Did you know that travel burnout is a thing?

I know what you’re thinking: It seems crazy to get burned out on something so awesome. But the truth is, you can get burned out on anything! Regardless of whether you love it, sometimes, even travel gets to be too much!

I (obviously) love travel. In fact, I even love the things about travel that it’s easy to hate: the actual traveling part of it, the being alone, the constant hellos and goodbyes. Those things can definitely get to me, but overall, I love the whole process of traveling.

That said though, sometimes, you need a break.

Sometimes, the constant moving around, watching every dime that goes out from your budget, and even the physical exhaustion of traveling with a big bag can really become too much.

Travel burnout can feel like different things to different people (as all burnout does), but some critical signs for me include the following:

1. I start sleeping past 6 am. I’m naturally an early riser, so when my body is sleeping more and more, I know I’m truly exhausted.

2. Nothing feels fun anymore. Even activities I was really looking forward to start to feel like a drain on my energy.

3. I’m cranky all the time. If I’m in a place with people I love and I still can’t seem to pull myself out of my bad mood, it means I’m definitely in a funk.

4. I don’t feel like seeking new experiences. When all I want to do is sit in my airBNB or hotel room, something has to change.

5. Every destination feels the same. If a beach and a mountain are starting to resemble each other, that means I have a serious case of travel burnout.

So, what can you do when it starts to feel like you’re traveling too much? Is the only option to quit?

Nope! I’ve gone through this at least twice and have come up with some tips to help. The key is actually not to quit until you know for sure you want to. Maybe this is the last case of travel burnout you’ll ever have and maybe you’ll keep traveling happily. Maybe you are ready to hang up your backpack. Either way, it’s important to give yourself the mental freedom to decide which it is.

Here are some of my tips:

1. Find an immediate reset button – no matter what it is

When you start to feel travel burnout, you need to reset – immediately. Don’t wait for that “break” coming in a few weeks and don’t tell yourself you’ll push through. Find a way to have an immediate reset, regardless of what it is. It could mean staying in your hotel for an entire weekend and not going out at all. It could mean spending a day on the phone with your mom. Whatever it is, do it and do it now before you feel even more burned out.

2. Decide if you need a longer-term reset

One of the benefits of hitting your reset button immediately is that you’ll give yourself some mental clarity to decide if you need a longer-term reset. Maybe a few days of rest is all you need or maybe you would like to take a few weeks off traveling and develop a routine. Let yourself examine the possibility of a longer-term reset, if needed.

3. Head “home” for a bit

If possible, head “home” for a bit – whatever your “home” may be. Maybe it’s your parents’ house or maybe it’s going to stay with a college roommate. It might even be going back to some town you loved, totally alone. Getting to a space with comfortable surroundings that makes you feel at peace will make a world of difference.

4. Take the pressure off

Give yourself time to be a travel “slacker” for a few weeks. So maybe you don’t go and do everything on your to-do list. Maybe you have several days where you just have a low key dinner and watch bad TV in your hotel. We’ve all done it – but the key is to take the stress off. Let yourself do whatever makes you feel best while you are stressed.

5. Get some sleep

Yes, sometimes, it truly is as simple as this. Burnout comes not just because we’re mentally exhausted, but often because we’re physically exhausted as well. Just the simple act of getting a few days or even a week of extra sleep can sometimes work wonders!

Have you ever traveled so much that you felt totally burned out by it? How did you deal with it? Let me know in the comments!

Over the past two weekends, I’ve done 18-20 drives over two days, and I have another one coming up this weekend. It’s not fun and to be totally honest, I’m getting a bit sick of driving.

When you first take off on a long road trip, especially on a journey of full-time travel, it’s actually kind of exciting to be in the car for several hours alone. The rest of the time is spent meeting a lot of new people and having a lot of adventures, so the downtime was something I appreciated in the beginning.

Now, though, it’s starting to drive me a little crazy. I’m glad I got through the last two long drives, but I’m not looking forward to the last one I have coming up this weekend.

