u/New_Animator4702

Hey everyone! I am a 22-year-old female and I really want to visit Thailand and Vietnam for a moonth, but I currently have nobody to go with. I am strongly considering traveling completely solo and staying in social hostels to meet people along the way, but since I’ve never done this before, I’m looking for some honest advice.

Is Vietnam & Thailand generally safe for a solo female traveler, and what are the main safety hazards or scams I should look out for? I would also love to hear any tips on how to easily make friends in hostels, or any suggestions on the best way to connect with other travelers while I'm out there. Any advice would be amazing!

Hi all,

I am 22 years old starting my first full-time grad role next year and am finishing up university. I am wondering what do you wish you knew about property when you first started, if you have any regrets and in general if you have any advice on how to learn more about the property market in Sydney as someone getting started in potentially buying/investing in sydney property for the first time?

I want to be able to make good decisions about investing and buying property down the line, but I don't exactly know where to start ! And I know a lot of people have regrets about this ... I want to make sure I don't end up like one of them LOL ! Specifically, I'd love recommendations on:

• How investing works (the basic fundamentals) and how to go about doing this the best way
• Best areas to buy or look into in Sydney
• General property advice (podcasts, books, or websites to look at)
• Anything else you wish you knew whether it be like the First Home Savers Scheme or something along those lines...

Any advice on how to best go about doing this at my age/stage of life? Or anything you wish you knew earlier?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I am 22F in my final semester of university and still don't have a boyfriend—in fact, I’ve never had a boyfriend or dated anyone before. Throughout college, I was heavily involved in uni societies, and I’d say I’m ambitious, hardworking, fit, and above-average looking (or so I’m told), but I still haven’t had much luck.

I’m about to start a 9-5 software engineering grad role next year, and I’m honestly a bit anxious. I keep reading horror stories about how difficult the corporate dating scene is after graduating. I’m genuinely worried it will be even harder to meet like-minded, high-achieving people once I leave the uni bubble.

Long-term, building a stable, comfortable life with a partner who shares my drive is incredibly important to me, especially given the cost of living where I am from.

I'm wondering if this is a good age and time to start using dating apps such as Hinge seriously to find a boyfriend? If not, when is the appropriate age to do this?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I am 22F in my final semester of university and still don't have a boyfriend—in fact, I’ve never had a boyfriend or dated anyone before. Throughout college, I was involved in uni societies but still hadn't had much luck. I’d say I’m ambitious, hardworking, fit, and above-average looking (or so I’m told).

I'd love to potentially join more uni clubs, but I find that I am too old now - with most being around 18-21. Most of the students there skew younger, with only a very few being my age. It's a bit embarrassing to go to these uni events now, honestly since most people from my cohort have now graduated or don't associate themselves with these societies anymore.

I’m about to start a 9-5 software engineering grad role next year with a cohort of around 200 others around my age, and I’m honestly a bit anxious. I keep reading horror stories about how difficult the corporate dating scene is after graduating. I’m genuinely worried it will be even harder to meet like-minded, high-achieving people once I leave the uni bubble. This grad cohort may be my last hope though haha.

Long-term, building a stable, comfortable life with a partner who shares my drive is incredibly important to me, especially given the cost of living where I am from.

I'm wondering if this is a good age and time to start using dating apps such as Hinge seriously to find a boyfriend? If not, when is the appropriate age to do this?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am about to graduate university and start a full-time role next year at 23 years old as a software engineering graduate. I am looking for some perspective from anyone who has successfully balanced travel, high-performance sports, and buying their first home in Sydney.

My starting salary is $84k base, and the program guarantees a jump to $120k base the year after. I currently live with my parents rent-free in Sydney, which is where my entire community is.

My ultimate, long-term goal is to own a small modern house or even a small modern townhouse in the Lower North Shore area (hubs like Lane Cove, Crows Nest, Willoughby) as a forever home by my mid-30s or early 40s. My core strategy to achieve this is rentvesting—purchasing investment properties (IPs) first to build equity while utilizing my rent-free living situation to protect my cash flow. Yes, I am aware how difficult it is to buy a home in Sydney these days..

