travel on purpose

​Can purposeful travel help us change the way we see the world in 2022?

Feb 24, 2022 • 13 min read

We all share one planet. Can purposeful travel improve how we see it? © Buena Vista Images / Getty Images

As a number of countries begin to reopen their borders to foreign tourists and pre-departure COVID-19 requirements become more uncommon, 2022 looks like it may be the year travel bounces back. But should we fire it up the way it was? Or can it change for the better? Travel community Trippin is hopeful for the latter.

To celebrate his 24th birthday, Nate Agbetu flew to Tokyo. The creative strategist from East London hadn’t picked Japan for its Sensō-ji temple or to see its pink cherry blossoms , instead, he’d chosen it so he could be fully immersed. 

“I wanted to go on my first solo trip and I wanted to go somewhere where I'd like to be entirely culturally shocked,” Agbetu says. 

Through his creative studio Play Nice , Agbetu’s work typically focuses on creating intersections between communities, such as the film he made for the Electronic exhibition at London’s Design Museum : not only does the movie recognize the contribution of the Black community to the musical genre, but Agbetu also launched an initiative that gives away free tickets to individuals underrepresented in the arts. Now his vocation was influencing his travels too.

“I was working on a spatial design brief and the way the Japanese think about space and design is just beautiful,” he says. During a week-long trip, Agbetu took in exhibitions, ate “some of the most hearty rāmen” he’d ever had at Afuri in Ebisu, and met a number of local people – but it was an introduction to the ‘zine scene that enthralled him the most.

“They have a big culture of just making different ‘zines, using paper as a kind of architectural piece,” he says. “It's not just about what's in it, but it's also about how it's folded up and how it comes together. I found out a lot about that from some of the art kids that I met over there.”

By actively pursuing a trip with the intention of learning through local interaction in a mutually beneficial way, Agbetu was engaging in purposeful travel, a polysemy that has differing definitions for each traveler but is described by Trippin as a “mindset”.

This was true for Agbetu. His vacation in Japan and a second trip to the Palestinian Territories were about widening his understanding of the world rather than ticking something off a bucket list. “Both trips were more for me to understand how people socialize in different places, and understand a bit more about the way we interact and learn from what it means to live inside of another culture and to adapt to it without being voyeuristic or exploitative.”

What is purposeful travel?

So could purposeful travel be the future? A report commissioned by London’s public research university UCL for the travel community Trippin suggests it could. But it will require an overhaul by brands and introspection by travelers.

“We always say [purposeful travel is] a change in mindset,” says the co-founder of Trippin, Kesang Ball. “Traveling the world is amazing: It’s there to be explored, cultures are there to be connected to, and I think that it brings us together. By understanding people's differences, we can understand more of our own.” 

Trippin started as a Facebook group in 2016 before it expanded into a website that blended articles, films, and podcasts with city guides curated by local cultural icons – such as the top spots in Beijing as picked by the DJ Yu Su , or exploring Medellín with the producer Verraco.

“Our destination insights and guides are written by local journalists and cultural figures who can offer different lenses on how to experience their city and culture,” says Ball, “ensuring stories from both sides of the lens are always present.” 

By partnering with local creators, Trippin publishes inclusive, intentional, and hyper-local work, designed to empower travelers to have rich, sustainable travel experiences. Ball argues that travel writing by Western media publications can distort authentic narratives in a destination, creating unrealistic expectations for travelers.

“Trips and experiences are different for each traveler which is something I've always been conscious of as someone from a mixed heritage background,” she says. When Trippin relaunches in 2022, purposeful travel will be at its heart. Should other travel publications follow suit?

Travel needs to be more diverse and inclusive

A Reuters report from 2021 found that there are no non-white editors in top roles across the top ten news outlets, both online and offline. The report concluded that white people are “significantly over-represented among top editors,” and “and non-white people are significantly under-represented.” 

The Diversity in Journalism Report in 2021 found much of the same. It revealed that 92% of journalists are white – a drop of 2% compared with the same survey in 2017 – and a figure higher than the proportion for the UK workforce as a whole (88%).

Meera Dattani, the Senior Editor of Adventure.com – now publishing again following a nine-month hiatus due to COVID-19 – is one of only a handful of non-white travel editors in the UK. She believes that the lack of representation in the travel media is bad for travelers.

“It’s so important for travel media to have more diverse voices – it’s this variety of personal experiences, background, and perspectives that bring a much-needed different, refreshing angle to the table,” says Dattani. “There’s less chance of othering and exoticizing when you have this inclusivity as the approach to travel isn’t from the same type of person,” she adds.

