For the frugal traveler, Danielle Elise Benjamin, a Syracuse University alumna and employee, created her blog “Wanderlust… on a Budget.”

Benjamin, an international student adviser at the English Language Institute, started a travel blog on local must-sees and saving money on traveling around the United States and the world in March. Wanderlust means a strong desire to travel to unknown places. Over the summer, she wrote a bucket list of things to do and see around Syracuse University.

Benjamin graduated in 2009 from SU with a degree in math education. From there, she moved to Australia and pursued a graduate degree in teaching English to non-English speaking students.

The blog features travel tips for people who want to experience the world without breaking the bank. She includes tips from her own experiences and from friends’ experiences. Benjamin tries to do one to two posts a week, with a special post on “Wanderlust Wednesday.”

Alexandra Moreo | Photo Editor

One of the most important tips for traveling on a budget is don’t be too quick to book anything, Benjamin said. She uses discount websites, like Kayak, to check when prices drop on flights and hotels. Benjamin said never rush to book anything and check different dates, and be open to leaving a day early or leaving from smaller airports, like Rochester instead of Syracuse.

“My favorite part about traveling is exploring new places, new experiences and new cultures,” Benjamin said.” It’s really interesting to me to see how people act or behave differently in different situations or different cultures.”

Benjamin has been to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Australia, the South Pacific Islands and Canada. Even her wedding was travel-themed.

Now, she likes to plan a mix of day trips and long, overnight trips. Benjamin and her husband will travel to Boston and Salem, Massachusetts this weekend, and they are going on a 10-day trip to Europe in February. Her favorite local place to visit is the Adirondack Mountains, and she also really loves the east coast of Florida.

This past Friday, at the “Cuse Market” in Bird Library, Benjamin showcased her travel blog. She displayed artifacts that she’s collected through the years, such as luggage tags and postcards. She’s also looking forward to her trip to Montana in May. A local hotel has already reached out to her and invited her to stay for free during her visit.

Benjamin said she hopes to further her passion for travel and cultural immersion in the future and looks to improve her blog.

“I’m excited about the opportunities that could come from it,” she said.

Published on October 24, 2017 at 7:27 pm