I recently returned from an amazing trip in Australia. We toured from Sydney to Cairns surfing, skydiving, and sunning it up along the way. Just like traveling anywhere overseas, you learn a few things during your trip. Here are some tips to help you out on your adventures to Australia.

Fraser Island

Bring Sunscreen – Aussies love the Earth, but the Earth does not love them back equally. Thanks to the giant hole in the o-zone reaching over Australia, hangin’ out at Bondi Beach without sunscreen will have you looking like a Hamburg hot link in a quick minute. Wear sunscreen, and maybe even a hat, when you plan to be outside.

Take Your Meds – or at least make sure your friend takes some. If you get the sniffles, a cold, or even the splatter-bottom, it can be difficult to get proper medicine. Only herbal remedies such as Zinc and Echinacea are available at corner stores and supermarkets. You have to go to a chemist in order to get any type of meds like ibuprofen or cough syrup.

*Note: Chemists are only available on weekdays. I got sick on a weekend and had to resort to feverish begging.

Pack Light – touring through Australia with tons of stuff is a pain. Pack as little as possible. Australian hostels are insanely nice and most of them are well equipped with washers and dryers. Plus, you’re going to need room in your bag for all those bottles you snatched up during your wine tour.

Don’t Forget Your Visa – not the credit card. Australia requires its visitors to obtain a tourist visa to travel the country. Visas are good for up to 90 days. If you plan to stay longer, grab a work and holiday visa. You don’t want to get to the airport and not be allowed to get your boarding pass.

Listen Up – Australia is home to more deadly creatures than anywhere in the world. Listen to your tour guide when heading out into the bush. They’ll tell you what to watch out for… like the literally gut wrenching Cassowary

These tips will help you travel Australia’s eastern coast with no worries. Happy travels!

When you go on a job interview, a typical question an employer may ask is, “What would be your dream job?” Some say travel expert, some astronaut. Me? I’m saying pirate. Learn how to pack like a pirate!

Pirates are always on the move, so when you are a pirate, you need to pack light. Pack only the essentials. All the other things you need will be stowed on your island or ship.

1) Your Parrot – What’s a good pirate without his companion. Make sure you find a good place for him… perhaps your shoulder.

2) Sword – A pirate always has a sword. That’s how you keep your booty safe. In order to make it easier to pack, try a retractable sword.

3) Eye patch – Just for looks, or for an actual stinger to the retina, a must-have for any legit pirate.

4) Black eye make-up – Just like a football player, you have to keep the sun out of your eyes when setting sail to the open seas. Well, kind of like a football player i guess.

5) Telescope – While crusin’ 30 nots, you need to see who may be off in the distance. These are also retractable.

6) Coin Purse – You’re sure to have most of your booty stashed on the sea floor, but you’ll need to carry some with you for bartering and what not.

Now I could go on for a long time with this, or I could realize that there aren’t too many people out there trying to be pirates… except for maybe this guy.

Asunción de la Virgen in Santander

The trips are planned… sort of. My duties are taken care of… not really. My bags are packed – that would be ridiculous actually. Over the course of the next two months, I will be traveling to Australia, The Netherlands, Spain, and Mexico.

How did this happen? It just kind of fell together. Really. It did.

I’ve had the plan in my head to get over to Spain to see one of my old roommates from College. He, studied abroad for a semester in Sevilla, Spain. Kyle, the roommate,  loved it so much; he changed his major and decided he was headed back when he graduated to teach English.

Now he lives in Santander, and I’m going to have him tour me around Madrid and Santander. I’m makin’ a 3-day stop in Amsterdam because, well, it’s on the way. Our “Travel God”, Robert Sessions, informed me that it was only an extra $100 to add the stop over. Sign me up!

Before that adventure, I’m headed over to Australia to shoot some videos for our Web site. What’s the itinerary? No idea. I know it involves Sydney to Brisbane over the course of 11 days. It’s Australia, so that’s all I needed to hear.

In November, I’m going to an all-inclusive in Cancun with my p-units y mi hermana. It’s going to a really nice time to continue the warmth before winter starts.

All in all, I’m stoked. You’ll be hearing from me…

Photo Credit: Fearfull Stills on Flickr

When I was in school, I remember there being discounts for students at every local restaurant, movie theater, bar, etc. Sure, these discounts are great to help you save a bit here and there, but what about those major purchases?

Check out my list of things you should buy before you are no longer a student:

Software: Several companies, including Adobe, Microsoft & Apple, give hefty discounts to students for all different types of software. Once you are no longer a student, those prices sky rocket. This is definitely something you want to take advantage of.

Apple Computers: Along with software, Apple offers exclusive deals for students on their hardware. See here >

Cars: Several car companies offer discounts to students when you purchase a new car. I know that it is more likely that you will by buying Ramen rather than a car while in school, but if you are so lucky to buy a car, make sure you research the discounts available to you.

Travel: Obviously, I encourage you to travel while you still have your student status. We offer discounts to youth, but some deals are given exclusively to students.

ISIC Cards: In order to obtain your student status worldwide, grab one of these. It’s the only internationally recognized student I.D. card, and it comes packed full of discounts.

Hope this helps you keep some extra cash around to have fun with.