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The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you...
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you.
Okay, well would you mind being woken at 4am by the piercing brightness of a phone torch?
How would you like having to go the bathroom every time you wish to change your outfit?
And is it a dream of yours to listen to the snoring (and other ablutions) of not just one, but maybe 2, 3, 4 or 8 strangers?
Well then my friend, hostel dorm living is for you!
It's not all bad though....
Do you also like the prospect of having good, empathetic company, when you want it, and alone time when you need it?
Do you like sharing your stories and life experiences with like-minded individuals?
Well then, yet again, hostel living will bring something uniquely awesome to your travelling life.
For all the up's and downs, nuisances and annoyances that hostel life can bring, we have still contentedly lived in the same hostel for over a month now, and it truly has become home.
Some people hate every moment of not having their own space or being surrounded by people coming and going at all hours, but after 4 months in a somewhat lonely house-share in Noosa, we are firmly not in the hostel hate camp.
We have a unique situation here in Cairns in that we work for our accommodation; we get free access to everything in our well-equipped hostel in return for 4 hours work every other day. We might currently sleep in separate bunks, an interesting scenario for a couple...but we still feel like we are getting extremely good value for our small contribution of time.
Beyond the financial aspect of getting free or cheaper accommodation, and the logistics of having everything we would have in a house-share (and then some) its also just pretty darn cool.
You meet so many people who you bond with, or can just share a chat with when you want to. There are nights out that you don't feel obligated to go along on, but you'll be welcomed openly if you do.
There's a social atmosphere but no associated pressure or judgement; you truly can be yourself, do your own thing but also stave off homesickness or loneliness if you need to.
On the flip-side of all this, you certainly have to practise tolerance for the different levels of inconsiderate behaviour you will undoubtedly encounter.
When you put 50+ people in a smallish space you are going to get irritated by the differing habits of others, but in trying to be a bit more understanding of my fellow travellers, I have a few tips for how to counter the moments where you want to commit a sass attack on someone who's doing an iphone light-show in your pitch-black dorm at 4.25 am (yep, it's happened, more than once).
The Basics
If you have never ever stayed in a hostel before, most of them are very similar in culture but often different in vibe.
The main two types you will come across are the party hostel, and the non-party smaller and cosier hostel that is still cultivating of a social atmosphere, and this type is our favourite.
To name just one like this in Australia, there's the Flying Fox in the Blue Mountains, which had pasta nights and a cosy sitting room with a 3 hour internet ban each evening to encourage social interaction which led to some hilarious conversation and games.
Our current hostel, Globetrotters in Cairns, doesn't go so far as to cut the internet cord but still cultivates a warm and homely atmosphere that makes people not want to leave.
Its TV/gaming area, sofas, pool garden, hammocks, quiz night and free BBQ/daily breakfast are all part of its appeal; its attention to these details of comfort are the secret to its success above the more party-oriented hostels in the clubbing mecca of Cairns.
Free BBQ!! They even include some vege stuff for us :D
Somewhere along the way you will find hostels with very little personality, well-run but often too big or tightly managed to feel like a home.
You will also find the hostels where cleanliness hasn't been made top priority and you feel dirtier after you shower than when you went in...
Checking In
When you check into a hostel you may need to hand over a deposit for your room key and also for basic utensils to cook with, and then in others you will find a fully-stocked kitchen heavily reliant on a guest trust system.
Many hostels have a free-for-all on fridge space and you find yourself squeezing your overflowing food bag into any free gap only for it to be moved by someone.
Our current hostel has a pretty cool system of having fridge lockers which mean your food is far more secure and yet easier to access when you need to.
Quite often hostel receptions have specific check-out and check-in hours and many do not have 24-hour receptions meaning its wise to research these things ahead of rocking up to a hostel door at 6am or trying to check out at a similarly early hour.
Security
It's always wise to make use of hostel lockers, so be sure to bring along a couple of your own locks, but if your hostel doesn't have these, then make sure you put your valuables out of sight, possibly locked away in your backpack under your bed.
If things are out of sight then of course you will detract the opportunist thief but it will give you piece of mind when you leave your room to go out for the day.
When it comes to food, the same idea applies, in that if you don't want a human or ant or cockroach to feast on your banana, keep it bagged up and out of reach. Often though, especially in fridges in kitchens far away from your dorm room, you might be the target of a thief, and they might just go for your new fresh nob of butter (not that I'm holding a grudge or anything...).
Short of putting locks even on your fridge bag, the best thing is to label all your food items clearly and then tie them up in a labelled bag. If your food has your name on it in big black marker pen it's going to dissuade the cheeky ones who will openly use stolen goods in the kitchen.
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Late Nights
Some hostels have a strict policy against all noise/ in-hostel drinking at night and the threat of being ejected for being too rowdy is always there.