However, I have some massive short-term goals that compete directly with stacking a property deposit right now:

Competitive Athletics: I play competitive sport at a Division 2 level and have aspirations of making Division 1 and winning a championship in my early 20s. I am at the cut-off age for the first team at 23, so 2027 is my absolute last shot at making the squad. Because of this, I am spending a lot on athletic expenses: a $167/month gym membership for a personal strength and conditioning coach, and $120/hour for 1-on-1 training twice a week ($240/week). This totals roughly $814 per fortnight.

Europe Travel: I really want to travel while I am young—especially since I didn't do much travelling during uni whilst all my mates did. I have locked in a $12k, 5-week European trip for next year (Croatia, Greece, Spain) with Croatia and Greece being group tours. The year after that, I plan to spend 4 weeks in Italy and France.

I follow the Barefoot Investor method and bank with Macquarie. Based on my graduate take-home pay (approx. $2,390 net per fortnight factoring in tax and HECS), I have automated this fortnightly split for Year 1:

• Daily Expenses (35% - $836.50): Covers my exact ongoing athletic fees, gym/recovery, daily Opal train commutes, and work lunches (planning to aggressively meal prep to survive on the remaining $22.50).
• Splurge (15% - $358.50): Guilt-free socializing and weekend dinners.
• Smile (40% - $956.00): For the first 6 months, this strictly builds my $12k Eurotrip fund. For the remaining 6 months, it pivots to a high-interest savings account for property cash.
• Grow (10% - $239.00): Automated into ETFs ($6.2k total for the year).

Even though my income jumps to $120k base in Year 2 (bumping net take-home pay to roughly $3,211 per fortnight), I am incredibly paranoid. Because of my Eurotrip plans, my Smile bucket will only net me about $12.4k in pure property cash in my first year.

Knowing that Lower North Shore townhouses sit around $1.8M–$2.4M and houses are $3M+, am I being completely reckless by funding these big European summer trips and keeping my athletic expenses high while the Sydney housing market moves at the pace it does?

My rationale on the sports cost is that it is a time-bound investment in myself while my body is at its peak physical window, whereas I can buy a house at any age. Once Year 1 ends, I plan to scale the 1-on-1 training back from twice a week to once a week to make it sustainable. Combined with the Year 2 salary jump, this frees up an extra $1,060 net per fortnight. Because I am rent-free, I plan to transition into an aggressive 65%+ savings rate from Year 2 onwards to build a $100k+ deposit by Year 3 or 4.

My plan for the first investment property is to either look at a high-growth capital city house interstate (like Brisbane or Adelaide metro) to build a large equity pool, or buy a classic 2-bedroom older brick apartment directly in the Lower North Shore to establish a local footprint early, using negative gearing against my software engineering salary.

Am I overestimating my ability to catch up to the Sydney market in Year 2 and 3? Should I be slashing my splurge and travel buckets right now to aggressively stack cash, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the breathing room to enjoy my early 20s and execute this rentvesting strategy later?

Would love to hear your thoughts on the math, the rentvesting strategy, and the lifestyle balance. Thanks!

TL;DR: 23yo Graduate Software Engineer starting on $84k, guaranteed jump to $120k in Year 2. Living rent-free with parents in Sydney. Spending $21k/yr on elite athletic training to make a Div 1 squad before age cut-off, and doing a $12k Eurotrip next year. My long-term goal is a modern Lower North Shore townhouse/house via a rentvesting strategy. Am I ruining my property chances by enjoying my early 20s, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the required breathing room?

Hi everyone,

I am about to graduate university and start a full-time role next year at 23 years old as a software engineering graduate. I am looking for some perspective from anyone who has successfully balanced travel, high-performance sports, and buying their first home in Sydney.

My starting salary is $84k base, and the program guarantees a jump to $120k base the year after. I currently live with my parents rent-free in Sydney, which is where my entire community is.

My ultimate, long-term goal is to own a small modern house or even a small modern townhouse in the Lower North Shore area (hubs like Lane Cove, Crows Nest, Willoughby) as a forever home by my mid-30s or early 40s. My core strategy to achieve this is rentvesting - purchasing investment properties (IPs) first to build equity while utilizing my rent-free living situation to protect my cash flow. Yes, I am aware how difficult it is to buy a home in Sydney these days..

