How Tomislav Extreme Budget Travels for Less Than $10 a Day

After my first independent trip overseas in 2005, I came home, quit my job, and prepared to travel the world. However, at home, I immediately felt alone. Few people supported me, most were confused by the idea, and even more tried to talk me out of it. Back then, quitting your job to travel the world made people think you were slightly crazy. Over a year ago, I created a community section of this site for us to mingle with, encourage, and advise each other so no one would have to feel that way. I wanted a place where people could turn to for support. Today we have over 3,300 members and over 10,000 posts!

Each month, we highlight one or two members on the forum. Today, I want to share with everyone who might not read the forums the story of one of our most active community members, Tomislav from Croatia. Tom has been traveling the world on an extreme budget ($10 USD a day) since 2008 through a variety of ingenious ways. While this level of austerity is not for everyone (including me), his spirit and philosophy is still amazing and I wanted to share it with you. Without further ado, here’s our interview:

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone about yourself.
Tomislav: My name is Tomislav Perko, I’m 30, and I come from Croatia. I started living my life only recently, by moving away from the usual “be born – go to school – get married – do the job that you don’t like – take credit out for 30 years – have a few kids – retire – and die” lifestyle. Recently, I published a book called 1,000 Days of Spring, which quickly turned into a bestseller in Croatia, and currently I’m back home, working on my second book.

You said you started traveling recently. What were you doing before? Why did you start traveling?
Before I started traveling, I was a stockbroker. Suit, tie, nice restaurants, a lot of money — that kind of lifestyle. But then the financial crisis came, and I lost everything. That’s when I discovered Couchsurfing — and by hearing first-hand stories from people that passed through my home and seeing a spark in their eyes, I thought to myself, maybe I should try it out myself.

And I did.

Did you always plan to travel on $10 USD a day?
The only thing that is a constant when talking about my travel plans is that I didn’t really plan anything. When I started traveling, I had almost no money, and the amount I spent on the road determined how long could I stay on the road. $10 USD was more than enough to cover some basic needs, and the best thing was that I really enjoyed traveling this way. I loved the challenge of figuring out where to sleep, how to get somewhere, what to eat.

In a way, being almost broke was the best thing that happened to me. While traveling on a low budget you appreciate the little things, such as hot meals, soft beds, and transportation, after a few hours of waiting in the sun. You are grateful for little things you are not thinking about when you can afford three meals a day, when your shelter has already been prearranged and you know a way to get to your destination. You are grateful for all the miracles that, inevitably, occur daily.

Where did you get the $10 USD figure? Did you research it? Why $10 USD and not $20 USD?
Well, I didn’t plan it to be $10 USD or any other amount, but when I traveled for a couple of months, looked back on my budget and did the calculation — it turned out that it was about that amount per day.

Of course, some days I spent $50 USD, or bought a plane ticket for $100+ USD, but then I spent few weeks or months volunteering and not having to spend anything. So at the end, it all levels out to $10 USD a day.

How do you specifically stay on budget when you travel?
When it comes to transportation, I mainly hitchhiked everywhere I went. It was fast, safe, reliable, and free. But the best thing was that you get an amazing story of how you got between point A and B, you talk with locals, and learn from them. I also walked a lot, used some public transportation in cheap countries, relocated a few cars, etc.

As for accommodation, I Couchsurfed most of the time — I already had plenty of experience from hosting few hundred people in my own place before I started traveling, so that helped a lot. You spend your time with him/her, they take you out with their friends, on family gatherings, and to see some amazing local spots you would probably miss out on.

When I didn’t Couchsurf, I camped, slept in parks or beside the road, volunteered, tried house sitting and home exchanges — there are so many alternatives to ho(s)tels. They require much more planning and energy, but they save you money and give you so much in return.

I bought food in supermarkets and cooked by myself or with my hosts, never drank in bars but in parks, even tried dumpster diving couple of times. You have to know that food is everywhere, and a lot of it is being thrown away — some say that over 40% of food produced is being thrown away. You just have to figure out a way to get to that food before they throw it. If that means standing in front of a pizza place in Machu Picchu and waiting for some folks to leave the table and leave few slices untouched — then you do that.

Is this a good idea? I mean, $10 USD a day is pretty cheap, and it’s not something I would do. It means you can’t walk into the Louvre, dine on good food in Italy, take a boat tour, or sign up for a jungle hike.
First of all, this type of traveling isn’t for everyone. I tried it, and I liked it. The thing is, I never traveled for the sake of seeing things. I was more into experiencing. So, instead of seeing the Louvre, eating in amazing restaurants in Italy, taking a boat tour, or going on a jungle hike, I was interested in talking with people, learning from them, and trying to live as a local. For that, you don’t need a lot of money.

Don’t get me wrong — it is more challenging and more limiting, but challenges and limitations are the things that push you into being in the moment, and doing everything in your power to get to something. That’s what I loved the most!

Have you worked or volunteered abroad?
I worked on a permaculture farm under the Himalayas, managed a guesthouse in Malawi, spent time in few orphanages, cleaned rooms and took care of 5 dogs and 14 cats in Ecuador. Volunteering is a great way to save money, take a break, and — what’s most important — learn about the place you are visiting and connect with people living there.

Mostly I found these volunteering opportunities on the spot, or I used WorkAway.

And when it comes to finding work, I sometimes (badly) played the guitar on the streets, or connected with people and asked them if they knew anyone that needs someone capable of working various jobs.

You seem like an adventurous guy. Tell us some crazy situations that you’ve run into on the road.
I would say these are my top three:

The craziest story is not from the road, but from the sea. I hitchhiked on a 13-meter yacht from Australia to Africa, without any sailing experience. It was probably the most and least adventurous journey I was ever on — the most when I talk about it now, after it happened, and the least when I was sailing for those 45 days. Nothing happening, just four of us on that small boat, sea and sky around us. Nothing else.

Then there was spending three days on the border of Iran and Pakistan with Iranian military officers, ending up staying in some dental laboratory with guys smoking opium all day long, crossing the border and being put in the bus with an armed escort and driven for 43 hours until reaching the capital, Islamabad.

And there was also driving all day long from Swaziland to north of Mozambique, singing with my driver to keep him awake, ending up in some small town where everyone is out in the middle of the night drinking, and spending the night under some old truck in my sleeping bag because it was raining.

Give us your most unique money-saving tip.
The Internet is your friend. There are so many ways to save money, and they are just a few clicks away. Find volunteering opportunities; accommodation via Couchsurfing, house sitting, or home exchanges; transportation via ride-sharing, car relocating, or boat hitchhiking… and realize that every dollar less spent is worth a few more days on the road.

All this seems like a lot of work. How much time did you spend arranging accommodation, finding rides, work shares, etc.?
A lot.

I repeat: traveling isn’t necessarily a vacation. Traveling, especially in this way, is a lot of work. People think doing this is just cocktails on some beautiful sandy beach, but the truth is sometimes quite the opposite — you are lonely, hungry, or sick, and you have to deal with it.