Dattani believes the industry needs diversity from the top down, including editorial teams who make decisions about what gets published and how copy is presented. The Unpacking Media Bias newsletter , which Dattani co-founded with fellow travel journalist Shivani Ashoka in 2020, shines a light on this very issue. Since its inception, she believes there  has been a small shift in editorial sensitivity.

"There are more open, honest conversations around language and why we might not use certain words or why we need to provide more context if we do," says Dattani "[This] doesn’t mean everyone is having this debate, but certainly it feels like more editors, publications and travel companies are."

Sophie Lam, Travel Editor of the i newspaper , is one of them. She has often spoken out about using a variety of voices and publishing inclusive work. Lottie Gross and Steph Dyson who run the Talking Travel Writing newsletter have argued that the genre needs to be decolonized and that LGBTQ+ inclusion needs to improve.

A number of tour operators have started to implement change too. In 2021, Intrepid Travel published an Ethical Marketing Policy to show openly how they are trying to sell destinations in more diverse, equal, and transparent ways. 

“Modern travel writing is generally based on the writing genre that emerged during colonization, so this European-centric colonial gaze means we end up promoting that observation-led style of travel, rather than genuinely engaging with people,” says Dattani. “If we don’t challenge the narratives that are fed to us, we will just keep telling the same old stories even through travel writing.”

Dattani says a number of "really bold journalists" are already beginning to change the stories being told and "tell it as it is". She points to Lebawit Lily Girma writing about vaccine equity for Skift and Zoey Goto on the discovery of the last known slave ship, the Clotilda ,  for BBC Travel as just two examples.

Time to think about both people and the planet

The Trippin report says that for purposeful travel to work, it has to be both sustainable and available to all. “To us, purposeful travel considers the pillars of sustainable tourism but also the intersectionality of a traveler’s identity,” it reads. 

The report suggests that travelers should not only think about the environmental implications of how they travel, and the social and economic impact of their visits – choosing where they stay, how they interact with locals, where they spend their money – but it also calls on the travel industry to create sustainable solutions for the future that are far more inclusive and to consider the intersectionality of the person traveling too.

Developed by lawyer and philosopher Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality refers to race, class, and gender as interlocking systems of oppression. “This conceptual model, when applied to the travel industry, shines a light on how uneven its landscape is and helps us think about how power, oppression, resistance, privilege, benefits, and disadvantages are systematically distributed,” reads the report.

Joycelyn Longdon is the founder of Climate in Colour , an education platform that aims to make climate conversations more accessible and diverse, agrees that the way we travel needs to change.

“It is also important for marginalized people to not be deterred from traveling but to unapologetically show up,” she says. “I think that by more people of color, people with disabilities, and queer people showing up and taking space in travel sectors, the more intersectional the space will become.

The way we choose to travel is important as well. “We cannot continue into the future with our current travel habits,” says Longdon. “Our planet and environment are under so much pressure as it is and it's only going to get worse. We need to reimagine what travel is, before the destinations we want to jet-set to disappear underwater or are ravaged by ever more powerful and destructive hurricanes.”

According to the University of Sydney , tourism accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, but thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier to make informed choices about traveling sustainably. The UN's Environment Programme (UNEP) has been advocating that travelers engage in slow, low-carbon travel for decades, and whilst consumers can make some small changes themselves, the industry as a whole needs to seriously think about its environmental impact.

“We need to stop buying last-minute flights,” says Longdon. “Our travel should be planned more intentionally and we should advocate for change in the workplace in terms of how we take holiday,” she adds. “It also means advertising less frivolous, impulsive experiences and really showing the destination through a local's eyes rather than tourists.”

Travel with intention 

So how can travelers engage positively and with purpose? “I think travelers should meditate over the reasons for their travel before pressing the book button,” says Longdon. “We book flights like we order Deliveroo, and while I love spontaneity, I don’t think we meditate enough over why we are traveling, what we want to get out of it, how we can travel authentically, and even take some time to learn about the destinations culture, history, and people before flying.”

Longdon believes that purpose comes from intention, something that Gabby Beckford, founder of the Young Travelers Network says she sees in the choices of Millennials and Generation Z travelers.

“Gen Z travels specifically for social reasons, for self-awareness reasons, for self-improvement, for discovery and identity,” says Beckford, who is also part of the Black Travel Alliance , a group of Black travel content creators that looks to increase the representation of Black people in the travel industry. “The way that we travel is more intentional.” 

Beckford believes that travelers born after 1980 are more likely to base their decisions on the harm a trip could do to the planet. “Generation Z is like the FBI when it comes to research,” she says. “[They’ll ask]: ‘What's my carbon emissions in flying versus taking a train for 48 hours?’”

