I am about to embark on what I think will be the adventure of my lifetime (up until this point, that is) and plan to share it with you! My name is Melanie and I am a 24-year-old female from Boston, Mass., and I am going backpacking in South America for approximately four months.

Map of South America

Where am I going?

I plan on visiting six countries in four months. The route begins in Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday, September 17, and finishes around January 20, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Luckily, I was able to purchase flexible tickets from STA Travel. This gives me the flexibility I may need towards the end of my trip—either finishing early, or more likely choosing to spend some more time away! In all, I am planning to visit Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

Who am I traveling with?

I am traveling with some people that I met on travbuddy.com. What I’ve found most useful on this Web site has been the “meeting travel buddies” feature. Teja, from Slovenia, and I booked our four months of traveling together, so we plan to be together every step of the way. Then there’s Nadja, from Slovenia, who will be traveling with us for the first two months. And finally, we have Tom who will be traveling with us for the first month.

What am I doing?

I am backpacking throughout the different countries. I plan to see the sights, observe, meet new people, and make new memories. The main objective is to designate a few months of my life to the sole purpose of traveling, seeing the world, and having all of the wonderful experiences that come along with it. I will be volunteering at Santa Martha Rescue Centre with my fellow travel buddies for approximately two weeks. Teja and I also hope to volunteer with children at some point during our travels if we can fit it in. Other than that—the goal is to see some of the world!

What have I had to do to prepare?

In a nutshell: break the news to family members (eek!), quit my jobs, save lots of money, buy lots of things (such as a backpack, sleeping bag, travel towel, hiking boots, rain coat, etc.), get vaccines (Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, Typhoid), get medications (like for Malaria, Altitude Sickness, Traveler’s Diarrhea), get Travel Insurance (through STA Travel, amazing insurance plan) and spend months previous to the trip spreading my message/plans to friends/family.

What have I learned and what do I hope to learn?

Even deciding to do a trip like this has taught me a lot. I have learned that there is a large fear of the unknown out there and many of us let it shape our lives and prohibit us from taking chances in life. I’ve learned that many people wish/dream of doing a trip like this, but fear and “real life” responsibilities/obligations get in the way.

I hope to have new experiences, see new and cool things, meet new and cool people, try some different foods, stay safe while having fun, leave the “rat race” for a little while, gain some perspective on life, and take some time to learn and grow in a positive way. I also hope I can come back with amazing experiences that I will be able to share with people and hopefully inspire or influence them in some ways. Simply, I hope to have the adventure of a lifetime!

See you in South America…!

Melanie is a 24-year-old college graduate who is traveling in South America before starting a career in criminal justice.  Her favorite quote is from musician Jack Johnson, “Don’t let your dreams be dreams.”

What’s up readers?

So you want to take a killer vacation this summer, but you’re a little short on the dough-re-mi, if you know what I’m saying.  You’ve scraped together some money from that part-time job, selling some of your worldly possessions on eBay and even doing a few things you aren’t too proud of to get just enough to hit the trail this summer.

You Could Be Walking This in Costa Rica

So where should you go? Where will your dollar stretch further than our friend Mr. Armstrong?

We’ve surveyed our travel experts and came up with 10 destinations to stretch your dollar the furthest this summer. Now it’s your turn.

STA Travel (courtesy of American Airlines and Albee Adventures) is giving away an adventure trip for two to Costa Rica.

What do you have to do to win?

1. Read the top 10 recommendations from STA Travel below.

2. Suggest your cheap destination for summer travel in the comment section below.

On Friday, April 10, we will select one comment with a cheap destination suggestion at random and at  5 p.m. CDT, we will announce the winner of the trip on the blog. Make sure to use a valid e-mail address when you comment as this is how we will contact you if you’ve won.

After the winner is announced, we will add the 20 best suggestions to the list below.

To get the juices flowing, here are ten of the cheapest summer travel destinations as recommend by STA Travel experts:

1. Buenos Aires, Argentina – Often called the Paris of the South, Buenos Aires offer similar beauty, but with less of a hit on your wallet. We’re talking about amazing wine for $2 and multicourse lunches for under $5.

2. Atlanta, Georgia – You’re staying domestic, so that cuts a little off of the airfare and you can stay cheap too, but combining the staples of breakfast and lunch in one meal is a real cash saver. Atlanta is home to the original Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken & Waffles and you can find the delicacy in other parts of the city for less than $9.

Awesome View in Guatemala

3. Costa Rica - Considered an eco-oasis, Costa Rica is a mecca for those looking for adventure and eco-friendly travel. Besides the cheap and eco-friendly accommodations, Costa Rica’s public transport is dirt cheep, so you can ditch the rental car.

4. Miami, Florida – Miami is a cultural melting pot with inhabitants from all over the globe. One of the things they brought besides amazing food (can you tell we like food at STA?) is the concept of hostels. Miami is one of the few cities in the U.S. with a wide selection of hostels, starting at $19 a night.

