Travel Misconceptions

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of your desire to travel are these common misconceptions. Let’s walk through them.

First, thinking you need to save five grand to go on your first trip. If you are willing to travel economically- which means hostel stays, street food, and local guides showing you around- then these trips will be much less expensive than you’re probably imagining. I spent less than $3,000 for almost a month touring Europe (if you’re American, you’re thinking “Almost a month!! How nice!!” If you’re from anywhere else, “Only a month? What a shame!”), seeing 6 different countries. You can stay in hostels around the world for as low as $10 a night. You can eat street food for less than $5 a meal. If you can make friends with anyone, befriend a local. They will be more than willing to show you around their beloved country/city free of charge, maybe just buy them a beer after. Also, choose the location accordingly. If you want cheap, go to South America or Asia. If you want your surroundings to be a bit more developed and modernized, go to Europe, but know it isn’t the cheapest option.

Second, the money is too tight, and you are unable to save. I understand if you are genuinely someone living from paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. However, I know a good number of people who categorize themselves in this section, yet whimsically spend over $100 at the store on a random Tuesday. This means you are not living in poverty, but have a consumption problem. I also understand that living in a country run on consumerism, where things and status are admired over genuine contentment, it is easy to fall into a loop (see my post labeled Refusing Overconsumption for help with this). If you have never been able to save money, there is a problem that needs to be identified and tackled before you can expect a change to be made. Sometimes you also just need to go on a trip to realize how important it is for you. It’s harder to save money for something you don’t fully see the value in. If you can’t manage to save enough for a week abroad, go to another state for the weekend. Even if your dream is Europe, go to Mexico for a few days, or a country that is close enough that the flight price will be easier to stomach. Peep the flights, I bet they are cheaper than you think.

Third, hostels are dangerous, so I need to stay in a hotel. I have met some of the most amazing people in hostels. For me, I use Hostelworld to find them, and I only choose ones with ample reviews. Any of my experiences that I would deem as low or unrecommended, it would be because of the amenities of the hostel, not the people staying there. I bring locks with me when I backpack, but I rarely use them in hostels. I simply feel safe and trust those around me. The type of people who stay in hostels are world travelers- open-minded, free-spirited, hang loose type of humans. Kindness radiates, authenticity radiates, and forever connections are made. Hostels have dorm-style rooming options, which are the cheapest, but they also have private rooms. These give you the privacy of your own space, but still include the social common areas, which are nice if you want to meet people (one of the sweetest parts of traveling, in my opinion). I have stayed in hostels with people of all different age ranges as well, so if you think you’re too old, think again! My 60-year-old grandpa stayed in hostels with me in Iceland, Portugal, Mexico, and Costa Rica- he was THE talker at breakfast time, making the most of friends.

Fourth, the world is out to get you, so you should never leave your house. The warnings I receive before my trips are much more daunting than the reality I experience on these travels. Obviously, be smart and have your wits about you. But trust me, the horrors that can potentially happen on a trip, most likely could also happen in your own country if you weren’t mindful enough. For example, don’t go out by yourself for a midnight stroll in a town you’ve never been to. Don’t flash the money in your wallet for everyone to see. Don’t leave your phone on the edge of the table while you’re getting wasted at a bar. These things are common sense. If you are always aware of your surroundings, mindfully making decisions about your whereabouts, and trusting your intuition, you will find that more people are willing to befriend you than take advantage. Just be smart.

Fifth, it is scary and uncommon for women to travel alone. Wrong. A huge majority of the solo travelers I meet are women. Women who refuse to wait for someone else to see the world with them. Girl power!! People usually assume that women would be more likely to get jumped, robbed, and wander out alone. However, all of the above-listed common-sense points are things most women would never do, men, however…. It’s the men that I’ve met with the horror stories from their travels. Men have a higher tendency to assume they are invincible; therefore do things without thinking. Women have spent our lives receiving these warnings, so we actually heed them.

Sixth, you do not have the time. This is one you will only be able to overcome with an evaluation of how you’re currently spending your time. Everyone has busy lives, I know. But you choose what you do with your time based on your priorities. If you prioritize family time, you spend your free time hanging out with them. If you prioritize hobbies, you make sure to set time aside for them. If you think your days are wasted away with no time for anything, check your screen time. I have a feeling you'll find where your time is going. If you prioritize traveling, you will make the time to go on a trip. Understandably, a job is in the way for a lot of people. But you can also strategically plan your time off in a way that benefits your travel desires. Instead of taking your time off on a few weekend trips throughout the year, maybe save all your time off for a single week abroad. Check the calendar for long weekends, then plan your trip around the days you already get off so you use less time. Do what you can to arrange your priorities. If traveling still doesn’t rise to the top, maybe you need to drop some other things. Or maybe it’s just not that important to you, which is okay too. We all have the same 24 hours in a day; choose wisely how you spend yours.

There you have it. Traveling does not need to be expensive, saving money does not need to be life-consuming, hostels are fun and exciting, the world is not scary, women travel solo all the time, and I promise YOU HAVE THE TIME!!! I believe in you!