Same with looking for transportation, accommodation, and food. It’s easy to check the bus schedule and go to the terminal, but it can be hard to get out of the city to find a good hitchhiking spot, wait there for hours, talk with many drivers, look for Couchsurfing hosts, choose them wisely, find their homes in strange cities, etc.

It is a lot of work, no doubt about that. But, that work pays off. It definitely does. Every single day.

Do your family and friends support your travels? Did they always?
They do now, after many years, but it wasn’t always like that. I had to deal with the usual issues of my parents being worried, thinking I’m not using my life properly, etc. But with years they got used to it. I emailed my mum every day, no matter where I was (except from the Indian Ocean), we talk on Skype often, and when they saw me making a living out of my travels, being in the media, giving lectures to hundreds of people, they realized that this is my way, and now they are big supporters for me traveling.

But I know its still hard for them; it must be when your child goes away, especially when he/she wants to hitchhike and sleep beside the road. But in the end, they have to, or they should, understand your urge to explore and your path to happiness.

What advice would you give to new travelers?
Traveling is not the best thing in the world. It won’t solve all your problems; you can be lonely, hungry, freezing in your sleeping bag. It’s not something you have to do.

But if you want to, if you feel that desire to head into the unknown, then you have to know that it’s possible. I won’t say it’s easy, because you have to adjust your lifestyle to the road, but it can and will be rewarding, no matter what.

If I did it, I think anyone can.

Some quick questions: Window or aisle?

Aisle till I die!

Even though, I don’t really like airplanes. Or airports.

Big or small dorm?

I’ve only slept in a hostel dorm about 10 times in my life, and most of those times were when I was volunteering. But if I have to choose, I prefer small dorms.

Favorite country?

Not possible to asnwer, so I’ll give my favorite country on each continent.

• Europe: Spain
• Asia: India
• Oceania: Australia
• Africa: Malawi
• South America: Peru

Least favorite country?

Cannot think of any that I can put “least” in front of.

One item you can’t travel without?
My little sheep. This sheep is my important travel companion. Why? First of all, I got it as a present from a very dear friend of mine, who knows me best. Second of all, I am also a sheep (or Aries): stubborn, impulsive, and enthusiastic. So in a way, she reminds me of who I am. Third, she wants to send out a message. Basically, she is a sheep, but she doesn’t listen to the shepherd, or follow the herd. She does what she likes — she travels with a smile on her face! She wants more people to experience that way of life, without borders, without fear.

Having all that in mind, it was logical that she joins me on my travels. Every now and then she gets lost and travels solo. One summer she wandered around Portugal, Spain, and France, and one time she left me in Kuala Lumpur, I had no idea where. But she always comes back to her favorite travel companion!

****Tomislav definitely has his own style of traveling. It’s something I don’t think I’d do (camping isn’t really my thing and I love museums too much to skip them), but he shows us that where there is a will, there is way and

Tomislav definitely has his own style of traveling. It’s something I don’t think I’d do (camping isn’t really my thing and I love museums too much to skip them), but he shows us that where there is a will, there is way and it is possible to travel for very, very little money . He’s lived in exotic places for a day for less money than most people spend on lunch! Take a page from Tom’s book and make it happen. Even if you don’t want to travel like him, he shows us that with a little creativity, any trip can be possible.

You can find Tomislav and all of his awesome adventures on Facebook, YouTube, TEDx, and his blog, tomislavperko.com.

Other Inspiring Stories

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way, but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here are more great contributors to the forums:

We all come from different places, but we all have one thing in common: we all want to travel more!

How This 70 Year Old Couple Traveled the World

When I saw him in the hostel, I couldn’t help but smile. There he was, a man who could have been my grandfather, hanging out with college-aged backpackers and having the time of his life. The younger travelers were enamored with his stories of past travels and his ability to drink them under the table. No one cared he was in his 70s. Age mattered not one bit.

I believe that most of my advice on this website is universal. Maybe as an older couple or family you’ll skip hostels or avoid Couchsurfing, but when we land in Paris, we all face the same costs and list of potential activities, regardless of age. But I think, especially here in the United States, there is a belief that you just can’t travel when you’re 70 or have medical problems. And while there are a few things to be more mindful of as you get older, I disagree that there is a special category called “senior travel.” The differences between how I travel and how a 70-year-old travels are really minimal.

So when Don and Alison approached me about their story, I had to share it. Because here is a “senior” couple, limited by some medical issues, engaging in adventures I only dream about. I think their story can teach and inspire a lot of us.

Nomadic Matt: Hi guys! Tell everyone about yourselves.
Don: I’m a 70-year-old retired neuropsychologist. Two years ago, I made a decision to retire, because I’d developed a number of medical problems due to stress from work. I was working myself into sickness. Alison (my wife, who is 63) and I didn’t have enough savings to be able to keep our home and do the kind of world travel we wanted to do. We agonized over what to do for a long time until it became clear that it came down to the question of “Do we want to have a home or do we want to have a life?” So we made the decision to sell our home. We’ve now been on the road, with occasional trips back to our hometown to restock our basic supplies and see our friends, for two years, and plan to continue living a nomadic life for the foreseeable future.

What inspired you to become nomadic?
Don: Initially it was the desire to see the places that were at the top of our bucket list, and after that to see as much of the world as we could before we got too old to travel.

Alison: Inspiration came first from Don writing daily “morning pages” (from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way) in search of some answers to the retirement/income dilemma. One day out of the blue, he suggested to me that we could sell the condo and go traveling. I didn’t immediately say yes to this, but it was a seed that grew of its own accord until one day, we realized this is what we’d do. I had a nice life at home, but Don was done with work and struggling to keep going. Something had to give.

Where have your travels taken you so far?
Don: After selling our home, we went to Europe. Following that we went to Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India, where we stayed for 10 weeks in order to spend time meditating at the ashram of Ramana Maharshi. From there we went to Bali, then to Australia to spend time with some of Alison’s family and friends. We’ve also been back to India, all over Southeast Asia, and most recently, Mexico.

Did your friends and family think you were crazy for doing this?
Don: Probably, although no one said that to our faces. Everyone was surprised, some of them seemed perhaps a bit shocked, and many of them told us that we had a lot of courage for taking this step and encouraged us to go for it.

Do you feel that your age was in any way a problem or limiting?
Don: When we first began traveling, I was concerned about my health and whether I’d be able to stay healthy, particularly when traveling in Third World countries. However, as we’ve traveled, I realized I can get sick overseas, take appropriate medications, and get well again. It’s not as hard as I thought to get the necessary care when you travel.

Alison: It never occurred to me that age has anything to do with anything. I’m young, fit, and healthy, and mostly do what I need to do to stay that way. At the same time, I’m aware that Don has some manageable health issues that we need to pay attention to, but nothing that really prevents us from doing what we want to do. He’s so much healthier and happier than when he was working.

Having said that, we’re not cavalier about our bodies. We know that things sometimes take longer to heal than when we were younger. For this reason, we draw the line at things like white-water rafting. Apart from the fact that neither of us are experienced at it, we know that one good jolt could result in whiplash that could take weeks to heal. Still, we’ve hiked in fairly difficult terrain, been swimming with elephants, gone kayaking, ridden camels at dawn in the desert, and climbed volcanoes in the dark.