Our current hostel has a night manager throughout the evening so things are kept a close eye on, but some hostels we've stayed at before have let people run riot in the corridors and keep everyone awake all night; that's a frustrating and expensive night of absolutely zero sleep we've had the privilege to experience more than a few times.
Pro tip, eye masks and ear-plugs, but also be sure to read hostel reviews before you visit them as commenters will remark on if that hostel is a good one for sleeping or for partying.
Cooking
So as I mentioned earlier, many hostels require a deposit for utensils and others rely on a trust system of you using their stuff, cleaning it and not pilfering the silver-wear...
When we cook we always keep our stuff together and try not to sprawl out on the kitchen-side and put off anyone else wanting to cook; this isn't your own home, even if it sometimes feels like it, so don't act as if there's no-one else also paying for use the facilities.
Take your food scraps out of the sink after you wash-up, wipe the side down and don't let your milk leak in the fridge!
You might argue that hardly anyone else abides by these courtesies but in hostels you can very much lead by example; the dirtiest kitchens we saw were down to one person after another not doing even a cursory post-cooking clean and so nobody else wanted to either.
Showering
At home you might have favoured 10 minutes standing under the shower before you even began to wash your hair but if you do that in a busy hostel, you are gonna annoy people.
Many hostels suggest you stick to 5 minute showers which aren't always realistic but we try and aim to be done quick some days and then maybe have a longer shower another day, which is especially important in a dorm where 10 people are sharing one shower.
Don't leave behind your shower gels and shampoos for the next person to trip over (or nick) and grab those dirty undies too!
Luggage
Some travellers are content with one big backpack and a smaller bag which they can neatly squirrel under their bed, and then other travellers prefer 4-5 bags, and it's all good, we are all entitled to do our thing!
However, a dorm is not a walk in wardrobe as many think it is...it is a shared space where people don't want to have to side-step your case in the middle of the walk-way.
Its cool if you have a ton of stuff, just try to keep it to one zone and respect the personal space of others.
That's our room, the staff dorm. Our beds are the two in the centre. Taran on top, Hannah on the bottom...It looks cluttered but its kept tidy and clean!
Social Life
The best part about hostel life is of course the people you meet. There's an automatic common ground among the different nationalities and personalities in the melting pot of a hostel which makes it easy to talk and have fun.
There's definitely the feeling of all being in the same boat, doing similar trips and excursions and often living off noodles when your out of work, spending hours attached to a laptop trying to change that situation, and then of course the nights out where the drinks help bond you even further.
The only difficult aspect of this is that people constantly move on and leave, sometimes before you can get to know each other, and sometimes just as you've truly forged a relationship.
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, its not like all contact will be lost, and you can still observe each others travels and lives from afar, but it still feels sad at the time.
Eventually you do get more used to the goodbyes which come as often as the hello's, and over time I think it makes you a more open, friendly and compassionate individual, which almost makes the wrench of constant change a worthwhile part of hostel life.
All of the above advice boils down to: don't be a rude idiot with no self-awareness...
I get that many people travelling for the first time don't set out to be the annoying or ignorant hostel guest; for some its a hard balance of being comfortable and yourself in a hostel space, whilst also remembering that you aren't in your own home or bedroom where your own rules apply.
We have found over time that you definitely don't have to live in a state of unease amidst concerns over all the above hostel issues, and eventually you will learn how to happily cohabit with a building full of different people to the point that you feel no desire to leave.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
Camping a lot over the past year and half has taught us some valuable tips for how to travel comfortably yet with minimal gear.
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
As nomadic minimalists, we prides ourselves on travelling light; for the sake our backs and our budget.
But you may wonder how on earth do we camp, despite not owning a vehicle of any type, and travelling often via hitch-hiking?
During our 2 years in Australia, when we have set-up home in a hostel or a house-share, we do gain a few more kitchen/cooking items and other random living things, which we promptly ditch and donate when we move on again.
We accept that there will be some amount of pain involved in lugging around our entire lives plus our home (a 2 berth tent) plus an inflatable bed (and pump), but we try to make it as easy as we can.
In the UK, we camped a lot, and thankfully we had a car to fill with kitchen-ware and other gear, but it always felt like a such a task preparing all the stuff, ticking off check-lists and ultimately feeling weighed down, when camping was supposed to be a simpler and cheaper way to experience travel.
Over the last 2 years traversing the East Coast of Australia we have picked up invaluable knowledge on how it is certainly possible to camp, without a car, as a frugal and nomadic minimalist.
The two main fundamentals are: having a comfortable tent, and the baggage room to carry your accessories.
Its not about adding lots of separate bulky baggage and thus needing another two arms attached to your body in order to get from place to place.
