World travel is cheap and easy. In fact, with a little practice and effort, you can travel the world for free.

The idea that travel is expensive and difficult is bullshit peddled by tour companies, hotel chains and corporate media.

The tourism industry wants you to buy cruise packages and stay at all-inclusive resorts.

They want you to choose a travel experience the same way you would choose a new jacket at the mall. They want your Credit Card number.

The tourism industry doesn’t want me to reveal the simple secrets of free travel, but I’m going to share them with you anyway.

It can be scary to venture into the world with nothing more than optimism and good-will, but personal freedom begins with a leap of faith.

1. Embrace the Simple Joy of Travel

Travel frees you from the grind of daily routine. You will explore new places, meet new people, try new foods and learn things about the world – and yourself – that you never imagined were possible.

The joy of new experience is the most wonderful thing about travel – and new experiences are free. Walk the streets of a city. Stop and chat with a local. People watch in a public park. Climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean.

The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of…wait for it…going someplace new. No tour package required.

2. Keep Your Needs To A Minimum

The modern American economy is built on the false premise that people need to buy new goods and services all the time. Again, I call bullshit.

People need fresh air, healthy food, clean water, exercise, creative stimulation, companionship, self-esteem and a safe place to sleep.

All of these things are simple to obtain. Most of them are free.

For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, take a walk. For creative stimulation, go somewhere new. For companionship, make a friend. For self esteem, turn off your TV, breathe deep and open your spirit to the basic goodness of the world.

Things like food and shelter are much cheaper once you get outside the United States. See # 5 below for ways to obtain food and shelter for free.

3. Go Slow

If you live in New York and want to take a 2 week vacation to Africa, it will be very difficult (though not impossible, see number eight) to travel for free.

Indeed, as long as you believe that time is money, you will spend money all the time.

Time is not money. Time is free. You have all the time in the world.

Instead of buying a plane ticket, catch a ride out West, or remodel an old sailboat, or just hop on your bike and ride away from town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.

4. Leave Your Possessions and Obsessions Behind

When you travel, you don’t need to pay rent. You don’t need a car. You don’t need an oven, a washer-dryer, electricity, Cable TV, a gym membership, a sofa and loveseat or a closet full of clothes.

You don’t need a suit and tie to wear to your job because you don’t need a job. You don’t need to worry about paying the bills, because there are no bills to pay.

You are free.

5. Trust People and you will Receive Free Food and Lodging

Many people are willing to open their homes to travelers. Chip in with a few chores, and they will give you a free meal, too.

CouchSurfing and WWOOF are two phenomenal online networks that help travelers connect with local hosts. CouchSurfing members are willing to give travelers a place to sleep for a night or two. WWOOF connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand.

Many members of both CouchSurfing and WWOOF are seeking an alternative to high-impact consumer culture.

6. Learn a Useful Craft or Skill

If you have a skill, such as cooking, animal husbandry, massage, musical ability or basic carpentry, you can barter for free food and accommodation as you travel.

Universally appreciated skills like cooking are best, though niche skills that are in high demand, like website design, are also useful. Native English speakers can often travel the world for free by teaching language classes in each destination they visit.

The slower you travel, the easier it will be to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local community or host.

7. Get Out of the City

Although it’s possible to travel for free in a big city, it’s damn difficult. Cities are built on money, and necessities like fresh air, clean water and a safe place to sleep are difficult to come by in cities.

Go to the country, where people are more relaxed, food is plentiful and there’s ample room for one traveler to lay out her sleeping bag under the stars.

Boosting your Brain Power

Who among us hasn’t wished that they were just a little smarter? Maybe you’re in school and just want to go that extra little bit to get a better grade on a test. Maybe you want to show your boss that you are good enough to get that promotion. Increasing your brainpower has been the subject of many an ad and infomercial touting herbs and other products designed to make you smarter for a price. But what are some ways you can go about boosting your brainpower that you can do right now, without having to pay that hefty price tag.

Sleep is one of the easiest things to do, yet one of the ones that most of us don’t do. We live in a busy age and often it seems like we don’t have enough time to get everything done we want to. So many of us sacrifice our hours of sleep to get that last little bit of time in to accomplish our daily tasks. Giving your body the rest it needs every night can boost your ability to function at your best the next day.

Read a book. Being smarter is not only about thinking but knowledge plays a big part in it too. Reading helps your brain stay active. The more you read, the more you know, and the smarter you will be. Think of it as exercise for the brain.

Learn something new and then teach someone else how to do it. There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to teach it to someone else. There is nothing like trying to break something down into simpler terms for others to help you understand it better than you did before.

Take a nap. It has been proven that naps are beneficial and help you function better for the rest of the day.

Work on a puzzle. It can be anything from the newspaper crossword or the new Sudoku puzzle. Puzzles help you use your brain to figure out the answers. Crossword puzzles also have the added benefit of increasing your vocabulary and trivia knowledge. Your brain needs exercise just like your body does to be able to function in top form.

Don’t forget to eat. You have to give your brain the energy it needs to function. Skipping meals can lead to fatigue, making it harder for you to think and perform at your very best. Eating healthy can improve your brain’s health as well as your body’s.

Write something. Writing is another good exercise for the brain. By getting those creative juices flowing, not only does it help you think better, but by writing about things you know, it helps you to understand them better. It is rather like teaching them to someone else, just without the face-to-face contact.

Try turning off that television set and going for a walk. A walk will stimulate your body and relax your mind. Just as watching too much T.V. can hurt your body, it also causes your brain to slow down as well.

Remember to avoid excessive alcohol and drugs. Drugs and alcohol can harm your thinking by making it harder for your brain to work properly. Moderation is the key.

So go out there and boost your brainpower, your mind will thank you.