How did you save money for your travels?
Don: I had been putting money into a Canadian Registered Retirement Savings Plan for many years. These savings and any interest earned on them are tax-free until such time as I begin to withdraw them. We sold our home at what appears now to have been the peak of the Vancouver housing market in August 2011 and put the money to work in investments. We also receive a monthly pension from a Canadian federal government plan that I contributed to from the time I was in my early 20s until I retired.

How do you manage your money on the road?
Don: We budget about $50 per day for our accommodation, plus another $50 for meals and entertainment. Recently, we’ve started staying in places for longer periods of time and have begun renting apartments instead of staying in hotels. The price per night is often about the same as a hotel room, but we save money by making our own meals. We regularly splurge on guided tours or treks, or big events like the Guelaguetza Festival in Oaxaca.

A lot of older couples and individuals feel that round-the-world trips are for young people. What would you say to them?
Don: Do it anyway while you still have the health and strength to do it. We’re more flashpackers than backpackers: we usually stay in three-star hotels because we can do that on our budget, and the rooms we rent must have Wi-Fi and an en-suite bathroom. We book hotel rooms or apartments online using Agoda.com, Booking.com, Wimdu.com, or Homeaway.com.

Alison: I think there are a lot of myths about “old age” that people live into. I don’t understand the idea that adventure and a love of life are only for “the young.” We’ve met a full-of-life 92-year-old who learnt to play the fiddle in his seventies and regularly jams with a group of buddies, a 78-year-old woman who says when she’s 80 she’ll be ready to sell her house and go traveling, and an eighty-something woman who was traveling alone in Myanmar. We love role models like this. Life’s what you make it, and you only get one chance to live this life.

Do you stay in hostels? When you meet young backpackers on your trip, how do they react? I usually find that they tend to get excited about senior travelers. It’s a “cool” thing.
Don: We haven’t stayed in hostels for two main reasons: the first being because of my concerns about the security of our belongings, and the second being that we like the luxury of a private bathroom. That being said, the young backpackers we’ve met on the road have been very positive about us doing what we’re doing at our age.

Did you have any fears about traveling before you started?
Don: Alison has always been much more adventurous than me, so when we first began traveling I had a lot of fears about getting sick in Third World countries. Now that we’ve been traveling for almost two years, a lot of those fears are gone because we’ve been sick and recovered without having to be sent back to Canada.

Alison: I don’t like flying. It’s one of my biggest fears. As long as things are going smoothly and I can immerse myself in a movie I’m fine. But any turbulence and I’m a white-knuckle mess. [Matt says: me too!] Apart from that I don’t think I was ever really afraid, because I’d done so much traveling when I was younger.

What was the biggest thing you’ve learned from your travels so far?
Don: That traveling really does broaden the mind. We’ve discovered that people are people wherever we go and that the great majority of them are friendly and helpful. If you approach people in a friendly and open-hearted way, that is what you are most likely to get back. We do our best to come with a sense of respect for the people we meet on our travels, regardless of their circumstances. We’ve also found that making the effort to learn a few basic words and phrases of the local language does wonders for connecting with the people of a country!

I’m much happier and healthier than I was two years ago. I now know from personal experience why people love to travel. The world and its peoples are much more friendly and much less scary than various government websites would have us believe.

Alison: Everything Don said, and always learn how to say “I’m sorry” in the local language. And presence. There’s no past, no future. Only now. The longer we travel the more this truth is actually lived. Whenever I feel vulnerable I return to the present because it is here that life is lived.

What advice would you give to people looking to do something similar?
Alison: Don’t go blind. Do your research. The more information you gather before you go, the better you’ll be prepared, and the less vulnerable you’ll feel. At the same time, don’t organize yourself into a tight schedule. Leave room for spontaneity. Trust yourself, and go for it. Until you do it you cannot even begin to imagine the rewards that come from such a life. The world is an astonishing place, and people are more open-hearted than you’d ever believe from watching the nightly news. Oh, that’s another thing — stop watching the news: it gives you a very negative view of the word!

Don and Alison are a real inspiration. They found a way to make travel work for them, and it even made Don a healthier and happier person! I really do love their story as well as what they had to say about their experience. The couple have set up a blog about their travels that you can read here.

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel, and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here’s another example of people who made traveling the world a priority a little later in life:

We all come from different places, but we all have one thing in common: we all want to travel more.

Make today the day you take one step closer to traveling — whether it is buying a guidebook, booking a hostel, creating an itinerary, or going all the way and buying a plane ticket.

Remember, tomorrow may never come, so don’t wait.

Ko Lipe: The Greatest Month in All my Travels

In November 2006, I was 5 months into my (supposed) year long trip around the world. While emailing my parents to let them know I was still OK, I saw a message in my inbox:

“Matt, I’m stuck in this placed called Ko Lipe. I’m not going to meet you as planned, but you should come down here. It’s paradise! I’ve been here a week already. Find me on Sunset Beach. — Olivia”

Olivia, a friend from MySpace, was supposed to meet me in Krabi, a tourist destination famed for its limestone karsts, rock climbing, and kayaking.

I looked up Ko Lipe on a map. There was only a small mention of it in my guidebook. It was really out of the way and would require a solid day of travel to get to.

As I looked around the crowded Internet café and onto the busy street, it was clear that Phi Phi was not the tropical island paradise I had envisioned. The crowds were coming back, the beach was filled with dead coral, boats seemed to ring the island, and the water was polluted with a thin film of…well, I don’t want to know. A quieter, calmer paradise held great appeal.

“I’ll be there in two days,” I replied. “Just let me know where you are staying.”

Two days later, I took the ferry to mainland, a long bus to the port city of Pak Bara, and then the ferry to Ko Lipe. As we passed deserted, jungle-covered islands, I wandered to the top deck where a guy was playing guitar for the few people going to Lipe.

After he finished, we struck up a conversation.

Paul was tall, muscular, and thin, with a shaved head and slight stubble. His girlfriend Jane was equally tall and athletic, with curly brownish-red hair and ocean-blue eyes. Both British, they were meandering around Asia until they were ready to move to New Zealand, where they planned to work, buy a house, and eventually get married.

“Where are you guys staying?” I asked as we lounged in the sun.

“We found a resort on the far end of the island. It’s supposed to be cheap. You?”

“Not sure. I’m supposed to stay with my friend, but I haven’t heard back yet. I don’t have a place.”

The ferry neared the island and came to a stop. There was no dock on Ko Lipe. Years before, a developer tried to build one, but the project was canceled after protests from the local fishermen who take passengers to the island for a small fee, and the developer mysteriously disappeared.

As I got in one of the longtail boats, I dropped my flip-flops into the ocean.

Watching them sink, I yelled, “Shit! That was my only pair! I hope I can get some on the island.”

Paul, Jane, and I went to their hotel, joined by Pat, an older Irish guy, who also lacked a place to stay. The hotel overlooked a little reef and the small Sunrise Beach, which would become our main hangout spots during our time on the island.

I decided to bunk with Pat since I hadn’t heard from my friend Olivia and splitting a room was a more budget friendly. Back then saving a few hundred baht was the difference of one more or less day on the road. Paul and Jane took a bungalow overlooking the ocean. (Their terrace would be another of our little group’s most popular hangouts.)

