Things To Consider For Making Long Term Travel A Lifestyle
Long term travel is a very rewarding experience and one you will never regret. Sure, you'll come back home a bit poorer financially - but you'll be far richer for having had the experiences you did. Your life will never be the same and your outlook will be forever changed.
But what do you do before you can look back on it all? How do you manage those many months on the road? How do you go about adapting to the conditions thrown at you day after day? There are some special considerations you'll need to take if you are considering taking off to travel for an extended period of time.
Long term travel is a lifestyle. When you take off for a two-week or two-month vacation, you can push yourself to the max every day. You can go full speed ahead the whole time, collapsing into bed exhausted every night. That's possible because you know you'll be going home soon and will be able to rest and recuperate from your vacation.
On an extended trip, things are different. You won't be able to maintain the frantic pace you could on vacation. The trick is to find a pace that works for you. At home some people can maintain a higher energy lifestyle at home with work all day, gym in the afternoon, and then a myriad of evening activities. Others prefer quiet evenings curled up in their favorite chair with a good book. The same thing is true on the road. Some travelers will be able to handle a faster, more demanding pace while others prefer to take it more slowly. You may find you'll need a day or two off each week just to lounge about in a hammock, or you may find yourself wanting to go two or three weeks before taking that day. Your pace will be unique for you, and it's critical that you find it.
The other major suggestion I can offer for making travel a comfortable lifestyle is comfort. Just as you have your home set up for comfort, so will you need to consider how you can be comfortable on the road. Again, we all have different needs and desires, so our comfort items will vary. We have discovered pillows make a huge difference for us so we carry a pillow for each of us. Another person may decide that's folly. We've seen cyclists carry lawn chairs, coffee pots, and hammocks. I've seen a backpacker lug two surfboards around the world with him. I carry a couple pounds of beads on my bike, which my husband considers sheer foolishness. Decide what's important to you and pack accordingly. That being said, you will have to make some tough decisions - you simply will not be able to carry everything you are accustomed to having.
If you look at your new lifestyle as exactly that - a new lifestyle - you'll be up for tackling the challenges that come your way. It's really no different from any other major change in lifestyle - complete with many pros and cons.
