You too can travel the world on a shoestring... Ask me how!

I knew I would write something like this eventually, I just had no idea it would come so soon.

It wasn't until I found myself sitting around a fire on an island in the middle of the
Mekong having a pseudo-intellectual discussion with a Canadian about Buddhism while a buffalo was butchered not 10 feet away that it all finally hit me...

The point of travel lies not in what one may see but in the wonderfully bizarre experiences that fill every day. It was never about checking various landmarks or countries off a list but rather about jumping into situations that one could never get at home. Every so often, a moment has made me stop and think about how ridiculous (in terms of my perspective at home) it really is. And that is what it's all about.

It seems that everyone's predictions that this will be life changing, amazingly fun, eye opening, etc... have proven correct. Individual travel is something that everyone needs to experience and despite most people's beliefs, they really can.

I don't know a single person who could not handle travel on these terms. Everyone takes things at their own pace and comfort levels and if there ever was an activity that could be specifically tailored to every participant, this is it. One needn't be overly resourceful, stoic or vigilant in the face of adversity, everyone can handle the minor problems that spring up on any given day. Some handle it better than others but for everyone, it is a learning experience. What is the best way to learn a foreign language? Go live in a country and speak nothing else. And what is the best way to develop the qualities that I mentioned among others? I'm pretty sure it is stepping off an airplane by yourself in a foreign land with nothing but what you can carry on your back. The reward is indeed the journey, not the destination.

What's more, anyone can afford to do this. A trip like this is rarely immediately available to anyone and while it is all fun and games now there is plenty of sacrifice and effort that goes into getting here. Saving for a trip can be a marathon or a sprint and everyone does it differently. Everyone has heard that a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step and in this case it is just looking at your current spending and changing a few things. It is so easy too. Cook dinner and bring your own lunch to work, cancel your cable tv and get a netflix account or simply try to avoid running up a monstrous bar tab every weekend. Whether it takes you 1 year or 10 to save, you will never regret having done so. The point is that getting to the open road involves some sacrifice and that's a very good thing because without it, travel would not be nearly as rewarding.

Lastly, quit deluding yourselves into thinking that a year unemployed will be perceived negatively or forever ruin any future career plans. I've learned that Americans (and myself included) generally have believed that taking a year to travel is either a waste of time or critically impairing to any job prospects. In so many other countries travel is not only encouraged but respected. I have no idea what is to blame for the American perspective but we must realize how much we miss by thinking in this way. We have spent so much time and effort building a cage in our minds that locks us to our current routine that it is so easy to forget that we have had the key the entire time. The hardest part of choosing to travel is the choice and once you realize that, everything becomes so easy.

I could wax poetic for hours or share tons of travel pictures and stories but none of this captures the feelings and rewards that independent travel results in. If you're still reading this then maybe you have thought about doing a trip like this before and all I can say is DO IT. Make that decision and start the journey today because honestly, what are you really waiting for? Go ahead and trade in your work shoes for a pair of hiking boots, your commute for that next bus ticket, and all of your bedroom furniture for a backpack. You'll be extremely happy you did because, to borrow some words from an amazing film maker, if you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do.

That's all for now and if you take anything away from this post please realize that long term travel is something that everyone absolutely needs to experience. All you need is to make the choice.

-Darren 'Travel Evangelist' Donahue