We headed out to find my friend, who had said she could be found on Sunset Beach at the Monkey Bar.

As we walked to the other side of the island, I could see Olivia was right: Ko Lipe was paradise. It was all gorgeous jungles, deserted beaches, warm, crystal-clear blue water, and friendly locals. Electricity was only available for a few hours at night, there were few hotels or tourists, and the streets were simple dirt paths. Ko Lipe was the place I had dreamed of.

We found Olivia pretty quickly. Sunset Beach was not big, and Monkey Bar, a small thatch-covered shack with a cooler for cold drinks and a few chairs, was the only bar on the beach. After quick introductions, we ordered beers, asked the typical traveler questions, and sat around chatting about nothing.

Pat turned out to be a snorer so, after two nights, I moved into a bungalow in the middle of the island for 100 baht ($3 USD) a night. Nestled behind a restaurant that served the best squid around, this hardwood structure painted red, with a white roof, small porch, and near-barren interior — a bed, a fan, and mosquito net — seemed to be built by the family for a wave of tourism that had never come.

I gave up trying to find new flip-flops. There was nothing I liked or fit. I’d wait until the mainland and just go barefoot in the meantime.

The five of us formed a core group that grew and shrank with the arrival and departure of other travelers. Other than Dave, a young Frenchman, and Sam, a weathered British expat who had been on the island every season for a decade (having once been trapped there after the last boat left), we were the only permanent Western fixtures on the island.

Our days were spent playing backgammon, reading, and swimming. We rotated beaches, though we mostly hung out at the beach by Paul and Jane’s. Within swimming distance was a mini-rock with a sheer drop that provided excellent snorkeling. We’d occasionally leave the Ko Lipe to explore the deserted islands in the nearby national park, fish, and dive. There’s nothing quite as lovely as having a whole tropical island to yourself.

At night, we would rotate restaurants: my guesthouse owner’s restaurant, Mama’s for fresh squid and spicy curry, Castaway on Sunset Beach for massaman curry, and Coco for everything else. Afterwards, we’d move to Monkey Bar for beach games, beer, the occasional joint, and more backgammon. When the power generators were switched off, we would drink by flashlight before going to bed.

The days seemed to pass by endlessly. My original three-day visit came and went. I lost any concept of time.

“I’ll leave tomorrow” became my mantra. I had no reason to leave. I was in paradise.

Paul, Jane, and I became close friends as time went by. We formed a mini-group within the group.

“What are you guys going to do when you get to New Zealand?” I asked.

“We’re going to work for a few years and build a life there. We have nothing that’s pulling us back the UK,” said Paul.

“I’m going there on this trip so I’ll visit. It’s my last stop on the way home,” I replied.

“You can stay with us. Wherever we are,” said Jane as she passed the joint to me.

Sitting on the beach one day, I had an idea.

“You know what would be cool? An eco-friendly hostel. New Zealand would be the perfect place. Wouldn’t it be cool to own a hostel?”

“Yeah, that would be fun,” said Paul.

“We could call it The Greenhouse,” replied Jane.

“That’s a great name.”

“Yeah, seriously.”

Paul said, “I bet we could do it pretty easily. Eco-friendly places are all the rage, and there’s a lot of space there. We’ll have a garden, solar panels, and all the other bells and whistles.”

We were half-serious about our hostel, discussing the details every day: what it would look like, how we would get funding, the number of beds. It was a pipe dream — but dreams like this helped us pass the days on the beach.

We became aware of time again when, one day, our bill at Mama’s was suddenly double.

“What’s going on? This fish was half the price yesterday!”

“It’s Christmas! More Europeans this time of the year, so we raised our prices.”

Ahhh, capitalism at its best.

Christmas also meant something else: I would have to leave soon.

My visa ran only until just before New Year’s, so I would have to leave to renew it before heading to Ko Phangan for the holiday.

I didn’t want to leave.

We were in paradise. Paul, Jane, Pat, and Olivia were staying and I felt like I was being ripped apart from my family, never knowing when I would see them again.

But the visa forced my hand.

Paul, Jane, and I decided to have own our Christmas together. It was only fitting. We wore our best clean shirts and wandered over to Coco’s for its luxury Western dinner.

“I got you guys a gift.”

I handed Jane a necklace I saw her eyeing a few days before and Paul a ring he had admired.

“Wow. That’s amazing, mate! Thanks!” said Paul.

“But this is funny,” he continued. “We got you something too.”

It was a hand-carved necklace with a Maori fishhook on it. It was their symbol for traveler. I wore it for years afterward, a symbol of our friendship, my time on the island, and of who I was.

Traveling quickens the bonds of friendship. When you are on the road, there’s no past. None of the baggage of home is with you or anyone you met. There’s only who you are right now. There’s nothing to get in the way of the now. No meetings to attend, errands to run, bills to pay, or responsibilities.

I once heard that the average couple spends four waking hours a day together. If that is true, then we had just spent the equivalent of four months together, but it felt like triple that since there was nothing to keep our minds off the “now.”

I’ve never been back to Ko Lipe. The development that’s sprouted would burst my image of perfect. I’ve seen the photos of the concrete streets, the huge resorts, and the mass of people. I can’t bear to see that. Ko Lipe was my beach. The perfect traveler community. I want it to remain that way.

I would run into Paul and Jane again years later in New Zealand, but I would never see the rest of the group again. They are out there in the world doing their thing. Yet for that month, we were the best of friends.

As I packed my bags and put on my shoes for the first time in a month, I said good bye to Plick Bear, the raggedy teddy bear I found on my porch that became our mascot, and I hoped that the journey ahead would be as good as the one I was leaving behind.

Reader Story: How Angela Travels the World as an Au Pair

One of the biggest challenges for people is saving up for a world trip. It can be daunting trying to save thousands of dollars for your next big trip. Yet I always say “If you can’t save, go work.” The world has an abundance of jobs that travelers can get. Millions of travelers fund their trips by working their way around the world. Today, I want to profile one of our community members who does just that. Angela works as an au pair. This funds her round the world travel dreams, let’s her stay in a place longer, and get to know a culture better. Today we share her story and tips for being an au pair.

Nomadic Matt: Hi Angela! Thanks for doing this. Tell us about yourself!
Angéla:I’m Angéla and I’m 28 years old. I was born near Lyon, France, and am the eldest of four sisters. After graduating from school when I was 21, I started working as an au pair in Germany. I wanted to get out of France and work with children, so this was the perfect job! Seven years later, I’m still an au pair, currently in Japan! I love what I do because I get to travel and work with children, the two things I love the most.

Were you always interested in travel? How did you get started?
Funny enough, out of all my big family (I have three other siblings and lots of cousins), I’m the only one who likes to travel a lot! Nobody around me ever went abroad for more than a few days, and especially not very far away. So I didn’t know much about traveling, except from watching movies and pop culture.