That said, I thought I’d let guys know some tips I have for surviving a long road trip alone:

1. Front load the drive time

When doing a 20-hour drive over two days, it might make sense to try to drive 10 hours each day. Nope. In my experience, this is a terrible idea. By the time you’re done with the first day, it feels so long that you’re dreading the second day. Instead, front load the drive time by driving just a bit more the first day than the second. It doesn’t have to be a lot: an hour or two is fine. But this way, when you go into the second day, you think to yourself “Oh, I only have to do X hours instead of the X I did yesterday.” It’s more psychological than anything – but it works.

2. Don’t rely on music alone – choose a long audiobook or podcast.

At first, I used to love the uninterrupted hours in my car to listen to a mix of NPR and Justin Biebe…I mean The Beatles for as long as I wanted. Then I quickly realized that all Top 40 radio stations are the same and the news starts to get depressing. I still listen to NPR and music, but now I only sprinkle those in while listening to a long audiobook or podcast. An audiobook that would cover the entire trip is ideal because it keeps you engaged with the same characters the entire time, instead of having to start and stop a story.

3. Stop before you think you need a break.

I’ve often had moments where I’ve thought to myself “Oh, I could keep going for another hour or hour and a half before I really need to get out.” At the beginning of the trip, I tried to make it these distances, but now I realize I should stop as soon as I have that thought. It’s a lot more mentally exhausting to let your body get totally drained before you stop. Instead, stay fresh by taking breaks before you think you need them.

4. Don’t drink too much coffee

Coffee is my bestie. That said, it has a nasty reputation for bringing you all the way up just to have you crash. I never really had a problem with that before, but the more coffee I drank, the more it became a thing. I still do one cup of coffee in the morning, and occasionally I’ll do another cup in the afternoon, but I don’t rely on it to keep me awake for long drives. Instead, I hydrate and choose snacks that will energize me.

5. Find something to look forward to.

And it can’t be the end goal. Sure, it will be exciting to get wherever you get, but find something – or a few somethings – in the middle to excite you. Maybe it’s a good meal at a restaurant in a town you’re driving through or some weird roadside attraction but focus on something that will get you just through the next short leg of the journey. It’ll make the entire journey feel a lot shorter.

There you have it – my tips for surviving a long road trip. I only hope I survive my next one!

A few days ago, I asked some of my friends for ideas they would like to see on The LITMO Life. Sometimes, it’s hard to think of things other people might like to read about while you are living a particular life (because it seems so normal to you!).

Someone suggested a post on getting sick while traveling might do well. And, because the universe thinks it’s hilarious, I just now woke up with a sore through, three days before my marathon. So, here I am!

This has happened before (well, not so close to a marathon!) and I’ve figured out a few tips for dealing with the totally un-fun part of getting sick while traveling (keep in mind here, I’m talking about a minor illness like a sore throat or cold, for major illnesses – well, that’s another blog post!):

1. Stop doing anything, for at least a day.

Resist the urge to continue touristing just because you “don’t want to miss anything.” I have fallen into this trap, and trust me, it is NOT worth it, especially because it’s likely that you will just make yourself sicker. As soon as you start to feel something coming on, give your body a total break from activities.

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

When I was in Denver, I didn’t realize that my body would react so crappily to the altitude. I was walking around with a constant headache, sleeping a LOT more than normal, and generally, just feeling crappy. One thing I should have been doing better was hydrating properly! Sometimes, even just being a little dehydrated can wreck you.

3. Give your body good calories.

No more vegan baked goods and wine (oh…you mean, we don’t all look for those things in new places?). As soon as you start feeling under the weather, eat some damn vegetables. Your sickness may have come on because you haven’t been eating the right foods, so give your body the right foods now.

4. Put your phone on DND and sleep as long as you can.

When you’re traveling full-time, or long-term, or even short-term sometimes, people will want to check in on you, because they love you and want to touch base. That said, sometimes your mind needs a break just as much as your body. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, shut the door of your airBNB or motel or hostel and get some damn rest.

5. If it’s still bad, head to a walk-in clinic.

I’m hoping in the case of my sore throat that it goes away in a few hours. It could have been sleeping under a fan or something easily solvable (please god let it be that so I don’t have to run a marathon sick). That said, if it’s still bad in a few days, I’ll head to a quick clinic to get a checkup. A lot of times, this is easier than trying to find a doctor on short notice.

