Flexible, alternative lifestyles are becoming more and more common in 2018, especially among millennials. Cities all over the world are becoming digital nomad hotspots, tempting remote workers with things like low costs of living, easy-to-obtain visas, and plentiful wifi.

Chiang Mai has become one of those cities.

A beautiful mountain town in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has recently seen a surge in its population of digital nomads. It’s been a popular destination among English teachers for years, but it’s now becoming especially popular among remote workers.

 

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Why are there so many digital nomads in Chiang Mai? Here are seven reasons:

1. A Low Cost of Living

Southeast Asia in general is an incredibly inexpensive place to live, and Thailand is no exception. Basic studio apartments are available to rent for as low as $150 USD/month, with luxury units still only around $800 USD/month. Month-to-month leases are common and spaces often come furnished. Mobile phone packages with unlimited data can run around $18 USD/month (in case you need to hotspot your phone) and wifi is abundant at nearly every coffee shop and restaurant. Local transportation is easy with songthaews (local pickup trucks converted into taxis with two benches fixed along the inside) and Grab, an Uber-like app. And the best expense? Food! You can get a mouth-watering local dish from a street vendor for as little as $1 USD. If you’re making a western salary, digital nomads in Chiang Mai can live like kings, easily.

2. Accessibility to Western Comforts

 

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While Chiang Mai is a city rich in Thai culture and history, it also boasts some familiar Western comforts to appease even the most reluctant of travelers. Thai malls are some of the best you’ll find (seriously, give one a visit and you’ll be pleasantly surprised) with amazing food courts, well-known clothing shops, and plenty of services like mobile phone retailers. Western-influenced neighborhoods attract plenty of foreigners, making them a bit more expensive but with many comforts of home, like American grocery stores, European restaurants, and trendy cafés. The Nimmanhaemin Road area is especially popular.

3. Good Infrastructure and WiFi

Chiang Mai is renowned for the ease it provides remote workers. Traveling within Thailand is easy, with major airport hubs in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. In fact, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport is the ninth busiest airport in Asia, offering cheaper tickets and more accessible flights. (And flights between Chiang Mai and Bangkok are dirt cheap.) Internet is plentiful in Chiang Mai, with most coffee shops and restaurants happily offering free wifi. Coworking spaces are common, offering affordable daily and monthly rates—some host fun informational talks and meetups so you can network and get to know other digital nomads in Chiang Mai. In general, Chiang Mai is an incredibly easy city to settle into and work from comfortably.

 

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4. Stunning Landscape and Temples

Chiang Mai is bordered to the west by Doi Suthep, one of the twin peaks of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. You can grab beers from 7-Eleven and sit on a rooftop or balcony (both of which are common in apartment buildings in CM) to watch the sunset behind the mountain, which never gets old. Dotted throughout the city are over 300 ancient temples, anomalies amidst the modern shops and cafés. Strolling through the streets of Old Town, it’s impossible to avoid stumbling upon a majestic temple, and for a nominal fee you can enter and wander the grounds. (Usually the equivalent of $3 USD—but make sure you’re dressed appropriately.) And sitting at the top of Doi Suthep is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a Buddhist monastery from the 14^th Century offering incredible views of the city below. No matter where you look, there’s always so much beauty on offer for digital nomads in Chiang Mai.

 

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5. A Plethora of Outdoor Activities

There’s also no lack of things to do outside in Chiang Mai. Feel like climbing waterfalls? Swimming in a reservoir? Hiking up a mountain in a national park? All of these are possible in CM! Sticky Waterfalls, Huay Tung Tao, and Doi Inthanon National Park are all within a day’s drive. Jungle trekking, zip lining, and mountain biking are also available, proving you’ll never be bored in Chiang Mai. (Check out a full list of ideas here.)

6. The Kindness of the Thai People

Perhaps another reason why so many people stay in Chiang Mai long-term is the Thai people themselves. In general, they are welcoming, gracious, and kind. Even if they only speak a bit of English, they’ll go out of their way to try to talk to you and learn about you. Rather than seeing foreigners as an imposition, they’re usually eager to practice English and tell you about their country, which they take so much pride in. They certainly help you feel at home in Thailand, even if it’s a temporary home.

