We call ourselves Introverted Traveler. But, what is an introvert?
Introvert is defined by dictionary.com as a shy, reticent person. The modern latin that the word is derived from is two words: intro (meaning to the inside) and vertere (to turn)
I also found a quote from Scientific American that says, "It’s also important to understand that introversion is different from shyness. Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, while introversion is simply the preference for less stimulation. Shyness is inherently uncomfortable; introversion is not. The traits do overlap, though psychologists debate to what degree."
I think when I was young I was very shy and then through my dads urgings and teachings I was able to break out of my shell. I can remember not really ever being into big parties or even small ones. I often don't always know what to do in social situations. I think, introverts go through stages as they grow into adulthood. I am still quiet and enjoy my time engrossed in whatever I'm concentrating on at the moment, I'm not as shy as i once was.
Today we're talking about traveling debt free! We'll be going over two reasons we want to do it this way, a story about why debt lets you down and how you can travel debt free!
Reason 1: We're Christians and the bible says it's not the best. The one that is heard the most is Proverbs 22:7 that says, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."
Reason 2: When you purchase something with debt it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to whoever you borrowed money from to make the purchase. For example: when you purchase a home traditionally, you get a mortgage and then purchase the home with the amount the bank says you qualify for. Until you pay the bank back, your home technically belongs to them and you can lose it. We want to purchase something and have it be ours. That's another reason we want to do the cargo trailer. They are built the same quality or better as rv's, they cost less and we can design it the way we want it.
Story: When my dad was younger he would travel around and use a credit card instead of taking cash. He would pay it off later. On one of his trips the whole credit card system went down for about a week (if I remember correctly), he did have a bit of cash to get back home. Cash saved the day!
How to travel debt free:
Utilize the free events and parks in your area. This doesn't sound very spectacular, but they are a great way to get out and explore. Most of the travel we do utilize these two things. This is especially good if you have kids and just want to get them out of the house and create some great memories. One of my favorite memories was an over night camping trip we took with my dad to the middle of nowhere.
Be frugal. A budget each month or even each time you get payed helps you see where your money is going and helps you control it. Coupons, discount racks, and some sales can help keep you under budget and set aside that money for travel.
Save. I've mentioned this before but just sitting down and calculating how much it would cost, like a travel budget, and then saving towards that goal. What's great about this is that it can be a big goal or little goal, wherever it is you want to go. I've met a couple who save two months worth of bills and however much they needed to go on their trip. This way, they go on the trip they want to go on and don't have to worry about whether or not the bills would be payed.
Today I want to talk about why staying informed about the laws in not only your area, but the country is important. Here is a quote from RoadTreking.com about find free places to park overnight and how these places are slowly going away due to legislation.
"What so many of us object to are discriminatory laws and local ordinances that prohibit traveling RVers from overnighting in places like rest areas, Wal-Mart parking lots and other places. I'm not talking about setting up camp, putting out the chairs, starting a campfire. I'm talking about spending a few hours sleeping overnight before hitting the road again as we are on our way somewhere. Often, we're on our way to a campground where we'll stay for several days. Overnight Parking is not camping, it's parking.
Lots of places welcome us. Wal-mart company policy, for example, is to allow overnight RV parking. Sam Walton, the founder, was an RVer and also realized that the RVers who overnighted in his lot bought groceries and supplies from his store.
But corporate policy is trumped when a local ordinance bans overnight parking."
http://roadtreking.com/finding-free-places-overnight-in-rv/
Whether we are talking about camping or larger issues, staying up to date on the laws of a country, state, city or town is important. I think it's also important we realize where these laws are coming from. Who wants to put these laws into place? Do they want to help people or does the law create problems? In the example I just read larger camp grounds like KOA are getting together and attempting to make this law everywhere. This way no matter what you are doing, you have to stay in a camp site.
I'm a small government conservative and where I can understand the desire to keep people from stopping over in a neighborhood, stopping for a few hours at a rest stop shouldn't be prohibited. Isn't that what we are constantly encouraged to do? If you feel sleepy; stop and rest. Better to stop and rest than be on the road endangering people. Isn't that why rest stops were created?
When it comes to businesses allowing over night stops, shouldn't that be allowed according to the business policy? I'm not a fan of creating laws just to line pockets or because someone just feels the need for it. Instead I would like to see the camp sites be creative and provide the service that Wal-Mart does. Make a place to stay over night where I can also load up or get a bite to eat. I wold be more likely to patronize your camp grounds if I have this good interaction in the first place.
Being able to maintain freedom in your area is why it's so important to pay attention to what laws are being passed and who we are putting into office to pass or reject those laws. Ultimately we are the guardians of our own freedom. What do you guys think?
So, one of our first trips we went to Savannah Georgia to experience their river walk. After walking around looking like tourist for about half an hour, I noticed a person walking behind us and stopping to sit and watch us. Not completely weird, for all I know he likes to people watch, same as me. I continued to keep an eye on him while we walked and my husband took pictures. By this time we made it to the restuarant/shopping/hotel covered area and this guy had been ducking behind trees and sitting and waiting then following us after we had walked a bit. I don't know who this guy is or what his intentions are, so we walk past the covered area and duck into a shop and wait. When we walk back out he's gone and we continue the rest of our journey, keeping our eyes open for him or anyone else who would do the same thing. The thing for you guys to keep in mind is to always keep a weather eye out for the people who are looking to hurt you. My dad taught me to always be aware of my surroundings, to travel armed and in a group of trusted people (if you can find them). Listening to that advice kept us from who knows what with this guy. Just remember to always be aware of your surroundings. Just take a minute and look around. What do you see? Can you see the potential for harm? If you do or you become uncomfortable, just leave, you can always come back again if you want to.