There you have it – I was looking for blog ideas and the universe laughed at me and got me sick instead. I’ll take any healing thoughts you may want to send for a full recovery before my race. I hope these tips will help you next time you get sick on the road – and I hope even more that you don’t get sick on the road!

Want to know how to make friends while traveling? Here’s the true answer: get out of your comfort zone and start chatting!

So, how do I make friends and meet new people while I’m traveling?

I’ve been asked this question a few times – I think because I love social media and tend to post online a lot about the people I’m meeting. When I was first asked, my answer was, “well, I don’t know, I just do!” But that’s not entirely true. Sure, I have a naturally chatty personality (where I basically harass people into being my friend), but I also use a few different strategies to meet people while I’m traveling.

Keep in mind: these are for making friends domestically. Abroad (where there are hostels!) it will be an entirely different thing, and I’ll likely do a post on that then.

1. Meetups

I love Meetup.com. Even before I was traveling, I used Meetup to meet some of my best friends at home! I joined a women’s running group and a vegan group, and I developed some amazing friendships out of those. While traveling then, Meetup is even more important! I’ve used it to go to a vegan dinner group in San Diego, as well as a travelers’ meetup in San Antonio! It’s a cool website that makes it easy to meet people with similar interests, so check it out!

2. Couchsurfing

The Couchsurfing app has a relatively new feature called “Hangouts”, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a way to meet people in the city you are in to hangout! This can be used both domestically and abroad (although, it’s probably more robust abroad). Even just Couchsurfing in general, though, is an excellent way to link up with people for dinner or drinks or just a fun activity. I met a super cool new friend in Vegas that I now text all the time through Couchsurfing!

3. Bumble & Bumble BFF

Okay, so this is less “meeting” people and more “dating” people, but the truth is if you are traveling full-time and aren’t into a relationship, as long as you disclose that upfront, the people you meet on Bumble are more likely to become great friends. Bumble also has a feature called “Bumble BFF” which lets you go through people just looking for friends! Definitely worth a try!

4. My airBNB host

Sometimes, your airBNB host will be someone that totally wants to keep to themselves and not chat at all. I find most often, though, that this isn’t the case! People get into airBNB to make money, sure, but a lot of times, they are also people who like getting to know new folks coming through their home! I’m besties with some of the cooler airBNB hosts I’ve met along this trip, but at the very least, most have been willing to grab a bite with me or let me tag along to hang with their friends.

5. My server or barista

Yes, I’m that annoying person that’s like “can you tell me about your favorites on the menu?” and “how long have you worked here?” and “are there any fun things to do around here?” Sometimes, servers and baristas hate me. Most of the time, though, they are happy to engage back and occasionally, they offer to tour guide me around! You never know how you’ll meet people, so be open to everything!

6. Facebook groups

Just like Meetups, there’s probably a Facebook group for almost everything. Search your city and interest, and you’ll likely find a bunch of people who are willing to meet up with you in person and do fun stuff! I met a new friend in Portland this way; I posted in a group that I was in town for a bit and desperate for friends, and she took me to lunch the next day. People are great; you just have to seek them out. 🙂

7. Doing activities solo

Sometimes, just by doing something alone, you’ll get out and meet a new friend. For example, on some of my vegan dining excursions alone, I’ve struck up conversations with people at the next table. Or going for a walk with my puppy alone, I’ve met folks along the way. The key is to make sure you get out and DO things – don’t wait for people to come to you!

There are so many ways to make friends while traveling, but you have to be open to meeting people in unusual ways. Get out there, be friendly, and you’ll be surprised how many fantastic people you meet!

Are you think of taking a trip but not sure of how to find cheap accommodations for travel – or even, perhaps, free ones? A lot of people know of standard accommodations like hotels, motels and campgrounds, but not many people know that there are tons of other places you can look for inexpensive accommodations. There are even organizations that will help you experience cool things like working with animals or volunteering with kids! Here, I’ll take you through my roundup of the best places to find cheap (or free!) accommodations for travel.

1. Work Exchanges

Work exchange programs are exactly what they sound like – an exchange of work (yours) for lodging and sometimes meals (your hosts’!). Below are a few of the more popular work exchange programs for you to try out!

