I am rich. Because I travel.

Prepare to get dirty

Backpacking – the cheapest, but also the most dangerous way of traveling.


People often ask me how can I afford to travel so often and whether I'm rich. I am rich indeed. I am rich with experiences, memories and new friendships.
I am very surprised that my friends think I am a big traveler. Maybe comparing to them I do travel a lot, and even though I don't think I'm visiting very exotic countries I suppose I am doing exotic stuff there. I'm meeting locals, I am taking the dodgiest and cheapest buses, I talk to people on the street, I eat with families. Not everyone does this.

When I was backpacking for the first time I met many travelers who kind of lost touch with the world. They haven't seen their parents in at least a year, they didn't have a normal job and they traveled very low cost. Hence comparing to them I am just a greenhorn.

You might end up in a very cold room with no heating

At the time I was really wondering how can they afford it. It's actually quite simple. Forget your daily routine, forget your western life, give a farewell to your high phone bills and expensive hotels. And then you need to have guts to actually be a backpacker; to put one bag on your shoulders, take just the most necessary things (really, you only need a passport, little money or a credit card, good shoes, some cosmetics, a spare T-shirt and maybe a jacket, depending on where you are going to.) Clothes are just things. And things will become meaningless. Money will become little important. Time will no longer exist. Forget your daily hygiene routine because if you backpack you most likely won't sleep in a hotel every night. And if yes, it probably won't have hot water. Or no shower at all. And a Turkish toilet (that's the one with the hole in the ground). If you don't know how to use it, prepare to buy a toilet paper every day. And a water bottle. That is all what you need to survive. Maybe a little camera so then you can post your pics on Facebook so your friends could be jealous. You really don't need much. You only need the guts to do it. You need the guts to actually go and depend only on yourself. If anything goes wrong there might not be people to help you. There won't be a mobile network or a power socket to charge your phone. You need the guts to realize things might change when you come back home. Obviously, you can't leave the country for couple of months if you have a girlfriend/boyfriend. You need the guts to quit your job. To stop worrying about money. To stop worrying about comfort. Most of all, to stop worrying about other people.
Can you do it?

Public transport is usually over-crowded and dirty

Backpacking might seem dangerous. However it is worth it. It is the most rewarding experience you can have. The places you will see, the people you will meet, the things which will happen to you will become great stories which will always bring smile on your face when talking about them.
I guess it's about priorities. So if you moan about your job and you are jealous that your friends are posting incredible pictures on social networks, do something about it. Because this kind of traveling is very cheap. You only need the money for the plane ticket and visa. But that means there is no back up. If you run into a trouble or run out of money, you are screwed. So it is not for everyone.

On the other hand I know people who have well paid full time jobs and travel 3 or 4 weeks a year only. But they travel properly, get dirty and sleep in the van. It is all about priorities.