7. Incredible Food

Saved the best for last! Because not only do digital nomads in Chiang Mai live like kings, they eat like kings, too. Noodle soups, chicken and rice, fruit shakes, curries galore—it’s all so good. Ingredients are fresh and family recipes abound. Most food is served street-style, cooked up right in front of you on a cart on the curb. The popular dish local to northern Thailand is khao soi, a coconut and curry noodle soup usually served with chicken, pork, or beef. It’s topped with crunchy fried noodles, and spicy pickled mustard root, shallots, and lime wedges are served on the side. Food just doesn’t get any better than Thai food in Chiang Mai.

There you have it. Chiang Mai is a little spot of heaven amidst Southeast Asia. Is it really any wonder why there are so many digital nomads in Chiang Mai?

Suggested next reading: 7 Wonderful Things To Do In Chiang Mai

The post 7 Legit Reasons Why Digital Nomads Are Flocking To Chiang Mai appeared first on Modern Trekker.

The Location:

Kyrgyzstan: a country of 6 million inhabitants nestled in the mountains of Central Asia. A land with a thousand-year history and a crossroads for civilizations and cultures on the Silk Road. For a long time under foreign domination, geographical isolation has nevertheless preserved its ancient nomadic culture. Kyrgyzstan is a pearl of rare brilliance that shines with its different legacies: Persian, Turkish, Mongolian and Russian. However, independent of the fall of the USSR in 1991, Kyrgyzstan has been scourged by years of ethnic and political conflicts, economic stagnation and rampant poverty.

A unique country where the sweet taste of beauty seems to be accompanied by the bitter aftertaste of fatality, as on the pristine shores of Lake Ysyk Köl where, just beyond it, looms the dominating mountain range of Tian Shan. A majestic place considered to be the historic epicenter of the Black Death which decimated Europe between 1347 and 1352. Here, as a tourist center in the Soviet era, the World Nomad Games—the games of the nomadic peoples—are held from 2014 on a biennial basis. An international event that carries out the mission of both protecting and reviving the traditions and identity of the peoples of Central Asia, through the strengthening of cultural ties between the participating nations. The idea, proposed in 2012 by the then president of the Kyrgyz Republic, Almazbek Atambayev, with the support of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, is an important showcase and an opportunity for tourism development within the whole country.

The History:

The first edition of the World Nomad Games took place from September 9th to 14th, 2014. 583 athletes from 19 countries competed in 10 sports. For a total spending of over 3 million dollars, the games were accompanied by a rich program of cultural festivities and entertainment events. The great interest the games generated pushed Kyrgyzstan to propose a second edition in 2016. Held from 3 to 8 September, it included a total of 23 sports and saw the participation of about 1000 athletes from 63 countries.

This year hosts the third edition, the World Nomad Games 2018, which takes place from the 2nd to the 8th of September. And this year is bigger than ever before: 80 participating nations, 3000 athletes and 36 sports from different disciplines of horse riding, dueling and other traditional games such as archery, hunting and strategy board games, etc.

The Mission:

The goal of the games is to revitalize the nomadic sports, giving them international relevance.

The competitions are held in different types of sports, such as Mas-wrestling, archery, or the ordo, in which bones are used.

But the most famous is the equestrian sports, in particular, the buzkashi or kokpar, a sort of central-Asian version of polo, with a notable difference: the aim is to reach the goal with the decapitated carcass of a goat.

More Than Sport:

But the World Nomad Games are not just about sport, it’s also a time to celebrate the cultural heritage and traditions of these peoples. Since the time of the Silk Road, the nomads have welcomed other cultures, while also sharing their own unique traditions with others.

Always in the spirit of cultural exchange, competitions are held for cooking and construction of yurts, the typical Asian mobile home among the various regions of Kyrgyzstan.