Think local and watch where your money is going

Many young travelers crave authenticity as well. “Authenticity is very important, without authenticity, the culture, character, and life of a place are erased and replaced with a, usually, Western-centric ideal,” argues Longdon. “It's about fostering opportunities to see the destination through a local eye.”

This means interacting with locals, eating in the same restaurants as they do, drinking in the same bars. “I think each traveler defines what is authentic to themselves [...] but in general it is engaging with the reality that never leaves the destination,” she adds.

It could mean rethinking our accommodation options as well. “I think purposefully traveling, which is like truly interacting with people in their environment, is a much greater way of learning anything or experiencing anything than going to a resort,” says Nate Agbetu, who argues that fly-and-flops to foreign-owned hotels fuels an outdated system of capitalism and shows an idea of travel that has been sold to travelers via the media.

A 1990 study into tourism ‘leakage’ by the Thai Institute for Development and Administration estimated that 70% of all money spent by tourists ended up leaving Thailand and went to foreign-owned businesses. A report from Bali in 2017 showed that the highest percentage of tourism ‘leakage’ came from 4- and 5-star chain hotels (55.31%), while local, non-star hotels only leaked 2%.

"With COVID-19, resorts, hotels, restaurants became pretty desperate to get locals into their properties,” says Ashlee Constance, a social media marketing specialist from Barbados . “At first it was exciting to think, finally I’ll be able to afford such experiences or be a tourist in my own country but at some point you begin to question: Is this possible because they see us as valued customers or it is because they have no other choice?”

Travel with purpose when exploring close to home too

Kesang Ball thinks that we all need to travel with purpose locally too. "My recent trips have all been local,” she says, “so I've focused on choosing a more sustainable method of transport getting there.”

In 2021, one of Trippin’s co-founders, Sam Blenkinsopp, visited Pembrokeshire in Wales . “Long hikes along the coastline geared up in as much Goretex as humanly possible to protect from the sideways rain, followed by takeaway fish and chips in the car,” he says. “For some that could sound like a nightmare but for me it's a nostalgic one, reminding me of trips with my family growing up.”

Blenkinsopp decided to go to Wales because it was close to home. He also suggests traveling off-season and buying from locally-owned businesses as purposeful ways to travel.

The Trippin team echoes this in how they commission and create their own content too. “We went out to Lagos to document the local creative scene and the people out there who are moving culture forward,” says Ball. “With every piece of content we create, it’s important for us to ensure we are authentically representing the culture of that destination. So in Lagos, we made sure that our crew, even down to the producers on the ground, scouts and the director of photography were all from Nigeria. You always create the best content that way.”

Ball believes that depicting each destination in a way that locals would want it to be seen gives younger people a genuine glimpse into a culture. “Traditional media platforms that publish travel stories have frequently perpetuated and distorted cultural narratives,” she says. “They influence tourists on what to expect of cultures when they arrive. Putting cultures and communities across into ‘digestible buckets’ [that are] palpable for the Western lens. This has so many negative impacts on cultural exchange and honestly, young people are over it.”

You might also like: Black Gotham walking tours will lead you through New York's untold history Why travel is important to Generation Z    What are the most welcoming destinations according to black women travelling solo?

This article was first published December 2020 and updated February 2022

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Travel With Purpose: How to Find Your Why

When was the last time you asked yourself why you traveled? When was the last time you thought about why you did what you do on the road?

For many people, the answer is never.

Sure, they may have a vague sense that they’re traveling with a purpose, but they aren’t entirely sure what that is. Are they looking for adventure, to meet new people, to grow personally, or just to relax? A bit of everything? The answer is unclear.

Without a clear purpose, you're often lost as to what to do next.

Identifying your Why for traveling is one of the most important things you can do when planning a trip. It gives focus to your preparation, inspires action, and provides strength in challenging moments—both before and during trips.

Fortunately, there’s a number of things you can start doing right now to help find your Why and begin to travel with a clear purpose.

The Importance of Traveling With a Purpose

As a general rule, we rarely start with Why. Instead, we prefer to follow social norms, traditions, or our baser instincts and simply ask ‘what’ or ‘how’.

In our day-to-day lives, this lack of introspection gets us in all sorts of trouble. It compels people to go to college, get married, buy a house, or invest in the stock market without knowing if any of these things are truly right for them.

Is the dream of living in a mansion like this something you really want?

You may have experienced a trip that started with a ‘how’ or a ‘what’ rather than a Why. You have if you’ve ever gone somewhere simply because it was famous, because someone told you it was nice, or because you felt you needed to.

When you do this, you are using someone else’s Why. And as a result, you have no clear goals or purpose. So you rely on others to tell you what to see and do. Perhaps your values align with theirs and you end up enjoying the trip. Or maybe you spend your vacation seeing things that are just OK and return home feeling somewhat disappointed.