5. Guatemala – When all of your friends are planning their trips to Jamaica or Acapulco, bring a new destination to the table – Guatemala. Ever since their economy started to pick-up in the late 1990s, Guatemala has become more modern and still flies under the radar of many travelers. Lucky for you, it is still an undiscovered destination and you can get a hotel for just $30.

6. Las Vegas, Nevada – Vegas, Baby, Vegas! Not only can you potentially make a little money on vacation, you can score tons of cheap meals and drinks. Many casinos offer complimentary drinks and I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous cheap buffets on The Strip.

7. Denver, Colorado - Free Beer. Is there anything else we need to say? Head to Denver and take the MillerCoors Brewery tour and get some free beer samples.

8. New Orleans, Louisiana - The Big Easy can be easy on your wallet, too. Besides the free people watching on Bourbon Street, you can get beer for only a buck.

9. Cancun, Mexico – I know what you’re thinking – How can some of the most beautiful beaches in the world be cheap? Right now, the U.S. Dollar is equal to about 13.55 Mexican Pesos, so you can partake in tequila shots for less than a dollar and score an all-inclusive resort for much less than you thought.

10. Cleveland, Ohio - Not traditionally thought of as an ideal destination for summer travel, the addition of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame has made this place a, “must visit.” Plus, the city is full of cultural neighborhoods with cheap food of every origin from Polish to Irish and Italian.

Now it’s your turn. Add to our list and on Friday, we will announce the winner of the free trip to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Photo Credit: baxterclaws on Flickr

Guatemala Photo Credit: AlphaTangoBravo on Flickr

Fine Print:

Two (2) 7 Night Costa Rica Land Only Packages. Winner can choose form one of three set 7 night itineraries: Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, or Arenal & Tamarindo.  Award includes 7 nights lodging and shuttle transportation.  Passenger is responsible for meals, additional activities and any other fees or expenses.  Travel must be completed by 31 Dec 2009.  Blackouts may apply  26 -31 Dec 2009 .   All other terms and conditions apply.  This award has no cash value. (ERV $1600)

Buenos Aires,  oh where do I begin other than I can’t wait to go back.

Iguassu Falls

It all started in Iguassu Falls, a little town that is home to some of the most amazing waterfalls ever. We spent two days checking out the falls and all the different trails. It was amazing. You can actually take a boat directly under the falls. Not to miss. You can view them from the Brazil side or the Argentina side.

Buenos Aires

After the falls we headed back to Buenos Aires. It is a big vibrant city and has a certain European feeling to it.

There are lots of squares full of people, bustling streets, little cafes, restaurants, and some of the best meat ever. This city is full of local restaurants with endless servings of the most perfectly grilled meats you can ever imagine.

We stayed in the center of town, close to San Telmo at the Millhouse Hostel. It was clean, fun, the staff was super helpful too. They set us up with tickets to a football game to see the Boca Juniors, one of Argentina’s biggest and best football teams.

La Boca is a popular neighborhood full of brightly painted buildings, art, and music. The Plaza de la Republica is in the center of one of the major thoroughfares in Buenos Aires and hosts the Obelisco. A few other must sees while we were there included the Colon Theatre, which is deemed one of the best in the world and have gorgeous architecture.

Recoleta

My favorite area was Recoleta. It’s a trendy area and right in the middle lies the Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron (aka Evita) is buried. The cemetery is ornate, beautiful, eerie and breathtaking all together.

Right outside of the high walls of the cemetery is an outside market with endless local artisan crafts…be sure to bargain. You can find some great deals.

There are so many things to see and do. I only wish I had more time to head down towards Patagonia…just makes me that much more excited to go back and do it all over again, except this time for longer….

It’s about 3:30 pm CST here at STA Travel HQ in Texas and we have consensus: we all could use a nap. Not a three hour, lazy Sunday-type of nap, just a quick 30 minutes to recharge our batteries.

According to the SiestaAwareness.org – the official website for National Siesta Day – a midday nap can decrease stress, increase awareness and improve productivity. Famous nappers include Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher and even some dude called Einstein.

We aren’t alone in our desire for a little mid-day snooze, a handful of countries around the world regularly catch a few Zzzzz during the day.

• Spain – The country most famous for its naps is Spain. The tradition started to help workers recover from working the first part of the day in the hot sun. Now the Spanish use it to take an extra-long lunch.
• Hungary – Back in 2007, the country approved a referendum to bring the proposition of a siesta to the voters if 200,000 signatures are collected. No word yet if the issue made it to the ballot.
• Argentina – The land of Maradona, beaches and Eva Peron,  is also well-known for its midday naps. Usually taken after the largest meal of the day, the siesta is most common in Southern Argentina.

Being the nice guys that we are, we have a sale on airfare to Madrid so you can check out the home of the siesta. Just make sure to not sleep your vacation days away.

Photo Credit: curly_exp( l)osure’s