10 Things no one tells you about being a full-time solo traveller

One week from now it’s going to be six months since I left Guadalajara back in the summer of 2016. I still can’t believe that I’ve been away from home for half a year. Since July 23rd, I’ve stepped foot in 19 different cities, seven countries and two continents. I’ve slept in more than 15 hostels and friend houses, travelled by aeroplane, car, train, subway, bicycle and foot, met people from every existing continent and drank… Ok, I’m not going to write a number, but let’s just say that many beers. full-time solo traveller

Whenever I meet someone on the road and they find out what I do, most of them define my lifestyle as “living the dream”. I must agree that plenty of my experiences in Europe have been so new, exhilarating and inspiring, however, after several months as a travel blogger I’ve found some realities that I never saw written on any article while I was planning my big trip. I don’t mean to discourage anybody from grabbing a backpack and booking a plane. However, think that it is better to hit the road with a full understanding of the downsides of the adventure.

1. Sometimes you don’t want to do anything

Fun fact: travelling is exhausting. Sleeping in airports, dragging a 25-kilos bag around unknown places, walking 15 km a day… It is marvellous, and life changing and exciting, but sometimes you just need to slow down.

When I first arrived to Scotland I felt like I had to be doing something amazing every waking hour. Otherwise, I couldn’t bear the sensation that I was wasting my time. However, after a few weeks and a few painkillers, I realised that travelling full-time is not like going on a holiday. It’s your way of living now. So it’s perfectly OK if you want to climb all the way to the top of Arthur’s Seat one day and watch an 8-hour Netflix marathon the next one. It’s called balance.

2. It’s hard to keep healthy

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I lost 10 kilos before coming to this trip and I wanted to make sure to keep it that way on the road. Although I really enjoy eating healthy and exercising, it can get a bit difficult when you are a budget traveller. Sometimes I stay at places where food is included and I can’t really have the luxury of denying it if I want to stick to my financial plan. Even though sometimes that translates to a bunch of Nutella sandwiches and fried stuff. Similarly, there are some delicacies that you can’t miss whenever you visit a new place. I couldn’t leave Belgium without eating a waffle or Ireland without a beer, right? Food is such an important part of any travel experience that denying it feels just wrong. I’ve opted for eating smaller portions of the really caloric food and cooking home whenever I have the chance.

I spend a lot of time in busses and airports too, so I don’t exercise as often as I used to. However, I’ve found that running is great when you are constantly on the move. Europe has lovely streets that are perfect for a morning jog. They have amazing views, friendly people and cobbled sidewalks that may or may not ripped your leggings when you fall. But the uncertainty is part of the fun.

3. You miss deep connections with people

I have met a lot of awesome people on the road. In Belgium I shared a room with a lady from Congo who only spoke French and always shared her African food with me. I was rescued by an Irish woman who helped me get back to the city when I was lost in the middle of nowhere and I partied with three Dutch girls that took me to a bar where you had to exchange your shoe for a beer. Every one of these stories has been amazing, unexpected and I will treasure them for a long time. However, after you have been travelling solo for a while, you start missing the comforts of solid, long-term friendships. Sometimes you just want to remember a funny anecdote, wander around the room in underwear or not having the pressure to make small talk. full-time solo traveller

It is true that when you are constantly on the move, you tend to bond with people quicker. However, friendships on the road have an expiry date and that’s part of its appeal, because you might get the chance to reconnect in the future. In a few days I’m travelling to Salamanca to visit my old friend Maria, whom I haven’t seen in four years and I have been offered some other couches where I can crash from people I’ve met on the road, which is pretty awesome.