• WWOOF

  I’ve mentioned before that one thing I was really looking forward to on this trip was “WWOOF“ing. No, it’s not a sound a dog makes (okay…yes it is), it’s an organization that stands for WorldWide Opportunities in Organic Farming. WWOOF is a super cool website that connects you with families that own organic farms and need help with tasks! In exchange for working approximately four hours a day, WWOOFers are given a free place to stay and even, sometimes, free meals. The site lets you filter down the type of farm you are looking to work on, and even lets you put in things like food preferences (for me, vegan!) and whether companion animals (hello, Hello Elizabeth) are coming with you.

• Helpx

  Helpx is similar to WWOOF in that it is a work exchange, but it’s broader than WWOOF – a Helpx family could be in need of anything from farm help, like WWOOF, to child care, to even social media or business help. Helpxers work approximately the same hours as a WWOOFer would, depending on what you agree with the family upon and what the varying needs are, but the basic idea is the same: a few hours of work in exchange for a place to stay and often, some really cool experiences!

• Workaway

  Workaway is another popular work exchange just like Helpx. Here, the activites can range from helping out on a vineyard to helping teach kids in another country. I haven’t personally used Workaway yet, but I have heard some really good things about the site and know some people who have had great experiences with it!

2. Hospitality Exchanges

Hospitality exchanges, unlike work exchanges, are just the exchange of places for people to stay on a global “marketplace” or website. Here, no work is required, but the accommodations are subject to availability and the kindness of people opening their homes!

• Couchsurfing

  Couchsurfing.com is probably the most famous hospitality exchange and it’s pretty simple – people letting you “surf” on their couches for free! On Couchsurfing, there’s no need to also open up your home to couchsurfers (although, it is encouraged), and it’s a really great way to meet locals! So far, I’ve met some great people through Couchsurfing and hope to continue to use it to meet more people and make new friends.

• Global Freeloaders

  Global Freeloaders is another organization very similar to Couchsurfing – the difference is that here, it really is an exchange! Global Freeloaders asks users not to sign up unless they will be in a position to host a guest within 6 months of signing up. I did not sign up for this program (for obvious reasons – no home!) but I do think it’s massively cool if you are able to have someone stay with you for a bit. It’s a great option for when you have a home base but want to travel cheaply!

3. Housesits

Housesitting or petsitting for someone is something I never even thought about before I began this journey. There are a few big organizations that match potential housesitters (you) with people needing someone to care for their animals or watch their home while they are away.

• Trusted Housesitters

  TrustedHousesitters.com is a website I’ve already used to score a housesit in San Diego for ten days – and it’s pretty simple! There are listings of people looking for a housesitter, you scroll through them and apply. The criticisms I’ve heard of this website are that it’s very new to the States, and doesn’t have a lot of U.S. listings, but I haven’t found this to be a problem so far.

• Housesitters America

  And, ta-da! This one solves the (potential) problem with Trusted Housesitters. Housesitters America is only meant for house sits in the States and although I haven’t used this one yet, it looks pretty promising and I may try it very soon!

4. Short-term Rentals

Many people have been turned on to the short-term rental craze, because, well, the travel industry is changing and hotels are getting too expensive!

• airBNB

  So far, the most well-known of the short-term rental websites is airBNB, which has a range of options and accommodations for any budget and any personality! In fact, Holly Elizabeth and I just found a week-long doggie-friendly rental in Tempe, AZ for $138 (for the entire week!) and another one in Vegas (with two vegans, to boot!) for $145. When I first started this trip, I didn’t plan to do a lot of airBNB-ing, as I wanted to stay mostly on farms, but with my freelance writing expanding, that’s going to have to change and I’m super thrilled airBNB exists!

• Flipkey

  Flipkey is very similar to airBNB and is actually owned by TripAdvisor. It has listings everywhere and listings have to be verified by the site itself. Flipkey also has daily deals – so for a budget traveler, it’s a great alternative to airBNB.

• Homeaway

  Homeaway is another great option for budget travelers, and it’s one of the biggest, as well. Homeaway also owns a few other rental websites like VRBO and VacationRentals.com, so they are definitely a company that’s been around the block in terms of vacation accommodations.

5. Hostels

Believe it or not, hostels actually exist in the States! (Yes, I was surprised myself!) And there are some good websites for finding the perfect hostel!

