It sounds fabulous, right, being able to afford long term travel around the world? True, but it’s got it’s ups and downs. This article explains the pros and cons of long term travel.
Pros of Long Term Travel
It’s so amazing and liberating to be able to travel long term because you can see what you want and travel where you want. Quite often, life is easy on the road, particularly where food is cheap, because you can afford to eat out at least once or twice a day. Most hotels and some hostels offer breakfast too! So all you really need to worry about is getting your train or bus ticket and booking the next place to stay!
It really is wonderful to take time to travel slow, because you can learn as you go about the language, history and culture of a place. This is something you don’t really get as much time to do on a short one week or 10 day holiday. For example, I have had the chance to learn to speak Spanish and to learn about the best temples in Bali.
The Cons of Long Term Travel
One of the difficulties of being on the road long term is that you lose connections and contact with friends back home. Quite often, you vow to keep in touch, but it is difficult to fit back in when you return. Friends that you meet on the road are often temporary, and it’s not the same deeper connection.
Being sick on the road is not much fun, and this is why travel insurance is so important. A fellow traveler of mine once got hospitalised with Dengue fever in Tanzania. He was hospitalised fo a week, with few people around to support him.
Sometimes, the hardest thing about long term travel is adjusting when you come home. Many long term travellers suffer with the post travel blues or post travel depression. Be kind to yourself - coming home is a big adjustment. Take time to get back into a regular routine.