These 8 minimalist camping tips will help you travel and camp without the aid of a vehicle and without completely sacrificing comfort!
DON'T PICK A TENT TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
We made the initial error of purchasing a quality tent which also happened to be the size of a coffin when you insert two people and their two rather large backpacks. The tent was very much designed for short-term hiking, not potential week-long camping stays.
We returned this one, purchased a slightly larger tent, and have never looked back.
With our bed inside there is still room at the foot for your shoes etc plus a small separate zipped compartment for other items.
I still occasionally lust after tents with more stand-up room but they are so much larger and heavier, when really you will only use that headroom a when entering/exiting the tent.
Don't try to save weight by buying a tiny tent, or add tent room by buying a bigger one;go for the tent that you can happily sleep in or sit in during bad weather.
We found out the hard way by spending a week in this 'coffin'...
CARRY GROUND-SHEETS
We have had a couple of incredibly annoying incidents where the ground water seeped through our tent and not only damaged the bottom of it, but also made everything inside super wet. This is pretty uncomfortable to deal with when you are already tolerating bad weather during a camping session and so you need to keep the tent as dry inside as possible.
We carry two tarpaulins which just about cover the tent's footprint. We place both underneath covering the length and width of the tent, with a little poking out the front to leave our shoes on throughout the day. It keeps the tent base cleaner, protected from the various terrains we pitch on.
However this has in the past created some pooling which has made the tent wetter inside than it might have been without the tarp, as our floor material is a thin and non-waterproof material...in this scenario, where the ground is hard/concrete (and thus has minimal drainage) you might want to skip ground-sheets.
You could also use the tarp as the base for a cooking or picnic area outside your tent if the weather or ground is dry.
These tarp's easily roll-up and attach to the outsides of our bags and due to their small size, they really do not add extra weight.
When you invest in a decent tent, naturally you want to protect it, and so we really recommend this tip in order to maintain the integrity of your new home.
CONSIDER WHERE THE SUN WILL RISE
Australia is unsurprisingly hot, and as soon as that bad boy rises in the morning, your tent will become an oven, which can make a nice leisurely lie-in an impossibility.
We don't necessarily select a shaded spot from the get-go, but instead, we consider the path of the sun and where it will rise in the morning and try to cook us.
To help you do this you can actually download an app onto your phone, and we specifically use Starchart which you can hold up and fast-forward the clock on it to see where the sun will rise the coming morning!
The great thing about camping is often the pattern you fall into of sleeping as the sun sets and waking when it comes up, but let's be real, you won't always feel like seeing every single sun-rise.
TRAVEL WITH MINIMAL FOOD
We tend to rely on buying our meal supplies in the local area in which we camp, so we tend to steer away from carry oodles of fresh ingredients. We do however carry dried foods (pasta/rice/noodles) and sauce sachets, in the event of getting to our campsite at night and needing an easy meal to prep.
We don't carry heavy items like olive oil (we often borrow fellow campers) or bulky items like cereal. We carry all of our foods in a re-usable fabric shopping bag (just from the local supermarket) and so we have to be selective about what snacks we carry. We tend to favour snack bars, banana's and packs of multiples like crackers or nuts.
Be prepared to go without your absolute favourite foods each day, and try to buy smaller portions of fruit/veg as these don't fair too great being taken in and out the fridge (plus they are often heavy).
USE COMBINATION LOCKS
You will never regret carrying a couple of these babies around, not only handy for when you are staying in a hostel without personal lockers (or with them) but for when you are leaving your tent unattended all day.
We tend to lock up valuables in one of our big backpacks when we head out, and we also lock the zipper on the tent with a 2nd combi-lock.
It might seem extreme and also utterly pointless as any determined thief will rip through the mesh to get to the goods, but, in many places you feel safe or comfortable enough to leave valuables in your tent around other campers, and so this is merely for piece of mind.
I do have some trust in those around me but I still cover my own back and deter the opportunist or nosey!
UTILIZE CAMP KITCHENS
Many proper camp-sites in Australia will have a camp kitchen for tent campers, often equipped with a fridge, cooker and basic other items like a kettle and toaster, possibly even some utensils.
If you are tempted to carry a camp-stove, several gas refills etc be aware that you may end up just using these kitchens and render those other heavy and bulky items useless.
MAKE USE OF CARABINER CLIPS
This is just a general tip for carrying backpacks and extra gear but we love to use these to help attach our tent and other specific camping bits onto our packs.
Handy for attaching sleeping bags, tarps and even a snorkel kit, these maximize the external surface area of your large backpack.
HAVE A SPARE BLANKET
You probably think this kind of bulk negates the whole minimal camping idea, but, Australia does get chilly from time to time, and even a warm day can turn cold with a swift breeze, so you will benefit from carrying a lightweight blanket in addition to your sleeping bags.
