As I catch up on posting all sorts of things from my travels, I've gotten a few messages on facebook about how I can do what I do.. And the answer is simple, not as expensive as you think, and if there is a will there is a way.
I love this article. The girl is working as she goes and just free for all. I do like to visit home, but like her cannot see myself living in the US for an extended period of time yet. There are still so many places around the world to see and things to do that I just can't imagine myself being happy in the USA yet.. Don't worry, I think one day I will return. Like the article talks about, you can kind of work or volunteer for your bed or your meals as you travel and cut your costs even further. I haven't done a ton of this, but I know that the options are plentiful and available. Sometimes it may seem hard to find online, but when you are on the road you encounter them constantly.
I've met several other people who are also on extended trips. I don't like how this article is titled three year vacation.. Backpacking and budget traveling isn't exactly the same as vacation. We don't have a shuttle driver ready to pick us up and take us to our all inclusive resort. We walk outside, ask locals where the bus stop is, how we can reach the city center for a fraction of the cost it would take to take a taxi.. And for me, I try to avoid flying at all possible costs.. obviously the exception is to start my trip somewhere or cross oceans.
We pack a backpack. No not, your school backpack. My backpack weighed about 15 pounds during my trip, which is pretty small for how long I was gone but I carried the essentials. Inside my backpack was two tshirts, two tank tops, two dresses, two pairs running shorts, yoga pants, a fleece pull over, dress shorts, five ish pairs of underwear, three pairs of socks, two sports bras, and one normal bra. For shoes I have my finger shoes for water fall/ wet adventures or sometimes soft hiking, running shoes, and flip flops. As you can see in the picture above as my lovely friend Nichole sent me off in style in Florida, I have very little things to live so long.
In my small backpack I have all my electronics with me. I have too many, but they each have their own purpose. The Samsung Galaxy S2 I got Aug 2011 in Korea used for wifi only, a gopro hero 3 for all types of weather and outdoor things, and finally my Canon SX 510 camera which is like a wanna be DSLR but smaller and much easier to carry. Gopro is awesome but I don't have a screen on it so I can't see how my pictures turn out, in case you are in machu picchu and need to make sure that you haven't blinked, but it's perfect for scuba diving in galapagos. I could chose to buy a SIM card in each country for a very small price.. In all my travels i've bought a Sim card in Vietnam and Ecuador.. each for around $5 dollars including some starting calls and texts. The reason I don't buy these is because who am I going to call in Peru? Hardly any other travelers have a SIM card.. I'm not going to call home on an international SIM card, and I have plenty of times where I have wifi. There have definitely been places with crappy wifi where you can't skype or can't upload something to facebook.. but for the most part it's enough to survive. I'm there to experience another country, not to spend time on facebook. If I need a map, I look up where I need to go beforehand and google will keep it in my phone if I don't turn off my phone. In my opinion no need for a SIM card. I also have google hangouts, which allows people to text me, and I can make free calls to the USA. It's like I've never left! This is definitely a favorite app.
Laundry? How does one do laundry on the road with like such a small wardrobe? It depends. Sometimes I wash things here and there with me in the shower or a hostel sink. When things get really dirty, I put them in a plastic bag and turn them into a laundry place. Usually for $1 for 2 pounds or so, you can have a place wash, air dry, and fold your clothes in under 24 hours. Occasionally there are dryers, but most of the developing world doesn't use dryers.. and in a hot climate, why should we use them? We have the perfectly amazing sun light to dry our clothes for free, no energy being wasted!
This trip, I started using my google calendar on my phone every day to write down what I did, make notes about stories or simple things that I would like to remember about my trip. So when I look back, I can remember how long I spent somewhere, who I met, maybe what I ate, etc. It has worked out really well and helped me feel a lot more accomplished on my trip. Some days while backpacking you look back and wonder where has the time gone the last month or so. Some days you need a relaxing day, because despite popular belief constantly moving around, making plans, and doing active things does get tiring.. Or you want a day just to relax and not do anything on a beautiful beach in another country, and that is perfectly okay. That is all part of the backpacking life.
Towards the last few months of my trip I met an Irish couple, and later an American guy who tracked everything that they spent, or nearly and had it all on a spread sheet. Obviously without money, its hard to do this kind of a trip, however, you really don't need as much money as you think. So I was inspired to start keeping a little bit better track of where my money went.. not just from my bank statements.
