Young, Cash-Strapped, and Obsessed with Travel. Here’s Why That’s Okay.
Between rent, bills, and other adulting expenses, travel can seem impractical or even impossible. News flash: it’s not.
When you're in your 20s (or any age, if we're being for real), travel is one of the absolute greatest things you can do. Sure, your funds might be kinda limited, but what you lack in cash you'll make up for in experiences, memories, friendships, and some of the best food you'll ever eat. There's a million reasons why you should see the world even if you're on a limited budget (FYI we can help with that), so keep scrolling for some of them.
You’ll get a serious ROI.
Think of travel as an investment in your future. It looks impressive on your resume. Communication, negotiation, independence, creativity, and adaptability are required for any traveler to have a successful trip abroad.
Guess what? They’re also the exact skills a potential employer is looking for.
It’s good for you, says science.
Maybe you need to take a break from the everyday grind. Maybe you need some space to sort your own life out. Whatever the case, travel is scientifically proven to be good for your mental health, physical health, personality, and well-being.
📷 by @saradietschy, Belize
You can do it!
We’ve all heard the cliché about saving by cutting back on coffee. I would never advocate for such a drastic and barbaric ritual. Instead, think of it like this:
Did you know a 12-oz. black coffee (that’s a “Tall” at the ‘bucks) has more caffeine than three shots of espresso? Did you know that a 20-oz. (“Venti”) latte is made with only two shots?? That tidbit can save you over $2 a day (yup, that’s over $730 per year), cut down on daily fat intake, AND get you more wired in the morning. You’re welcome for the best advice of your life.
📷 by @saradietschy, Belize
With a little effort, you can get smarter about spending, cut useless costs, and get creative with your lifestyle.
But you don’t have to do it alone.
There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help; your friends and family who have traveled before will see the potential for personal growth and be happy to contribute to the cause.
What’s more, some awesome companies who give themselves shameless plugs *cough* can make it even easier with interest-free payment plans, group discounts, and tons of inclusions so you don’t have to worry about planning.
After all, if travel is about rejuvenation, why should the process leading up to it cause more stress than fun?
📷 by @saradietschy, Tikal, Guatemala
Experiences > things
Our world is saturated in things: things that bend, things that break, and things that get lost in the void of time and memory.
But our world is also filled with beauty: beautiful places, beautiful people, and beautiful cultures.
This is a fantastic, fascinating, and massive earth, with food to make us drool, cities to bring us back to another time, people who teach us something new, and sights that take our breath away. These are things that last forever. No, travel is not something you can tangibly hold in your hand—but you can take it with you.
And it is ALWAYS worth it.
Oh, and it’s fun as hell.
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