The aim of the games is not only to increase dialogue between cultures and to showcase disciplines that otherwise would not feature in other sports competitions, but also to help preserve the nomadic cultural heritage of Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in an era of globalization. In this regard, in fact, a series of side events have accompanied and enriched the event. Within almost 300 yurts, you’re able to listen to music or attend traditional theatrical performances, fashion shows with clothes for both sexes, as well as a conference discussing the future of the nomadic civilization.

But, with the constantly expanding nature of the event, who knows what additional surprises will be in store this year at the World Nomad Games 2018!

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The Essential Info:

When: September 2-8, 2018

Where: Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased through the World Nomad Games 2018 mobile app or by other trusted retailers. Different types of tickets are also available.

Price: from 8 dollars up to 90 dollars

Top Tips:

1. Book in advance – This is, obviously, one of the first things you should do to make sure you can attend the Word Nomad Games 2018! Book your tickets for the event first, book your flight and hotel afterward. As you’ll know, booking in advance also saves money and time, allows one to be more flexible, and will make for a smoother trip.

2. Have a plan – Use a map and don’t underestimate the distances—Kyrgyzstan is a big country—in order to get there on time for the events. Make sure to find nearby accommodation and figure out beforehand the easiest ways to move around the area. Schedule everything but try to get to the venue a little bit early in case there are any changes to the program.

3. Use public transportation – Relying on public transportations such as local buses that steadily go back and forth from the camp is the best option to keep things cheap and safe. In case you are forced to rely on taxis, ask for the price in advance.

4. Try to keep things authentic! – Experience authentic and traditional things by trying local foods and connecting with the local people. Kyrgyzstan is a unique place, so be sober yet open-minded.

5. Some basic Russian would be helpful – Unfortunately, English is not widely spoken in the area so a little phrasebook or translator app should be considered to avoid unpleasant misunderstandings and to always have a backup plan when things get tricky!

6. Pack for the right things! – Wear comfortable clothes to keep things relaxed and practical. Bring a mask or a bandana as dust is all over the place. Bring solar cream and make sure to stay hydrated!

We really hope you found this guide useful and enjoy your adventure at the upcoming World Nomad Games 2018!

Suggested next reading: Hiking Into The Clouds With The Hill Tribes Of Northern Vietnam

The post Your Ultimate Guide To The World Nomad Games 2018 appeared first on Modern Trekker.

My friend Carmella and I were road tripping through the Southwest, starting in Los Angeles and making our way through Arizona and New Mexico, then looping back around to California. We were in our mid-twenties and had never felt more free, each of us taking our first real grown-up vacation.

We rented a tiny car, threw our bags in the back, stocked up on baby carrots and gallons of water, and struck out on our own. We were elated. We talked nonstop. We left the smog of L.A. behind us, headed east, and arrived in Joshua Tree by evening.

Our First Time Staying In Airbnbs

By the bright light of the moon in the massive desert sky, we managed to find our Airbnb—a tiny cabin at the edge of the national park with just one neighbor in sight. We pulled up at 11pm and tiptoed to the door, still unsure of what we were walking into. We were greeted by the kindest woman named Stella, who’d waited up for us.

There was a little bedroom with fluffy towels laid out for us and a wicker basket of toiletries. There was just enough room for the two of us, and we snuggled up in our shared bed, laughing hysterically under the covers until we drifted off to sleep.

I knew we’d made a good choice when I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of coyotes yipping outside our bedroom window. I fell back to sleep marveling at the magic of the desert and woke the next morning to fresh green juice served in wine goblets, alongside stories of Stella’s past life in San Francisco. We were the first names in her pristine guest book, and we left a raving review.

If I thought we’d made a good choice by booking a room with no reviews, I was yet to be surprised at what was in store.

Joshua Tree To Madrid, New Mexico

We left Joshua Tree and eventually made our way to Madrid, New Mexico, a tiny mining town just outside of Santa Fe. Carmella had booked this Airbnb, and I was excited to see what the “eco cabin” in the hills of New Mexico would be like. We arrived and were greeted by the Airbnb manager, Lucy, settling into our cozy cottage with its compost toilet and limited electricity. Colorful prayer flags were strung about and we immediately felt at home.