Elliot Windmill, a travel blogger and friend, recently described such a trip to me. Despite having no interest in gambling or grand displays of wealth, he was convinced to visit Las Vegas a few years back by a group of friends that said he had to do it.

The glamor and glitz of Las Vegas are attractive to some and repulsive to others.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, within hours of his arrival, Elliot was ready to leave. He realized what he had known all along—that he city wasn’t for him. So he drove back into the desert, the bright lights of Vegas fading in his rear view mirror.

As he puts it, “Traveling is representative of life. If you listen to your inner voice and follow your heart, you will find the places that speak out to you, that reach out and touch you, and which make you feel like you’re home.”

Elliot felt more at home on the open road that led through the Nevada desert.

Those who travel with purpose have more impactful and productive trips, regardless of circumstance. Research   shows that being purpose-minded “frees us from feeling the full weight of the obstacles in front of us, whether a literal hill we must clim or a personal challenge we must overcome. [Purpose] reminds people that where they are right now is not forever.” Finding purpose in life has even been correlated with increases in financial well-being . 

Having purpose when traveling turns obstacles into temporary roadblocks.

Purpose Versus Goals

The difference between purpose and goals when traveling is subtle, yet important.

Purpose is a long-term reason (or reasons) for doing what you do. It’s not one step in a series, but rather the objective or cause for all the steps you take. It can—and perhaps should—evolve over time, but it won’t disappear.

Travel with the purpose of connecting with nature might lead to goals like completing a day-long hike in Lofoten, Norway.

In contrast, goals are the steps you take to achieve your purpose. They are more fluid and often temporary. The best goals have a clear beginning and end, and you can envision accomplishing in a specific period of time before moving on to another goal.

If we confuse goals with our purpose, we run the risk of either focusing on the wrong things or even failing to identify our true objectives at all.

How to Find Your Why And Purpose For Travel

Sometimes your Why becomes clear right away. If it does, then follow it. Other times, your Why may be a bit more enigmatic. You might need to search within yourself to figure out why you want to hit the road.

Take some time when you start planning your trip to find your Why.

The following questions can be useful when trying to figure out your Why:

-What is one thing that I want to improve in my life?

-What do you fear most?

-Where do you want to go from here?

-What’s stopping you from achieving your goals?

-If I knew I was going to die one year from now, what would I do? 

-What do you really want in life?

-What would I regret not having done by the end of my life?

-If all your problems were solved, what would you do?

Another technique you can use to develop your Why is to imagine yourself as the protagonist of a novel that takes place over the course of your trip. What would happen during that story? Where would you go? What kind of narrative arc would you hope to see played out?

What happens during the novel that is your life?

As you learn more about yourself and the world during your travels, your Why may change. Not only is that OK, it is to be encouraged, as it means that you are learning and growing. Embrace your new Why and use it to guide you moving forward, just as you did with your old Why.

Travel Expectations

When developing your Why, it’s important to be realistic with what you hope to achieve. Unlike what you see in popular culture, one trip won’t magically cure all of life’s ills. You can’t just leave home, join a yoga camp, and expect to no longer have any problems after a week.

Unfortunately, this won't complete you.

Travel will not complete you. Instead, it will show you different paths you can take, allowing you to leave behind various aspects of yourself while also recovering or discovering new ones—just as it did for Michelle when she visited Morocco a few years ago. As she recounted:

“After a difficult year of divorce and illness, I felt that my soul needed to push itself to the limits, to go somewhere far away and immerse myself in culture, art, and food that was different from my everyday life. I was worried about traveling alone as a single woman, but the trip was a transformational experience, reminding me of my strength, and I am so grateful I trusted my gut and let myself be spontaneous.

Bargaining with unscrupulous taxi drivers, navigating the winding streets of the souk, watching the sunrise over the desert on the overnight train to Marrakech, sitting on a dirt floor of a local hammam and chatting in broken French while a Middle Aged Moroccan woman scrubbed me down- these experiences inspired me and reminded me of how far I’d come in life, a seasoned traveler with the whole world ahead of her.”

A quiet alleyway in Marrakech, Morocco.

People travel for various reasons. Being clear to yourself about your reason for traveling —identifying your Why at the start of your planing process—helps give you direction before, during, and after your trip. Results in life come from preparation and understanding. The sooner you can find your Why, the sooner you'll travel with purpose, and the better off you'll be in the long run.

If you’ve identified your Why and want to take the next steps to achieve your travel goals  download my FREE guide   The Traveler’s Mindset: How to Mentally Prepare for Journeys of Adventure and Growth !

You may also enjoy:

Amelia barr – travel quote of the week, mandy hale – travel quote of the week, how to live like a local in warsaw, poland, thoughtful thursday – january 5, 2017.