• HIUSA

  Hostelling International has a USA-focused website, which lists several hostels across multiple states. I particularly like HIUSA, as part of their company belief is the idea that traveling can create a more tolerant world. HIUSA also has free events for travelers on their website and seems, overall, like a great company.

• Hostels.com

  Hostels.com is the big boy for finding hostels everywhere, and they have a States-focused page, as well. I’ve not yet found a company that has more listings than Hostels.com, and although I likely won’t be using the site (not many puppy-friendly hostels around, unfortunately!), it’s a great option for solo-travelers looking to save some dough!

• HostelBookers

  Hostelbookers is very similar to Hostels.com, in that it is a broad site listing hostels all over the world. They also, however, have a dedicated U.S. page which seems to have a pretty solid listing of hostels within the States.

Of course, there is always the option of staying a hotel, or motel, or campground, and sometimes, you can find really great deals! Sites like goSeek.com and Dealbase.com are often really great resources you can use for finding cheap accommodations for travel.

I love that it’s 2016 and there are so many options available for seeing the world. No matter how you find cheap places to stay, get out there and travel!

P.S. Want to know more about how you can start living the travel lifestyle? Check out my book, “Quit Your Job & Travel The World”, available now on Amazon!

The topic people have asked me the most about since I began my journey of preparing for full-time travel is how to make money while traveling full-time. I get it – this is the question I researched the most before deciding to quit my job to travel. It’s natural to have some hesitation around such a big life change, but it’s even more nerve-wracking to leave steady income behind and figure out other ways to make money!

In this post, I want to share some of the best resources I’ve discovered for earning while traveling full-time. If you have any questions or comments at the end of this post, I’d love to hear from you! It’s always nice to discuss my passion – living in new and different ways – and I also like making new friends!

Keep in mind, these are the ways I plan to earn and these are the ways I’ve researched so far, but there are plenty of out-of-the-box ways of making money that I may have yet to discover. If you’re thinking about going on a journey of long-term travel, research, talk to people and figure out what will make you the happiest! In the meantime, here are some great ideas I’ve found on how to make money while traveling full-time.

 

Resources For Making Money While Traveling

1. Freelance on Upwork

 

You often see blog posts on travel websites about “freelancing” or “building a remote business.” What you don’t often read about are the nuts and bolts for how to do that, and in taking this journey for myself, I’ve discovered that it would be really helpful if someone could give you the actual tools for beginning to freelance.

Here’s my (abbreviated) story: I went to law school, practiced law, became a writer for a little while because writing was always a passion of mine that I didn’t think I could realistically pursue, then went back to practicing law. This journey has made me realize that I should pursue my passion, and for me, writing is it. But I didn’t know where to begin. With a little bit of research – voila – I found Upwork. Upwork is the product of a merger between two former freelancing sites – Elance and oDesk. What this means is that Upwork is now the number one freelancing site in the world. And – spoiler alert – it’s amazing! I tried freelancing many years ago, on Elance, and absolutely hated it. Upwork’s platform is much better, the clientele is much better, the interface is much better and overall – the website is an incredible way to make a living, on your own terms.

The economy – and the world – are changing, and with so many millennials deciding that they don’t want to be chained to their 9-to-5, the “gig” economy has been booming. In my mind, “gig” economy is a terrible term for what it really is – a new economy where you can make your own rules, set your own hours, do what you love, and still make a living.

Here’s the important takeaway I want you to remember about Upwork: it’s not just for freelance writing. Let me say that one more time, because it’s worth repeating: Upwork is not just for freelance writing. If you’re thinking about traveling full-time, Upwork is definitely a resource you want to check out. Here are just some of the things you can do on Upwork – remotely, on your own time, and building the business you want: website design, game development, video production, lawyering (yep!), data entry, virtual assistant work, paralegal work, research, transcription, search engine optimization, social media, engineering, data mining, customer service, accounting, human resources and so much more. Although we traditionally think of “freelancing” for writers or photographers, the world has changed and now, if you can build it, the freelancing will come.

If you are at all thinking about a new lifestyle, I would encourage you to hop on to Upwork.com to see what you might want to do. If you have a profession you want to continue, chances are, Upwork will let you. If you have no idea where you could begin but think you might be able to write some emails or organize some things, maybe virtual assisting or administrative work is for you. The point is, to make a change, you must start somewhere and Upwork is a great place for that.

