I often hear from other travellers, as well as those who want to travel but don't know where to begin. Someone wrote to me recently, asking for advice but sounding somewhat apologetic.
"I know you do this all the time," she said. "But I'm going to Paris for the first time ever. I'm simultaneously nervous and excited. It's not a big deal, but what should I do?"
The first thing I told her was, "Hold on! Don't say it's not a big deal ... it is a big deal."
When you leave home for the first time, setting out to foreign lands, you're taking a big step. It doesn't matter what other people have done; it matters what you've done. For someone first learning to run, their first five-kilometre race is just as important as someone else's marathon. Don't despise small beginnings. Treat your first adventure - or your 31st - as an important step.
Some people spend a lot of time trying to decide on their first big trip. They worry that they'll somehow get it wrong. They eventually settle on a region, perhaps South-east Asia, and then decide on a trip to Thailand. But then they read about the neighbouring countries and begin to worry. Is the grass greener in Vietnam? Are the spring rolls fresher in Laos?
These would-be adventurers suffer from FOMO - "the fear of missing out". Thankfully, there's nothing to fear. You can't really do it wrong, unless your FOMO keeps you from going in the first place. (That's what you should really be afraid of.)
A few years ago I was staying in England and my parents came over to visit. We only had a short time together and wanted to make the most of the trip. On a Friday we hopped on a budget airline over to Dublin, setting out to see Ireland over the weekend. The only problem was that we attempted to see all of Ireland in that one brief weekend. Much of the trip was spent driving along rural roads, quickly stopping off at various castles and other attractions before jumping back into the car and dashing off again.
By the end of the weekend we were laughing about our fast-tracked Irish break. "I think we may have tried to see too much," my sister said in the understatement of the year. But you know what? Even though the trip was rushed, we still had a great time as a family. Going back to Ireland again, we'd probably do it differently, but there was nothing wrong with the first trip. As we looked over the photos later, we realised we were actually able to pack in a lot. The only problem was trying to remember which castle was which.
When I travel, I focus on a couple of key things I'd like to see or places I'd like to visit in each new country. Last week in Sudan, I was mostly interested in exploring Khartoum and seeing the markets and mosques. If I made it there, I had decided, I wouldn't worry about the rest. Upon leaving Sudan, however, I wished I had taken an extra day to travel tothe pyramids, but I knew that it would have been a bonus - not something I simply had to do. Having a balance of "tour stuff" and improvised activities works for me, so I didn't suffer from FOMA in Sudan.
You may want to share your experience with others at home and around the world through a blog. The basics of blogging are fairly simple: you can get a free blog at Wordpress.com or, if you already have your own website, you can install free code from Wordpress.org. From there, you can share short entries for readers back home in whatever format you prefer.
If you're only into photos, you can upload them directly to Flickr.com or other services, geotagging them with their location and writing a brief description.
One tip I've learnt from experience: most readers aren't interested strictly in the where and what. They also want to know why. Of all the places in the world, why did you choose the one you visited? What did you learn there? Did the trip change you?
Sometimes the lessons aren't always obvious, and sometimes it takes a while for them to sink in. A week or two after you return, revisit the trip through your photos, notes and memories. How did you feel leaving and returning home? Is anything different now that you're back?
Pay close attention, because the feelings you have during this time may give you insight into what to do for your next trip. You may be more curious about the same part of the world, or you may wish to apply your newly acquired travel skills to somewhere completely different.
As you gain experience and confidence, you'll begin to work out your own preferences when planning future adventures. Just remember: the more important task is to go.
Chris Guillebeau, 33, is the author of The Art of Non-Conformity, published by Penguin. He is on a five-year mission to visit every country in the world, and is currently on number 184. Next week: Chris Guillebeau heads to Nauru, the world's smallest republic
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6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
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'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The five pillars of Islam
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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