What advice do you have for me?

Question

I have this feeling of burning potential. I've been writing since I was about ten years old. I do have some experience with being published and I believe that my calling in life is to be a screen writer. I'd love to travel the world. The summer I graduate high school, I hope to explore Europe. My town is too small and there's nothing here for me. I know it's stupid, and I don't want to set my goals too high, because I'm extremely afraid of faillure. I see myself succeeding in life, but I don't know where to start.

My ultimate goal would be to have the ability to make it as a screenwriter and not be stuck in one place. I'd love to spend a year in one place and then just pack up and go somewhere else. I don't know how this would work out in the long run, but I don't know what to do with my feelings of anxiousness. Is this totally crazy?

My aunt and uncle will be moving to Australia in about a year and I'm hoping to go stay with them for a while. What advice do you have for me?

Thank

Answer 1

Get yourself a RTW ticket.  They sell for as little as $1,100 and then you are off.  This is a Round The World ticket and lets you stop for days or weeks at each country or city.  There are many different variations of the ticket most for lots more money.  Try AirTreks.com or Kayak.com for cheap tickets and don't limit yourself to one country.  here is a little blog I do for first time travelers.

Here we go.

Get travel insurance. It is not expensive and can save you in nasty situations.  This is important!! Make sure to inform your Credit card companies that you are going to be out of the country so they don't freeze your accounts when they get a charge from Paris, Saigon or where ever you end up. It can be a real pain trying to straighten that out over the international phone.

Carry copies of your passport and visas, your birth certificate, air line tickets and driver’s license in 3 or 4 different places. You can also carry copies of your paperwork on a portable drive on your key chain.  If your primary bag gets lost or stolen this will help you get back on track. Don't carry a lot of money with you. ATM's are just about everywhere now, so you can get more cash when you need it. Pack light. Most of the places that you are going have nice inexpensive clothing shops and you will need room to bring them back. Leave your computer at home. There are internet cafes everywhere and they are very inexpensive. Use them. That way you don't have to worry about someone stealing your brick and you don't have to lug it around. Keep your passport, tickets etc in a sturdy pouch that goes around your neck. Never wear it in back. I haven't lost mine in over a year on the road and there have been a couple of attempts. Bring your cell phone. Make sure it is unlocked  and that it is a  GSM Phone,  so you can use different Sim cards from different countries. In most places, incoming calls are free. So your friends can reach you in an emergency and you can do the same. This works good. Just email the new number to those who need it and you have a safety net. Bring a basic medical kit. Band-Aids, antiseptic and antibiotics. Anti diarrhea meds, aspirin etc. If you get food poisoning to the point that you have a fever go the doctor immediately. (The Hotel usually has one on call) You can die from food poisoning so don't s***w around. Wear slip on shoes. It saves time and trouble in airports and all Asian countries. Always let your hotels know when you leave. It’s best to give them the key, and tell them where you are going. Get a card from the hotel so you can find it again in case of extreme drunkenness or just a lack of directional ability. Also. Read your passport. It can pay to have the various Embassies know when you are in the country. They are not much help but they are a safety net in emergencies. Have I forgotten anything? I am sure I have but this is a good broad list to remember. and... Let the hotels handle booking your tours and local stuff. It costs a little more but it is worth it. Hey, Have fun. You are on vacation! Here are some good Web sites to remember.

Lonely planet.com

http://www.xe.com/ucc/ for currency quotes

Google earth for finding where you are.

Oh... get a good travel book. Lonely planet is good and gives you ideas about scams and rip offs in the areas where you are and good maps and directions to hotels and restaurants. Worth the money.

Answer 2

In terms of being a screenwriter, that is hard to be discovered.  There are sooo many scripts out there that are fantastic, but they never see the light of day.  And the reason why is because they take a lot to put them into production.  And then they also have to look at target markets, so often times a good screen play, artistically speaking, might not always appeal to people in the movie business who care more about making money than promoting art.  So the idea is to write a lot and hope that one sticks.  But having the ability to write can lead to various other jobs.  Grant writing is one that comes to mind.  I used to be a commercial copywriter for an advertising company in NYC.  It was a fun job, but very hard to come by.  I was lucky that I happened to know someone who was a creative director.

Now, about traveling... I think that this will be the best decision of your life!  I got out of school and went backpacking for three summers in a row.  It opened up my mind more than any other experience.  I ended up living in Germany and last year lived in Italy.  I got a job in the wine business.  Who would have ever thought I would go that route?  But you'll find that nothing in life turns out the way that you planned it.  And you can destroy your today by worrying about your tomorrow.

I would get a Railpass and just let the train take you where ever you feel like going.  You'll meet all kinds of amazing people on the way, and you'll remember all of these experiences for the rest of your life.  It will also give you great material for stories, so journal.  Even if it is just for the sake of preserving your memories.

Then you might consider finding a language school and attending that.  That way you can be there on a student visa.  And then you are learning a foreign language, which can be your key to traveling in the future.  In other words, the people who get the opportunities to travel (in any business) are the ones that know foreign languages.  And who knows, you might fall in love and end up marrying.  You never know what the world has to offer you until you go and explore it.  

Go for it!  If you have an idea that you will be successful, then you will.  And remember that success doesn't always mean money.  When you travel, you will start to understand what success truly means to you.  It's happiness.