Travel Tip Tuesdays: How Is It Possible?

Grand Canyon, Arizona, spring 2011

Have you written a blog about how you all your traveling was possible? How others could do the same? 

A Facebook friend posed this question last week, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s a question that I can’t answer with, “Take these three steps and you’re good to go.” A lot of it is luck (or providence, depending on what you believe) and situation.

Still, I can share what I’ve done to be able to travel. You can’t follow the pattern exactly, but it might give you a starting point. Perhaps my path will inspire you to find your own. Here’s my method.

I began traveling when I was in a stable financial situation. I had just come out of a year where I was working several jobs. Although I hadn’t made a lot of income, I hadn’t had many expenses (see point #4), so I had about a thousand dollars in my checking account. Also— and apparently this is rare— having not been to college, I had no student debt, or debt of any kind. My only monthly bills were rent, cell phone, and insurance alternative.

I got an online job. This is the number one secret to my long-term travel: I got an online tutoring job when I was 19. When all you need is a laptop and wi-fi, the world is yours. If you can just make a little money online, it will help you sustain your travels. My job has paid for all of my trips.

Seattle, Washington, autumn 2010

I lived with my parents when I wasn’t traveling. Although this is common in my generation, that alone is not something to be proud of. I was determined not to be a total mooch: I paid them a share of rent every month and bought a chunk of the groceries. This situation allowed me to avoid the stress of a lease. When I wanted to leave for a couple months, I wrote them a check, grabbed my backpack, and left.

I ruthlessly eliminated expenses. I’ve never owned a car, and recently I gave up having a phone as well. I buy secondhand clothes, rarely eat out, and supplement my groceries with food that other people are going to throw away. It’s worth it to me, and if you want to travel, it will be worth it to you, too.

I worked a second job in my at-home time. That extra paycheck helped fund my trips, getting me “caught up” from my last one before I left on my next one. Never ever go into debt for a trip. If you don’t have any more money, stop traveling until you do.

I traveled extremely cheaply. If you want to do long-term travel the way most people travel, then you need to be independently wealthy. Even the really low budget of $60 a day will drain you dry in no time. If you’re taking a long trip, get used to the idea of working for your bed, pulling all-nighters, and eating a lot of trail mix. The big expense is the plane ticket— after that, I spent a laughably small amount of money on my travels. Help Exchange, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and Couchsurfing have made it possible for me to take longer trips.

I was blessed with meeting incredibly generous people. This isn’t something you can plan. For me, it’s just happened. Everywhere I’ve gone, without exception, I have met and been blessed by generous people. From random relatives to former coworkers to future-grandmother-in-law’s-neighbors’-friends, people are incredibly generous. I’ve learned to embrace that generosity and hope to pay it forward someday.

In short, to do long term travel, you need good health, a bit of money, a light backpack, a dose of common sense, a dash of creativity, a strong work ethic, an adventurous heart, a cheerful attitude, a little courage, and a lot of faith. With these on your side, it is possible— and amazing beyond all description.

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Near Poppenricht, Germany, summer 2012