I didn’t begin traveling until I was 21. I guess it was because I never did it that I wanted to do it. I’d always dreamed of traveling the world and seeing the places I saw in the movies

How did you decide to become an au pair?
It happened seven years ago when I was looking for a job in France and after finding nothing interesting, I decided to have a look at the au pair thing. It sounded interesting — working in another country and living with a family. By being an au pair, I would be able to have a job, accommodation, food, lots of free time, and some extra spending cash. It was perfect. I could enjoy traveling without needing a lot of money because I could use the money that I would earn during my stay. It lets me travel without huge savings.

In 2010, I found my first host family in Germany and stayed one year with them. I loved the fact I could work in another country and use the free time to explore a new place. Plus, I get to work with children all the time, which is my field of work, so now I have accumulated years of experience. I was hooked after that first year, and decided to do it again instead going back to France to find another job.

Where have you worked as an au pair?
I’ve been to Germany, England, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden, and I’m currently in Japan. I stay from eight months to one year in each country. All of them have been great experiences. I’ve been lucky enough to stay with very good people, and everybody I met while traveling has been super nice.

My favorite place has been New Zealand. It’s simply breathtaking! The landscapes are unbelievable. I can’t recommend it enough. Canada is probably my next favorite. It is a relatively safe country to live in, the people are nice, and I love the cold winters. I got to try ice fishing and totally loved it!

How does someone become an au pair? Is it easy? Hard?
I personally think it is easy. Your main job is to take care of children, so you must be OK working with them, but other than that, the tasks are often easy enough and you have lots of free time. You work on average between 25 and 30 hours per week. All your weekends are free, as are the evenings as soon as one parent gets home. You may be asked to babysit from time to time, though.

Everything is included when you live with the family, so you don’t have many expenses. The only thing I paid for myself was my plane ticket (although you can be lucky enough to have a family that pays it for you). I never felt like this was a so-called “job” — more like helping out a family and being a part of it.

To become an au pair, you can either use au pair agencies or one of the websites like Au Pair, Au Pair World, International Exchange, and Go Au Pair. With an agency, you pay them and they do the paperwork, show you different family profiles, and put you in contact with them. All along your stay, they are in touch with you in case of any problem. It’s like any other job placement service.

On the internet, there are a lot of websites for au pairs. This is more DIY. You create a profile, search for families (they can search for au pairs too), and if one catches your interest, you start by sending a message, and from then, if both parties get along, you get in touch via phone, mails, Skype. There’s no third party involved. It’s between you and the family (so no one is there if something goes wrong). I’ve only ever used these websites, as it’s free for au pairs to join, and I’ve always been lucky in my searches for families.

What qualifications does someone need to be an au pair?
While it’s not necessary, it’s good to have experience with kids, because the families might feel more confident in hiring you, but other than that, you don’t really need much. Every family is different. Some will want you to have experience and will ask for references; others don’t ask for anything.

What’s the biggest challenge?
I will say it’s learning how to live with total strangers. You’re in a brand new country, with people you don’t know, and you’re going to spend six months to a year with them. It takes some days for everybody to get used to each other and to know how the family works. You need to learn to accept their way of living. Sometimes it can be really different from what you’re used to, and it takes some time to just be a part of it.

Also the fact it is not your own place is a bit of a challenge. You may live there for a long time, but at the end of the day, it’s still not your place. I find it always a bit hard to pretend it is. For me, it is my host’s home. You can’t have guests like you would in your own home. You hear the kids playing, running everywhere all the time, even on your days off. Sometimes the parents may leave the house a mess and you have to tidy it up, because you can’t stay a day in such a mess any longer!

Personally, I’m really easygoing and used to living in any kind of place with different people. I never felt that was a “challenge” — from my first experience all was smooth during my stays. Maybe I find it easy to get along with people, and don’t mind their way of living.

Is it hard as a Westerner to get a job outside of “the West”? I always thought Western au pairs only worked in other Western countries.
It is true [that Western au pairs are] mostly in Western countries. In Japan, it is not common at all, especially because here the moms are often stay-at-home moms, so they don’t need another person to do the job. Also, it is in their culture to not accept a total stranger taking care of their own kids.

The few families I could find in Asia have always been expat families. Often one parent got a few years’ contract with a company and moved abroad, thus they know what the au pair thing is. In Nagoya, where I am now, I know at least three au pairs, but I don’t think we’re much more than that. So if you want to be an au pair, you’ll find that most of the jobs are in Western countries.

Tell me about life as an au pair. What’s the pay like? How often do you work?
The pay depends mainly on the family and the country you’re in. But my salary was usually 300-400 euros per month. It seems to be the average for an au pair working 25–30 hours a week.

The work mostly consists of bringing the kids to school and picking them up, helping with homework, cooking and having dinner, bathing them, and getting them ready for bed. Some families may ask you to do house cleaning in addition (in which case you’re paid more for that).

When the kids are at school, you’re totally free. Most au pairs will take language classes, or do sports or other activities. I usually take some of this time to cook dinner and clean the house (if needed). Mostly I try to hang out with friends or visit some places nearby. When in a country where au pairs are popular, it is really easy to meet up with them, as we all have the same free time. It’s an easy job if you are good with kids, sensitive, and practical. And especially if you get along well with the family, there’s no problem at all!

What’s your one tip for people looking to become an au pair?
If it is your first experience as an au pair and you don’t know how you feel being away from home, my advice would be to start in a country that is near your own. That way if you’re homesick, it will be much easier to go back. And if you like the experience, you know you’ll be ready to start again farther away! I started in Germany, knowing that if anything happened I was just few hours away from home.

Other than that, nothing specific, except I can only recommend it! It is a really good experience living abroad and a way to get out of your comfort zone, as you’re going to live for a few months somewhere totally new!

What’s been the biggest lesson so far?
Never think traveling is not possible for you. I had no exposure to it while I was growing up and would never have imagined myself a traveler, as I was very shy and introverted. I think, besides shocking my family, I shocked myself when I went away. But when you go away, you realize how easy travel is and how many opportunities there are out there to make travel a reality.

I think that traveling is a good opportunity to discover new parts of yourself. It changed the way I am now. I feel more confident and more open to talking to strangers. It’s made me a better me!

You’ve be traveling for 7 years now. What’s your number one tip for new travelers?
Be friendly to people and be respectful of the country you are in. Respect is important, and people will accept you more if you are openly happy and curious to be visiting their places. Don’t judge. Learn to listen.

When I was in Australia, I was told numerous times that French people there were acting really poorly, being mean to animals and disrespectful of people and the environment. I can’t understand this type of behavior, and it made me ashamed and sad to learn that. It is so important to show respect and be kind to those in the country you are visiting. You’re a guest in their home.

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Angela got a job working as an au pair in order to fulfill her desire to travel the world. When you have limited funds, find a job like Angela and use your skills or passions to earn money and keep you on the road.

Angela got a job working as an au pair in order to fulfill her desire to travel the world. When you have limited funds, find a job like Angela and use your skills or passions to earn money and keep you on the road.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to think outside the box a bit and figure out ways to use your passion and skills to get out there, escape the cubicle, and see more of this world.

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here are more examples of people who found work overseas to fund their trips:

How Will Travels the World on $20 or Less Per Day!

