tt

Surfing in Byron Bay is probably one of the more dreamt about lifestyles when it comes to imagining an alternative existence down-under. If you’ve a penchant for the beach bum scene and surf movies then a summer spent carving the waves in Byron has probably wafted through the landscape of your daydreams.

It had for Chris. However he’s no longer just dreaming it he’s out there living it. And the idyllic Byron scene has recently had an important addition for Chris – a long lasting swell,

“This basically means my daily life has turned into a beautifully repetitive routine. Get up, work, surf through lunch, work, sneaky evening surf, a little more work, party. It really is living the dream. Cash in my pocket and a good wave count to match.”

Chris did the honorable thing and forwent catching more surf to snap a couple of his fellow boarders about to depart Byron. Only fair I think. The photos are on their way, but the above is a taster.

If all this surf lifestyle talk has you tempted you can begin looking into the possibilities Byron has to offer in the way of surfing and more besides on the STA Travel website.