After graduation, most students will try to find a job. International student Karin Erbacher had other plans.
The Switzerland-native is going backpacking through South America and Asia for five months. And she’s going to do it with a 3-foot by 2-foot backpack for under $10,000.
“I’ve always wanted to travel the world,” says the 27-year-old former Swissair flight attendant. “I finally got the opportunity, and I’m going to take it.”
Fifteen days after darning her cap and gown, the recent intercultural communication graduate boarded a plane in Fort Lauderdale headed to Columbia, her first stop of eight: Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. By the time she’s done, Erbacher will visit seven different countries on three continents before retuning home.
On May 2 – 126 days after she left – Erbacher will board a plane for her hometown Basel, Switzerland. Then, she says, she’ll find a job.
“I lived in Europe most of my life so I’ve been traveling since I was young,” says Erbacher, who lived in England, Indonesia and Switzerland. “I’ve been all over Europe from France to the Czech Republic with my family and Swissair, and I wanted to see the rest of the world.”
Although Erbacher plans to meet up with friends in several of her stops, she’s going it alone for most of the trip.
“I like doing stuff on my own because when you are by yourself you have peace and you can do whatever makes you happy,” Erbacher says. “It’s also important that you do your research and know what’s safe.”
In fact, she’s done a lot of research. Two months before her trip, Erbacher visited travel blogs, chat rooms, country Web sites and spoke with friends and family who’ve been there. She also bought several tour books and a ton of maps.
Besides finding her way, Erbacher had to make it fit into her budget: $10,000.
Using a student travel Web site, STA Travel, with discounted fares, she booked all of her flights for $3,000. Just to give you an idea, a flight to Singapore – her second to last stop – through Delta airlines starts at about $4,600.
“It was an amazing deal,” says Erbacher, who plans to bring a couple hundred dollars in cash, travelers checks and a credit card. To stay within her budget, she plans to do most lodging in hostels.
So what is she bringing in her 3-foot by 2-foot backpack?
“Thankfully the weather in South America and Asia is warm when I will be there,” Erbacher says. “So I will bring one pair of jeans and lots of thin layers of clothing so they can dry quickly.”
Erbacher is also packing rain clothes, sneakers, flip flops, a first aid kit, her digital camera and travel converter, and her Swiss cell phone.
“I’m also going to bring a few photos of my friends and family so I don’t get lonely,” says Erbacher, who notes she can get by without much. “Of course I have to also bring my salsa shoes – I’ve been taking lessons.”