Ian consideeingworking on Indian reservation in NewMexico later this year and I am interested in ancient archioloogy and areasishould put on my list while there

Hey Dr. Jay,

That sounds like a fantastic experience! There are a ton of fascinating archaeological sites in New Mexico.

In particular, I would recommend the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, and Pecos National Historic Park.

You’ll have a wonderful time no matter where you go.

I really enjoyed this article and felt it was timely for me. Thanks!

Glad it was helpful, Nicole!

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11 Things People Annoyingly Forget To Pack When Traveling

Posted: October 16, 2023 | Last updated: October 16, 2023

Admit it, you have been there before, you’re leaving to go on a trip, and at some point throughout your travels, you realize that you’ve forgotten something. Someone took to a popular online forum to ask, “What are the most common items guests forget to bring with them when traveling that would be useful to bring?” Here are some of the most popular answers…

1. An Emergency Kit

Someone said, “Benadryl is an otherwise inert and life-saving item I nearly always have on me. It buys time in an emergency. Also, floss, Q-tips, baby powder, a hair dryer, tampons, bandaids, Neosporin, sunscreen, bug spray, and aloe vera gel. I think that would do it.”

“I ditched all my chargers and bought one with an interchangeable plug. USB and a couple of c ports. Charges the laptop and everything else just fine. No need for adapters anymore. No more clunky laptop chargers or needing two or three sockets to charge everything,” one user shared.

3. Sense of Humor

“Luxury travel specialist here. Make sure to bring flexibility, a sense of humor, the knowledge that there will always be ‘hiccups’ on a trip, and a sense of wonderment that things can be better in other cultures around the world,” one user offered.

4. Batteries

One person mentioned, “When I was hotel hopping a lot for work, I’d always have a couple of AA & AAA batteries in my bag for the damn TV/AC remote. Trying to get batteries from the front desk at 11 pm is rarely a successful venture.”

5. Belt & Sunglasses

“For men – or at least for me – belts and sunglasses lol, but I don’t know how you’d supply that given the varied size/facial shapes/preferences. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to buy a belt on business trips or personal trips, such a buzzkill, waste of money, and time,” a user shared.

6. Disinfectant Wipes

Someone commented, “Clorox or Lysol wipes. I found I tend to get sick after a trip, so I started wiping down hotels or Airbnb, and I stopped getting sick. Wipe every surface you would potentially touch. You can’t count on the cleaning staff to clean everything really well. I did this pre-COVID, and now it’s even more important. It’s a pain but worth it.”

7. Bag of Ice

“This is a pick up on your way rather than pack, but a bag of ice. I used to just check photos for an ice maker fridge but have also had it there and not function before,” someone shared.

8. Bug Spray

One person offered, “I bought bug spray because when you’re going to explore the outdoors, you need to be protected. Luckily, I bought some before hiking in the Hawaiian rainforest. A family on the way up saw me using it and asked if they could have some because the mosquitos were huge.”

9. Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Someone said, “A carbon monoxide alarm for those ill-maintained Airbnbs, etc. It’s unlikely to go off, but if it does, the alternative would be death.”

10. Travel Cutlery

“Travel cutlery set! On work trips, sometimes I’ll order food delivery or just binge on cup noodles after a long day, and that tiny little teaspoon has ruined more nights than I can remember!” mentioned one user.

11. Sleeping Accessories

Someone commented, “Soft earplugs and a sleeping mask for when you have loud people staying with you or a late night party is going on in the hotel room next to you. Or a street lamp is shining brightly into your room when you’re trying to sleep etc. These have saved me SO many times. I’m useless without a decent night’s sleep.”

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15 Watkins Glen Restaurants That Are Worth the Trip

Watkins Glen is a quaint village nestled in the gently rolling hills of the scenic Finger Lakes Region in upstate New York. It sits along the southern shore of stunning Seneca Lake, one of the eleven Finger Lakes. Here are some of the best restaurants to visit when in the area.

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How and when to watch today’s total solar eclipse

The path of totality for Monday’s eclipse will sweep across 15 states, from Texas to Maine from 1.30pm CT and ending at about 3.35pm ET

• If you missed the total solar eclipse just wait … until 2044
• Millions witness rare total solar eclipse
• Total solar eclipse 2024 – in pictures

The total solar eclipse that will traverse a large chunk of the continental US on Monday, along with parts of Mexico and Canada, will be one of the most spectacular celestial events in recent memory. Here’s what you need to know:

What is a total solar eclipse?