Each month, we feature a reader on our community forum as a way to inspire others and remind potential travelers that people from all walks of life go out and explore their world! Today, I want to share the story of Will, a.k.a The Broke Backpacker, who like Tomislov, is traveling the world on an extreme budget of $20 a day. After ten years of travel, I like a little more comfort because of my insomnia, but I love reading stories like Will’s because it is always a good reminder that when you’re creative, you can save money without sacrificing adventure and fun on the road.

Nomadic Matt: Tell us about you.  Where are you from, how did you get into travel, age, place of birth, etc!
Will: I’m Will, a 26-year-old amateur adventurer and freelance journalist. I like to get muddy, naked and painted. I first started backpacking when I was eighteen and was instantly hooked by all the inspiring people I met whilst hitching, camping and Couchsurfing around Europe.

Since then, I have lived in India for a year, worked in bars in Vietnam, herded goats in the Holy Land and conquered the highest navigable pass in the world armed with a poorly drawn map and a packet of Ritz crackers. I have survived knife-point robberies in Nepal, guerrilla encounters in Myanmar, motorbike crashes in Vietnam and numerous other mis-adventures. Recently, I started my most ambitious adventure to date: a two-year journey from the U.K. to Papua New Guinea, without the use of any flights.

I was born in Brighton, near London, and although I do love England, it is no longer where my heart is. I’m too restless to be in one place for too long. Right now, I’m on a recruitment mission – I’m heading across the world with the aim to find cool people to help me open my chain of hostels and then, eventually, the commune – yep, my life aims are not especially conventional, but heck, even us crazy traveler folks have gotta have a plan!

You call yourself an extreme budget traveler. What exactly is an extreme budget?
I try really hard not to spend more than $20 USD a day, the ultimate aim being to spend under $100 USD a week. In the past, I picked up bar-work, hostel-work and farm-work whilst on the road. These days, I support my travels through my travel blog, The Broke Backpacker. To help stay on budget I hitchhike, sleep rough when necessary, Couchsurf and liberate bread rolls whenever possible! In the past, I have travelled on less than this. I spent just $3,000 USD on a 14-month adventure around India and Nepal.

Do you think what you do is something most travelers want to do?
Anybody can do what I do, but to be honest most people simply don’t want to try it. A lot of people have a knee-jerk reaction when I tell them that I hitch and Couchsurf; many folks seem to think this is just insanely dangerous, which is simply not the case. When it comes to sleeping rough or wild-camping, yeah, it helps if you don’t mind being a bit uncomfortable. As far as I am concerned, I would rather be uncomfortable and traveling than comfortable and chained to a desk – a sedentary lifestyle just isn’t for me. Most people want to travel, even if they don’t realize it. Everybody should travel, even if they have very little money – it is totally achievable.

How do you stay on such a tight budget in expensive countries, say Japan or New Zealand?
Staying on budget in more expensive countries is, obviously, a bit harder but the rules stay the same – hitch, Couchsurf and buy dirt-cheap food. In Japan, I pretty much survived off 7-Eleven stores… cheap pizza and rice-balls for the win! In countries like Japan, I have to plan a bit further in advance as, if I can’t find a Couchsurfing host, I end up sleeping rough the whole time and that gets pretty knackering. In some expensive countries, if you have plenty of time on your hands, it’s a good idea to pick up some paid work as you can earn a fair whack in a short period of time and then head off to cheaper destinations… I never got around to picking grapes in Oz with fellow drunken-Englishmen, but it’s on my radar!

Give us your most unique money-saving tip.
Always bring things back home from your travels to sell – I’ve brought back shirts, scarves, leather satchels, all sorts of odds and ends – you can make a fortune selling them at festivals.

Also, once I rocked up into Jordan after getting extremely lost whilst hitching from Israel, I eventually made it to Petra where I met up with a Rastafarian Bedouin, Ghassab, who was the proud owner of a bright pink Landrover, four goats and a rock-cut cave house. I spent two weeks living with him in the cave, collecting firewood and soaking in some truly stunning sunsets.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done whilst traveling?
One of my craziest stories involves canyoning in Nepal. I hiked with a guide and three other backpackers for nearly two hours until we reached some nearby waterfalls. At this point, the guide realized he had forgotten one helmet so I ended up being the sucker who had to start off with a huge leap of faith, a 6-meter jump into nothingness with no protection.

Later, whilst abseiling down a waterfall, the rope sliding through my fingers felt kind of strange, I looked down and saw it was held together with gaffa tape, which was coming apart. I panicked somewhat, slipped and then made the brilliant decision to unclip myself before the rope actually broke – which it probably wasn’t going to do in all honesty. I fell backwards and luckily ended in a deep pool of water, having fallen perhaps 4 meters (nowhere near as far as I thought it would be). I emerged shaken, but laughing uncontrollably.

What are some of your biggest travel tips?
Go out into the world with an open mind, smile at everyone, and never say “no” to a new experience… this is the best advice I can give to folks looking to ditch their desks and hit the road for the first time.

Travel is like anything, if you put it off it may never happen – accept that you could die tomorrow; do you really want your last memory to be working a job you dislike to pay for shit you don’t need? Whilst it does make sense to prepare before you embark on your first big adventure, I recommend not planning too much – go with the flow and accept that some things might go wrong. When you travel, you have two choices – to be stressed or to be chilled, the latter is definitely the way to go.

Ooooh, and when you do, take a head-torch – it’ll be handy for exploring!

If you could tell your younger self four things, what would they be? 

1. Start a travel blog earlier! – Seriously, I wish I had known it was possible to forge a career for oneself on the Internet without having any major tech skills.
2. Long-distance relationships, especially whilst traveling, are doomed to failure.
3. Stuff is going to go wrong, so chill out and roll with it.
4. It’s good to be scared, it means you are learning.

What’s your least favorite part about traveling on such a tight budget?
Long-term budget travel does get tiring. I miss steak, and wine. Currently I am in Europe, working my way East to Iran and Pakistan. Europe is seriously expensive so I find myself counting my Euros if I want to party in the evening, which isn’t ideal. Luckily, you can buy cheap beer in the supermarkets so it is still possible to get the most out of the Euro-backpacking experience!

When I am really broke and can’t find a Couchsurfing host, that sucks as I am forced to sleep rough or wild-camp. I don’t mind doing either but when you suddenly have to do it, out of the blue, the chances of finding a good spot are not great.

Do you ever splurge? If it gets tiring, why not treat yourself? I love traveling on a budget but sometimes you just need to splurge and get that bottle of wine in Argentina.
Sure, sometimes these days I can afford to splurge if I want to. When I first went traveling, it wasn’t an option but every now and again some kindly Couchsurfing host would treat me to a decent meal and a few drinks; the irregularity made it all the more special. These days, now that my blog is making money, I can splurge if I want to. I tend to stick to my tight budget as I feel it’s the best way to get into real adventures and meet cool people; in Berlin for example, rather than paying to get into museums or any of that jazz, I happily spent a week breaking into old abandoned buildings – check out “urban exploring” to get an idea of what I am talking about – it was free, and it was awesome.