However, I have some massive short-term goals that compete directly with stacking a property deposit right now:

Competitive Athletics: I play competitive sport at a Division 2 level and have aspirations of making Division 1 and winning a championship in my early 20s. I am at the cut-off age for the first team at 23, so 2027 is my absolute last shot at making the squad. Because of this, I am spending a lot on athletic expenses: a $167/month gym membership for a personal strength and conditioning coach, and $120/hour for 1-on-1 training twice a week ($240/week). This totals roughly $814 per fortnight.

Europe Travel: I really want to travel while I am young - especially since I didn't do much travelling during uni whilst all my mates did. I have locked in a $12k, 5-week European trip for next year (Croatia, Greece, Spain) with Croatia and Greece being group tours. The year after that, I plan to spend 4 weeks in Italy and France.

I follow the Barefoot Investor method and bank with Macquarie. Based on my graduate take-home pay (approx. $2,390 net per fortnight factoring in tax and HECS), I have automated this fortnightly split for Year 1:

• Daily Expenses (35% - $836.50): Covers my exact ongoing athletic fees, gym/recovery, daily Opal train commutes, and work lunches (planning to aggressively meal prep to survive on the remaining $22.50).
• Splurge (15% - $358.50): Guilt-free socializing and weekend dinners.
• Smile (40% - $956.00): For the first 6 months, this strictly builds my $12k Eurotrip fund. For the remaining 6 months, it pivots to a high-interest savings account for property cash.
• Grow (10% - $239.00): Automated into ETFs ($6.2k total for the year).

Even though my income jumps to $120k base in Year 2 (bumping net take-home pay to roughly $3,211 per fortnight), I am incredibly paranoid. Because of my Eurotrip plans, my Smile bucket will only net me about $12.4k in pure property cash in my first year.

Knowing that Lower North Shore townhouses sit around $1.8M–$2.4M and houses are $3M+, am I being completely reckless by funding these big European summer trips and keeping my athletic expenses high while the Sydney housing market moves at the pace it does?

My rationale on the sports cost is that it is a time-bound investment in myself while my body is at its peak physical window, whereas I can buy a house at any age. Once Year 1 ends, I plan to scale the 1-on-1 training back from twice a week to once a week to make it sustainable. Combined with the Year 2 salary jump, this frees up an extra $1,060 net per fortnight. Because I am rent-free, I plan to transition into an aggressive 65%+ savings rate from Year 2 onwards to build a $100k+ deposit by Year 3 or 4.

My plan for the first investment property is to either look at a high-growth capital city house interstate (like Brisbane or Adelaide metro) to build a large equity pool, or buy a classic 2-bedroom older brick apartment directly in the Lower North Shore to establish a local footprint early, using negative gearing against my software engineering salary.

Am I overestimating my ability to catch up to the Sydney market in Year 2 and 3? Should I be slashing my splurge and travel buckets right now to aggressively stack cash, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the breathing room to enjoy my early 20s and execute this rentvesting strategy later?

Would love to hear your thoughts on the math, the rentvesting strategy, and the lifestyle balance. Thanks!

TL;DR: 23yo Graduate Software Engineer starting on $84k, guaranteed jump to $120k in Year 2. Living rent-free with parents in Sydney. Spending $21k/yr on elite athletic training to make a Div 1 squad before age cut-off, and doing a $12k Eurotrip next year. My long-term goal is a modern Lower North Shore townhouse/house via a rentvesting strategy. Am I ruining my property chances by enjoying my early 20s, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the required breathing room?

Hi everyone,

I am about to graduate university and start a full-time role next year at 23 y/o as a software engineering graduate. The starting salary is $84k base, and the program guarantees a jump to $120k base the year after.

I currently live with my parents rent-free, but I will be picking up the tab for my own daily transport (Opal card) and my lunch everyday, alongside my existing competitive athletic expenses. I plan to potentially meal prep as well next year to save money.

Don't want to dox myself but I play competitive sport at a division 2 level and have aspirations of making division 1 and winning a championship in my early 20s. I am already at the cut-off age for making it into the first team at 23 years old, so 2027 is my absolute last shot at making the squad. Because of this, I am spending quiet a lot on athletic expenses i.e a $167 gym membership for a personal strength and conditioning coach, and then $120 per hour for 1-on-1 training (which the business recommends doing 2x per week so that adds up to $240 per week). So that already makes up like $814 per fortnight lol.

