It's a big world out there, and there's not nearly enough time to see it all in a lifetime. Wherever you're going, the key to a great travelling experience is preparation and information. So whether you're heading off on a short package tour or planning a “round-the-world” adventure, it includes working out how much you have to spend, where you'll stay, who you'll travel with and any documents（证件）you'll need. We can help you so you can soon be on your way to that great trip.

A backpacker's survival guide

    Backpacking, it seems, has never been hotter. Young people everywhere are longing to experience backpacking and the adventure that is independent travel.

Tips for affordable overseas travel

    Looking forward to experiencing the fun and excitement of an overseas trip? Overseas travel doesn't have to be expensive. You'll still need to do some serious saving. But with some careful research, planning and budgeting, you can make it. Find out about budget travel, working holidays and discount travel cards to make travel affordable.

Getting around overseas

    Once you've reached your overseas destinations（目的地）, you can often choose a way of getting around to suit the sort of travel experience you want, your available time and your budget.

Staying safe overseas

    Looking after your health and well-being when you travel overseas is kind of a no-brainer. You can't travel if you get sick or injured and you certainly don't want your long-awaited trip ruined because of an avoidable illness or accident.

Planning your trip

    Any overseas travel needs some well-considered planning. These days you can do loads of research via the Internet. Our list of sites at the end of this article will help get you started. Once you get started, researching and planning your trip is almost as fun as actually taking it.

    Most people want to know how things are made. They honestly admit, however, that they hardly know a thing when it comes to understanding how a piece of music is made. Where a composer (作曲家） begins, how he manages to keep going- in fact, how and when he learns his trade - all are covered in complete darkness. The composer, in short, is a man of mystery (神秘）.

    One of the first things the common man wants to know about is the part inspiration (灵感） plays in a composer's work. He finds it difficult to believe that composers are not much interested in that question. Writing music is as natural for the composer as eating or sleeping for all. Music is something that the composer happens to have been born for.

    The composer, therefore, does not say to himself: "Do I feel inspired?" He says to himself. "Do I feel like working today?" And if he feels like working, he does. It is more or less like saying to himself: "Do I feel sleepy?" if you feel sleepy, you go to sleep. If you don't feel sleepy you stay up. If the composer doesn't feel like working, he doesn't work. It's as simple as that.

    On August 5 just after 7.30 pm, Mike Estepa suffered a massive heart attack. The crazy cyclist was 40 kilometres into his Sunday ride when he stopped by the side of the road to text his family saying he'd be home in about 30 minutes. Moments later, he was lying in the ditch, unconscious.

    Larissa Arthur was driving back to Calgary from a hike in Field, B. C. with a friend. It was a warm and sunny day, and the two were chatting when a flush of yellow caught Arthur's eyes. She immediately pulled off the road.

    As Arthur approached the figure, she feared the worst: Estepa was covered in ants and exhibited no signs of life. There was no pulse and he wasn't breathing." says Arthur. A bystander called 911 and Arthur, a registered nurse, started chest compressions. She and two other drivers took turns carrying out CPR for the next 15 minutes before medical teams arrived and whisked Estepa away.

    Two days later, when Estepa woke up in the hospital, he was shocked to learn he had gone into cardiac arrest (心脏骤停). How did this happen, and, why was he lucky enough to have survived? He was full of gratitude and needed to speak with the woman who had saved him, whom he named his "angel".

    "It was emotional," says Arthur of her meeting with Estepa a few weeks later. Saving his life had extra importance for her: the bike she was returning from that day was one of 100 she's planned to honour her father, who died in 2017 after he fell during a hike that Arthur was meant to be on. "I couldn't save my father's life." Arthur says, "but this was a chance for me to save someone."

    Feel nervous on the first day of school? You are not alone! Here is some advice on how to make you feel comfortable.

    Get ready the night before. Plan out what you're going to wear and what you will need for class. Then get a nice, long sleep. There's nothing worse than looking terrible on the first day of school. If you don't want to oversleep, set an alarm on your phone, or alarm clock to wake you up on time.

    Eat a good breakfast. You'd be surprised at how much happier and more focused you'll be after eating a good breakfast. Have a healthy breakfast. A rich breakfast may make you feel lazy and sugar rich foods may affect your ability to stay focused.

    Decide whether to take the bus, walk, or have a ride from your parents. It's your call. If you want something familiar, take a bus ride and sit next to someone you already know. However, if you are really nervous, you can ask your mom or dad to drive you to school, but expect that there will be heavy traffic.

    Smile and be friendly! You want to seem easy to get along with and that you had the best summer. Smile and be friendly. Instead of coming up as a boring person, compliment people. Everyone needs a little confidence and is happy when praised on the first day of school.

I stood outside my front door catching my breath. After a lazy Christmas holiday, I had to recover from climbing stairs with carry-on bags and a suitcase. I looked up — Red tape crossed the door. I didn't understand French, but the one English word said enough, "POLICE". Google Translate told me I would be caught if I entered, so I didn't.

Finally, I called my rental agent (收租人). He went to the police station for more details. The thief had taken a few items from the top drawer as well as a small amount of money in the bottom drawer. Not only were my files undisturbed, but so were the TV and printer. My agent also said something about fixing the locks tomorrow and making a list for the police.

Then one day, I remembered that I had left another jewelry box in the flat. My heart sank as I thought of a gold locket (项链坠) with a picture of my late Grandma inside. When I realized the box was missing, the whole experience seemed to crash down on me. I cried. At the end of January, I received a letter from the police. The thief hadn't been found, and the case was closed. I slept with my purse by my bed. I hid my laptop when I showered. And then another challenge came — I was unexpectedly fired by my company.

One July night, I reached into my third drawer to pull out my jean shorts. I heard something fall to the ground. I looked down: It was the tiny jewelry box I thought had been stolen six months earlier. Inside was the locket with honey Grandma smiling at me, being there for me, telling me not to give up. I started to cry. I knew that things were going to be OK.