4. You still question if you made the right choice

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Photo by Laura Morales

A lot of people have told me that quitting your job, grabbing a bag a crossing the world is the ultimate dream. And they have a point, but no matter how exciting and soul seeking the experience is, you can’t help but wonder if it was the best decision. I still ask myself if I’d be better off in a full-time job back home, building a career on a stable company and saving for a house, instead of spending my two-years savings in a blog that may or may not take off. full-time solo travelle

I have the feeling that even if get back home, completely broke and with a gap year in my CV, I’d still have a library of memories that could create amazing stories. However, the uncertainty still haunts me from time to time and that is a completely legitimate feeling. full-time solo traveller

5. It is very expensive full-time solo traveller

Although I have found plenty of ways to stick to my budget (you can read my article on how I managed to quit my job and travel), it is true that travelling is an expensive business. I’ve made a lot of savings by volunteering as a community manager and in some hostels and cooking meals at home, but something can always come up. I had to pay for an extra week of accommodation in Edinburgh after I had a fight with the manager of the place I was staying in the east coast. I was detained in the UK border for four hours and I missed my connecting flight to Belfast. And although I book late buses and cheap flights, I still need to pay good money for transportation.

I’m making considerable savings and winning some money freelancing, but I need to be very conscious of my expenses if I want to keep travelling longer. full-time solo traveller

6. You find amazing people… But you find assholes too

As I said before, I’ve met some wonderful people on my journey through Europe. And that is one of the things I like the most about travelling. Nevertheless, you can only be so lucky until life balances the scale. A Uruguayan man cut me in the line of a flight in Brussels and got really angry when I complained. The manager from my first volunteering experience kicked me out of the hostel and currently, the little kid behind me keeps kicking my seat on the bus and her mother does absolutely nothing even though I asked her if she could please stop.

The world is full of assholes. But I think the good people who you meet stay with you longer. And if there is something that you can’t find home is the amount of amazing, bizarre and life changing individuals that cross your way when you travel.

7. It is totally OK if you don’t like the place you visit

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Photo by Laura Morales

Just like with number one, when I just arrived I felt the pressure to enjoy every single moment of my experiences abroad. Carpeing the damn diem with a smile in your face is energy-consuming and not completely honest. The world is full of mesmerizing places, but occasionally you’d find one or two that are just not for you. Although I found some charm in Anstruther, Scotland, I don’t think I’d go back again anytime soon and I must admit that when I fell a little bit for Barcelona, that wasn’t the exact case with Madrid. Just like with books, some places talk to you in a spiritual level while with others is just not meant to be. full-time solo traveller

8. You always, ALWAYS miss the food from home… But you are constantly finding new favourite dishes.

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I would KILL for a piece of Mexican panela cheese in these moments. Or a slice of one of my mum’s desserts. Or an octopus ceviche taco from one of Guadalajara’s local markets. Food deprivation is one of the few symptoms of nostalgia I experience. Mainly because Mexican food (I mean real Mexican food, not the nacho-fajita-burrito scam that everyone thinks is Mexican food) is so full of different flavours that is hard to find dishes that keep your palate that entertained. Nonetheless, I’ve had the chance to discover some of my new favourite meals on this journey. The goat cheese and fig’s pincho in Barcelona, the poached eggs with black truffle hollandaise from Napa or a spinach and pine nut pizza I had in Portrush, Ireland have a new place in my heart… Right next to the Mexican cheese. full-time solo traveller

9. You need to sacrifice the little things

Spa facials, gym memberships, book shopping… There are some things that just don’t go with long-term budget travelling. Sometimes you have to exchange the little luxuries for lifetime memories. Stick to your budget and your new lifestyle, but always remember to treat yourself from time to time. full-time solo traveller

10. It is still totally worth it

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Photo by Laurla Morales

I am not going to lie; travelling is not always sugar, spice and everything nice. I’ve cried a few times, I’ve thought about going back home and occasionally I miss my friends, my parents and my hot sauce. But this trip has been one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. I could find a thousand of reasons to go back, but I also have plenty more to stay and I keep discovering new ones as time goes by. I just landed my first paid job as a blogger, I visited one of my best friends in a completely unknown city and I’m choosing new destinations for this year. full-time solo traveller

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