The phenomenon occurs when the moon moves in front of the sun, and blocks its face completely, causing the bright sky to darken to twilight in just seconds. The track of the moon’s shadow is called the path of totality , which for Monday’s eclipse will be about 115 miles wide and sweep across 15 states in the US in a north-east direction, from Texas to Maine, for roughly an hour, beginning at 1.30pm CT and ending at about 3.35pm ET.

How rare is it?

The most recent total solar eclipse in the US was in 2017 , but an interval of only seven years is unusual. The previous one before that took place in 1979, and the next one visible in the contiguous US will not be until August 2044. Only 16 other total solar eclipses have occurred over at least a part of the lower 48 states in the last 155 years.

Didn’t we just have a solar eclipse?

Last October’s stunning “ring of fire” show was what’s called an annular solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon moves directly in front of the sun, but is at or near its farthest point from Earth, so is not large enough to entirely cover the sun’s face. You can find Nasa’s guide to the various types of eclipses here .

Why is this one special?

An estimated 31.6 million people, almost three times as many as in 2017, live in the path of totality – which is longer, and also wider than almost every other total eclipse before it, because the moon is closer to Earth and casts a broader shadow. The time of totality in any given location is also longer. Seven years ago, the longest duration anywhere was two minutes and 42 seconds. On Monday, it will be four minutes and 28 seconds in Torreón, Mexico, while almost every place along the path can expect between three and a half to four minutes of totality.

How can I watch it?

If you live anywhere in the path of totality, or can travel to it, congratulations, you have a front-row seat. Just remember you need eclipse glasses (more on that in a minute) to look up at all times other than the few minutes of full eclipse. But everyone in North America outside the path should be able to see at least a partial eclipse of varying percentages, and Nasa will be livestreaming the entire event here . Here’s the caveat: longer-range weather forecasts call for rain and clouds in many areas of the southern and central US on Monday, so the best viewing could be in the east.

And here is Nasa’s Eclipse Explorer , where you can enter any US address or zip code to find out what will be visible from that location.

What can I expect to see?

You can find Nasa’s guide to the stages of a total solar eclipse here . First contact is when the moon’s outer edge first appears to touch the sun, creating the beginnings of a partial eclipse and a crescent sun reducing in size until totality (second contact). In the moments before totality, look for (in order) shadow bands, Baily’s Beads and a diamond ring, three of the most memorable stages of a total eclipse.

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Shadow bands, says Nasa , are rapidly moving, long, dark bands separated by white spaces that can be seen on the sides of buildings or the ground just before totality; Baily’s Beads are short-lived light rays from the sun streaming through the valleys along the moon’s horizon, and give way to the diamond ring effect, the final, single spot of bright light immediately before the end of any direct sunlight.

The sun’s corona , the outermost part of its atmosphere, can only be seen during the total part of the eclipse, then, following totality, the same effects come in reverse. For most locations, the partial eclipse phase lasts from 70-80 minutes, according to Nasa.

How do I watch safely?

To look at the eclipse directly, you must have special eclipse glasses. Regular sunglasses, frosted or darkened glass, or any other method lacking the necessary eye protection just won’t cut it. Nasa’s must-read eclipse safety guide on the subject says: “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.” Don’t do what Donald Trump did in 2017.

Many stores, businesses, schools and libraries are still offering glasses free or at low cost (Google is your friend here), but you need to make sure they are safety rated. The American Astronomical Society warned last month that unsafe fakes and counterfeits were circulating, and has published a handy list of suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters (certified ISO 12312-2 compliant).

Experts advise against taking photographs of the eclipse with a mobile phone (unless it’s protected by a solar filter) because it could damage the camera. Nasa has thoughts here .

What if I don’t have eclipse glasses?

You can make a box pinhole projector following the steps in this video , courtesy of Nasa’s Goddard space flight center. An even simpler method is using anything with a small hole, such as a kitchen colander, to project an image on to the ground. And remember that many places across the entire country, such as science centers and zoos, will be hosting special eclipse events so you can watch the action safely.

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I Lived Out of a Backpack for 2 Years on Working Holidays, and These Are the 17 Items I Relied on — From $8

They come everywhere with me now.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Madison Woiten

Working holiday visas allow travelers between the ages of 18 and 35 to dip a toe into life abroad by spending a year or more in a foreign country — and even earning a paycheck while they’re at it. For me, this was the only way that I could afford to travel in my 20s. I quit my corporate job, found someone to take over my lease in West Los Angeles, packed some necessities into a 70-liter backpack, and booked a one-way flight to New Zealand . 

Naturally, I clung to the few items that I took with me — things that gave me comfort or served an essential purpose like keeping my phone charged and my travel photos safeguarded — during the two-year period that I was abroad. The experience was filled with life-altering challenges and adventures, and in true nomad fashion, I bounced from job to job as I made my way from Auckland to the ski bum villages and remote rainforests of the South Island, up to Sydney, around the Australian Outback, down to Tasmania, and back up to the hipster neighborhoods of Melbourne; I worked as a farmhand, a housekeeper, and even as a painter, all while living out of a backpack and traveling around in a camper van . 

