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| instagram / exanimofragrance |
Here are some of the best ways that I have come across to keep backpacking longer than anyone ever thought possible. There are lots of reasons why the dream of backpacking has to come to an end. Most people have limits on money and time. Plans for the future can always get in the way of endless travel. A gap year or even a weekend trip might change your mind about your plans and have you fantasizing about living by a beach, sleepy mountain view village, or famous old city. With these tips I have picked up along my way of over two decades of world travel, you can write your own future and decide to pack your life in a backpack, toss it on your back, and never have to look back. Over the next few days I will have the rest filled in with ways to keep traveling as long as you please.
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| instagram / jessicabaldwinrmt |
1. Let go of society's expectations
We are all dropped into the rat race before we can ever walk. If you want to take your own path in life then you will have to consider that the society you were born into might not be able to provide everything you can dream of. Most of us are expected to continue on after high school and get a degree, learn a trade, follow someone's footsteps, or at least fall into a career of some sort and then start a family, pay a mortgage, pay the bills, and hopefully live long enough to enjoy the golden years of retirement. There are a few of us that have found a different plane where there is a vantage point to look down on the rat race and enjoy the show. So the first way to keep on backpacking is to just make up your mind to keep doing it.
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| instagram / cassiebee808 |
2. Education
Deciding to take courses abroad can always be a way to start your travels or to extend them. I have met tons of people of all ages that are living abroad in places that offer course work in their line of work or they simply want to learn the local language. Some european countries will let anyone take their classes for free. Wine tasting courses in France, dance courses in Spain, or pottery courses in Italy are all options to explore your crative side as well as learn a valuable skill. I have always envied people who studied abroad. The environment that a university provides along with the excitement of living in a new and old city must magnify the learning experience.
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| instagram / anastasiazhoga |
3. Touring
I have met a cyclist on epic voyages that took them from the most northern point in Europe to the most southern point in Africa. When I met him he was at the very end of his trip and it had taken him years. Some people walk across Asia and Europe with the will of Forrest Gump or a wandering monk. There are endless borders to continually cross and see new wonders. If a person thinks big or is just extremely focused then they can achieve a tour that only rivals the great explorers. Not having a final destination or having one that is so far way and the way of getting there is a nearly impossible does not mean that it can not be done.
Hitchhiking is not recommended by the travel books and should be approached with caution. Consider your situation and think about how safe it would be for you to climb into strangers' cars and depend on them to leave you safely at your destination. That being said, it is a very cost efficient way to get around. Europe is famous for its hitchhiking. The variety of languages and cultures so close together can provide an opportunity to experience a lot if you are willing to take a risk.
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| instagram / generosophie |
4. Visas
Work visas, business visas, study visas, holiday visas, sponsored visa, permanent and temporary residency visas, and tourist visas are some of the ways governments allow you in. Then one just has to hop form one to the other until finally you have been in the country so long that you have the right to stay. I am not saying to just hop over the border or to stay past your allowed time on your visas but I have met many many people who have done exactly that. Many people start off on a student or a holiday work visa then by the time they have stayed a few years and have found steady work then they are allowed to apply for temporary residency that then lead to permanent residency that then leads to citizenship. I myself have done something similar. Being a partner with a Swedish citizen allowed me to enter on a temporary residency visa based on our residency and after a certain amount of time I was granted permanent and now after just a few years I hold a passport and am a full citizen.
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| instagram / missdadventures |
5. Accommodation
There are almost a limitless amount of couches out there to surf and many ways to find them. Social media is a great way to keep up with people that you meet along the way. Many times I met people and kept in touch and then one day visited them and stay at their place and see their city from their point of view. I am not saying to hop from couch to couch and raiding people's fridge but dropping in to see a friend when you are invited is a great way to experience a city.
Hostels all across the world offer a beds in their large dorm rooms for a few hours cleaning or reception work. Being part of the staff is a great way to meet people and tends to have lots of other benefits.
Camping is a way to cut down on cost if you or your traveling companion has a tent. Message boards in hostels will sometimes have postings for people looking to share a camping trip with.
Overnight travel will also cover the nights accommodation and it can help on the cost while also knocking out the travel time while you sleep.
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| instagram / alannakz |
6. Relationships
Meeting someone abroad is always exciting. Meeting a local can give you an in depth experience into the lives of the people who live there, while meeting another traveler gives you the opportunity to share common interest and exploring a city or country together can be a truly bonding experience. Both scenarios are exciting and can lead to a life of travel. Meeting a local can give you the chance to possibly live there one day or bring your favorite memory back home with you. Meeting a fellow traveler means you have found someone under amazing circumstances and you should consider a life together with them in either their homeland, yours, or an entirely new one together. No matter what, the time you have with that person will always feel like an adventure.
7. Travel
8. Immigrating
9. Money
10. Living
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