Have you dreamed of going away for a few months at a time or maybe you want to plan your trip around the world because a normal vacation is no longer enough for you? Because your feet tingle when you watch a travel document on TV and your backpack seems to be staring at you from the corner all day? Then here are 10 good reasons why you should backpack the world!
I know that making the decision to pack your belongings and leave is not always easy. Something always makes it difficult for you to make that decision, nail it down, and do your thing. Yes, I can understand that. Because there are many reasons to postpone this decision again and again and not (yet) to travel around the world with a backpack.
Work, family, and friends, and partnership are probably the most common criteria for putting your own wish for a small or large trip around the world aside.
But to be honest: Even if it is difficult to leave your familiar surroundings for a certain period of time, it will be worth it!
The decision hurdles
The work
Are you in a permanent job but don’t want to quit? No problem! Ask about a sabbatical. So some time out to make your dream of travel a reality. For some employers, it is not a problem to pay you half of your salary BEFORE your time off and the other half during your time off. Ask for!
And you can also travel with a little less in your bank account. Then maybe for three months instead of a whole year! This article gives you more tips on how to top up your travel budget:
Quit your job? Wonderful! You are definitely not the first or last person to take this step to take some time off. And don’t worry about your return. Many companies appreciate the personal experiences you have gained on your trip.
Also Read: Travel Preparation: To Do’s Before You Start
The apartment/house
You are currently renting.
Are you renting an apartment or a house? If you can afford to leave them uninhabited for a while, then – what are you waiting for ?! Come on!
Alternatively, you are looking for a temporary subtenant. Then it is guaranteed that you can move into your apartment yourself on a certain date. And if your trip should take longer than expected, a short email will certainly be sufficient to check whether the subtenant is still interested. In any case, clarify the whole thing with your landlord first before you advertise the apartment where and take the first steps.
You just bought it.
Have you just bought a house or an apartment? Here, too, you might be able to look for a lodger.
If you quarrel about a subtenant, it is probably because you are wondering where to put your personal belongings that they shouldn’t use. Simple answer: Put it in a box and store it in the cellar, with friends or your parents. That’s what a buddy of mine did.
A great platform to find a subtenant is AirBnB. Or you can easily post a notice in supermarkets or advertise on eBay classifieds.
Family friends
Letting go of family and joy is often the hardest, as they are a large part of our social environment that we (temporarily) leave behind. Even if it is difficult to let go at the beginning or if you feel homesick in the middle – with FaceTime, Skype and Co. you are only one click away from home!
But maybe you also have to struggle with resistance because it is not understood why you are quitting your well-paid job and sublet your apartment “just” to travel. Many simply cannot imagine how it should work and they also don’t believe that it will work. After all, it is always difficult to break out of the structures prescribed by society (keyword: what do others think?). But it’s really that simple! In our society, this is just not yet fully accepted. So bite through, it’s worth it!
The partner
Your partner is not interested in such a trip or is the time when they too take a break? Then talk about it. Together and in peace.
Is it okay for you and for him that you travel alone? That you conquer a country on your own or that you are traveling alone for a certain period of time? Or maybe he can come later? There is certainly a solution here that works for both of you!
Also Read: The 36 Best Travel Tips From 5 Years Of Traveling Around The World
Your pet
Do you have a pet that you can’t leave alone?
Again, there are options: Ask family and friends if they would take care of this during your trip. Alternatives are also animal boarding houses or short-term foster homes that take care of your darling.
Your personal fear
Personal fear often adds to the above hurdles. You are afraid that the long-term trip is not for you or you are afraid because you do not know what to expect in foreign countries and other cultures, even if you would like to experience it yourself and just try it out.
Unfortunately, I cannot make this decision for you. But if you don’t try, you will never know. Why don’t you just leave the option to extend your journey even further if necessary? Of course, you can always end it earlier than planned.
But if your dream is to travel for a long time, then make it come true! Postponing this over and over or not doing it at all will not make you happy. On the contrary. Because you will keep asking yourself what would have happened if you had dared to take the step back then – despite all the hurdles.
10 really good reasons for a trip around the world!
My husband and I also had to clarify a few things and throw all our concerns overboard until we finally dared to pack our belongings. The only thing I had to clarify was my employment (I then gave it up after a long period of deliberation).
When we were on the road, we honestly asked ourselves why we didn’t do that much earlier! But probably the time to travel earlier just wasn’t ripe for it.
Of course, you will come across points that make you desperate, if only because of the new culture and different language. But in the next moment, you will be full of wanderlust again and soak up everything from your surroundings.
And in combination with my own experiences from previous trips, I can give you the following good reasons why you should definitely go on a longer trip:
You grow beyond yourself
Because you have to find your way in a foreign environment, a foreign culture. Usually, nobody speaks your language there. When it comes up, not even English. And you have to communicate with your hands and feet, ask for directions and look for accommodation.
Also Read: Hepatitis Protection For Travelers
You become more tolerant
In Asian countries, in particular, there is a completely different lifestyle. You have to be able to adapt, but also want to understand and learn.
What foreign cultures have to offer will enrich your life. Be open to everything.
You become more confident
You have to ask for directions, want to know what’s in the food, have to negotiate prices, get dropped off the taxi incorrectly, or have been ripped off in the store. Sometimes you just have to bite through, ask other (stranger) people for help, or stand up for your cause and sort things out.
You learn to appreciate little things more
How warmly you are received by locals who have little will blow your mind. Such an experience enriches you and your life and you will be amazed how little a family can be happy with. In addition, you will discover a lot while traveling that will put you off because of your previous habits. Because a clean bed or a hot shower is not standard in every hostel.
You become more frugal
You can’t take all your belongings with you in your backpack anyway. From a material point of view, you have to limit yourself a lot compared to what you have in Germany. I found that very positive and between us: five T-shirts and three pairs of shorts are enough to discover the world. Other things just count more.
Also Read: The Best Translator Apps To Travel This Summer
You become more open and learn
What may have frightened you before now makes you laugh out of anticipation! You suddenly feel that things that have burdened and inhibited you at home are no longer so important.
You get to know yourself better
On your journey, you will find out what is really important to you personally. Which values determine your actions? What do you expect from life Where is your tolerance limit? How much do you put away?
Never underestimate your own personality!
You get to know your (travel) partner better
There will be ups and downs – in some, you just enjoy yourself, in others you catch yourself. And best of all: You can share impressions, experiences, and feelings with someone. Something like that is great and welds together!
You will make new acquaintances and even make friends
Nowhere do you meet new people as quickly as on the go. It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling alone or as a couple. Of course, some are only temporary in your life, others stay forever.
And nothing is cooler than being able to say: I know people from x countries – I have to stop by! The next trip is safe for you!
You enrich your life
Impressions, newly gained knowledge, and ways of life will enrich your life from now on! And of course, you also take home delicious recipes from local dishes. Then you not only have a lot to tell but also think (and taste) you like to think back to this unique and ingenious time!
Also Read: 16 American Destinations To Travel To According To Your Family-Style