When I started traveling in February 2011 my life changed radically. Time on the road can be compared to childhood. Every day I experience a new place, meet new people, eat food I have never eaten before and listen to various types of music. It is beautiful to have such a diverse lifestyle but at the same time also exhausting and draining. It does not matter how you travel but you always depended to a certain extent on other people. Things don’t always work out the way you want them to and time slows down or speeds up very rapidly at times.

If you are traveling your lows are much lower and your highs are much higher. Unfortunately your happiness curve is in average lower than when you have a stable life, however, you can feed off the highlights throughout the lows and look forward to the next high. Travelling can be a fantastic experience but it is very important that you do not overdo it. If you are non-stop on the road starting from a couple of days till about 1,5 years you might have enough strength to fully enjoy it. However, the longer your journey the more difficult it is to live with the countless inconveniences traveling brings along. You will probably get more impatient with people and will not be able to enjoy certain aspects of traveling as you did before. I, however, could not live without traveling anymore. It gives me strengths and I feel privileged to be able to do what I do. I used to do Ironman triathlon before I hit the road. This sport can be grueling and tough and it certainly isn’t the most pleasurable thing to do. It is the exact same thing with traveling. But afterward, you are proud of the accomplishments you have archived and the experience you have gained.

Many people plan to travel when they get older. A lot of folks postpone their journeys because there is a certain risk involved. I personally think this can be a mistake. You might need to quit your job or put it on hold. Your family must play along and your life like you used to know it does stop for a certain period of time. Sometimes it does change for the good and sometimes for the worse. Surely you will be a different person when you come back and the people who know you will have evolved in a different direction. It can be difficult to reintegrate in your old life with your old problems. You might miss the adrenaline you experienced so often on the road and might feel unsatisfied. Traveling, however, can be also very tiring and you will feel much more relaxed after your return. You can cook and eat whatever you like to eat, listen to the music you like and be around people who know and love you.

Subsequently, I would highly recommend everyone to experience the art of traveling. Take your time and enjoy breaks on the road when they are needed. Either you return home to fill up your tank or you try out different things. Woofing and HelpX is a great way to get to know new people and make friends. You have the opportunity to work halftime for food and accommodation while staying at the same place for more time. You can find work in hostels, hotels or restaurants. Use your imagination and talents. Housesitting is a super site to guard someone’s property and get your lodging for free. There are many hospitably services which you can check out here.