*Many people are dreaming to go on a world trip their whole life. Having the absolute freedom and time to travel anywhere you want to. But what’s the reality like?*

What is it like to go on a world trip and travel for 7 months?

That’s something every one of my friends and people I talked to were the most curious about. Everyone’s trip will be different, but there are some similar stages you will go through. Here’s an idea for you what to expect and what I learned from it:

You will grow

I remember the day I finally started my world trip. For months I have been working towards this one goal of taking off on a plane with a backpack. Selling things, putting everything in storage, saying farewell to friends and family (see 10 things you need to do before going on a world trip). Working towards that one goal of starting the world trip.

Suddenly, it’s departure day. Dropping off my backpack, I felt like going on another vacation. The thought of leaving for 7 months - I just couldn’t grasp it. Sounded way too unreal. Sitting on the airplane taking off, I was filled with joy and excitement, realising that this goal I have been working towards for months and months and working so hard for - it became a reality!

Traveling slower helps you adapt to your new lifestyle

13 hours later the plane landed in Bangkok. The first couple of days still felt like another vacation. Enjoying everything to the fullest. Waking up early, working out, going to see another temple. Walking, taking in the buzzing city vibes, eating street food. When arriving on the beautiful island Koh Tao, slower pace, the beautiful beaches, and the chance to go diving drew me in. I was longing for a bit of time to get used to this new way of travel. Traveling with your backpack in Asia, taking planes, busses and ferries is exhausting. Unpacking my things for a longer time, taking time to arrive, and slowing down is what helps you to adapt.

Expect the unexpected

About 2 weeks into my trip, I started to realize that I don’t need to fly back home anytime soon. Wow, 7 months are going to feel like forever (!!) Soon, I had my first injury. Really frustrating. After seeing the doctor, I was stressed because I had to stop diving for a whole week. I didn’t know what to do with myself, to be honest. I was running, reading, and keeping myself busy. Couldn’t take a breather and always do something because - I mean I’m on Koh Tao I thought. I need to enjoy my time here and see things. I would have multiple illnesses and injuries during the trip. Things happen - you just need to accept, take a breather, and be patient with yourself.

Adapt to the culture much quicker

While traveling the beautiful island of Java, I started to enjoy hostel conversations and getting a chance to talk to locals. The great benefit of long-term traveling is that you can take the time to get to know the people and culture. Talking to locals became easier and I started to adapt to life in Asia more and more. Crazy traffic didn’t bother me anymore, I knew where to get the best street food and where to find the best laundry service. Usually, when you travel short term, you need some time to adapt and arrive in the new country. Luckily, when traveling nonstop, you will learn to adapt easily. That’s something you will always benefit from in the future.

Travel days will become part of your everyday

*Travel days can be long and exhausting. There’s no way around it!*

Vietnam. Every country in Asia has its similarities, but also many differences. For instance, in Vietnam, not many were speaking English. Ordering my first Banh Mi - just a product using Google Translate. Traveling to yet another destination started to become a part of everyday life. However, packing and unpacking, carrying your backpack on your way to the next hotel started to become one of my least favorite things to do. After travel days, try to keep your schedule free - you will need some time to recharge ;) That’s something I completely underestimated.

Feeling restless

I remember arriving in Sydney right before New Year, excited to experience a new continent. To my surprise, I enjoyed being in a more similar, western culture.

Things felt a bit more similar to what I was used to from back home. However, also unpleasant changes came up. Australia's prices were triple what I was used to in South East Asia. My budget was shrinking, therefore my diet changed from restaurant food to supermarket groceries and cereal bars.

Picking up the camper van felt like such a relief. Finally, I could have a bit of a Homebase. Could leave my backpack in one place. Traveling non-stop for 3 months, I personally needed a place to stay for a longer period than just 2 or 3 nights. Other travelers had a similar opinion. You can avoid a lot of stress by planning longer stays in between. That will stretch your bugdget (less transportation costs) and help you slow down.

You can’t plan it all

The first weeks in the campervan felt like a whole new trip. Such a pleasant change of travel. Just driving along the coast. Meeting other travelers and locals every night while cooking out of your own kitchen, enjoying beautiful nature and places. I felt much more independent - every day I could decide if I wanted to stay or continue driving. Didn’t have to rely on any bus tickets and didn’t have to book any domestic flights. Felt amazing.

Since I loved Camping life in Australia so much, I wanted to extend my trip and book another Camper afterward. Quickly, I had to realize that prices spiked and nothing was available. At that moment I was frustrated that I couldn’t extend my trip. The thing is, you just can’t plan everything and some things will not work out. Instead of feeling frustrated, try to think of another option that meets your needs. Eventually, I found another country to visit - looking back, maybe even better.

Routine is key

*Daily meditation and journaling really helped me creating a structure in my ever changing life*

Costa Rica. Living in Tamarindo for 3 weeks, enjoying the beach, going surfing, cooking food out of our little Airbnb kitchen.

Especially the first week, I felt really tired and restless. 6 months into the world trip, I traveled to countless destinations. Taken thousands of pictures. New influences and things to see every day. Slowly it came to me: I was longing for structure and consistency.

Eventually, I decided to set up a routine. Get up, make coffee, journal, meditate, surf, do yoga, eat, sleep repeat. The new routine helped me to get my energy levels back up and ready for the final part of my trip. For anyone planning to go on a world trip: I can highly recommend downloading the mindfulness Calm App and taking your I pad or notebook to write down your thoughts and experiences. Very helpful to keep your mind present.

Stay spontaneous

Road trip along the West Coast of the US. I feel excited to yet see another country. By now, I know what I like seeing and the way I like to travel. I avoid huge crowds of tourists and do not feel bad about missing out on another great location. Instead, I handpick one activity. Looking back, some of the best experiences of my world trip happened spontaneously. Not on a tour, but when I was just going wherever I felt drawn to. Talking to the Mom at our local Airbnb. Learning new Indonesian words with some great people sitting next to me. Waiting in the rain, talking to a local about his good life. If you allow yourself to stay spontaneous, you will collect some unforgettable memories.

Time will fly

Sitting at the airport, about to board the plane back home. I can’t believe that this world trip is coming to an end. Seemed like yesterday when it started. Going back to normal life? No way, I’m thinking. This world trip changed me.

I feel much more confident in who I am and what I want in life. After seeing what’s out there, I know that there’s so much more to discover. I realize that people all around are not that different and that there’s beautiful nature out there that we need to preserve. Even though so many things turned out so much differently than expected, this has been the trip of a lifetime.

Would you dare travel for 7 months? Anything you would add?

Traveling long term - what is it like?