On top of that, I really want to travel while I am young particularly to Europe. I have locked in a 5-week European trip for next year : 1 week Croatia, 2 weeks Greece, 2 Weeks Spain in September with Croatia and Greece both being group tours since I have nobody to go with lol, which all in total is going to cost roughly $12k. The year after that, I plan to go to Europe again but this time Italy and France (2 weeks each).

I follow the Barefoot Investor method and bank with Macquarie. Based on my new software engineering graduate take-home pay (approx. $2,390 net per fortnight factoring in tax and HECS), I have worked out this automated split for next year per fortnight:

• Daily Expenses (35%) - $836.50: Covers my exact ongoing athletic fees, gym/recovery, daily Opal train commutes, and work lunches (which I may actually meal prep instead)
• Splurge (15%) - $358.50: Guilt-free socializing, Friday bank drinks, weekend dinners, etc.
• Smile (Travelling e.t.c)(40%) - $956.00: For the first 6 months, this strictly builds my $12k Eurotrip fund. For the remaining 6 months, it pivots entirely to a high-interest savings account for a Sydney property deposit.
• Grow (10%) - $239.00: Automatically funneled straight into ETFs every fortnight ($6.2k total for the year).

Even though my income jumps to $120k base in year two, I am incredibly paranoid that I am not saving enough for a Sydney property deposit (especially in this super rough market) or investing enough into ETFs. Because of my Eurotrip plans, my Smile bucket will only net me about $12.4k in pure property cash in my first year.

Am I being completely reckless by funding these big European summer trips and keeping my athletic expenses high while the Sydney housing market moves at the pace it does? Should I be slashing my Splurge and Travel buckets to aggressively stack a deposit, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the breathing room to enjoy my early 20s?

Would love to hear some perspective from anyone who balanced travel/sports with buying their first home in Sydney. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am about to graduate university and start a full-time role next year at 23 y/o as a software engineering graduate. The starting salary is $84k base, and the program guarantees a jump to $120k base the year after.

I currently live with my parents rent-free, but I will be picking up the tab for my own daily transport (Opal card) and my lunch everyday, alongside my existing competitive athletic expenses. I plan to potentially meal prep as well next year to save money.

Don't want to dox myself but I play competitive sport at a division 2 level and have aspirations of making division 1 and winning a championship in my early 20s. I am already at the cut-off age for making it into the first team at 23 years old, so 2027 is my absolute last shot at making the squad. Because of this, I am spending quiet a lot on athletic expenses i.e a $167 gym membership for a personal strength and conditioning coach, and then $120 per hour for 1-on-1 training (which the business recommends doing 2x per week so that adds up to $240 per week). So that already makes up like $814 per fortnight lol.

On top of that, I really want to travel while I am young particularly to Europe. I have locked in a 5-week European trip for next year : 1 week Croatia, 2 weeks Greece, 2 Weeks Spain in September with Croatia and Greece both being group tours since I have nobody to go with lol, which all in total is going to cost roughly $12k. The year after that, I plan to go to Europe again but this time Italy and France (2 weeks each).

I follow the Barefoot Investor method and bank with Macquarie. Based on my new software engineering graduate take-home pay (approx. $2,390 net per fortnight factoring in tax and HECS), I have worked out this automated split for next year per fortnight:

• Daily Expenses (35%) - $836.50: Covers my exact ongoing athletic fees, gym/recovery, daily Opal train commutes, and work lunches (which I may actually meal prep instead)
• Splurge (15%) - $358.50: Guilt-free socializing, Friday bank drinks, weekend dinners, etc.
• Smile (Travelling e.t.c)(40%) - $956.00: For the first 6 months, this strictly builds my $12k Eurotrip fund. For the remaining 6 months, it pivots entirely to a high-interest savings account for a Sydney property deposit.
• Grow (10%) - $239.00: Automatically funneled straight into ETFs every fortnight ($6.2k total for the year).

Even though my income jumps to $120k base in year two, I am incredibly paranoid that I am not saving enough for a Sydney property deposit (especially in this super rough market) or investing enough into ETFs. Because of my Eurotrip plans, my Smile bucket will only net me about $12.4k in pure property cash in my first year.

