How To Become The World Traveler You’ve Always Wanted To Be

You’ve taken some pretty epic journeys, and now you’re yearning for more. You want to be a world traveler and make your pastime into a full-time lifestyle. There are so many amazing places to travel in the world; how do you even start? Becoming a world traveler takes effort, but the rewards are unparalleled—and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Read on to see six tips to turning your traveling dreams into reality!

1. Reduce the clutter in your life

If you are going to travel the world, you’re not going to be doing things like driving to work every day, watching tv, or reading your favorite magazines—so get rid of the things you don’t need. This purge can be as big or small as you’re comfortable with, but consider the following:

• Your home - Face it, if you’re going to be a world traveler, your home is sitting empty. If you own, either sell it or rent it out for the duration of your travels. You won’t need it, and the sales/rental income will be a good way to fund your journey.
• Your car - Same story. You don’t need it and someone else does. Sell your car and use the funds for travel.
• Personal items - You won’t need many personal items for most places you travel in the world, so sell what you don’t need, and rent a storage unit for the items you want to hang on to.
• Subscriptions - You just don’t need them, and you’ll be amazed at how much money you can save when you get rid of them all!
• Luggage - Yes, you’re going to be gone for quite a while, but you still don’t need to overpack. Pack light — it’ll make traveling so much easier!

2. Make a plan, but don’t forget spontaneity!

You’re going to want some sort of plan for what you will be doing, especially as you start out on your life of travel. First, prepare your life for extended travel. Next, pick a starting point. Plan how you are going to get there and where you are going to stay for at least the first few days. Make a loose list of the places you want to travel in the world, but remember that travel is almost always going to be a better experience if you save space for the unexpected. You can even plan for the unexpected by doing things like keeping back-up credit cards someplace separate from your wallet. Once you’ve got a plan, let yourself go free to explore!

3. Learn to save where you can

Being a world traveler can be expensive if you don’t know how to make the most of the bargains and discounts available to you. Here’s a list of some ways to save:

• Couchsurfing / Hostels - The cheapest (and possibly most fun) way to travel is to couchsurf. Check out couchsurfing.com to find accommodations. You’ll have a free place to sleep, and you’ll meet lots of locals who can show you around! Only slightly more expensive are hostels (think dormitories for travelers). Hostelworld.com is a good resource for finding hostels in whatever city you want to explore next!
• Rideshares/Public Transportation - Believe it or not, there are many rideshare options. And virtually all of them are less expensive than taking a taxi. Try to rely on ridesharing whenever you can. Or better yet, utilize public transportation! In many countries, public trains are an amazing way to get from destination to destination without breaking the bank.
• Eat like a local - When dining, explore off the beaten path. Find a local and get some tips on where they eat. And whatever you do, don’t eat near tourist attractions (the food is more expensive, less authentic, and typically lower in quality).
• Discount Travel - There are lots of sites you can use to get deals and discounts on plane tickets, lodging, and more. Bookmark your favorites—they will help you learn how to truly be a world traveler on a budget.
• Free Attractions - Virtually anywhere you go will have some attractions that are either free or very inexpensive. Whether it’s hiking local trails or attending local festivals, learn to find the free excursions and take advantage of them.

4. Slow down

If you ask any seasoned pro how to be a world traveler, they’ll tell you to slow down. Taking your time in each location will save you money compared to always being on the go—and so much more. Spending more time at each location allows you to see all there is to see, not just the highlights. It means you can really immerse yourself in an area’s culture and experience what it might be like to live there long-term. You will get to see things you never would have as a transient tourist. And you will make friends that you’ll keep for years to come!

5. Go off the beaten path

It’s tempting to visit all of the world’s big tourist destinations, but with so many places to travel in the world you would be amazed at the wonders you can find by taking a step away from the standard spots and going to less-visited locales. You will really experience living the life of a world traveler by going to these spots, and you’ll save yourself some money doing it. Here’s a list of 10 amazing, but more affordable places to put on your travel bucket list. If you want to feel fully fulfilled as a world traveler, you’ll want to learn how to be flexible—it takes practice!

6. Document your travels

You are going to want to remember every detail of your journeys, but you won’t. That’s why it’s so important to document your travels in multiple ways. Keep a travel journal. Or, better yet, blog about your adventures. Take pictures…lots and lots of pictures. With all of the places you’re going to travel in the world, you’ll want to be able to look back and enjoy the memories! And if you ever settle down again, you can memorialize your odyssey in stunning fashion with a gorgeous pinboard map from Conquest Maps as a constant reminder that you did figure out how to be a world traveler.