I have found that Patience is a big time Vitrue, Vitrue meaning “good”. Considering the idea to travel hit me like a ton a bricks seven years ago. The idea lingered until January of 2005 when I started to save the big bucks.
Finding the best resources will be a key to a successful adventure. My mail forwarding service is just one major aspect. For an example, if something happens to my backpack, like a major strap breaking or something. I can just order the same backpack online, the company sends it to my mail forwarding service and they send it where I am at and when I tell them to. Of course if I end up losing everything then I would just resupply which would only cost about $1000 to $1500. Finding the best bank to go with was another major resource. The free global transaction fees was the concern. If anything happens to my ATM, the bank will send a new one to my mail forwarding service and so forth.
In the mean time I have been studying books of Lonely Planet about many places I will be going, concerning visa’s and border crossing headaches, dangers and avoidances and so fourth. Lonely Planet books will be my main resource for navigation. I have always had very good navigation skills and Lonely Planet and sometimes the Rough Guide will be my main source. Hostelworld.com seems to be a very good resource to find budget hotels and hostels and to a make advanced reservations online if need be.
Waiting is worth it. Anything good is worth waiting for. According to the story Jacob waited 14 years to marry Rachel, not one seven but two. The time “waiting” has provided the resources that will aid me in my travels. Carefully planning and gathering more and more knowledge has been a joy in itself.