It wasn’t until later that night, over glasses of wine beside a glowing fire under the full moon, that Lucy and I realized we had a mutual friend.

On the other side of the country in a remote Southwest town with a population of 200 people, I’d found a connection. We stayed up late into the night talking about synchronicity and human connection. What were the odds?

That trip ended up being one of those vacations where everything just works out. We ended up staying in Airbnbs a total of four different times and left all but one feeling like we were good friends with the owners. They were complete strangers. Welcoming other complete strangers into their homes. Literally opening their doors and hearts to the belief that people can be kind.

A Life Of Travel

As I continued a life of travel following that trip, I learned that this would be more common than not in all of my experiences of staying in Airbnbs. I’ve stayed in Airbnbs all over the world—rambling farmhouses in Maine, cozy cottages in rugged Tasmania, mountain suburbs in Ojai. Sometimes solo, sometimes not—but always with the faith that people are good at heart. (And of course, most of these were private rooms in a home, rather than an entire home independent from the owners—I always find that I like it better when hosts are around.)

Four years after my initial Airbnb stay in Joshua Tree, I found myself in a 1900s clapboard house in the Blue Mountains of Australia, a fantastic region filled with eucalyptus forests and stunning cliffs and roaring waterfalls. I was with a friend who’d never stayed in Airbnbs before, a friend who was a bit reluctant to reserve a room in a stranger’s house with nothing but hope, faith, and a few reviews.

The owner, a sweet woman in her fifties, invited us in and explained how she found herself there—escaping city life in Sydney at the discovery of a troubling illness, settling into the mountains for fresh air, art therapy, and recovery. I spotted my favorite artist’s work on her fridge, and she’d left us hot water bottles at the end of our beds for the chilly autumn night. In her kitchen hung a giant chalkboard upon which she’d jotted affirmations and quotes, and we got lost exploring her bookshelves filled with tomes on lucid dreaming and homesteading.

She was out of the house the next morning when we checked out with our backpacks in tow, and when we realized we’d accidentally left a cell phone behind, she was suddenly pulling up alongside us in her car, encouraging us to get in so she could give us a lift back to get it.

Complete strangers from countries other than her own. Trusting us in her home without her. We could have been the ax murderers.

My friend was shocked at how Airbnb worked. “She doesn’t mind that we’re here without her?” she said incredulously. “Are all hosts this nice? Is this always how it goes?”

(Of course, it doesn’t always go exactly like this. Not every single Airbnb host is kind and welcoming and goes out of their way to make you feel at home. But with a little awareness and intuition when you’re booking, you can find gold. And more often than not, it’s worth it.)

Conclusion

Now, I always prefer to peruse Airbnb before turning to a hotel or hostel. I love not knowing what I’ll find or who I’ll meet. When you can be open to it, there are stories to be heard, kindnesses to be gifted, meals to be shared, neighborhoods to be explored, friends to be made. I’m still in touch with some of my past hosts, and even just a connection over Instagram feels incredibly heartwarming to me.

Because in a world that feels increasingly scary and unsafe, there’s this: the unfailing hope and belief that people are intrinsically good — and that we have more in common than we think.

Note: I want to acknowledge that as a white American female, I carry a certain privilege that not everyone is granted, and others’ experiences of strangers’ kindness may not be the same as mine.

Suggested next reading: Why I Travel Alone (And Why You Should Too)

The post How Staying In Airbnbs Renews My Faith In Humanity appeared first on Modern Trekker.

By my calculations, in order to hit everything on my bucket list, I’d have to move every 2-3 days, and even then I might not be able to hit everything. That’s just simply not sustainable for a year, and while moving quickly and checking off boxes might be some people’s preferred way to travel, it’s definitely not for me.

So, the alternative was to figure out how to make it work long-term. If I was going to take the plunge and travel full time, it was going to be a permanent lifestyle change. It took a lot of deliberate planning and hard decisions to get to this point where I am permanently and intentionally homeless.

