{"id":1592,"date":"2015-10-08T17:29:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T22:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=1592"},"modified":"2018-11-01T11:34:51","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T15:34:51","slug":"the-wanderlust-lifestyle-of-a-millennial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-wanderlust-lifestyle-of-a-millennial\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wanderlust Lifestyle of a Millennial"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n Over the years, I have met my fair share of young travelers. We have bonded, shared stories, and discussed how we were each able to travel so young. Out of all those I have met, I have yet to meet one who is wealthy enough to travel without care.<\/p>\n I think this proves that there is a growing realization that traveling is not (and never was) for the rich. It has always been for the curious.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve jotted down some notes here and there, of what I\u2019ve had in common with\u00a0other adventurers, what they did that I realized I should adapt to, and how many of them manage to balance a full-time job or schooling.<\/p>\n Here are a few noteworthy travel concepts I have compiled:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n We question every purchase <\/strong><\/p>\n Is the hamburger worth it? What about that t-shirt? Would we rather spend $10 now or in Norway? Do we really need the newest iPhone? How about that clich\u00e9 coffee mug with \u201cwanderlust\u201d written in cursive?<\/p>\n We work 2-3 jobs <\/strong><\/p>\n We fund our travel with our money and don\u2019t rely on someone else to carry us through. Knowing the hard work funded your exploration is way better than getting it handed to you. We go to school full time and work full time, or we work full-time and then work some more. I\u2019d love to tell you travel is free, and although you don\u2019t need much money to do it, you do need some.<\/p>\n We love the journey<\/strong><\/p>\n Many time more than the destination.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t go out for drinks (except in cool places) <\/strong><\/p>\n Drink are expensive and frankly a waste of money. A bottle of beer can cost over half of what an entire 6-pack is worth at a store. We save our drink money to spend at a bar in a mountain town near the Alps, not the local Irish Pub.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n And we don\u2019t buy expensive coffee <\/strong><\/p>\n Tasty? Hell yeah. Waste of money? Hell yeah.<\/p>\n We know how to research <\/strong><\/p>\n When we aren\u2019t at school, or working, or studying, or debating whether to be a hobo; we research. Frankly, there is very little free time in the world for a college student to travel or adventure travel. Deals rarely pop up right before your eyes, and it takes some digging to make anything look remotely affordable.<\/p>\n We enjoy the little things<\/strong><\/p>\n A sunset over a field, a nice warm fire, a good ice cream cone.<\/p>\n As college students, we don\u2019t take out student loans for travel <\/strong><\/p>\n AKA \u201cA horrible idea that will leave you drowning in debt 5 years from now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n We are frugal <\/strong><\/p>\n Money is valuable (shocker), so treat it as such. Coupons, discounts, dollar stores, etc.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t buy fancy gear <\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes price and quality are not equally balanced. Before going to Iceland I needed a raincoat and the cheapest I could find from a name-brand was $60. That was until I stumbled upon a humble off-brand selling one for $20. Score.<\/p>\n We\u00a0embrace nature<\/strong> Hiking is free, mountains are free, oceans are free, forests are free, bouldering is free, cliffs are free, caves are free, and the experiences are free. Nature isn\u2019t only cheap, but it teaches you a thing or two about life and materialism.<\/p>\n We enjoy meeting new people<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s learning life stories and respecting their journey. We learn real travelers are not concerned with being the best, going the furthest, or seeing the most. It’s about doing what makes us smile the biggest. We all had to jump at some point, and we can all understand that feeling.<\/p>\n