2. Make and sell a product

Etsy isn’t just for crafty hipsters anymore. Making a product, or series of products, that are unique and in demand can be a great way to make money without having to be in an office. And Etsy isn’t the only marketplace: you could try clothing design with a Cafe Press store, or even Handmade at Amazon.

The benefit of creating your own good and selling is that if it’s what you love to do, you’ll be happy doing it while traveling full-time. One thing to consider is how you’ll be able to ship your good once you start traveling abroad very frequently, but there are logistical companies that can help with this.

3. Teach English abroad

An old faithful that has been around for a long-time: teaching English abroad. Many people look at this as a first option, because there are several established programs for doing so, and a lot of travelers have done it with a lot of success. It can also be a great way to get to know locals and take your time getting to know a new city.

4. Au Pair

If you don’t mind kids, becoming an au pair might be a great option. Au pairs generally move abroad to live with a family and take care of their children full-time. Sure – it won’t be the “fly by the seat of your pants” type of travel you may be looking for, but it will provide you with a place to stay, a family, and a new experience in a new location.

Becoming an au pair definitely isn’t for everyone, because of the commitment involved as well as the childcare, but if it’s up your alley, it could be a great way to get an “in” to visit new destinations.

5. Work in the resort/hospitality/cruise/tour industry

If you want to bounce from place to place, getting a job in the resort or hospitality industry may be for you. Often times, these positions are seasonal, allowing you the opportunity to constantly be discovering new places.

You can also work on a cruise ship or work as a tour guide. These positions can be tough work and long hours, but for those willing to do it, they can also be great learning experiences. The point is, if you want to travel and even work in the travel industry, there are some great ways to do it.

6. Blog

I have a travel blog, you’re reading it. And a lot of people think you can make money from blogging. That’s sort of true.

You don’t make money from the act of blogging itself – I started my blog so that I could share things I’ve learned, and meet new people who also love travel, and because I’m a writer at heart. But you can make money around blogging. What do I mean by that? Well, a lot of times, having a well-built blog can be a good resume builder if you are trying to write for a big organization. You can also put paid ads on your blog (but likely won’t make too much from there).

You can also host sponsored content on your blog – this is probably one of the best ways to make money from blogging. Essentially, after you’ve built up a bit of a following, different organizations will pay you to put content on your blog related to their product or service.

Blogging isn’t normally a primary method of income while traveling, but it can be a good income boost if you spend time and energy developing it.

7. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is another great way to make money from blogging, but I’m putting it in it’s own separate category because you don’t have to be a blogger to be a good affiliate marketer (but it helps).

What is affiliate marketing? Well, it’s basically partnering with a seller of goods to promote their product in some way, and if people buy through your special link, you get a bit of money. It’s not as difficult as it sounds: Amazon has a popular affiliate program (of which I am a member), as do a few other big organizations.

So, you don’t actually have to have a blog for affiliate marketing – but it obviously helps. You can promote your links through Facebook or Twitter, but having a big following and a large readership is important for this kind of money-making.

8. YouTube

If you’re the type that likes to share your story visually, creating a YouTube channel and monetizing the content can be a good way to try to make money on the road. This, like blogging or affiliate marketing, requires spending a lot of time and energy making your channel great (I’m learning along the way). Monetization is obviously an effective strategy only if you have, once again, a large following.

It is, however, easier to make a decent income on YouTube than from, say, click-based ads on blogs, but you do need to really have a passion for it to ensure that it shows in your videos.

As you can see, if you really want to change your life to begin traveling full-time – it’s a completely viable option! It will require some sweat and hard work, but everything great in life often does.

It would be best to go in with a clear head and an open mind: don’t rely only on one source of income at first (I plan to do a combination of the things I’ve listed here) and be prepared to do anything. Also, realize that making money from online sources will require time and effort – you won’t be able to just put up a blog and have millions of followers overnight – you’ll have to work at it! Know that you’ll likely face some tough times, and it won’t be all smooth sailing, but in the end, if traveling full-time is something you really want to do, it will certainly be worth it!

P.S. Want to know more about how you can start living the travel lifestyle? Check out my book, “Quit Your Job & Travel The World”, available now on Amazon!