How to Travel When You Are A Teenager?

Welcome to That Backpacker! My name is Audrey, and I’m a travel blogger. I’ve spent the past few years travelling the globe with a notebook in one hand and a camera in the other.

Several times a month, I get emails from teens who have dreams of travelling the world. In this post, I will suggest a few different ways that you can travel the world and have fun adventures overseas without making your parents worry like crazy.

Spend the summer volunteering. Volunteering overseas is a great way to learn about a culture that’s different from your own. If you do decide to volunteer overseas, I recommend you do so for a longer period of time (minimum a month, if you can). I have taken short-term volunteering trips before, and at the end of my two weeks there, I felt like I had just started. Also, try to choose an opportunity that will be suited to your skills and interests. Do you want to help run summer programmes for local kids in Peru? Would you enjoy working on sustainability projects in Ghana? Are you an animal lover who wants to get involved in turtle conservation in Costa Rica? Choose something that you are truly interested in; otherwise, it could be a long summer. Keep in mind that most volunteer programmes are usually not free. 1. ....................

Go on language exchange. The idea behind a language exchange is to get to study a language and experience a foreign culture. Language exchanges for teens take place during the summer months, and you generally get to live with a family so that you are immersed in the language. 2. .................... These summer courses also leave you with plenty of time to get to experience the place where you’re living, so don’t worry. You won’t be stuck in a classroom all day long.

Be a camp counsellor overseas. If you’re looking to get a bit of work experience while also travelling overseas, then you may want to consider working as a camp counsellor. The number one rule is that you must like working with kids! There are plenty of camp opportunities worldwide – Europe, North America and Australia, for example. It’s just a matter of researching them thoroughly and finding one that suits you. Also, keep in mind that this is the kind of work opportunity that you want to apply for months in advance. 3. ....................

Crash with your distant relatives. I am lucky enough to have relatives living in Brazil and Peru, so I got to spend extended summers hanging out with them. If you have relatives living abroad, then put those connections to work! Do you have an aunt who decided to move to Tuscany? 4. .................... Do you have a grandma who keeps a cute summer cottage in Nantucket? Talk to your parents, and see if something can be arranged. Even if your relatives don’t live halfway around the world, it can still be fun to experience another side of your own country.