HAPPI JULIA TRAVEL BLOG
The Lengths I Will Not Go To For the Admirable Mission of Budget Traveling
Started Wednesday, November 15, 2023 from the Creative Coworking Lab in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Rediscovered and finished in Bogota, Colombia on December 16, 2024
I think anyone who sees my traveler lifestyle assumes I come from a rich family. I don’t. The truth is that making my travel dreams come true has required me to build an extreme, at times tragically, frugal way of living. I make spending sacrifices and have discovered joy in minimalism. Among the other 20-something travelers that I’ve encountered this year and prior, it’s comical and inspirational all the ways young adventurers make traveling around the world affordable. If it’s really your priority in life, indubitably, anyone could make it work. Especially if you’re from the United States, with immense dollar and passport privilege. I’ve seen young Brazilians, Argentinians, and Hondurans with far less of an advantage make it happen for themselves. It’s wildly impressive and admirable.
Ever since I started traveling for multiple months at a time in my early 20s, either on my own or with friends, I’ve figured out how to make traveling cost the same or far less than what I would be paying to living comfortably in my hometown, VA/DC – actually onr of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.
20-somethings who make travel their number one priority don’t let their small incomes as young professionals or lack of a job at all stop them from exploring the world. It’s both cool and sometimes questionable, for sure.
I think 26 was the perfect age for me to start this trip. Travel in its most pure, bold form is a young man’s sport. At 26, I have mostly the same spunk and resilience as the younger 20s folks, but I’m no longer an arrogant dumby. I still have it in me to go the budget route, but I have my limits. My limits prevent me from doing unsafe and disgusting things. At this ripe and wise age, I love going to bed at 9pm, but I have it in me to stay out until 5am a couple of times a month if I find good music. I know that there will come the day when it’s no longer possible for me to make some of the comfortability sacrifices that I am willing to make now. I knew embarking on this Latin America mission was a “now or never again in the same way” kind of situation.
Here are some of the lengths I will and will not go to in pursuit of the admirable mission that is budget traveling:
- I hate hostels. It’s not always this way, but I would conclude that generally, hostels are filled with the kind of tourists I despise. The ones who couldn’t give less of a shit about local culture, people, or learning, and seek to get drunk, do drugs, and FORNICATE! I like that stuff too, but it’s not even close to my primary mission. Even in the best cases, hostels are filled with tourists. Sometimes this is awesome and you meet cool, long-lasting travel friends who you can relate to. It’s a safe place where you’re surrounded by people doing what you’re doing. You can even meet locals at hostels, they typically are working there and are friendly to international people, they’re probably interested in learning English and traveling themselves. However, the constant social engagement in hostels is incredibly draining to me. After spending a whole day adventuring, I want to come back to my silent room, take my clothes off, and talk to no one. More hostel thoughts:
- Nothing makes me feel lonelier than being in a place surrounded by people partying when drinking is the last thing I want to do.
- 9 times out of 10, there’s going to be a creepy, stinky man that you have to dodge for your life.
- In some cities, the accommodation prices are so high that I must stay in hostels. I accept this when it makes sense. There are some boutique, smaller hostels that have a really nice charm, I will admit.
- I really can’t do dirty shared kitchens, dirty fridges, dirty people using the same plates as me, and dirty shared bathrooms with strange smells. No aguanto. I simply can’t.
- I hate constantly feeling like I need to put my stuff away and can’t leave anything laying out.
- There are people who spend their entire backpacking trips hopping between hostels and following groups of people from hostels, and swear by that method of affordable travel. As someone who speaks Spanish at a functional level, why am I traveling to Mexico to spend every day with Aussies and Brits? You could spend an entire year traveling within the hostel bubble of every country. To me, did you really authentically experience that destination?
- In most places in Latin America, I can find a modest Airbnb that is a room in a local’s house, or a small outdated studio apartment that is $5-10 USD higher per night than the price of a hostel bed.
- People always ask me, “but if you don’t stay in hostels, how do you make friends?!” Check out this post.
2. I need to do my laundry. I’m a little more obsessive about it than a typical backpacker may be privileged to be. Pero mira, I don’t do dirty underwear. I don’t do dirty socks. I will rewear workout clothes only when I absolutely must. I must organize my luggage based on what is dirty and what is not. Fortunately, in Latin America there are plentiful affordable laundry drop-off places, the problem is when they lose or damage your stuff. I will accept that risk over wearing dirty clothes.
