"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another, of hundreds of others, in seeing the hundreds of universes that each of them sees." - Marcel Proust

Travel is essential to your soul; it frees you from your daily grind - no matter what it may be. Without travel the world seems more complex, but the richness of travel is that you enjoy people more and you understand better. Travelling allows you to see outside your eyes and finally see in the eyes of others.

We all know why we want to travel; whether or not the above agrees with your own personal reasons, but travel is essential for many reasons. Many people feel the dream of travelling the world is far-fetched, yet many people do it who are by no means rich. Whether you wish to travel once every two years to an exotic destination, or whether you are looking to travel twice a year - it is possible.

Here are some ideas to think about:

• You can spend less then $1000 on a trip, even a 2 or 3 week trip. The trick is not to use high class hotels. For some this is something that can't be parted with. But for those who want an authentic experience "Couchsurfing" might be for you. Couchsurfing is a website dedicated to those who are offering up their couch or guest bed for you so that you can travel there and get an authentic experience of those who live there. You do not need to offer up your couch to get a piece of theirs, but as you get used to the experience you might just want someone from Germany sleeping on your couch. Travellers rate the people they stay with for their safety, hospitality and manner. So if you are afraid of staying with someone you don't know, there is a lot of feedback about the people who offer their couches.
• For those with an interest in farming, WWOOF is an organization that allows people spend anywhere from 2 weeks to as long as the farm will let you. There are opportunities all across the globe, everywhere from Yukon in Canada to Sierra Leone in Africa. You will be working on these trips, usually 5 days a week for 5 1/2 to 6 hours a day and your weekend off. The rest of the day it of your leisure. Given the nice places farms typically are, you will be able to see some of the nicest places on the planet.
• You could live on the ocean for weeks at a time by becoming a part of the crew. Yes and you get paid. The coolest part is that second to travelling the world, living on a boat is also a dream many have. Well as long as your not prone to sea-sickness. The best way to be apart of this is to get training on how to sail, then in most cases a good attitude and being competent are the best ways to get the job. Here are three sites that will help you be a part of the crew: findacrew.net, crewseekers.net, crewfile.com
• Become a home-based travel agent. Many colleges allow you get gain training in this exciting field. One of the perks is being able to travel at reduced rates and FAM (familiarization) trips. Once you sell a certain amount of travel you are eligible to become IATA/IATAN certified. This means you can buy a card that other travel suppliers can check for validity and then offer you a reduced rate in most cases.
  

How to save the money:

• If it really is a dream, making saving for it a priority. Just $50 to $100 a paycheck could do you for one to two trips a year. Cut down on your extra latte's or quit your gym membership if you are not using it. For instance $100 a paycheck is $2600 a year and $1300 for $50 a pay. Coupled with the Couchsurfing option, you could easily visit Germany, Iceland and Paris as most of what you need to pay is just for the airfare. However, it does depend on your taste.
• Have it auto deducted from your paycheck or simply put the savings into a GIC or Savings Bond. These options are often the best ways to save and to make sure that your grubby hands are not ooogling all the time. It's as if you didn't know you had the money, until you need it.
  
• If you work for yourself, and do not know how much money you will get or when, but know that you make an average of a certain amount each year. The best thing to do would then put about 10% of each paycheck aside into a special savings account.
  

How to get the time off:

• In most jobs you are able to get an extended leave of absence. Make sure to save for the amount of money that you need to cover your bills for the time you are away. The minimum amount of time for most leaves is three weeks, but sometimes you are able to take off months at a time. Make sure you have an agreement with your employer that you will still have a job when you return.
• Vacation times averages about 10 to 15 days a year with most companies. Book off a week in your favorite travel month and check out all the deals in the meantime. Give yourself at least 4 months in advance to secure the best deals and research where you want to go, so you can do it as cheap as possible for what you wish to do on your trip. Travel that extends over the weekend is generally cheaper, especially from a Wednesday to a Wednesday.