While I'm not living large and staying in the Hilton or anything like that, I live a good travel life and eat delicious local food. I stay usually in hostels... so many americans ask me if I've seen the movie hostel.. which the answer is no.. and not because I don't want to but because if you know me well, you know that I hardly ever watch movies. Usually when I do watch them I fall asleep. But I know it's out there and a lot of Americans have an irrational fear about hostels. In general.. other people staying in a hostel will not steal from you... So yes sometimes there are lockers and I occasionally use the lockers to put my passport, my credit cards, extra cash, and electronics in there.. I usually don't feel the need to. If a person is in the same situation as you in a hostel, why would they steal from someone who already has so little? Does someone really want my size 5.5 running shoes or an old ragged t-shirt? Probably not. MOST people are in the same situation and are not looking to STEAL while they travel. And sleeping in the same room as strangers? Big deal.. ever been to summer camp or anything where you've slept in the same room as someone you didn't know? Now it's going to probably be a really interesting person that you will most likely want to get to know.. and probably not an American (in most of my travels anyways). It's nice when hostels offer free breakfast because this is a great place to meet other people staying in the hostel.
What do you do while you are traveling? I SEE stuff! I visit the beaches, the markets, read wikitravel and get ideas about the best hikes, occasionally museums, bike rides, etc. I go to Machu Picchu, I go surfing.. I really enjoy being outside and actually being with locals and traveling with locals. Sometimes it's not glamorous, takes longer than expected, smellier, hotter, or many other unexpected things, but I have nothing to lose right? I have no schedule usually.. every once in a while I meet someone and then we make a plan to meet in another city but 99% of the time I am free as a bird.
Traveling Solo, how? You're a woman, aren't you afraid? These are other questions that I receive a lot. To be honest, I have had very few moments while traveling, I can think of maybe two where I was intimidated by the situation. I've never been scared of a situation being alone or being a girl. Arriving in a city before the sun comes out or a choosing to walk to a hostel that looks really close to the bus station on google maps but being in an unfamiliar place is sometimes uncomfortable. But as soon as I get to a hostel and meet some other travelers, I'm fine. I am always doing thing with people I meet in hostels, couch surfing, playing Ultimate Frisbee, or sitting next to someone on the bus. There are a million ways to meet someone, you just have to be proactive at times and reach out. In the states, we don't talk to people we are sitting next to ourselves on the bus or train, but why not? People usually have really cool interesting stories and are great travel guides if you are in their city.. Sometimes they will even invite you to spend time with them or they will show you around. If you are traveling with someone else you always have someone to talk to, eat with, and don't have the need to meet someone new like I do when I am traveling alone. Think of all the cool people I wouldn't have met in my life if I was traveling with a friend.. Not to say that I wouldn't mind traveling with a friend for a bit, but I love traveling by myself. Deciding exactly what I want to do, eat, and not depend on other people.
As far as being a woman, I think it's a little better to be alone as a woman in some ways. Why? Because, I feel as though women are treated a little bit more care than men. Very rarely... but once in a blue moon you hear about a guy getting beat up just to be robbed.. I've never once heard a story of a girl being robbed with violence. In fact... I've heard very few stories of girls being robbed.. Possibly for a few reasons.
I have had a few really great couchsurfing experiences and been so welcomed by people. I know there are a few creepers on couch surfing but there are so many good ones. I refuse to live my life in fear. I generally try to stay with another woman but sometimes that doesn't always pan out so I stay with a guy after reading carefully all of their reviews and judging by our conversations before staying with him and making sure he is a normal person.
So more on that money thing.. I started my trip Oct 15th and returned to the USA on June 29th which is 8.5 months.. Now I haven't done the exact math... but at a glance, I have spent about $8,500 USD including flights on this particular travel in Latin America. Which means that all in all I spent around $1,062 each month. Think about how much money you spend on your monthly bills wherever you are? Yes I know lots of people have a lot of things they are obligated to pay (lease, student loans, car payments, insurance, cell phone etc) but if you are able to get these payments down to a minimum amount or eliminate them, (lease, insurance, car payment) it's do able for everyone, you just have to decide that you want it.
Another helpful thing to help my saving is that I don't like to buy stuff... I buy things when I NEED them, not when I want them, or like them. When the only things I carry with me are a backpack, you don't need the latest fashionista shirt, or nine pairs of high heels, etc. I keep things simple. I have been blessed to be able to save lots of money while working in South Korea for two years, my cost of living was paid by my employer and the only thing I had to pay for was food, fun, and very few bills each month. Then when I moved home in 2015 and worked in Arizona for five months, I lived with my parents and was able to borrow their car during the day to transport myself to and from work and usually when needed. For these two things, I am incredibly blessed and was able to save a lot to fund my travels.
