5 Things I’d do Differently if I Left the USA Today

Leaving on your first big trip? Congratulations.

I get a lot of emails from people who are gearing up for a big adventure, and the most common question is: how do you prepare for this?

While this isn’t the full checklist (I’ll post that at some point), here are a few big things I wish I’d done before I left in 2011.

If you’re only making a short trip this may not be worth the effort, but if you’re in this for the long-haul these 5 things are worth considering.

#1 Sell everything you can.

[Ahem. Ok, maybe not everything]

I did this in 2011: a massive Craigslist sale, re-gifting to friends, taking a few trips to Goodwill. But every time I visit the US I’m appalled by how much is still left. Thousands of dollars in vehicles, equipment, clothes–mostly useless, replaceable, and only losing more value or becoming completely worthless over time.Continue reading >>