Am I being completely reckless by funding these big European summer trips and keeping my athletic expenses high while the Sydney housing market moves at the pace it does? Should I be slashing my Splurge and Travel buckets to aggressively stack a deposit, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the breathing room to enjoy my early 20s?

Would love to hear some perspective from anyone who balanced travel/sports with buying their first home in Sydney. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I am about to graduate university and start a full-time role next year at 23 y/o as a software engineering graduate. The starting salary is $84k base, and the program guarantees a jump to $120k base the year after.

I currently live with my parents rent-free, but I will be picking up the tab for my own daily transport (Opal card) and my lunch everyday, alongside my existing competitive athletic expenses. I plan to potentially meal prep as well next year to save money.

Don't want to dox myself but I play competitive sport at a division 2 level and have aspirations of making division 1 and winning a championship in my early 20s. I am already at the cut-off age for making it into the first team at 23 years old, so 2027 is my absolute last shot at making the squad. Because of this, I am spending quiet a lot on athletic expenses i.e a $167 gym membership for a personal strength and conditioning coach, and then $120 per hour for 1-on-1 training (which the business recommends doing 2x per week so that adds up to $240 per week). So that already makes up like $814 per fortnight lol.

On top of that, I really want to travel while I am young particularly to Europe. I have locked in a 5-week European trip for next year : 1 week Croatia, 2 weeks Greece, 2 Weeks Spain in September with Croatia and Greece both being group tours since I have nobody to go with lol, which all in total is going to cost roughly $12k. The year after that, I plan to go to Europe again but this time Italy and France (2 weeks each).

I follow the Barefoot Investor method and bank with Macquarie. Based on my new software engineering graduate take-home pay (approx. $2,390 net per fortnight factoring in tax and HECS), I have worked out this automated split for next year per fortnight:

• Daily Expenses (35%) - $836.50: Covers my exact ongoing athletic fees, gym/recovery, daily Opal train commutes, and work lunches (which I may actually meal prep instead)
• Splurge (15%) - $358.50: Guilt-free socializing, Friday bank drinks, weekend dinners, etc.
• Smile (Travelling e.t.c)(40%) - $956.00: For the first 6 months, this strictly builds my $12k Eurotrip fund. For the remaining 6 months, it pivots entirely to a high-interest savings account for a Sydney property deposit.
• Grow (10%) - $239.00: Automatically funneled straight into ETFs every fortnight ($6.2k total for the year).

Even though my income jumps to $120k base in year two, I am incredibly paranoid that I am not saving enough for a Sydney property deposit (especially in this super rough market) or investing enough into ETFs. Because of my Eurotrip plans, my Smile bucket will only net me about $12.4k in pure property cash in my first year.

Am I being completely reckless by funding these big European summer trips and keeping my athletic expenses high while the Sydney housing market moves at the pace it does? Should I be slashing my Splurge and Travel buckets to aggressively stack a deposit, or does my income trajectory and rent-free status give me the breathing room to enjoy my early 20s?

Would love to hear some perspective from anyone who balanced travel/sports with buying their first home in Sydney. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 22F planning my first backpacking trip to Thailand this December. I’m torn between going solo or booking a group tour with about 10 girls my age. Solo is way cheaper, but I don't have friends to go with. Honestly, I’m totally fine with my own company, but my main silly worry is photography! I really want good photos for memories and social media. Is it easy to find people to swap photo duties with if I go solo or perhaps even meet people at hostels, or should I just pay extra for the group tour? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 22F planning my first backpacking trip to Thailand this December. I’m torn between going solo or booking a group tour with about 10 girls my age. Solo is way cheaper, but I don't have friends to go with. Honestly, I’m totally fine with my own company, but my main silly worry is photography! I really want good photos for memories and social media. Is it easy to find people to swap photo duties with if I go solo or perhaps even meet people at hostels, or should I just pay extra for the group tour? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 22F planning my first backpacking trip to Thailand this December. I’m torn between going solo or booking a group tour with about 10 girls my age. Solo is way cheaper, but I don't have friends to go with. Honestly, I’m totally fine with my own company, but my main silly worry is photography! I really want good photos for memories and social media. Is it easy to find people to swap photo duties with if I go solo or perhaps even meet people at hostels, or should I just pay extra for the group tour? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 22F planning my first backpacking trip to Thailand this December. I’m torn between going solo or booking a group tour with about 10 girls my age. Solo is way cheaper, but I don't have friends to go with. Honestly, I’m totally fine with my own company, but my main silly worry is photography! I really want good photos for memories and social media. Is it easy to find people to swap photo duties with if I go solo or perhaps even meet people at hostels, or should I just pay extra for the group tour? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 and planning a 5-week trip from September 7 to October 12. I have a Sail Croatia tour week 1, followed by a Contiki Greek Island hopping tour for weeks 2 and 3.

