In this article, I am going to share some personal insight into the reality of full time travel. I’ll cover challenges, the not-so-good bits, and the difficulties we have encountered over the past 2 and a half years. There’ll also be some tips on how we tend to deal with these realities.
The Reality of Full Time Travel
I don’t want to sound too negative. The decision to leave the UK 2 and a half years ago and travel the world was the best decision we have ever made. We’ve made it to 4 continents, and 12 countries, and have lovingly cared for nearly 150 pets. We’ve also met some lifelong friends along the way.
The truth is though, a lifestyle of full time travel comes with challenges that many blogs don’t talk about. I’m not talking about financial challenges, like accommodation, food, and everything in between. However, these are very real challenges too.
I am talking about the emotional and mental challenges that are the reality of full time travel. Things like consistently being a long way away from the people you love, regularly having to quickly adapt to new environments, as well as scary health issues that can make you feel vulnerable in unfamiliar places. I’ll also cover how we navigate them.
A Long Vacation or a New Normal?
Before we go any further I want to make an important distinction. People regularly say ‘You’re living the dream!’. ‘Life is just one long vacation for you.’ ‘You’re so lucky, I wish I could do what you’re doing’.
Let me stop you right there! We are living a life that we dreamt of for many years. We also worked damn hard and continue to do so to make it happen. It isn’t always plain sailing and it certainly isn’t one long vacation. I also firmly believe that it isn’t for everyone. You’ll see what I mean when I cover the challenges full time travel can bring.
Most people think a permanent vacation would be amazing. Honestly, I think it would get pretty boring after a month or two. The reality of full time travel is that it isn’t an escape from normal life, it IS your normal life. Or your new normal life, at least. This isn’t a vacation, it’s a way of life and to make it work long term isn’t easy. Let’s get started!
Health Scares
We’ve certainly experienced some health scares during our time traveling. When you know something is wrong with your body in a country that you don’t know and where you don’t speak the language, it can be incredibly daunting.
We’ve dealt with temporary hearing loss in Costa Rica. This turned out to be dehydration and excess coffee – we were staying on a coffee plantation! Temporary, but painful twisted ankles have kept us off our feet for days. We’ve also encountered nasty animal bites that have needed urgent medical attention.
The most scary health issue to date was in Bali. We both contracted German Measles. I got the worst of it with a rash from head to toe, awful headaches, and aches and pains that left me bed-bound for 2 days. When we decided to go to the hospital (at this point, we didn’t know what the diagnosis was) I passed out in the hotel lobby, terrifying Rob and the two young Balinese receptionists.
The Reality of Full Time Travel and Health Scares
When you’re ill, all you want to do is just crawl into your own familiar bed at home. You want to know how to easily get the medication you need to feel well again. Getting ill whilst traveling can take a mental toll, as well as a physical one. Feeling seriously unwell can disrupt travel schedules too.
But there is also the health of the people you love on the other side of the world to consider. We’ve experienced several family members being diagnosed with serious illnesses during our time away from them. It can be difficult for the physical distance between you and them to not manifest into feelings of helplessness and guilt for being so far away.
How We Deal With Health Scares
The reality is, that you are probably going to get sick at some point during any long term travel adventure. We’ve been lucky so far that our ailments have been easily treatable, although uncomfortable, and inconvenient. Here are some ways we try to keep health worries at bay.
Dealing With Health Scares
- Insurance. We always have a good insurance policy that covers any unexpected medical bills. We research the healthcare services for tourists in each country we visit and purchase a policy accordingly. Australia and New Zealand for example, have a reciprocal medical care arrangement with the UK, so UK citizens we are mostly covered. However, the US will charge us thousands of dollars to treat minor injuries, so a good medical insurance policy is vital.
We use SafetyWing and have found it offers great cover for digital nomads at a reasonable monthly price. It’s month to month, so we can cancel at any time if we don’t requite the cover. Click here to save $20 on your next SafetyWing policy. - Eat well and exercise. We generally eat well. Getting a balanced diet and regular exercise will go a long way in keeping your energy levels up and your immune system strong. This will keep your body primed to fight any infection or injury it has to deal with.
