So you are 18 and want to go TRAVELLING
Amazing! Great! Let’s go! But how? Here are the steps that I would take 3-6 months before you want to go away. If you are turning 18 in this period of time, this is a great time to get some of that “adult stuff” taken care of. These points may not be the most exciting part, but trust me, they are much easier to get done in your home country and maybe in your home town where you know how, and where, to get things done. You will be very glad that you did these things once you are in the middle of the Amazon Jungle and need $1000 transferred asap 😉
- Get a passport. As a child, you might have been on your parents’ passports or had your own child passport. Your first adult passport is a legal document, so it is better to take care of this while you have some time. A few important points:
- Your first adult passport can take a bit more time because you need references etc., which you do not need for a simple passport renewal. Give yourself time to get it sorted.
- I would say in general, but especially if you are going travelling, get the 10-year passport instead of the 5-year. It works out better cost-wise, and saves the renewal process unnecessarily.
- Passports are helpful even in your home country, as a form of government identification
- Once you have a passport, keep it current (aka renew before it expires). If you are going travelling, you may be applying for visas in the future and something they want a reason why you have a gap in your passports
- Keep all expired passports in a safe place at home. Some citizenship and visa applications may ask to see them.
- Get any citizenships you are eligible for. I made this mistake- what would I tell me 18 year-old self? I would tell them to get Canadian Citizenship! At the time I was studying in Waterloo I was perfectly eligible for Canadian Citizenship, but didn’t do it. Once I started travelling I didn’t have enough days “banked” in Canada and also needed police certificates from the places I had been. It would have been way easier to get these things sorted out before I went travelling. So apply for citizenship in your country of residence if you can, or maybe you are eligible for another citizenship from your parents that could be very helpful, ex. EU passports can be used in all of Europe. Just be aware that not all countries allow dual citizenship- so check that out first.
- Get a credit card. Credit cards are portrayed as bad and scary things. They are only bad and scary if you are irresponsible with them. Unfortunately, I don’t know how you would go travelling alone without having a credit card, so just view this as an “adult step” and be responsible with the credit card. This means: know your limit and do not max it out, and make your payments on time every month. Aside from being a very valuable tool for travelling, this will help build your credit, which will be checked when getting a phone plan and car, or buying a house. I will talk more about having a credit card in this post.
- Get a power of attorney. This means that you are legally allowing someone to take care of your business on your behalf. Only make someone you really trust, like your parents, be your power of attorney because it is a lot of responsibility, but having someone who can go to the bank for your while you are away is invaluable. You have to go to a lawyer with this person and get a legal document drawn up, but it is good forever afterwards and you will be glad you did it. I did this before I left Manitoba for university, and it has come in handy so many times!
These are the first steps that I would take before thinking about where you want to go and how you are going to pay for it. These logistical steps will be useful whether you travel to Africa or Europe, and no matter if you are backpacking for 6 months, or study aboard for a year.
Watch for upcoming posts about the next steps in the process!