How to turn your travel dreams into a reality
When traveling the world, you can get some mixed reactions from friends and family back home. While some are in awe of what you are doing, others can exhibit signs of jealousy, or even sheer bewilderment. Traveling is something that so many people express interest in, but seemingly come up with a plethora of excuses that outweigh the desire to explore the unknown.
One of the most typical excuses is saying that travel is too expensive, and that only those with trust funds or parents with deep pockets are the ones exploring the world. While this is a far cry from the reality of travel, not everyone has had the ability (or the cojones) to actually leave the comfort of their home and figure out the truth. Everyone can and should travel, it just depends if you want to do it. All it takes is adjusting your lifestyle to attain a goal you set for yourself.
Pre-Travel
Like any goal, if you want to travel, you need to align your life to succeed. For those looking to quit their current posts and hit the road with no end date in sight, this will take a much more rigid change in lifestyle than those wanting to go for a two-week vacation. Alas, great rewards come at the cost of great sacrifice, so the amount of travel you want to do is up to you.
To start achieving your goal of travel, the first step is saving up money. While you probably already have a job, there are lifestyle changes needed to save up a good amount of money before you go. While one good change would be getting a high-paying job or having a trust fund, for those of us who don’t have such luck, there are a few simple ways to go about this change. First off, if you are living alone, saving money on rent by getting roommates or living at home is essential. While both options can seem bleak to some people, this is a small sacrifice which will make a huge impact on the amount of money you have while being abroad.
Along with shared housing, taking a look at superfluous spending is also necessary. This, unfortunately, is the more difficult aspect of trying to save money. While each person is different (and vices vary from one person to the next), there are a few things that seem to run across the board. Eating out is expensive. If you want to save money, you need to learn how to cook for yourself while using ingredients that don’t break the bank. On top of that, going out to bars is also a big time cost. Cutting down on dining and drinking out will put more in your bank account than you would believe. While it is important to look at your own budget and see what can be cut, these items can go a long way.
During Travel
After saving enough to get a plane ticket and head out of the country, the real fun begins. While it is easy to stop thinking about money when you begin your trip, it can be surprising how fast your bank account empties if you don’t have a budget. Sure, splurging every now and then is necessary, but it is easy to live cheaply while traveling in places out of the western world. The more you save, the more you get to see.
As foreign as the new place you are visiting seems, some of the same tips from back home actually work abroad. Sharing accommodation is a great way to save some cash. Even if you are traveling alone, it is easy to find someone to share a room. Dorms (though annoying) can also cut housing costs in half or more. Cutting down on alcohol consumption (I know, this is blasphemy for backpackers) is huge also, and cooking a meal or two for yourself doesn't hurt either.
While we may be dependent on certain things back home, adapting to the place we are visiting is part of what makes travel fun. Ditching out on western amenities like air conditioning and hot showers can save you a ton of money on accommodation abroad. Along with this, eating at local restaurants, taking local transportation and basically befriending (or stalking) locals so you can learn how to live in the same manner equates directly to spending less and traveling more.
Along with the previous tips, picking up jobs at hostels or restaurants along the way is great trick of the trade. If you are planning on staying in a place for two weeks or longer, many places tourists frequent will offer free food or housing for a small amount of daily work. This, along with saving money, will also help you meet people in the place you are staying, and have a direct in to the community around you.
While many people praise those who travel, the truth is that travel is an option for everyone. Though it may be a giant leap of faith, if you are willing to put in the time and sacrifice to start your trip, the pieces will fall into place as you go.
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