Some quick questions:

• Favorite country? Nepal for the scenery. Myanmar for the people. Philippines for the adventures. Venezuela for the trekking.
• Least favorite country? France.
• One item you can’t travel without? A headtorch.
• If you could have a superpower, what would it be? If I had one superpower it would be teleportation; I would save a fortune on flights. I would probably become obese though as I would definitely teleport from the sofa to the fridge.

*****Will is currently hitchhiking from England to Papau New Guinea, a journey which will take over 2 years. Will blogs over at 

Will is currently hitchhiking from England to Papau New Guinea, a journey which will take over 2 years. Will blogs over at The Broke Backpacker about his adventures in some of the world’s least visited countries, you can follow him on Facebook and on Twitter

Reader Stories: How Erin is Readjusting to Life Back Home

Readjusting to life back home can be a challenge. I remember my first time coming home: I had major culture shock. I remember the supermarkets just feeling so big. And the stores. And the meal portions. (We have such big meals here in the States!) Plus, most of my friends couldn’t relate to my feeling of unease. It was a challenge going from always being on the move to suddenly doing the opposite. (Clearly, I didn’t cope. My solution was to keep traveling!)

But it’s a feeling that happens to many travelers. When I was speaking to Dani and Craig of The Wide Wide World in DC after their trip around the world, we were taking comfort in each other because we were the only ones who could relate to how each other was feeling.

In previous reader stories, we’ve talked a lot about people leaving, but today we are going to talk about coming home and readjusting to life off the road.

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone about yourself.
Erin: I’m 45 and I grew up throughout the Pacific Rim: California, Washington, Hawaii, and New Zealand. I’m a former banking executive that decided I’d prefer to spend my time working with nonprofit organizations and traveling the world. I transitioned out of banking, taking an entry-level job at a nonprofit organization. I gradually built a specialty in philanthropic financial products, and about six years ago, I started a consulting firm. As a consultant, I set up my contracts so I could take three months off each year to travel overseas and volunteer. After several years of this arrangement, I decided I wanted to take a longer two-year sabbatical to travel the world volunteering. At the time, I was saving to buy a home, so I had a tidy sum put away. I tapped this savings to finance my trip.

Where did you go on your trip?
During my two years, I visited all seven continents and 62 countries. I started in Fiji on New Year’s Eve and ended in Antarctica, working my way up through Patagonia as I returned home to the States. Although I had 3-4 highlights I wanted to hit (hiking in the Himalayas, visiting Angkor Wat, exploring India), I had no set itinerary. I purposely wanted the flexibility to wander the world as I made new friends and learned of exciting places. As a result, I didn’t travel in a straight line or even one region at a time, but hopscotched across the globe. While my travel trajectory was fluid, I had three clear objectives for my trip: to give myself the time to read and write and volunteer. [You can read about Erin’s trip and volunteering on her website.]

Well, since we’re probably all wondering, how was your trip?
I had quite a few scary moments on my trip, especially because I prefer to travel overland and take local transportation whenever possible. There are certainly some memories — a bus crash in Ethiopia, jumping out of a moving car in Zambia, political unrest in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa — that still give me pause. I also had some daredevil adventures white-water rafting that I could have done without.

Did you have a plan for when you come back?
I did have a plan: I was trying to orchestrate a move to London in October. Unfortunately, these plans fell through. Instead of taking temporary consulting assignments before moving across the pond, I now need to ponder a more permanent life. I’ve been back two months and am still considering which city I should live in, what type of work I want to do, and how I want to rebuild my life. Even simple things like renting an apartment and buying a car and furniture are on hold. For the time being, I am splitting my time between San Francisco, NYC, and my family in Florida. I’m subletting furnished apartments several weeks at a time and renting a car when I need it. And I’m still living out of a suitcase. So I guess my nomadic life hasn’t ended just because I came home.

Have you adjusted to life after being away for so long?
I’m a bit blown away by the efficiency of modern American life. I’m also surprised that sometimes I walk down the street and there are no other people around. It’s eerie, like being on a deserted movie set. And I’m dumbfounded by the bounty in our supermarkets — aisles and aisles of food. Of course, I’ve noticed these differences when I’ve returned from previous travels, but now I can imagine how a visitor might look at the sheer enormousness of American life.

To me, this lushness translates from the physical to the psychological. I am very proud of what we have here in America, with the choices we have, and our rights as individuals. While we never think they are enough, I’ve witnessed other parts of the world where they don’t have any of these freedoms at all. It makes me very appreciative to be American.

What was the hardest part of coming home?
I think the mental transition is the hardest part of returning. As I mentioned, I’m still living life as a nomad, with no great desire to put down roots. Last week I was in line at a store when suddenly I stepped out of line and put down the item I was going to purchase. The reason? It wouldn’t fit in my suitcase.

I’m also struggling a little with being back home. I’ve found that my life is once again a blank canvas and I have the chance to create the life I want. I think this is a great opportunity, but the possibilities are literally endless, so I want to take time and make thoughtful decisions.

My friends and family are supportive in that they are simply glad to have me back home. They’ve welcomed me into their homes and I’ve been able to instantly reestablish our friendships. I’ve been very lucky to have such a strong support network while traveling and upon my return.

I find myself sitting quietly a lot, just thinking. For me, this is the way through the transition: allowing myself the time and space to begin processing all I’ve experienced. I’m confident out of this reflection a new path will emerge for me to follow.

Did you find employers looked at your trip as a negative or did it help in securing a job?
My travels haven’t negatively impacted my career in any way. As I relaunch my consulting business, my international experience has enhanced my perspective and what I can offer clients. And my blog, www.GoErinGo.com, which chronicled my adventure in real time, continues to be focused on social issues, travel, volunteering, and participatory philanthropy. These are all areas that are an extension of my philanthropic consulting work.

My travels have also led to additional opportunities. I’m now speaking regularly at schools, corporations, and civic organizations about my journey and volunteering abroad. And, of course, I’m writing my book, Adventure Philanthropist, about my experience.

What advice would you have for people coming home after a long trip?
I would advise to reenter slowly, to allow yourself the time to acclimatize to familiar surroundings. You’re not the same person as when you left on your travels, so don’t expect to jump back into your old life. You’ve grown in your thinking, so give yourself the time to explore — just as you did on the road.

Readjusting simply takes time. You have to get used to what used to be so familiar. My one piece of advice is to continue to talk to the people you met traveling, especially those already home. They know what you are going through. They can relate and by talking with them about how you’re feeling, it makes the transition less difficult.

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Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts about this job is hearing people’s travel stories. They inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel a certain way but there are many ways to fund your trips, and travel the world. I hope these stories show you that there is more than one way to travel and that it is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. Here’s another example of someone who readjusted to life after his big international adventures:

We all come from different places, but we all have one thing in common: we all want to travel more.

Make today the day you take one step closer to traveling — whether it is buying a guidebook, booking a hostel, creating an itinerary, or going all the way and buying a plane ticket.

Remember, tomorrow may never come, so don’t wait.

Travel Advice from Traveling Couples

This is a guest post by Elise, one half of Positive World Travel. It’s a different format than I’ve done in the past, but let’s see how it works.

