Hilarious Travel Planning Memories with a side of Budget Travel Tips

A lot of people ask me how I afford such a pricey (MYTH!) travel endeavor. Listen folks, travel isn’t that expensive. Trust me! In fact, I definitely spend more money living in Canada for three months than traveling for the same amount of time in a faraway destination. You do need money upfront, which involves some saving, but it doesn’t have to stop you from doing fun things with friends or forcing you to live in a cardboard box. Long term travel is quite affordable. You just need to reflect on a few unnecessary items and lifestyle choices. For example, I decided to sell my car to fund my South East Asia trip. It might sound a little ridiculous to some people, but I was moving to the big city after traveling and I didn’t need a car anymore. Cars are luxury money holes. Reflecting on how to fund travel helps put life into perspective and your priorities in check.

Long term travel is a bit different. It requires you to cut a few strings. One way I can afford going on a 6 month adventure is by giving up my lovely studio apartment in Toronto. I’m moving out of my humble abode and moving back in with my family (cringe…..). But hey, every budget traveller needs to make sacrifices, even if they are a tad embarrassing. I could have found a subletter, but I wanted to be free from the shackles of my modern, cosmopolitan life. Sounds a little dramatic, eh? I simply didn’t want to worry about an apartment back home and a stranger doing unmentionable activities on my bed. You get the drift.

There’s a point to this little story….

While rummaging through my book shelf, I found an old notebook my travel partner/best friend and I used to jot down travel ideas and inspirations. Between the pages, I stumbled upon a hilarious doodle from over two years ago. Check it out!

The art history books will write about us…

There is a complex story unfolding in this genius work of art. Yours truly is on the left with a ridiculously large backpack strapped on and Stefanie is on the right with her pet iguana. She doesn’t actually have an iguana, which makes me wonder why we felt it was so necessary to include one. This is exactly what I mean in my bio by describing Stefanie as ‘my offbeat best friend’ – or maybe I’m the offbeat one? I clearly have my dog Oli strapped in a baby sling and who knows what’s even in my left hand. It has a face. Weird. Stefanie also carries her family dog in a baby sling with the intellectual inscription, “I (heart) Dogs.” We’re completely odd. I totally understand if you stop reading this blog. Wait, no! I’m hilarious. Keep reading…

I also decided to include my boyfriend at the time crying in a window back home. I’m not sure what he’s thinking. The triangles in his thought bubble are too cryptic. My penned self sends him a postcard from the alternate universe where both the Taj Mahal and Eiffel Tower exist in the same location. What a world…

I wonder what other travel-themed objects will pop up while packing… I doubt they’re as hilarious (and self-reflective) as this one.

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