- Drink plenty of water. Dehydration has caught us out a few times now. I’m the worst culprit for not drinking enough water throughout the day. When you’re in a hot country and sweating a lot, it’s a recipe for disaster! I now have a trusty 750ml flask that I fill at least 2-3 times a day.
- Research medical facilities. When you arrive in a new place, research the nearest pharmacy, A&E, and doctor’s surgeries. This will save some panicked Googling in an emergency, or late at night when you need help. Make sure you know the emergency number for calling the emergency services, just in case.
- Stay in touch with friends and family. You can feel guilty and helpless that you aren’t there in person when a loved one gets ill thousands of miles away. Give yourself a break. Even if you were in the same room as them, there is little you could do to improve their condition. Thankfully, video calls and regular messaging can help you keep up to date with how your loved ones are doing.
Home Comforts
The reality of full time travel is that you will be staying in different places. Houses, apartments, cow sheds, shacks, barns, RVs – we have stayed in all of these. This means at times, the home comforts you are used to might not always be there. Sometimes comfort of any kind is lacking.
Uncomfortable beds, nowhere to comfortably chill and watch some TV, and zero WiFi are just some examples of how the level of comfort you are used to – those little things you take for granted – doesn’t always follow you around the world.
The Reality of Full Time Travel and Home Comforts (or Lack of)
As full time travelers, we know this is the life we signed up for. We can’t expect – or afford – to stay in 5-star penthouses all year round. So we have to be realistic about our expectations – especially when it comes to sleeping arrangements. We know a few bad nights of sleep on the trot can really affect you.
For the most part, we have been lucky with our accommodation – the RV mentioned above was pretty plush and one of the nicest places we have stayed. We always try to find out as much about the accommodation situation before accepting a house sit, so we know what we are going into.
Our lifestyle means we move around a lot, so even the most uncomfortable living situations are only temporary. We always know we will be moving on soon. That is sometimes a negative though. When we’ve found ourselves house sitting in the most beautiful homes with a pool we don’t want to leave.
How We Deal With the Lack of Home Comforts
Managing constantly changing environments is a key skill for long term travelers. Here are a few pointers to help with the process.
Dealing With a Lack of Home Comforts
- House sitting. Those all-important home comforts are why we love house sitting so much. Staying in a home, even though it’s not your own, makes such a difference. There is a kitchen to knock up some home-cooked meals in, a comfy sofa to watch TV on, and usually a desk to sit down with a coffee and your laptop for a few hours. You have a base.
House sit homes are also usually in neighborhood settings. This means coffee shops, bars, and other friendly community amenities are on your doorstep. Check out our article about getting started with house sitting, ‘How to Become A Successful House Sitter.’ - Do your research. We try to be as informed as possible before committing to staying anywhere. We research the location to make sure it suits our needs. We also look closely at any photos that have been provided. We take reviews into account too, so we can gauge other people’s experiences.
Our other blog post, ‘10 Questions To Ask Before Accepting a House Sitting Job‘ will help you understand what any house sit might entail. - Manage expectations. One of the most exciting things about the reality of full time travel is the variety of locations and places you’ll stay. Arrive with flexibility and a resilient mindset, and you’ll be surprised how a not-so-great negative initial first impression can dissipate. You’ll often start feeling more comfortable within a few days.
- Prepare for the worst. Even the most promising accommodation might not be as comfortable as you were hoping – especially on the first night or two. We always have earplugs, eye masks, and melatonin to hand as a backup!
Digital Nomad and Freelance Work
Moving around a lot, and adapting to new spaces, countries, people and pets can eat into your week. Sometimes, you might need a few days to chill and acclimatize or get over some serious jet lag.
If like us, you have external responsibilities like freelance work, you need to be able to balance that with a full time travel lifestyle and all that it entails. You’ll have deadlines to meet and sometimes video calls to dial into (at weird hours due to differing time zones). You’ll need to sit somewhere quiet for a few hours to get productive and finish a big project.
We’ve worked in coffee shops, hotels, beach clubs, and rooftop bars. More often than not, a good old kitchen table is our preferred and most common working spot. This is another reason why we love house sitting. Not only that, but we often have a furry friend on our laps whilst we work or quietly pestering us for a well-deserved break from the screen with a walk to the local park.