I think I have learned way more by traveling the world than I ever learned in my 16 years of education in the United States. It has changed my life for the better and I will never ever lose my wanderlust and adventure bug. The way I see things, I can retire when I'm older than most people. I prefer to travel now, while I'm young, free, and have zero obligations at home, and can do whatever I would like and can do everything, like bungee jumping, white water rafting... Will I want to do that stuff when I'm retired and traveling? Maybe, however it's probably better to do them now. Yeah, maybe I'm not able to do all the tours and things I want to because of money, but it makes me appreciate so many things much more because of my experiences.
I wouldn't change my travel life for a car, boyfriend, husband, full time job, or babies. I am totally okay with my life and looking at facebook and being the only one without these things. I have these experiences just because of one simple decision I made in 2011. I encourage each of you to hop out of your comfort zone, pack a backpack, and see what is out there. I can promise you, it will change your life and how you see the world!
Happy travels! :)
I love this article. The girl is working as she goes and just free for all. I do like to visit home, but like her cannot see myself living in the US for an extended period of time yet. There are still so many places around the world to see and things to do that I just can't imagine myself being happy in the USA yet.. Don't worry, I think one day I will return. Like the article talks about, you can kind of work or volunteer for your bed or your meals as you travel and cut your costs even further. I haven't done a ton of this, but I know that the options are plentiful and available. Sometimes it may seem hard to find online, but when you are on the road you encounter them constantly.
I've met several other people who are also on extended trips. I don't like how this article is titled three year vacation.. Backpacking and budget traveling isn't exactly the same as vacation. We don't have a shuttle driver ready to pick us up and take us to our all inclusive resort. We walk outside, ask locals where the bus stop is, how we can reach the city center for a fraction of the cost it would take to take a taxi.. And for me, I try to avoid flying at all possible costs.. obviously the exception is to start my trip somewhere or cross oceans. We pack a backpack. No not, your school backpack. My backpack weighed about 15 pounds during my trip, which is pretty small for how long I was gone but I carried the essentials. Inside my backpack was two tshirts, two tank tops, two dresses, two pairs running shorts, yoga pants, a fleece pull over, dress shorts, five ish pairs of underwear, three pairs of socks, two sports bras, and one normal bra. For shoes I have my finger shoes for water fall/ wet adventures or sometimes soft hiking, running shoes, and flip flops. As you can see in the picture above as my lovely friend Nichole sent me off in style in Florida, I have very little things to live so long.
In my small backpack I have all my electronics with me. I have too many, but they each have their own purpose. The Samsung Galaxy S2 I got Aug 2011 in Korea used for wifi only, a gopro hero 3 for all types of weather and outdoor things, and finally my Canon SX 510 camera which is like a wanna be DSLR but smaller and much easier to carry. Gopro is awesome but I don't have a screen on it so I can't see how my pictures turn out, in case you are in machu picchu and need to make sure that you haven't blinked, but it's perfect for scuba diving in galapagos. I could chose to buy a SIM card in each country for a very small price.. In all my travels i've bought a Sim card in Vietnam and Ecuador.. each for around $5 dollars including some starting calls and texts. The reason I don't buy these is because who am I going to call in Peru? Hardly any other travelers have a SIM card.. I'm not going to call home on an international SIM card, and I have plenty of times where I have wifi. There have definitely been places with crappy wifi where you can't skype or can't upload something to facebook.. but for the most part it's enough to survive. I'm there to experience another country, not to spend time on facebook. If I need a map, I look up where I need to go beforehand and google will keep it in my phone if I don't turn off my phone. In my opinion no need for a SIM card. I also have google hangouts, which allows people to text me, and I can make free calls to the USA. It's like I've never left! This is definitely a favorite app.
Laundry? How does one do laundry on the road with like such a small wardrobe? It depends. Sometimes I wash things here and there with me in the shower or a hostel sink. When things get really dirty, I put them in a plastic bag and turn them into a laundry place. Usually for $1 for 2 pounds or so, you can have a place wash, air dry, and fold your clothes in under 24 hours. Occasionally there are dryers, but most of the developing world doesn't use dryers.. and in a hot climate, why should we use them? We have the perfectly amazing sun light to dry our clothes for free, no energy being wasted!
