Let Me Explain: Travel Isn’t Expensive, You Are
My whole life I’ve been under the impression and even been told point blank that traveling the world is expensive. Only people who are rich can travel anywhere besides a few hours away from home or those that do travel do so once every five to ten years because that’s how long it takes to save enough cash to go on a good trip. I went so long believing this rhetoric and assumed that the reason for my lack of travel was because it was too expensive to do and something only those more affluent could experience. Now that I’m in my adult years where I’ve had fluctuating amounts of money based on where I lived and what job I had, I know that travel isn’t expensive, you are. Let me explain.
Let’s play a simple game of word association. When you hear the word ‘travel’ what comes to mind? Beach? Mountains? Buffets of exotic food? Paradise? I have some news for you, you may want to sit down. All those words you most likely just associated with “ travel” are words that are far more closely aligned with the word “vacation”. Vacation and travel are not synonymous, kind of like how a square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square. Yes you can travel while on vacation and maybe you can squeeze in a bit of vacation time while traveling but these are not the same thing. Travel is cultural immersion, geographic specific experiences, and perhaps a bit of luxury. Vacation is for relaxation, indulgence, and perhaps a bit of culture. You see where I’m going with this? I’ve heard friends and family confuse the two and use them interchangeably for so long that I have no choice but to call attention to the matter. The reason you think travel is so expensive is because vacations, not travel, often are. And I’m here to tell you that while there is a time for a vacation, I will choose to travel nearly every time instead.
Travel opens my mind and soul to the lives and customs of others. Travel allows me to try out different ways of thinking and doing and encourages me to talk with locals, understand my setting, and think of the historical remnants of an area. You can afford to travel and I’m just the person to show you.
Listening to the Little voice
When it comes to picking a place to travel out of the many interesting places in the world, I start by thinking where younger me most wanted to travel to and go from there. Little me had her eyes set on Mexico, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, and France. I then think about why little me wanted to go to those places? Was it because that Mary Kate and Ashley movie was filmed there or because she read about it in one of her many books? Is it because there is a hyper specific activity she wanted to do or place she wanted to see in that location? Finally, I narrow in on what was at the core of the want to travel to that place? Is it where I hoped to fall in love as an adult, was it the nature that looked like something only my Creator could imagine, or was it a place that looked like it could solve all my problems and I could just forget who I was for a few moments. Essentially, I ask myself “what did little me want to feel when she went there?” The answers to the questions above leads me to this one big answer that is my ultimate guide for choosing a new place to travel to.
Plans, Trains, and Automobiles
I don’t bode well with long car rides and I especially wouldn’t call myself a good driver so driving to a place to travel is pretty much off the counter for me. I love riding in trains and am willing to do it if I can justify the time it takes to get from Point A to Point B. I love being on a boat, but can’t say that I have my sea legs. Flying has always and will always be my preferred method of transportation and guess what? It doesn’t have to be expensive. Flying from one international airport to another international airport is step one of making travel affordable (of course bonus points if you can drive or train there). Being willing and able to fly in and out on a weekday at a random time is also a huge money saver. I often love traveling on Wednesdays and Thursdays and live for a first out or last out (red eye) flight because I can sleep on the plane if I try really hard or when I’m there if I can’t. Once I’m in the place I’m going, I immediately look up and buy a public transit pass for the area and opt out of ride shares. Between walking and public transit, I can get almost anywhere. If I’m traveling somewhere less populated, then booking accommodation in advance that is near town is going to be your best bet for saving a dime. Don’t make this part complicated.
And Here is Where I Rest
Speaking of staying in town, it’s a good rule of thumb to book lodging that is near a bus or train stop and that is towards the center of an area. It helps when places are walking distance from food, public transportation options, and experiences you’re interested in exploring. Staying far away from where there are more transportation options will only waste your time, energy, and money so stay somewhere that makes sense. Speaking of things that make sense, while traveling the goal is to see and experience the place you’ve traveled to, not to be a recluse in your lodging. Book a hostel or bed and breakfast or Airbnb that is modest and well within your means. A clean and moderate temperature room, running water, access to a bathroom, and a decent bed (and bonus points for a kitchen, this I’ll bring up later) is all you really need. When traveling, the amount of time spent out of your lodging compared to the amount of time spent in it needs to be taken into consideration and priced accordingly. Think of it like shopping for an item of clothing. The price per wear of the clothing item needs to be reasonable and attainable within a short amount of time, if it isn’t, then you can probably spend less on that item. The same goes for lodging while traveling, how much are you paying per hour you’re actually spending in the room? I can’t tell the difference between 500 ply sheets on a normal day and I won’t be able to while traveling either so why do I care to demand this while traveling? In short, pick the clean, modest spot over the luxuries and amenities that you probably won’t have time to utilize anyways and don’t use when you’re at home.