I’m not saying that everyone should quit their jobs and travel long-term instead of enjoying those short trips when you get the chance, because short-term travel can also be wonderful and I’d always advocate for any type of travel over staying in one place. The long-term travel lifestyle is not for everyone, by any means. But if you are considering making the leap, here are the tidbits of wisdom I’ve learned so far.

Pros of Long-Term Travel:

You can go anywhere at a moment’s notice, and that’s incredibly liberating. My entire life fits into a 45L backpack. I can be at the airport in under an hour, and go anywhere in the world. Because I work online, my job will come with me. For the gap year-ers and the non-digital nomads, the process is the same. When you can carry everything you own with you on your back, the possibilities are endless. While on some days the sheer number of options will seem overwhelming, there’s so much joy in going with the flow and seeing where life takes you.

Your perspective will change along the way, and you will grow as a person so much faster than if you’d stay at home. You have to adapt and evolve with each new place you visit. The exposure to new people and fresh perspectives will constantly challenge you to reevaluate who you are, what you believe in, and what’s truly important.

Every person crosses your path for a reason, and being in an unfamiliar place opens up your heart and your mind to those lessons. On my first round of traveling after finishing school, I learned more about people, life, love, humanity, and the way the world works in three months on the road than I did in four years of college. It took one eight-hour hike with a stranger to completely change my entire worldview.

You don’t necessarily need to travel long-term to experience this—it could be as much as taking a weekend trip to somewhere an hour away from your hometown, as long as you can go somewhere new and open your eyes to the people and cultures around you. While all our cultures, languages, and traditions vary wildly across the globe, we are all the same at a basic, fundamental human level, and kindness knows no language barrier.

Cons of Constantly Being on the Move:

It’s a lifestyle, and it’s going to be just as scary jumping out as it was jumping in. As scared as I was when I finally walked into my boss’s office after months of planning and told them I’d be leaving at the end of the month to travel the world, I’m committed now. It took a lot of deliberate, calculated steps to get to this point, and I’m sure it will take just as much work to stop. After all, a body in motion stays in motion. As hard as it is to adjust to the culture shock of being in a new place, reverse culture shock when you return home is so much worse. 

But it is a lonely lifestyle. Even if you’re moving slowly and staying in the same place for months at a time, you’re ultimately still saying goodbye to those friends you make in each new place, and you can forget about having a real long-term relationship. The pool of people who share the same nomadic or semi-nomadic mindset is small and scattered, and so far, I’ve had a hard time identifying people who are even able to relate to what I’m doing, or why.

Long-term travel is a beautiful thing, and an experience I wouldn’t give up for the world (pun unintended), but ultimately it’s not sustainable. As you get older, your interests and pace will inevitably change, leading you to put down roots and move more slowly. That doesn’t necessarily mean stop traveling, but it could mean setting up a home base somewhere and spending a smaller percentage of the year on the road.

Anyone who has taken the plunge into long-term travel knows that even once you’ve stopped, travel is not something you’d ever willingly give up altogether. It becomes a series of trade-offs. Yes, see the world while you have the ability to do so, and don’t look back. But know that it’s not all gorgeous, instagrammable sunsets and coconuts. It’s a lifestyle that comes with pros and cons, just like any other.

Suggested next reading: Backpacker Culture: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The post The Pros & Cons Of Long-Term Travel No One Ever Tells You About appeared first on Modern Trekker.

I’ve traveled in a variety of contexts—with friends, with family, with a large group, with a small group, and by myself. Each of these trips has been a wonderful experience for different reasons. It’s nice to have someone there to share the journey and I definitely wouldn’t complain if someone wanted to tag along, but to me, there’s no better feeling than arriving in a brand new place and being surrounded by strangers just waiting to be turned into friends.

Here’s why I love to travel alone so much:

I can do whatever I want: no limits, no judgment.

Want to wake up at 4 am to catch the sunrise on the beach? Do it.

Want to skip all the main (read: overrated) tourist attractions in the city and instead sit outside a cafe all day and people-watch like a local? Do it.