The Reality of Full Time Travel and Digital Nomad and Freelance Work
The reality of full time travel if you also have external responsibilities is that you can’t necessarily take a mid-week trip on a whim, or write off the afternoon and go to the beach. If you have important deadlines that your employer is counting on you to deliver, you need to follow through. You need a strong sense of self-discipline, and motivation to be able to work well autonomously.
Freelancing offers a huge amount of flexibility and the income is a fantastic bonus to your travel budget. However, you need to be disciplined if you want to juggle this work long term to fund your traveling. Being self-employed as a freelancer means your reputation is important, and you need to deliver high-quality work to keep those paychecks coming in.
We’ve found having freelance work during our travels has provided a useful structure to our weeks. We can get our heads down for a few hours each day and the feeling of completing a project or piece of work is a nice rewarding sense of achievement.
How We Deal with Digital Nomad and Freelance Work
Structure is key but here are a few tips to help you manage work schedules while traveling long term.
Dealing With a Work Schedule While Traveling
- Plan well. At the beginning of the month and each week, I sit down and plan what I need to get done and when. For me, urgent deadlines are few and far between but that doesn’t mean that the turnaround times aren’t sometimes tight. Putting a plan together allows me to stay on track and know if I can take an afternoon or day off.
- Get a comfortable working environment. To be productive, you need a quiet and comfortable location, with power, WiFi, and ideally good coffee. Cafes and co-working spaces are great for this and we’ve utilized them all around the world. A quick Google will pull up some of the best ones in your area.
The photos of digital nomads working poolside or on the beach might look good on Instagram, but believe me, they are not conducive to a productive morning of work. Beaches and pools are for relaxing, and coffee shops and dedicated workspaces are where we get our best work done. - Set boundaries. This comes hand in hand with planning. We love the structure freelance work brings to our week, but it’s all about balance. We tend to get a good 3-4 hours done in the morning, and then the rest of the day is our own.
When I first started freelancing I was adamant that I would be working whilst traveling, not traveling whilst working. There is a subtle difference. I’m not ashamed to say I haven’t always taken my advice. I’m getting better, but there is a fine balance to be struck. You need to be strict with yourself to deliver your best work, whilst experiencing all the wonderful things in your location.
Missing Friends and Family
This one is a tough one and is probably the biggest trade-off when it comes to full time travel. We miss friends and family back home a lot. Especially when birthdays or special events come up that you can’t be a part of. Watching your home life and the people there move on with their lives without being a part of it, can be tough.
Having most of our families and friends live very close to us in our hometown for our entire lives means that there has always been that sense of community there for us.
Additionally, we’ve met some amazing people around the world over the past 2.5 years, through house sitting and the volunteer teams at the charities where we have worked. Although we are still in touch with many of these people, as we continue to travel they are far away and we miss them too.
The Reality of Full Time Travel and Missing Friends and Family
The reality of full time travel is that this is the choice you have made. You can’t travel around the world and have your loved ones with you all the time. You can’t pop home for a big birthday celebration – not least due to the expense but also perhaps due to responsibilities you have undertaken on your travels – house sitting for example.
We feel very grateful that several groups of family and friends have visited us in far-flung corners of the world. From Mexico City to Durham, North Carolina, and Toulouse and Budapest. Those times have been extra special due to the length of time we have gone without seeing them. It’s also lovely to explore a city or area together.
House sitting has helped these visits to happen more than once. At a house sit in Toulouse, the hosts welcomed us to invite friends and family to stay as they had plenty of bedrooms. Thanks to this amazing generosity, two family sets stayed with us. They saved a bunch on accommodation costs, too. Read our ‘Definitive Guide to House Sitting In Toulouse‘.
How We Deal With Missing Friends and Family
There is not a simple answer when it comes to missing friends and family. It can be tough and also knowing that you have decided to take yourself away from them and your home base can make you feel pretty guilty sometimes. It’s one of the downsides, but a reality of full time travel.
Dealing with Missing Friends and Family
- Stay in touch in other ways. Thanks to the lockdowns, we were all pretty au fait with video calls and group chats before we left the UK in 2022, so we regularly have virtual catch-ups with people back home. Seeing as well as hearing those you love can give you that extra boost.