This trip, I started using my google calendar on my phone every day to write down what I did, make notes about stories or simple things that I would like to remember about my trip. So when I look back, I can remember how long I spent somewhere, who I met, maybe what I ate, etc. It has worked out really well and helped me feel a lot more accomplished on my trip. Some days while backpacking you look back and wonder where has the time gone the last month or so. Some days you need a relaxing day, because despite popular belief constantly moving around, making plans, and doing active things does get tiring.. Or you want a day just to relax and not do anything on a beautiful beach in another country, and that is perfectly okay. That is all part of the backpacking life.
Towards the last few months of my trip I met an Irish couple, and later an American guy who tracked everything that they spent, or nearly and had it all on a spread sheet. Obviously without money, its hard to do this kind of a trip, however, you really don't need as much money as you think. So I was inspired to start keeping a little bit better track of where my money went.. not just from my bank statements.
While I'm not living large and staying in the Hilton or anything like that, I live a good travel life and eat delicious local food. I stay usually in hostels... so many americans ask me if I've seen the movie hostel.. which the answer is no.. and not because I don't want to but because if you know me well, you know that I hardly ever watch movies. Usually when I do watch them I fall asleep. But I know it's out there and a lot of Americans have an irrational fear about hostels. In general.. other people staying in a hostel will not steal from you... So yes sometimes there are lockers and I occasionally use the lockers to put my passport, my credit cards, extra cash, and electronics in there.. I usually don't feel the need to. If a person is in the same situation as you in a hostel, why would they steal from someone who already has so little? Does someone really want my size 5.5 running shoes or an old ragged t-shirt? Probably not. MOST people are in the same situation and are not looking to STEAL while they travel. And sleeping in the same room as strangers? Big deal.. ever been to summer camp or anything where you've slept in the same room as someone you didn't know? Now it's going to probably be a really interesting person that you will most likely want to get to know.. and probably not an American (in most of my travels anyways). It's nice when hostels offer free breakfast because this is a great place to meet other people staying in the hostel.
What do you do while you are traveling? I SEE stuff! I visit the beaches, the markets, read wikitravel and get ideas about the best hikes, occasionally museums, bike rides, etc. I go to Machu Picchu, I go surfing.. I really enjoy being outside and actually being with locals and traveling with locals. Sometimes it's not glamorous, takes longer than expected, smellier, hotter, or many other unexpected things, but I have nothing to lose right? I have no schedule usually.. every once in a while I meet someone and then we make a plan to meet in another city but 99% of the time I am free as a bird.Traveling Solo, how? You're a woman, aren't you afraid? These are other questions that I receive a lot. To be honest, I have had very few moments while traveling, I can think of maybe two where I was intimidated by the situation. I've never been scared of a situation being alone or being a girl. Arriving in a city before the sun comes out or a choosing to walk to a hostel that looks really close to the bus station on google maps but being in an unfamiliar place is sometimes uncomfortable. But as soon as I get to a hostel and meet some other travelers, I'm fine. I am always doing thing with people I meet in hostels, couch surfing, playing Ultimate Frisbee, or sitting next to someone on the bus. There are a million ways to meet someone, you just have to be proactive at times and reach out. In the states, we don't talk to people we are sitting next to ourselves on the bus or train, but why not? People usually have really cool interesting stories and are great travel guides if you are in their city.. Sometimes they will even invite you to spend time with them or they will show you around. If you are traveling with someone else you always have someone to talk to, eat with, and don't have the need to meet someone new like I do when I am traveling alone. Think of all the cool people I wouldn't have met in my life if I was traveling with a friend.. Not to say that I wouldn't mind traveling with a friend for a bit, but I love traveling by myself. Deciding exactly what I want to do, eat, and not depend on other people.
As far as being a woman, I think it's a little better to be alone as a woman in some ways. Why? Because, I feel as though women are treated a little bit more care than men. Very rarely... but once in a blue moon you hear about a guy getting beat up just to be robbed.. I've never once heard a story of a girl being robbed with violence. In fact... I've heard very few stories of girls being robbed.. Possibly for a few reasons.
I have had a few really great couchsurfing experiences and been so welcomed by people. I know there are a few creepers on couch surfing but there are so many good ones. I refuse to live my life in fear. I generally try to stay with another woman but sometimes that doesn't always pan out so I stay with a guy after reading carefully all of their reviews and judging by our conversations before staying with him and making sure he is a normal person.