Want to stay out all night dancing with a group of people you just met? Do it.

Want to nap in the middle of the day because it’s hot and you’re exhausted? Do it.

You travel along for yourself and yourself alone. You don’t have to operate around someone else’s schedule or accommodate anyone else’s interests. It’s your trip, your life, and your chance to make the most of it.

The downside of this is that no one will be there to tell you that eating exclusively German sausage and drinking alcohol for a week is a terrible idea, but you’ll figure that one out on your own pretty quickly.

To get out of my comfort zone.

I’m an “ambivert”, or as I like to describe it, a shy extrovert. I’m also a creature of habit (one of those weird people who eats the same thing every day, don’t @ me). When I travel with a group of people that I already know, it’s easy to fall into a pattern. They expect me to behave in a certain way, so therefore I will. To travel alone is to constantly step out of your comfort zone, but it’s much harder to do that when you have a safety net of familiarity with you. When you’re constantly on the move, you have to talk to new people and try new things—it’s just unavoidable. And I love that.

To become a more confident version of myself.

When you are alone in a brand new place, if you don’t get over yourself and talk to strangers, you won’t be able to talk to anyone at all. I was never super outgoing, but the easiest way to get more comfortable striking up conversations with strangers (in any setting) is just to get out there and do it, over and over again.

Plus, there’s nothing better than the feeling of looking back at your adventures and knowing that you successfully navigated through the obstacles that come along with keeping yourself alive and thriving in a place where you don’t speak the language and don’t have a network of friends and family to fall back on. You planned the trip, you saved up for it, and then you went and came back full of new experiences and memories. If you can do that, you can do anything.

To become more self-reliant, and learn when to lean on others for help.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been stubborn and wanted to do everything by myself. But when you travel alone, no one is going to tell you what to do, how to get there, what you should or shouldn’t eat, or how long you should stay. You have unlimited choices in what you can do, and that’s awesome.

However, sometimes you need to lean on other people. You can struggle to figure out how to navigate the Budapest subway system or Google Translate all the food labels at the Croatian supermarket and spend two hours getting lost and looking for something you can actually eat, or you can ask a friendly stranger for help and they can point you in the right direction. A smile and a little politeness go a long way, and you may even end up with a new friend.

To meet new people from around the world.

People who travel alone a lot will know it’s not always easy. Especially if you’re on the road long-term, it can be really tough to make new friends in each new place you visit, only to have to say goodbye a few short days later (repeat * infinity). If you’re working and traveling, you can easily go a whole day without talking to anyone else, despite being surrounded by people.

Eating dinner by yourself can get old after a while, and there are definitely times that you will feel lonely on the road. But you’re never truly alone unless you choose to be. One of my favorite things about traveling is staying in hostels and other spaces that cater to travelers because there you can meet people from all over the world. More often than not, you’ll meet other solo travelers who are in the same situation and you can find an instant group of people to explore with, create memories with, and to start friendships that will last a lifetime.

Every journey has its ups and downs. There will be times when you would love to have someone there with you, whether to gush about how incredible the thing you just did was, or to go out and get you some food if you get sick on the road. But, you learn so much about the world and about yourself along the way. It’s an experience I strongly believe everyone should do at least once in their lives, at the very least just to get out of your comfort zone and do something different. It doesn’t need to be some wild, overseas trip—it could be something as simple as driving to that place you’ve always wanted to visit an hour away from home.

Do something new. Get out of your comfort zone. The world is a big, beautiful, and kind place. Get out there and explore it.

Suggested next reading: Backpacker Culture: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The post Why I Travel Alone (And Why You Should Too) appeared first on Modern Trekker.

To be fair, hosteling is definitely not for everyone. For some, it’s doable for a long weekend or a vacation with friends, whereas for others, hostels form the perfect home base in each new city for extended solo trips due to the social scene. It’s these clusters of like-minded travelers you find in hostel lounges and bars throughout the world that makes up the backpacker counterculture.

