Always Gone

Couchsurf, Airbnb, and Hostels

Accommodation can get to be one of the most expensive part of your trip. So finding cheap accommodation is a must.

1. Couchsurfing.com is a fantastic networking site that connects travelers from all over the world. Here's how it works, someone has a couch, they list it, and you "apply" for the couch and if they get back to you voila! Free accommodation. It is best to do the verifying that couchsurfing offers. It's nothing too personal, take a picture of your passport and maybe pay a fee for the "offical" background check.With all this said, be careful! As a young female traveling alone I may not use this unless the host I found is a young female as well. But even then, be careful! This can be best to done in the buddy systems, take a friend with you.

2. Airbnb is sorta like couchsurfing, just fancier and with a fee. People from all over the world rent out their extra room for you to stay. This can be quite a bit cheaper than a hotel depending on where your staying. Also you can get cooler places to stay, tree-houses and ghost towns are both listings on Airbnb.

The number one complain I always get when people are talking about travel is "I don't have any money". Well do you want to know a secret? Neither do I. That doesn't mean you have to give up that dream destination that you've been wanting to see for years. It just means you have to travel a bit smarter. I have a few tips for you. Well I have quite a lot of tips for you. Some may be obvious but you haven't really thought about it, while others you might have never heard before. There are quite a few so I am going to have to split it up so for the next few weeks every Wednesday. So hold on to your seats ladies and germs, here is tip number one...

Travel and work.

This is not only a great way to travel cheap but also experience the areas local life. There are a few resources that can help you with this so that you aren't wandering around asking every corner shop if you can sweep their floors.

1. Workaway.info is a wonderful resource. But with workaway you don't actually earn money. You find a host, work a few hours a day, and in return you get accommodation and meals. It's a great way to travel on a budget as well as meeting locals. Make sure you completely read the hosts requests though. Some hosts require you to work more hours or don't provide meals.

2. Aupair-world.net. An Aupair is a live-in nanny. So here is the deal, you work by taking care of children while the parents are away and you are paid a fee and recieve accommodation. Another great way to see the area. Make sure you know exactly what the host family expects of you before you accept a request. How many children, hours, and the wage are all great questions to ask!

Let me introduce myself...

My name is Mary Lee. That's me on the right there looking all tired out from hiking in the Alps.

I am 20 years old and a student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. I am studying journalism and have a strong passion in photography. I am a self-taught photographer, because I have had no formal education but that doesn't mean I haven't had help. I have had an amazing group of people teach and mentor me throughout the years.

I suffer from severe fernweh. Far-sickness. Being in one spot for too long drives me crazy. I love to travel, experience cultures, and meet people. 

Swannanoa Palace - Virginia

I was lucky enough to work on the set of a music video and to my surprise we got to film in this amazingly spooky mansion. I arrived early and drove up in the fog to find this beauty peeking out at me.

James Dooley built this 52- room marble palace as a token of love to his wife. It took over 300 artisans to complete. Today, they offer tours on certain dates. There is one resident who is also the caretaker.

Check out the music video to see some of the inside!

Lake Louise - Canada

I spent some time in Banff in probably the coldest time of the year I could spend there. But if you can get past the -30 C weather the views are absolutely spectacular. The snow covered Rockies are something out of a fairy tale. So crystal clear that you can see every edge of the mountain.