Over the course of a year, I traveled through Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Japan. (I still can't believe it)
What surprised most people wasn’t where I went, but how I did it.
I managed to spend ±€6000 (for 11 months!) even while constantly moving. Not by sacrificing experiences, but by learning how to travel smarter: leveraging free and heavily discounted flights, free/affordable accommodation, public transport instead of taxis, affordable local food, and dozens of small travel hacks that add up quickly.
Travel doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does require intention.
One thing I noticed again and again was how often people asked me:
“How are you doing this?” wishing they could do the same..
And every time, the same thought came up:
Everyone can do this, people just don't believe they can, nor do they know how.
Somewhere along the way, we’ve normalized staying stuck. Staying stuck in an environment that makes us unhappy... work we dread. Waiting for the “right time.” Waiting for others. Waiting for permission. Waiting for life to start later. After saving more. After working longer. After everything feels safe enough.
But traveling this way showed me how short life really is and how little we actually need to live fully and explore. Especially because we will never be this young, fit and healthy again.
That realization is exactly why I decided to start blogging now, and to finally commit to it (after the website has been live for 2 years oooops). Because I feel everyone deserves to enjoy life to the fullest and enjoy this beautiful world.