From my favorite pair of shorts to a packable coffee maker that I couldn't have functioned without, here are the 17 things that I’m glad I had with me on my working holidays in New Zealand and Australia.

Osprey Aura AG 65 Pack

I didn’t have an Osprey pack when I started traveling, and boy, did I suffer the consequences. My original bag quickly started falling apart, ripping at the seams, and losing its shape. So, I switched to this classic Osprey bag and — *big sigh of relief* — life got easier. These packs help keep your things stacked up on your hips with their weight-distributing waist strap instead of weighing on your back, and my Osprey Aura AG 65 is one of the most comfortable bags I’ve tried. It's also equipped with tons of useful pockets and compartments, so it's basically a Mary Poppins bag for backpackers. 

Mregb Solar Power Bank

Between jobs, I squeezed in as much time in the great Australasian wild as possible — with no way to charge my devices but a portable solar power bank. All you have to do is leave this thing in the sun (and rest assured, there’s plenty of sun down under), and it’ll keep the juice flowing to your phone, headphones, tablet, and other electronics for as long as you want to stay out there. What's more, it also has a built-in flashlight and it's waterproof. 

Hydro Flask 32-ounce Water Bottle

A durable water bottle is a must for exploring the arid Outback and working on farms in one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. Find one that you love and won’t forget in the seat-back pocket of the plane or on the floor of a long-tail boat in Thailand (guilty), and you're good to go. My Hydro Flask kept liquids surprisingly cold and made me actually, for the first time ever, want to drink water. And, it's spill-proof, which was a welcomed feature for someone on the move.

Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoes

I traveled for three years straight with these trusty Merrell hiking shoes — the original Moab style, now on its third iteration — and they never failed me. They stood up against damp, fern-flanked trails in the New Zealand rainforest, on snowy and icy peaks in the Southern Alps, and on the sandy land of Uluru in Australia’s Red Center. I also worked in them almost daily without any pain or discomfort. Whether you're on a working holiday or tackling a local trail, these shoes are up for any adventure.  

Epicka Universal Travel Power Adapter

Having a universal power adapter kept me from juggling too many small accessories and was especially helpful for traveling to Southeast Asia and Europe directly from Australia. This one plug fits into any socket, no matter where you are, and can charge up to six devices at once with its all-in-one design. Plus, it hardly takes up any space in your pack. 

Prana Salt Kissed Crop Rash Guard

Okay, a rash guard is the one thing that I didn’t bring, but desperately wish that I had. The ozone layer over Australia and New Zealand is especially thin, which means that more UV rays can reach your skin — even though the sun feels the same as it always does. This combined with the beach culture down under means that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. In addition to piling on the sunscreen, I recommend covering up with a rash guard like this one by Prana; it offers UPF 50+ sun protection and is comfortable to wear on the shore and in the water. 

RuMe Foldable Reusable Shopping Tote

Both New Zealand and Australia are famously against single-use plastic bags. Almost everyone brings their own totes to the grocery store (it's the best practice no matter where you go), so I had to come prepared with my own reusable bag. True, you can buy one when you arrive at your destination, but you might not find one as lightweight and packable as this Amazon-loved one; it only weighs 4 ounces and folds down to 5.5 inches by 2 inches so it doesn't take up too much space in your bag. When I wasn't grocery shopping, it was good to have handy when I needed a makeshift tote, wet bag, laundry bag, and so on. 

Sea to Summit X Brew Collapsible Coffee Dripper

A quality cup of joe was not easy to come by on the rural farms that I’ve worked on — or even in the hostels. Call me crazy, but because of my working holidays, I now travel with my own kit so I'm never without my precious morning java. After trying lots of different coffee makers on the road, from mini percolators to portable presses, I’ve found that a collapsible dripper is the easiest, cleanest, and most packable option. This one comes with a reusable stainless-steel mesh filter, and shoppers say that it " collapses down to almost nothing " and is " absolutely the best way to brew coffee on the trail ." 

Patagonia Outdoor Everyday Shorts

You never really know what kind of job you’re going to end up with as a backpacker, or what you’ll need to wear while doing it. These Patagonia shorts were good for almost anything that the road could have thrown at me. They’re much more durable and work-ready than your average athletic shorts, and they dry quickly, have lots of pockets, and can be worn casually when there's downtime; I’ve worn them straight from a morning of vineyard work onto a hiking trail.