It’s been almost two years since Anthony and I started traveling together. In that time, I’ve learned more about Anthony and our relationship than I ever could have if we had stayed in Sydney. I certainly believe our travels have only strengthened our relationship. And so I began to wonder what other couples learned from their trips. I was sure they’d have advice to share, so I decided to contact a few couples and hear their thoughts, tips, and perspectives on life as two on the road.

Life After Kids: The Gypsy Nesters
I was interested in talking with a couple that are now traveling after having raised their kids. David and Veronica from Gypsy Nester have been together for 30 years. Since their kids have flown the nest, they’re enjoying life on the road and have been traveling full-time for the last three years.

David says traveling has been the couple’s best way to share experiences together as a newly minted empty-nest couple. “Our plan took on a life of its own — leading us to sell everything, including our house. Now every day is a new experience, and our relationship is stronger than ever.”

Of their travels together, David says, “In some ways this is a bonus time for us, since we spent a huge portion of our first twenty years of marriage separated because of my work…Now, we get to make up for some of that lost time.”

For Veronica, traveling has opened her up again and she feels free. She says, “Sometimes ‘holing up’ in one place can make you fearful of the world. As a mother, I turned into a protector. My main focus was keeping my children from harm. Though that’s a very commendable thing, it made me fearful.”

So, after three years of full-time travel, what advice do they have for couples who want to travel? “Dial back the day-to-day planning, embrace the unexpected, and look for the unknown gems along the way.” They both agree that, initially, they were trying too hard to see everything in a minimum amount of time. “We had been known to vacation like that, but it’s not a vacation [now] — it’s our lives.”

David and Veronica have really got their lifestyle, relationship, and travel style down pat, and when I asked them to sum up their travels in one word they simply answered: “Discovery.”

A Decade of Travel: Wanderlust Fever

Karen and Eric from Trans Americas Journey are no novices when it comes to either long-term travel or couples travel. In total, they’ve been traveling for just under a decade and have been on the road constantly for the last five years.

Traveling together for Eric and Karen is what they describe as a “long-term endeavor — more [of a] lifestyle than anything else.” For them, the one- to two-week vacation just seems “foreign and impossible.”

Eric and Karen say that their biggest challenge on the road is spending all of their time together. (This is also one of the biggest challenges Ant and I face). But they also see this as their biggest gift. Many people say to them, “If you can travel together, you must have a perfect relationship.” No such thing, they say. Being with someone all the time means it’s “important to find a way to give in to your partner’s needs on his or her deal-breaker issues, and vice versa.”

For them, it’s compromise that is their single most important tip for traveling couples and for maintaining a great relationship on the road. They suggest you “compromise when making decisions (where to go next, budgets, this hotel or that hotel, etc.), especially when it comes to the two or three core elements that are most important to your partner.”

On the Flip Side: The Beginning Travelers

With such great advice from two truly inspiring couples, I also wanted to talk to one couple who have only just started out on their travels. Is their perspective any different? What have they learned in their short time on the road?

Skott and Shawna from Get Up And Globe just started traveling together in June of 2010. Their long-term travel started with looking for a honeymoon destination, but the wheels were set in motion when they realized they wanted to spend time in more than just one location.

Although they weren’t really nervous about traveling together for so long, they do think their travels have been a whole lot easier because, prior to this trip, they worked together. “Working together prepared us quite well. We got to know what makes the other person tick in challenging, high-tension situations,” they said. Skott and Shawna suggest that if you’re worried about spending so much time with your partner, all day every day, try “getting yourselves involved in an activity where you are stuck with each other for at least a few days without escape. For example, a week-long canoe trip or camping.”

Whether you’re a couple who’s been traveling for two weeks or two years, there will always be lessons you can learn to strengthen your relationship. Skott and Shawna focus on communication and trust. “Communication is an area where we are absolutely continuing to grow. If one of us is getting annoyed, we are learning that it is better to explain why you are upset instead of keeping it bottled inside…We are learning we need to trust each other more. Whether it is planning a certain element of the trip, finding our way around a city, or even working on our blog, we need to recognize that the other person is just as competent, and that they need to be given a chance to show what they can do!”

While Skott and Shawna said it took them some time to find their “travel legs,” they absolutely love that they “have someone else to share every incredible experience and every challenging moment with. We will share these moments forever.”

While all three couples have such different relationships and travel experiences, none of them sugar-coated the fact that traveling together is hard and takes work. Yes, the times on the road will be tough, but each couple looked at their travels as time to spend with one another, share special moments, and problem-solve as a strengthened unit.

Traveling with your loved one really is a very unique and rewarding experience. I know I wouldn’t trade my travels with Anthony for anything.

Elise is one half of the dynamic duo at Positive World Travel. Both are writing about their experiences and thoughts on what long-term travel is like as a couple. You can also follow them on Facebook for more of their travel updates.

Tony Hawk Talks Food, Skateboarding, and Punk Bars in Peru

While you were busy playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater videogames, the famous skateboarder himself was traveling all over the world. He’s traveled so much, in fact, that a bucket list destination doesn’t immediately come to mind.

“I've gone all of the places I had hoped to go,” he told Travel + Leisure. “There's no one place that I can think of where I really just have to go.” But eventually, he does come up with one: Transylvania.

“That would be the one place we've considered, and tried to make temporary plans and it just didn't work.” But that’s another story.

Hawk is putting his world travels to use while working on an idea for a new show. There are few specifics—“We've been throwing around the idea at my office about doing some sort of travel, skate, food, and culture show,” is how he describes it—but a recent trip to Peru served as a creative pilot, if not for anyone but Hawk.

It all started with Central Restaurante in Lima. After reading about chef Virgílio Martínez’s background in skateboarding, Hawk sent an Instagram message that lead to a dinner invitation. Although Hawk originally went to visit the restaurant, he did much more than enjoy a meal on his trip. (In case you’re wondering what Hawk’s go-to airplane song is, we’ve got you: “Heartbeats” by The Knife.)

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Hawk’s travels with his own notes on each experience in the photos below.

A Look Back at Vice President Joe Biden's Travels

Over the course of his vice presidency, Joe Biden has not only proven himself as Barack Obama's right-hand man, he's also grabbed the hearts of people around the world with his affinity for ice cream, a bro-bond with Obama, and his token aviators.

Like Obama, Biden has done his fair share of globetrotting: The vice president has circled the globe over the past eight years—and you'd better believe there were some great selfie moments throughout those travels.

Among the many destinations he's visited, Guatemala, New Zealand, China, Australia, and the Vatican have all welcomed Biden over his two terms. And, as you can see from the photos, it's not just the country officials who are welcoming. People flock to Biden with giant smiles—further proof of his charms.

In fact, if there's one thing I'd put right at the top of my bucket list, it would be embarking on a worldwide adventure with the 47th vice president.

(Frequent ice cream stops, selfies galore, and a lifetime of inside jokes? Priceless.)

But even more exceptional is Biden's preference to blend right in, which you can see him doing at a number of baseball games in the photos below.

In case you're looking to plan a Biden-inspired getaway, or just want to escape the stress of the day and explore some of the world through Biden's eyes, we pulled together photos from his adventures. And we even snuck an ice cream shot in there.