Hi Steemit, I'm Dermot - a travel blogger writing about South America

I recently completed a five-month backpacking trek around South America and am going to be writing about my travels so that others contemplating or about to start the same journey have a better idea of what to expect while travelling.

I realise it sounds like a cliche, but backpacking around South America was a truly life-changing experience. If you think about it, nobody you ever meet who has come back from travelling ever tells you that they regret the time they spend abroad, that they would much rather have spent those months at home going through the motions of regular life. It's an experience that you control - you decide where to go, what to see, when to see it, how long to see it for - and as such it's guaranteed that you will find the overall experience enriching, even if some parts don't go as planned!

I'll be covering tips for different locations and attractions, as well as some general advice on safety, how to get around, food, accommodation and other things to keep in mind while travelling in South America.

The first bit of advice to give you: if this is something you're considering, get your dates in mind and book your flights asap. Once the flights are booked, you're confirmed and there's no going back (if you don't want to lose the money you paid for the flights at least!) It's so easy to push these things to next year, the year after, once things are settled down, etc. etc. Before you know it, 5/10/15 years will have passed. The best time to start planning is NOW!