The stereotypical backpacker is young, scruffy, crunchy-looking, possibly weed-smoking, earth-loving hippie dressed in baggy elephant pants, carrying a tattered backpack and wandering around train stations or urban centers looking for their next ‘experience’. While all stereotypes at some point originate in truth, there’s far more behind the appeal of the vagabond, backpacker lifestyle than simply avoiding responsibilities back at home.

The Good

The Backpacker Bubble is an attractive, welcoming niche for many who reject the ‘traditional’ life arc: you go to school, study hard so you can get into a good university, do well in university so you can get a good job, and then work until you can settle down, buy a house, start a family, and do the same thing every single day until you die.

They’re mixed in with the vacationers and the gap year-ers, creating the vibe of being permanently on vacation. Regardless of whether or not these long-term backpackers are working remotely, just living off savings, or some combination of the two, the laid-back, go-with-the-flow mindset is what draws many people in, to begin with.

When you’re on the move long-term, you’re far removed from the day-to-day stresses of ‘normal’, everyday life. It’s easy to make friends with like-minded people from around the world because many people travel alone or in small groups, ready to mingle with others and make new friends.

Even further, everyone is transitory—only in town for a few days before moving on and following their own path. You know you don’t have much time together, and you never have to see these people again unless you actively make an effort to do so, so people are far more open and authentic. The shared bonding experience of being in an unfamiliar place creates instant camaraderie between travelers, along with lasting memories of the people and the places you visit.

When you’re ‘at home’, people have a tendency to fall into specific patterns of behavior around their family and friends, setting the expectation that you’ll continue to behave the same way in the future. When you’re on the road, constantly surrounded by strangers, there’s no pattern for you to follow. You can just go with the flow, exist, and enjoy the world around you.

The Bad

Maintaining a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the long term is not sustainable for most people. For most, as you age, your interests naturally shift from wanting to get out and explore as much of the world as possible towards wanting to settle down (or at least move slower).

It is easy to burn out both physically and mentally after being on the road for long periods of time. Moving around constantly, sleeping in unfamiliar locations, and eating unfamiliar foods can wreak havoc on your body. In addition to being physically exhausting, it’s difficult to maintain ideal levels of health and fitness while on the move without some impressive discipline and dedication, which can take a toll on your body over time.

In addition, being constantly surrounded by strangers and having to meet and befriend new people in each location only to leave them again in a few days or weeks is emotionally draining. Even if you love to travel, meeting new people, and finding your next adventure, there are only so many times you can have the “Oh, cool, where are you from? Where else have you traveled?” conversation with everyone you meet. Especially as an introvert, it can be difficult to continue being open to meeting new people after going months without seeing a familiar face.

After months of living in the world’s greatest destinations, what do you do when living the ideal vacation lifestyle sought after by millions becomes your everyday life? As wonderful as it is to travel the world indefinitely, where do you go when you need a vacation from your vacation?

The Ugly

When you’re alone in a foreign country, it’s easy to bond with those who speak your language or share a similar cultural background. However, it also creates a Backpacker Bubble, which, especially for Westerners, encompasses the globe and allows you to travel anywhere in the world without having to have a meaningful interaction with someone outside your own culture if you so desire.

We travel the world to escape our own lives, cultures, and communities, but yet can easily find more of the same in a warmer locale with (usually) a lower cost of living than our home countries. This brings along a whole host of social issues—do you, as a traveler, have the responsibility to have a positive impact on the places you travel beyond stimulating the local tourism economy?

When you’re living among backpackers constantly (or permanently), you have no choice but to deal with the negative stereotypes and social consequences of the backpacker lifestyle. Will you be one of the notorious Western tourists partying on the beaches of Southeast Asia with no intention of learning about the culture of each place? Are you contributing to over-tourism in some of the world’s most beautiful places, such as Venice or Boracay?

This is by no means to discourage you from joining the thousands who reject the sedentary lifestyle in favor of traveling the world, but to encourage anyone considering long-term travel to be conscious of your position, privilege, and perception as you do so.

Suggested next reading: Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before Traveling

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