The Mystery of the Long Term Traveler

It's a mystery to many how anyone can travel either full time or long term. On a regular basis I get comments like, "Your lucky to have so much freedom", and, "I wish I could just pack up and go whenever I wanted". Sometimes these comments are tainted with an element of jealousy and/or accusations of avoiding responsibilities and failing to commit to this and that. Often times people making these comments have far more money than I could ever imagine having. People assume it takes a lot money to travel but it definitely does not. Well, at least for a backpacker. It's mostly about a lifestyle choice and everyone is wired differently. As with every choice there are pros, cons, and trade offs. For those who love to travel and enjoy a simple lifestyle the pros often outweigh the cons. Anyway, the real mystery is in how things always work out. I guess it has to do with the flow. I simply decide that I want to do something or go somewhere and somehow I always seem to come up with what I need. It just happens. No wondering or worrying. Not a lot of intense planning. It's funny how it works out. Naturally I put out effort and devote time into coordinating the necessities of life but it's all really quite simple. I'm not a trust funder. I have no big savings account. I don't spend money I don't have. I'm not doing anything illegal. I guess I'm just lucky and blessed…

Needless to say there are sacrifices to be made. While I'm planning for a trip I watch what I spend and choose wisely as to what I can live with or with out. No fancy dinners etc. It's all quite simple and extravagance has never been my aspiration or style anyway. Material goods are a hindrance more than anything and I have no desire to acquire lots of stuff. This is very freeing. When I'm on the road if it can't fit everything into a 60 liter pack then I don't need it. Actually, I find a 60 liter pack to often times be too big and can manage quite well with a 30 or 40 liter pack if I'm not carrying camping gear.

When I travel I like to mix it up but spend most of my time on the backpacker trail. I'll camp, stay in hostels, and check into a B&B every now and then. The longer I travel the more I rough it. After awhile roughing it doesn't seem all that bad. At first it can be kind of difficult to sleep well in a hostel but once I get use to it I'll find myself sleeping as good as anywhere despite a snoring German or a Saturday night street party going on right outside the window. As I've said before, things that may drive me nuts during ordinary life at home seem like no big deal when I travel. It's a great feeling to live that way and I think it's becoming more and more a part of my character.

What a person wants out of travel depends on the person. I was telling a friend of mine how I'm interested in traveling through S.E. Asia on $15 a day. He thinks it's a wonderful idea while his wife cringes at the prospect. While on the Caribbean Island of Dominica I met a couple from Denmark. They were out of their element and fancied a posh resort. On Dominica there is only one really nice hotel along with a couple of simple small resorts. The rest is not too fancy. If your looking for a Grand Hilton or something of the like it's not the place. It's a very poor Island. I told the couple about a place that was $15 a night located a few miles outside of the main city. We hopped a local mini bus as they dragged their large suitcases and I crawled in with my pack on my lap. After a few miles we got off and walked a quarter mile down a dusty road to a really cool place built atop a cliff. It had a nice common space and a spectacular view. Built and run by a Belgian. I thought it was amazing and immediately decided to stay a few days. The Danish couple was unimpressed and yearned for white linen sheets and funny drinks with umbrellas. I kicked back with a local beer and made friends with a Canadian who also thought it was an amazing place. It was about 10 am and the Danish couple left looking for Euro perfection upon a 3rd world island…….. At 9 pm I was still drinking beer with the Canadian when the Danish couple showed up again. They had a rough day and at that hour the place didn't look so bad after all…. There's a relativity factor going on in travel and it really depends on what the individual traveler wants to get out of it.