Originally, I planned to spend the final two weeks (Sept 28 - Oct 12) solo travelling in Italy. However, my absolute priority for this trip is a true Mediterranean summer vibe: wearing summer clothes (tank tops, summer dresses, mini skirts, bikinis). I plan on visiting mainly south of Italy like Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sicily on the first week and then the second week I can visit places like Rome, Venice, Florence e.t.c. I plan to also go swimming too.

I’m realizing that late September/early October in Italy might be too cold for this, and that beach clubs will likely be closed.

Should I drop Italy and save it for next year? If I drop it, where should I spend my last two weeks instead to maximize the heat, beach vibes, and hostel party scene for people my age? (Considering Southern Spain or Cyprus?). Or should I even just cut my holiday short to just the two countries Croatia and Greece?

Thing is I want to do France and Spain next year instead and have a goal to have been to the southern areas of Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Croatia in my early 20's before age 25. If I move Italy to next year it will make it not only expensive but quiet difficult to meet this timeline.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 and planning a 5-week trip from September 7 to October 12. I have a Sail Croatia tour week 1, followed by a Contiki Greek Island hopping tour for weeks 2 and 3.

Originally, I planned to spend the final two weeks (Sept 28 - Oct 12) solo travelling in Italy. However, my absolute priority for this trip is a true Mediterranean summer vibe: wearing summer clothes (tank tops, summer dresses, mini skirts, bikinis). I plan on visiting mainly south of Italy like Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sicily on the first week and then the second week I can visit places like Rome, Venice, Florence e.t.c. I plan to also go swimming too.

I’m realizing that late September/early October in Italy might be too cold for this, and that beach clubs will likely be closed.

Should I drop Italy and save it for next year? If I drop it, where should I spend my last two weeks instead to maximize the heat, beach vibes, and hostel party scene for people my age? (Considering Southern Spain or Cyprus?). Or should I even just cut my holiday short to just the two countries Croatia and Greece?

Thing is I want to do France and Spain next year instead and have a goal to have been to the southern areas of Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Croatia in my early 20's before age 25. If I move Italy to next year it will make it not only expensive but quiet difficult to meet this timeline.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 and planning a 5-week trip from September 7 to October 12. I have a Sail Croatia tour week 1, followed by a Contiki Greek Island hopping tour for weeks 2 and 3.

Originally, I planned to spend the final two weeks (Sept 28 - Oct 12) solo travelling in Italy. However, my absolute priority for this trip is a true Mediterranean summer vibe: wearing summer clothes (tank tops, summer dresses, mini skirts, bikinis). I plan on visiting mainly south of Italy like Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sicily on the first week and then the second week I can visit places like Rome, Venice, Florence e.t.c. I plan to also go swimming too.

I’m realizing that late September/early October in Italy might be too cold for this, and that beach clubs will likely be closed.

Should I drop Italy and save it for next year? If I drop it, where should I spend my last two weeks instead to maximize the heat, beach vibes, and hostel party scene for people my age? (Considering Southern Spain or Cyprus?). Or should I even just cut my holiday short to just the two countries Croatia and Greece?

Thing is I want to do France and Spain next year instead and have a goal to have been to the southern areas of Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Croatia in my early 20's before age 25. If I move Italy to next year it will make it not only expensive but quiet difficult to meet this timeline.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 and planning a 5-week trip from September 7 to October 12. I have a Sail Croatia tour week 1, followed by a Contiki Greek Island hopping tour for weeks 2 and 3.