- Visits. If we are anywhere for a longish time and we think friends and family might enjoy the area too, we encourage them to meet us. If a house sit host offers them a free room, then that’s even better. Thanks to house sitting and the accommodation cost it saves us, we can afford to splurge on a week in an Airbnb with friends if they fancy meeting up. This has happened a few times and it has been great.
- Embrace local and temporary communities. Getting involved in community events, local causes, or meeting your temporary neighbors during a house sit. These interactions and relationships will give you a sense of community and belonging, even if it’s temporary.
- Be realistic. I think you have to accept that this is and always will be a negative reality of full time travel. Instead of feeling lonely or sad, know that the people that love you back home, want you to live your life to the fullest. They are happy you are having adventures around the world, even if you can’t see each other as much as you would like.
Constant Movement and Never Standing Still
One of the things that can still get to us even now is when we go through periods of lots of short stays in many locations. This means lots of packing and unpacking and not feeling like we are getting to know a place properly. Instead, we just pass through.
Not having one consistent base for a few weeks or more isn’t really for us. That’s why we use house sitting so often and usually filter our searches for sits of more than a month.
Having to pack up and leave after only a few days and travel on to the next place is something we try to do as little as possible. It’s also pretty mentally taxing exploring a new place, a new situation, a new country, and getting to grips with everything. Doing this week after week will take its toll.
The Reality of Full Time Travel and Constant Movement
As UK citizens, the reality of full time travel is that there will always be an element of constant movement. Thanks to Brexit, we can only stay in the majority of Europe for 90 out of every rolling 180 days. The US too, only allows us to stay for 90 days each time before we have to leave.
We have to navigate these visa rules carefully and ensure we don’t overstay. It requires careful planning and means that 3 months is usually the maximum time we can stay in the US or Europe. Asia is a little more flexible. We stayed there for 7 months across 2023 and 2024 hopping around.
How We Deal With Constant Movement
Careful planning and having a backup plan help us mitigate the stresses that come with constantly being on the move.
Dealing With Constant Movement
- House sitting helps you stay longer. We love house sitting so when we are looking for an assignment we rarely consider anything shorter than a month. Trusted Housesitters has a great filter function that allows you to find these long term house sits. We’ve enjoyed 3-month sits in North Carolina, 6-weeks house sitting in France, and we have a 2-month house sit planned in Goolwa, Australia.
- Know your visa rules and regulations. With this knowledge, you can carefully plan your trip durations. Also knowing any loopholes will help you stay in an area for longer. Montenegro for example, is an amazing country that is not in the Schengen Zone of Europe. This means a stay there will not count towards your 90 days in the 180-day limit. There are hacks like this around, you just need to do your research!
- Get verified in advance. Make sure you have your visas sorted and approved before applying for any house sits, or paying for accommodation. We’ve had a couple of hosts contact us in a panic at the last minute because their confirmed house sitters had encountered visa issues and the whole sit arrangement was in jeopardy.
House Sitting Around the World
Before I close out this article, let me give you some final thoughts on house sitting. I’ve mentioned it a lot in this blog and that’s because in many ways being settled, and having a ‘home’ base has helped mitigate and alleviate many of the problems that can crop up with long term travel.
Our primary house sitting website is Trusted Housesitters, we use it for approximately 95% of our accommodation year-on-year. It provides us with enhanced experiences and saves us a fortune. You may be surprised to know there are currently around 8000 listings globally accepting applications on Trusted Housesitters.
Click here to join for free and start browsing the listings. You’ll need to be a full paying member to apply and complete an exchange but a membership with unlimited house sits starts at just $129/year. Plus, use our exclusive referral code BEACHES25 to receive a 25% discount at checkout. Click here to get started today.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A few realities of full time travel that need to be considered if anyone is seriously considering this kind of lifestyle. I hope this has inspired you rather than put you off any long term travel adventures as this way you can know more about what you are going into.
We certainly didn’t have these things nailed when we first started. Over time we have recognized these as ongoing things we need to navigate. As we get more experienced, I am sure we will encounter further tricky areas and obstacles. In many ways, getting over these challenges can make full time travel even more rewarding.
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