I Want to Eat Everything
Food is an undeniably important part of experiencing another country's culture, traditions, and people. Trying new foods and new methods of cooking is by far one of the best parts of traveling, it is also one of the biggest hidden costs. That matcha latte you had to have, plus 3 square meals a day you bought, plus the street food snack, plus the overpriced bottle of water adds up quickly. Lucky for you, there are so many ways to cut back on spending on food while still being able to experience new cuisines and enjoy what the destination has to offer.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. You can have one traditional breakfast, one traditional lunch, and well you get where I’m going with this on your trip. You could have all four in the same day if you wanted. But that’s it. One of each. Do your research the week or night before to find which restaurant or cafe or street vendor has the best of each meal and go there. I’m not stopping you! It’ll probably be some of the best, or most interesting flavors you’ve tried and I encourage you to indulge. However, control is the name of the game. All the other meals on the trip need to be inexpensive and even mirror what you typically have when at home. Not only is this saving you money, it’s also saving your stomach from trying too many new things and potentially becoming upset. Am I the only girly with stomach issues out here? Yes? Just me? Okay well still, the same logic applies. Not every meal needs to be exquisite just like not every meal you have on a regular day is gourmet. Pick a few must try items, have and enjoy those, then eat simply the rest of the time. A day of eating while travel may look like this:
Breakfast at the hostel or a banana and yogurt that I bought from the local market and a cup of herbal tea from a tea bag I brought from home.
Lunch at a 5 star restaurant that has the best local cuisine with only water to drink.
Snack is a protein bar I brought from home.
Dinner is a sandwich made from ingredients from the local market and a piece of fruit.
Wine, Brews, and Cocktails Oh My!
I get it. There’s something about traveling that makes you want to have a cold beer, jammy wine, or fruity cocktail. There's just something about travel and alcohol that go together well. But it’s not a need. Sure you can order something with dinner, or have a drink or two at the bar across the street, but it’s not a necessity. In fact, for many people drinking alcohol in a place you’re unfamiliar with may not be the wisest decision. Opt instead for sparkling waters, regular water, and one to two alcoholic beverages a day max. You want to wake up feeling ready to move around, not dehydrated and with a headache anyways so cut back on the alcoholic beverages when you travel, while still trying things that sound interesting to you. Remember to drink at your own risk and drink responsibly because you are entirely accountable for getting yourself home safely and taking care of yourself. Still, I encourage you to have fun, sit back, and a few sips.
Did You See That?
Prioritize is the name of the game when it comes to doing and seeing all the things you came here to do in the first place. You may not be able to do it all, but I’m willing to bet that with a bit of planning and coordination, you’re able to get pretty close. Prior to traveling, create a list of things you want to see, do, and experience. Then put them into buckets of varying priority. I recommend having a basic must see, want to see, would like, but don’t need to see to help prioritize the things on your list. The first bucket is reserved for things that if you know will make the trip worth it. The second is for things that maybe were recommended to you or that you saw on social media that looked like they could be epic. The final bucket is for the things that are neither here nor there. It may be cool to see but wouldn’t take away from the overall experience and may not be worth the time it would take to see or do it.
After prioritizing, it’s time to book in advance. Maybe the place you want to see is closed on Monday’s so you have to wait until Tuesday. Maybe one of the items on your higher priority list is free on the first Sunday of every month and reduced price on every third Thursday. These are things that are helpful to know in advance so you can plan around them. I’m not saying to book yourself full leaving no room for spontaneity. I am saying to make sure you get to do the things you really want to do so that you can walk away feeling like you didn’t leave anything behind. This is possibly the best piece of travel advice I can offer so pay close attention. Get the tickets, know the day of the week and the time you need to set aside to do or see THE thing you came there for, and spare no expense for those one or two things because it’ll likely be amazing and you’ll be glad you did it.
Of course, leave room in the schedule to dilly dally, stumble upon something you hadn’t heard of, or go explore the thing all the locals have been raving to you about the moment you got there (using caution of course to avoid getting scammed). More times than not, the best part of a trip is the thing you didn’t plan for but the thing you let your heart guide you to. Be sure to listen to it.
Budget Travel is Possible I Pinky Swear
Did I just become your unofficial travel agent? I hope I did because everyone that wants to travel deserves to travel. The world is so wide and we’re each given a limited amount of time to experience it. A trip doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, a few hundred dollars will do. Get out, explore, and enjoy different cultures with respect, adoration, and compassion. Happy wandering.
Happy wandering,
Raven