Seagate Portable External Hard Drive

If you plan to travel with electronics — I brought my laptop and a point-and-shoot camera — it’s a good idea to back up your data in case anything happens to your devices while you’re abroad. Things can get stolen or broken, and you don't want these circumstances to be why you lose all of your precious travel photos and important documents. Or, if you’re like me and your storage is perpetually full, you also won’t have to spend so much time offloading. Enter: the Seagate Portable External Hard Drive; it comes in four sizes, is able to store 1 to 5 terabytes of data, and is super compact for easy packing.

Spinbrush Pro Clean Battery-powered Toothbrush

Here's a PSA to all electric toothbrush users: Even if you buy a toothbrush that’s compatible with local outlets, you will certainly not always have a place to charge it. That being said, I now travel with this battery-powered toothbrush and plenty of head replacements; it’s not as bulky as a full electric toothbrush setup and still gets the job done. Not to mention that it's easy to replace if I forget it or misplace it. 

REI Co-op Ruckpack 18 Recycled Daypack

A small daypack is handy for flights and short hikes. This 18-liter one by REI Co-op has held up to years of wear and tear — it’s seen the wet bottoms of kayaks, multiple major sunscreen and bug spray spills, and too many trails to count. The recycled ripstop nylon is surprisingly durable, and the padded straps are comfortable on my shoulders for long periods of time. I'm also a fan of the hip strap that equally distributes the weight of the backpack to alleviate pressure on my bag. 

Lena Sensitive Menstrual Cup 

Packing a reusable menstrual cup is an absolute must for anyone with a period traveling long-term. When I started traveling, there was only one main menstrual cup brand, but shoppers now have dozens upon dozens to choose from. My only advice: find one you like before you go traveling. I'm a fan of this one from Lena, which is leak-proof for up to 12 hours, sensation-free (meaning that you can't feel it once it's inserted), and specially designed for those who struggle with bladder sensitivities, cramps, and more. 

Revolut Multi-currency Card

I'll admit that I am a negligent financial planner when it comes to travel rewards and multi-currency cards, but this (free!) Revolut card saved me from a boatload of transaction fees. You can hold, transfer, and convert your money into up to 140 currencies, keeping multiple currencies on your card at once. It’s free to transfer to other Revolut accounts, and I found the conversion fees to be reasonable (they're usually under 1 percent).

Patagonia Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Fleece Pullover

This pullover is possibly the warmest thing that I own. It saved me from traveling to cooler climates with super-bulky coats and sacrificing precious luggage space to them. I loved my first one so much that I now have it in three different colors. It’s made with ultra-light recycled polyester fleece and has a snap-button collar. The breast pocket is tiny — it has a more fashionable purpose than a functional one — but gives the pullover a cute pop of color and a crisp look to wear all around town. 

Laundry Detergent Sheets

One of the best hacks that I have for long-term travel is to pack some laundry detergent sheets so you don’t have to purchase those overpriced mini boxes of detergent at the laundromat. Buying a full-sized jug of detergent is simply out of the question when you're backpacking, and as a bonus, these Tru Earth laundry strips are much better for the environment. A pack of 32 is good for 64 loads of laundry — a standard cycle takes only half a strip!

Ubeesize Portable Phone Tripod

Unless you bring a full camera setup, you’ll probably be documenting your travels with your phone. It can be tough to get pictures of yourself when you’re alone, but I was able to easily get the shot with this portable tripod. Its flexible legs are good for balancing on uneven surfaces and it's easy to use; once you get it set up and in the right spot, just set the delay timer on your phone camera and strike a pose.

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Watch CBS News

Solar eclipse maps showed 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse people could see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 5:00 AM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse  crossed North America Monday with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps showed  where and when astronomy fans could see the big event  as skies darkened in the middle of the day Monday, April 8.

The total eclipse first appeared along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then traveled across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon fully blocked out the sun , according to NASA. The path ranged between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse started over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that experienced totality was Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. From there, the path continued into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse exited continental North America at around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality included portions of the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. were included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others saw a partial eclipse. These were some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — though the weather was a factor :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse reached totality across its path

The eclipse began in the U.S. as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and then moving along its path to the northeast over the following few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. People could have also  checked their ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse was to reach them if they were on, or near, the path of totality — or if they saw a partial eclipse instead.

How much of the eclipse did people see if they live outside the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse covered a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may have spotted a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer they were to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that was hidden.

NASA allowed viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun was to be covered in their locations.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality had a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You could have checked the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where did the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, got to experience totality for the longest. Totality there lasted 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality saw a totality duration of between 3.5 and 4 minutes, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. came close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, had a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse they had on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S.?

Is it safe to take pictures of the solar eclipse with your phone?

See the list of notable total solar eclipses in the U.S. since 1778

How often do total solar eclipses happen?