So more on that money thing.. I started my trip Oct 15th and returned to the USA on June 29th which is 8.5 months.. Now I haven't done the exact math... but at a glance, I have spent about $8,500 USD including flights on this particular travel in Latin America. Which means that all in all I spent around $1,062 each month. Think about how much money you spend on your monthly bills wherever you are? Yes I know lots of people have a lot of things they are obligated to pay (lease, student loans, car payments, insurance, cell phone etc) but if you are able to get these payments down to a minimum amount or eliminate them, (lease, insurance, car payment) it's do able for everyone, you just have to decide that you want it.
Another helpful thing to help my saving is that I don't like to buy stuff... I buy things when I NEED them, not when I want them, or like them. When the only things I carry with me are a backpack, you don't need the latest fashionista shirt, or nine pairs of high heels, etc. I keep things simple. I have been blessed to be able to save lots of money while working in South Korea for two years, my cost of living was paid by my employer and the only thing I had to pay for was food, fun, and very few bills each month. Then when I moved home in 2015 and worked in Arizona for five months, I lived with my parents and was able to borrow their car during the day to transport myself to and from work and usually when needed. For these two things, I am incredibly blessed and was able to save a lot to fund my travels.
I think I have learned way more by traveling the world than I ever learned in my 16 years of education in the United States. It has changed my life for the better and I will never ever lose my wanderlust and adventure bug. The way I see things, I can retire when I'm older than most people. I prefer to travel now, while I'm young, free, and have zero obligations at home, and can do whatever I would like and can do everything, like bungee jumping, white water rafting... Will I want to do that stuff when I'm retired and traveling? Maybe, however it's probably better to do them now. Yeah, maybe I'm not able to do all the tours and things I want to because of money, but it makes me appreciate so many things much more because of my experiences.
I wouldn't change my travel life for a car, boyfriend, husband, full time job, or babies. I am totally okay with my life and looking at facebook and being the only one without these things. I have these experiences just because of one simple decision I made in 2011. I encourage each of you to hop out of your comfort zone, pack a backpack, and see what is out there. I can promise you, it will change your life and how you see the world!
Happy travels! :)
Well said Nicole !! I've just finished reading this post and I am very glad you're sharing it with us. It's true, if you really want to do it, you just need to go for it.
ReplyDeleteI would just add one thing about the money though... I don't think you can go traveling without a minimum(a big minimum :-) ) of saving before, which may not be the case for everyone... To take my case as an example, I've hardly been able to save money to go to Vietnam and by the way was very happy to meet you :-) But finally made it to Vietnam which was my first big travel.. (Yeaaaah !!!) But when i got back in my country, I couldn't get a job, after few long months, I went on a special training (kind of introduction on humanitarian job), With that i got lucky to be able to volunteer for 9 weeks in India... and back here in march after the end of my training... I was struggling again to find a job and had to take a part-time job,... This kind of situation made the saving difficult don't you think ? So, my question would be, if you don't mind, when you made your decision in 2011 to start the amazing life I am quite sure you are having now, how big was your first savings to say "Ok, now I can go for the "big travel all around and all" and find work here and there after few travel experiences?
Hope you won't mind for that question.
Anyway, I'm gonna definitely read all the articles you've written here, and enjoy them for sure !! And when I'll be ready to go, I'll definitely come back to you for some tips depending on the country I go !!
Ok, wasn't a short comment ha ha ha sorryyyyyyyyy !!
Have fun in Australia Nicole !!
Hey Daniela,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment! And you definitely have valid points here. We can't always find work right away or be able to save as much.. maybe it takes longer where we are at home working. However, there are tons of possibilities to keep travel costs even lower than I did. Volunteering as you know is a great way, couch surfing to find free accommodation, hitch hiking, cycling through countries, and even heard of a French girl who WALKED between her destinations, and spent an average of $3 dollars a day, no matter the country. Obviously this is an extreme example, but if there is a will there is a way! :)
In 2011 I never really had the intention to start doing what I did.. however it was just that I was in an awesome job where I didn't have to pay for my home, and could save a lot of money.. I didn't really set aside a certain amount. Just always tried to avoid buying things I didn't absolutely need. I think I had saved near $10,000 from 2011-2013 to realize I could start my travels and be fine.
I realize of course in different situations it can be hard to save this amount, but many people still find ways to travel with very little budget! Like the French girl, or Argentinian travelers I met, working in hostels, or selling sandwiches on the beach in Ecuador to keep their travels going.
Thanks for reading and of course I cannot wait until out paths can cross again! :)