3. I get grumpy if I have to go over two days without showering, unless it’s for a nature adventure’s sake. Like really beautiful nature’s sake. Compared to some other travelers I’ve met, my dirtiness threshold is not wide, and I don’t feel bad about it.
4. I’d rather be alone than with some whack ass fools. When traveling alone, sometimes I focus too much energy on trying to connect with others. When I manage to find a group of people it can be great, or it can steer me off my intended path in a negative way. When traveling with others, compromise is always involved. For some people, it’s not worth compromising my wants and desires. It’s important to be selective about who I trust and rely on. I have made the mistake many times of following lame or unintelligent people, and regretted it. Splitting accommodation costs, planning responsibilities, and food with other travelers can be very cost beneficial. However, that sacrifice is not always worth it. Mejor estar sola y pagar más que estar mal acompañada.
5. I will walk no more than 18 minutes with my luggage. I don’t like walking long distances with my luggage. I get mad. Let a steep, unexpected hill present itself on that little trek, then I’m pissed, and very sweaty. I can get an Uber in most of my destinations for less than $6 USD for a distance that short. I will get the Uber. Without luggage, I’m usually down for a long walk, as long as it’s safe. If I’m not carrying a heavy backpack and wheeling a suitcase throughout blocks of busted sidewalks, I’m down to walk an hour or more in order to get to know a place better and get some exercise.
6. You travel to eat delicious food. I like to get groceries because cooking is fun, feels good for your insides, and is economical. However, eating out is a big part of traveling! I love fancy restaurants, and maybe I’ll just go to get one appetizer. My downfall so far is ordering too many overpriced cocktails when I go out. I’ll work on it. But seriously, if I’m not eating, why am I traveling? If I do go grocery shopping, that’s already a budget activity, I set few spending limits on myself in the grocery store. I’m going to get all the new, yummy treats I want.
7. When I eat delicious food at beautiful restaurants, I don’t take my brokenness out on people’s tips, because I’m not tacky and cruel. Different countries have different standards for tipping, and it’s hard to navigate sometimes, but I never regret airing on the side of reasonable generosity. Sometimes even that’s hard to gauge, and hopefully I’m not being taken advantage of. If I’m getting taken advantage of or not, at the end of the day it’s probably a matter of $2 or $3 to me, and I’d rather keep my service industry karma flowing positively, thank you very much.
8. Unless it is absolutely necessary, the days of taking bus trips longer than 8 hours are behind me. Unless they are comfortable, clean sleeper buses, which are more common-place in some countries vs. others. I am a very nauseous woman, and I will spend the extra money to get a flight or avoid that destination all together. If I can afford it, I will pay extra money to have fewer layovers. At this point in my life, the extra $100 is worth it for a more reliable airline and a direct flight, if possible. This is not only for my comfort, but risk mitigation. Airlines are cruel, greedy monsters, and more stopovers = more probability that something bad happens.
9. Clothes: I mostly don’t mind not having as many clothes to choose from, the minimalism of items is actually kind of liberating to me. It brings me peace and saves me time not having many options to choose from. Sometimes I see a bad bitch in a really stylish outfit in the streets, and then I get sad because I want to be a bad bitch, too. I get sad when I have to wear flip-flops with a fire outfit. But the truth is I’m rarely bummed when I can’t buy beautiful, expensive things. Obviously, the reward is far-worth the sacrifice.
10. Products: I have to go without a lot of beauty rituals while traveling, that for some of my friends, would completely rule out the option of travel all together. I don’t do much for my hair, and it air-dries. I’m walking around these days with no paint on my fingers and toes, which does horrify me some days. Some products I’m particular about: body and face moisturizer, need a loufa or something to exfoliate hello I’m not a reptile, and I need strong deodorant. These little boys out here go without a lot of products while traveling and when not traveling, it’s horrifying. Most days, especially in hotter destinations, I don’t wear makeup.
11. I continue to invest in my future by setting aside money for health care emergencies and contribute to my investment accounts every month. If I don’t have enough money to do this, it’s time to make a big adjustment or throw in the towel.
All of these sacrifices and investment in my traveling experiences are invaluable to me. I am evolving into a more fearless, confident, skilled, and wise version of myself with connections all around the world. At this stage of life, I’m willing to do what whatever it takes to make this dream come true, to an extent.