Some people pay a salary. I live on a trip.
The world calls my name, and I like it. Places that I have never been to, exotic places with unpronounceable names. The water is so clear that you can see the shadow of the boat, ripples in the sand at the bottom of the sea. An ancient castle in the castle, collapsed on a rocky hill. Seething cities shimmer in the night or forest roads, wandering deeply into nowhere ... I want them all. I want to breathe air, walk the paths, meet people and eat food.
Unfortunately, all this requires money. And since I have a limited budget, the money for the next adventure is always on my mind.
Here are three steps that help me on the road. Use them to speed up the next trip.
1. Make it real.
When your heart connects, your journey changes from a vague “sometime, somewhere” to a real part of your real future. Suddenly this trip is urgent by pressing. This is part of what you need to do to be who you really are. And it really is!
So make it real. Create a Pinterest page, create a favorites folder, save items of interest. Think about the specifics. What time of year would you like to go? Rainy season or dry? What festivals do you want to see? What part of the language can you learn before you go? Cover the poster with photos from the places of interest that interest you the journeys that interest you. Work on the route, explore any dangers. Compare hotels, apartments and hostels. Place a local news site on your toolbar.
Now begins the dive.
2. Get real money.
You need a realistic financial goal - not one that will leave you in difficulty, or one that will scare you away.
Each trip has three basic monetary requirements: to get there, stay there and live there. “Getting there” is usually the biggest expense, but even if you fly, you can often get the best deals if you stay focused. The internet is full of good resources for cheap airfare. For example, you can fly to a European hub on an international carrier, and then take a low-cost airline to neighboring countries. Play with it!
“Sleeping there” can be a huge expense, or it can be cheap, even free, depending on your choice. Would you like to work in your room? Stay in hostels or in an old monastery with nuns? You can do it. You just need to do research.
“Living there” is the cost of your daily living expenses, since you live somewhere else. Food is a part of life there, along with tips, tips, and side trips. Nights for drinks, buses and rental cars are all part of life. Explore local travel sources inland. They are often less expensive and interesting simply because they are less “Americanized”. Live like a local in an apartment and cook some food at home. Grocery shopping can be an adventure in a different culture!
3. Make friends with your savings.
The money you save is not "money that I cannot spend." This is a "trip that I am ready to take." This is for you. Own.
Name your trip - for example, "Bali for the New Year," or "Eastern Europe with Jack and Ellie." Make a spreadsheet or, better yet, get a real book or laptop and put colored tabs on it. Keep track of your savings in your book. When you enter a sum, write it down in one of the three main categories - get there, sleep there or live there. You may want to work a little for each area, each time you save or finish it, and start with the next one - this is my usual system.
A large amount of money that you invest in the first place, directly from your salary - it can be transportation money. Money that you do overtime, or you take away from a nanny for your neighbor on Saturday - it could be one night in a bay above the water. When you stay at home and eat cereals instead of going with friends, and put money into your account - this is dinner on the beach.
To further promote yourself, find out how saved you are when you go forward. The basic air ticket price is check. Between transplant countries - check. Hotel in Singapore - check. Hostel in Bali - check out. Romantic dinner on the beach - check. You get the idea.
Naming things helps you remember what really matters. You may need a new car. You can go to Vegas with a wedding. Or for dinner in the middle of the week and drinks every week. And these are good things. But you probably can't do all this, and still continue this fabulous trip.
You decide. If it is between dinner tonight or a vague journey, we will probably choose tonight. But if I have dinner and hit my hotel tonight, when I put these $ 25 in my savings, I can decide to stay at home and eat cereals!
Planning your favorite things, exploring your new place, viewing your resources is an exciting part of the trip. And before you know it, you will live to live in a new place.