Originally, I planned to spend the final two weeks (Sept 28 - Oct 12) solo travelling in Italy. However, my absolute priority for this trip is a true Mediterranean summer vibe: wearing summer clothes (tank tops, summer dresses, mini skirts, bikinis). I plan on visiting mainly south of Italy like Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sicily on the first week and then the second week I can visit places like Rome, Venice, Florence e.t.c. I plan to also go swimming too.

I’m realizing that late September/early October in Italy might be too cold for this, and that beach clubs will likely be closed.

Should I drop Italy and save it for next year? If I drop it, where should I spend my last two weeks instead to maximize the heat, beach vibes, and hostel party scene for people my age? (Considering Southern Spain or Cyprus?). Or should I even just cut my holiday short to just the two countries Croatia and Greece?

Thing is I want to do France and Spain next year instead and have a goal to have been to the southern areas of Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Croatia in my early 20's before age 25. If I move Italy to next year it will make it not only expensive but quiet difficult to meet this timeline.

Thanks

Hi all,

I recently came back from a one-month study abroad program in London (July-August). I have some really cute photos from the trip that I'd love to post on my main Instagram feed - like group photos in front of Big Ben, shots at the London Eye, Notting Hill, etc. (also went to Paris for a weekend - but that is a separate post) And I met some really cool people from around the world.

I’ve shared some on my stories, but I feel insecure about making a larger post. Most people I know went to "more interesting" places in Europe this summer, like island hopping in Greece, Italy, or Spain.

In comparison, I feel like my trip looks a bit "boring" or basic, and it makes me worried that my taste looks bad compared to their beautiful beach holidays.

Should I still post my photos anyway, even if the location feels less exotic than theirs? Has anyone else dealt with this kind of social media comparison? Thanks!

TL;DR: Want to post my London study abroad photos on Instagram, but feeling insecure because friends went to Greece/Italy/Spain and I feel like my trip looks boring in comparison. Should I post anyway?

Hi all,

I recently came back from a one-month study abroad program in London (July-August). I have some really cute photos from the trip that I'd love to post on my main Instagram feed - like group photos in front of Big Ben, shots at the London Eye, Notting Hill, etc. (also went to Paris for a weekend - but that is a separate post) And I met some really cool people from around the world.

I’ve shared some on my stories, but I feel insecure about making a larger post. Most people I know went to "more interesting" places in Europe this summer, like island hopping in Greece, Italy, or Spain.

In comparison, I feel like my trip looks a bit "boring" or basic, and it makes me worried that my taste looks bad compared to their beautiful beach holidays.

Should I still post my photos anyway, even if the location feels less exotic than theirs? Has anyone else dealt with this kind of social media comparison? Thanks!

TL;DR: Want to post my London study abroad photos on Instagram, but feeling insecure because friends went to Greece/Italy/Spain and I feel like my trip looks boring in comparison. Should I post anyway?

Hi all,

I am 23 years old in my first year of working full-time. I plan to use 5 weeks of my annual leave to go to Europe for the first time, specifically Italy, Greece, and Croatia.

I can either go during the July/August period (July 13 - August 20) or the September/October period (September 7 - October 12).

My priority this holiday is a summer vibe - I want to still be able to wear summer clothes during the times I am in these countries - tank tops, mini skirts, bikinis, etc., and to go swimming and partying. I am seeking a more Mediterranean Europe vibe. Since I am going solo, I would also really prefer to meet people my age (i.e., early 20s). Mind you, I am planning on doing structured group tours for both Croatia and Greece, and staying in hostels for Italy.

I've actually been doing research and, funnily enough, people seem to be saying that September is a great time to go. Honestly, my concern is that while countries like Greece and Croatia would still be fine with the tours, when I go to Italy in the end part of my holiday (i.e., September 28 - October 12) it won't be as nice. The weather will be cooler, I won't be able to swim as much, and generally, I won't be in Italy during its peak!

Personally, if I had the choice, I would prefer to go during July/August because I like the hustle and bustle. Going to Europe when everyone else is going stops it from feeling lonely. Group tours and hostels also have younger people like those in their early 20s more than in September, I think lol. I also like that the hot weather is guaranteed.

But I play competitive soccer, so it's hard to leave in the middle of the season. I don't have much of a choice but to go during the off-season. :(

So yeah, I am just wondering your opinions - if you had complete freedom of choice, would you go in September/October or July/August?