5 YR. Overseas travelversary

Barbie and I recently wrapped up Year 5 of this nonstop around-the-world journey.  We’ve traveled to all corners of the globe and visited some of the most foreign, unfamiliar places you can imagine.

The experiences have been completely extraordinary, and honestly, my whole understanding of the world and my perspective on life has totally shifted.  Barbie and I are definitely not the same people we were when we first dropped out of society and started this thing.

The natural high you get from overseas travel simply cannot be duplicated If you isolate yourself in your own home country.  The urge to head back out and recapture that feeling is insatiable—some people call it the “travel bug,” but it feels a lot stronger than that.

The funny thing is, every time I do return to the United States, it feels like nothing at home has really changed.  Everything just feels so ordinary.  Strangely, our vast treasure chest of experiences somehow evaporates into thin air the minute we land.  Family and friends understandably just can’t relate and most people barely want to hear anything more than a few basic details.  Nobody actually cares about what we’ve seen or how it’s changed us, so we’re basically alone in our experiences.  Barbie and I joke about this lack of interest all the time, but we completely get it—everybody has got their own shit going on in the game of life.

Whenever we do make it back home, we always get hit with the exact same questions.  So, let’s just lay out the raw, unfiltered answers.

“Don’t you guys get tired of traveling?”

The short answer is no, but that’s because the style in which we travel is constantly evolving.  After 5 years of living this nomadic lifestyle, we still don’t have all the answers, but making continual tweaks is how we finally stumbled upon the magic formula.  As the trip evolved, we evolved with it.  Barbie and I now view this journey as a lifestyle rather than a “trip.”  We had to craft it carefully to make sure we didn’t burn out.

When we first started out in Year 1 traveling through Southeast Asia, it was all brand new to us.  There were so many incredible places to see in every country, and we were determined to hit them all.  Consequently, we rarely stayed more than three nights in any single place before moving on.  The logistics were surprisingly easy because the region is so tightly packed and simple to navigate, so we covered a ton of ground and saw the best of SE Asia.

But, we never anticipated how tiring being constantly “on the move” could get.

Now, we’ve found a formula that works.  We try to stay a minimum of one month in any given country, and at least seven days in any specific city or town.  And when our bodies tell us it’s time to completely recharge the batteries, we hunker down for extended periods.  Maui has always served as our ultimate “go-to” place to hit the reset button.

The Airbnb Game-Changer

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Airbnb platform has been completely indispensable to us. Thanks to the sharing economy, long-term travel is actually sustainable.  Airbnb totally changed the way we travel, and we’ve had nothing but great experiences.

Renting a spacious apartment or a house in a true local neighborhood gives you a much better opportunity to experience the authenticity of a foreign village or city.  We stay in Airbnbs about 90% of the time now because it makes us feel like we actually belong there.  Whenever we check in, it immediately feels like home.  We can cook our own meals using local, indigenous ingredients and just hang out in a comfortable living room. There is absolutely no way we could have stayed confined to small, traditional hotel rooms for five years without completely burning out.

“What is your favorite country?”

This one is incredibly difficult to answer.  It’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite kid—the answer is always that they’re each special in their own way.

To me, the absolute best experiences we’ve had over the last five years were the days where we didn’t spend a single dime (outside of food and lodging, of course).  Those days were usually spent deep in nature, taking in the natural wonders of this amazing world.  Being in the thick of nature, slightly off the grid without spending money, makes everything feel more real, more liberating, present, and raw.  Without wanting to sound too cliché, it’s what makes me feel alive.

We didn’t have all the answers when we started, and we still don’t.  There’s always going to be a little apprehension about whether we’re doing everything right to keep this lifestyle going.  But the one thing I do know is that this lifestyle is what I know and love.  We’ve been rewarded with unbelievable freedom for taking this giant leap of faith, and we’re extremely thankful for the opportunity.

“What are the actual benefits of extended travel?”

It’s a known fact that people live their best lives when they’re on holiday, and long-term travel has undeniably made us healthier.  We’re able to ditch our mobile phones in favor of beaches, hikes, and spectacular views.  We eat better, get more fresh air, and take in an abundance of sunshine every single day because we are always outdoors.  We have very little stress and get way better sleep because we don’t have a ton of responsibilities or commitments.

But the most important benefit has got to be interacting with the locals and seeing firsthand how the rest of the world lives.  One thing is for sure: the kindness of people around the world is universal. We’ve been to some of the poorest countries on the planet, and they happened to be some of the happiest places we’ve ever seen.

Over the years, we’ve exchanged our US dollars for baht, kyat, dong, kip, riel, pesos, shekels, ringgits, yen, dirhams, euros, colones, and rupiahs.  The main takeaway from all of that? Your true currency is who you are as a person.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Skip the Group Tours

We started this round-the-world journey back in 2015, hitting Bali, Indonesia first before flashpacking all through Southeast Asia.  Early on, Barbie and I were always researching and on the prowl for the best paid tours on offer in every location.

But as the journey kept going, we realized that the vast majority of paid activities geared toward tourists can easily be done independently and completely free of charge.  The most unforgettable adventures we’ve had are the ones we did entirely on our own.

In most cases, the best free options involved incredible hikes to hidden waterfalls, scenic overlooks, or just hanging out with animals in the wild.  Doing it yourself (DIY) is so much more enjoyable than paying for group tours that are constantly being pitched to short-term travelers. I ndependent adventures bring so much more fun and freedom.  I guess it all brings me right back to my old budget backpacking days, back when I didn’t have the money to spend on extravagant paid day trips anyway. Turns out, the budget way is still the best way.

If you would like to see more videos from our Round the World journey, visit our Youtube site:  https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC-s9u5FuLvber3U-1n4CDYw/videos