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As a novice traveler, it might take a bit of experience, or research to discover that there's an abundance of local attractions that provide just as much entertainment as a tourist one would, with the benefit of being immersed in the local culture.After dealing with the frustrations of booking flights and hotels, I always put off the task of planning an itinerary. It's not that I don't get excited about compiling a list of places I'd like to see, or things I'd like to do, but often because I don't know where to start. This is where Joobili comes in, and it's quite possibly one of the coolest things I've stumbled on through the internet. Joobili is an events generatorand social network, and all you have to do is let it know what dates you're planning your trip around and it pulls up events related to an assortment of topics, like: culture, food, arts, sports, and more!

Jared Salter and Tomas Gabor of Joobili Timely Travel, conceived the idea after returning from a trip to Switzerland and learning that they had each experienced vastly different events (tourist spots and Cartier's Polo World Cup) at the same time. With the realization that timing is essential to travel, and knowledge of attractions that are off the beaten path, Joobili was born.

The site aims to match events with travelers according to their interests and travel dates, while connecting users to other travelers via a social network. Users are encouraged to interact with one another and build connections through comments and ratings of events. It's still in the baby beta stage, which means that it suffers from occasional spazfests if you try to navigate the site too quickly, but the creators seem keen to perfect it, and take all manner of feedback as soon as it seems the site isn't working. Joobili is definitely geared to the recreational traveler, possibly the budget oriented college student on their three month pilgrimage to all things arty in Europe, or a retired couple eager to break free from the trite and true sightseeing landmarks.

Here's a breakdown of how it works and the background information behind it: Joobili Prezi

Hi!

I’m an English major with a newfound love for traveling. I’ve just returned from a semester abroad in Ireland, enlightened and more conscious of the world beyond Los Angeles County. I’ve lived a relatively sheltered life in spite of the multicultural upbringing I was exposed to, and only realized how many misconceptions I had about other cultures when I ventured to various countries and interacted with people. I never thought I would want to travel beyond the familiar, much less waste half a day trying to get from one place to another. But my opinion of this all changed when I actually did spend half a day running to catch a bus, a train, a plane to get to whatever destination. There’s a thrill that comes with traveling, a euphoric sense of the unknown, and even the things you think are familiar to an extent, really aren’t. It was a revelation to be in a country that also spoke English but was vastly different from what I knew. While in Europe I learned that travel isn’t exclusively limited to people with an expendable bank account, and that college truly is the best time to take advantage of living outside of the United States for an extended length of time. I’ve also come to realize that travel doesn’t have to mean hopping on a plane and flying half way around the world to experience something culturally satisfying.

As a college student, with a limited budget to devote to jet setting, I want to explore alternative methods of experiencing other countries that aren’t restricted to study abroad programs. I’ve come to learn that luxurious accommodations are pretty much useless if you’re going to be on the run exploring a city, and that backpacking isn’t as sketchy as I had originally assumed it to be. I’m new to traveling, and won’t attest to knowing the tricks of packing efficiently (still working on it), or traveling in the same manner. I have however, done a little bit of research about other travel blogs, and I’m intrigued by the number of trips people take that actually have a purpose that reaches beyond simply sightseeing.

I’ve found one by two brothers who are attempting to walk the world to return home as part of a peace project (http://worldwalk-peacetour.blogspot.com/), and a now defunct one from four Englishmen who traveled from their home country to Australia through a number of means, excluding airplanes (http://www.geocities.com/fourontour/). One of the most interesting blogs I’ve come across in looking up other travel blogs is one by a man who’s a self proclaimed homeless traveler. A man named Andy has been traveling from country to country for ten years, never remaining in one country for longer than a month (http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html). The one common element I’ve found in all of their blogs is the sheer love of experiencing the unknown. Interacting with local cultures, and appreciating the diversity within our world. It sounds hokey, but the best moments while traveling come from immersing oneself in a culture.

While it’s usually expected that a travel blog would cover various expeditions to other countries, I’m tied to my hometown for this semester. Not to say that I can’t take advantage of that, as there are parts of Los Angeles I haven’t visited, and I’m a native! With this blog, I hope to explore more wallet friendly options of travel, the latest (or near to) updates with regards to airlines, accommodations, and everything else related to it. I hope to intersperse entries with posts of my own explorations of this city I live in, with a new insight into the things that makes Los Angeles one of those destinations that people desire to visit. The central aspect of travel that makes it universally enjoyable is that anyone can be a part of it, all it requires is an open mind and a bit of know how. I’ve got a few stamps on my passport, and I’m itching for more!