For me, travel is so important to my heart and soul, and the only way to understand the amazing world we live in. There is nothing quite as empowering as packing up your rucksack and deciding to go on a long-term travel trip of exploration. If this is your first time, here are six things you need to know about long-term travel.

There are various ways to travel without staying in hostels

A lot of people imagine that long-term travel has to involve staying in some less-than-ideal hostels, but that isn’t always the case. If you plan ahead and shop around, you can get some really great deals on other accommodation, especially if you are willing to stay outside of the center of the city you are visiting, or even consider Airbnb.

It’s all about the budget

Unfortunately, the ability for long-term travel planning relies heavily on having the money to sustain yourself for a long time. You need to save up quite a large amount before you go, and make sure you keep to a strict budget to ensure your money lasts. One way to make it work is by getting a short-term job while you are traveling.

Not everywhere is going to be perfect

The world is amazing, but that doesn’t mean that every destination is going to live up to the hype. In fact, you are almost certainly going to come across places that are a little disappointing when you travel for so long. For example, The Secret Traveller blog by 1Cover has a list of the most disappointing tourist attractions, including the Mona Lisa, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and even the Floating Markets of Bangkok.

You might get homesick

You might be surprised that after weeks and months of itchy feet, wanderlust, and planning your trip down to the last minute, that at some point on the road you find yourself feeling a little homesick. Whether it’s for your grandma’s cooking or just your own bed, there will be a moment where you wish you were home. However, as soon as you move on to the next activity or adventure, or check-in via video chat, you will feel a lot better.

Long-term travel options might not be glamorous all the time

As with all things in life, things will go wrong from time to time. Flights will be missed, belongings will be lost, the weather will be awful, and at the time it will feel like a big deal. Thankfully you will learn to handle these things with a sense of humor and build up your resilience.

Long-term travel will change your life

No matter what, long-term travel will change your life for the better. It will open your eyes to new cultures and ways of life. It will give you memories and lessons that last a lifetime. You can’t comprehend until you have done all the ways in which this is going to change your life.

So what are you waiting for? The best time to travel is now! Don’t let anything or anyone put you off – it’s one of the best things you will ever do.

Do you have any long-term travel planned? Let me know all about it in the comments!