This can surely beat carrying several hoodies/jumpers, thick socks, joggers and other bulky items, or so we have found!
This is useful for multiple purposes, as either a throw over for sitting around the fire, or it can be rolled up as an extra pillow. We found that some nights we were so cold in our tent it was great to have something to wrap up in to make a quick trip to the bathroom, or to pull over the top of our thin sleeping bags.
The reality is that camping can be, shall we say, stressful for a couple whom spend all day, every day in one another's company.
Many miles from home, sharing a tiny space with your other half 24/7, is the struggling part of camping that you cannot minimize.
Nonetheless we try not to get too angry at the little things and not worry over the small stuff, like sand in the tent, or mess, or a less than stellar washing up job.
The beauty of camping is in the relative freedom of being to create your own private little home in a matter of minutes, in a myriad of different and beautiful settings. Plus the budget savvy nomadic minimalist is always looking for ways to get close to nature and in the thick of the travel atmosphere without it costing too much.
We do try to balance out our trip with hostel stays, couch-surfing and air b'n'b's along the way to prevent all out war occurring however!
Camping can be such a bonding and relaxing experience if you focus on enjoying the sunrise waking, the animals sniffing around at 3am, the birdsong and the fresh air moving through your tent that beats any air-con.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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We Are All Human: Finding Peace In A Troubled World
Sitting and wondering about our origins, marvelling at the world and space, is something which makes all the horrendous wars and acts of selfish violence, seem so incredibly irrelevant.
We Are All Human: Finding Peace In A Troubled World
*This post, originally published in 2014, has been slightly updated to reflect recent current events and in 2016 its message remains very apt*
In 2014, Taran and I watched the BBC series, Human Universe, which follows Professor Brian Cox (a famous English physicist and now TV guy) discussing the origins of the human race, our evolution from 'ape-man to spaceman', and how remote communities in Ethiopia are where it all began.
Asides from being generally interesting, talking about how the primate evolved into the humans of today, and how our brain's have enlarged yet the capacity has remained the same for thousands of years etc, it also got me thinking a bit deeply about the state of affairs in our current world.
The horrid awfulness and remarkable inequality that is occurring out there is something I ended up dwelling on when I could of just been thinking "oh monkey, monkeys are cute. Look at Brian's wrinkle-free face. I love him".
Alas I decided to get all angry and confused.
I personally feel fortunate for being relatively untouched by many of the worst things happening daily, when so many others are in the thick of it, losing their homes, families, lives.
But it is a sad truth; many nasty things are happening in the world, but they always have and they always will.
The same old, same old.
We haven't always been faced with such horror; cowering in fear of international terrorists, facing an uncertain future, surrounded by complex conflict. Oh wait, we did that, during the cold war.
Society moves in cycles of war, resolution, and new beginnings.
Going back many moons ago there were different threats; we were scared of Spanish flu (rightly so in retrospect) and witchcraft (not so justified), but the bigger society has become, the more a climate of fear we enter into.
Is it because the world is scarier? Well, somewhat. But more now than ever before, it appears and feels a lot scarier.
Social media and communication technology break down geographical borders but also remove any camouflage; today's world does not support living in ignorant bliss. It does however lead to a raft of new conversations, debates and disagreements around how the world should be run; it simultaneously motivates the liberal and bolsters the conservative.
Emotion is what underpins much of these debates, from fear, that turns to hate that becomes harmful words and actions. Donald Trump is a product of this kind of terrified and illogical society.
Going back to the start.
Let's go back in time a bit, to the days Brian Cox talks about, the very dawn of our existence, when we were living basic lives which were based around literally making it one day to the next.
We would have faced human conflict on a far smaller scale, but we also would have been seeking the best way to survive by co-existing, sharing skill-sets and forming relationships.
We sought out ways to grow and thrive, and we did.
But fast-forward to now and it's evident, with evolving comes a whole host of complication.
Sitting and wondering about our origins, marvelling at the world and space, is something which makes all the horrendous wars and acts of selfish violence, seem so incredibly small, pointless and utterly devoid of meaning.
The average citizen wants to lead an uncomplicated life with love at the center, but then whole swathes of those people have to contend with war, poverty, famine, terrorism, displacement and then, the fear and prejudice of others, often those they aspire to live alongside and share in their relative comfort.
When we desire to malign and curtail the simple desire of those who want a chance at happiness and safety in their brief lifetime upon this earth, we are, for want of a better phrase, being fucking assholes.
When we do so due to religious differences or racial ignorance, we are being uneducated fearful assholes.
Imagine all the people, living life in peace.
The lyrical articulation of this vision that I have, from the late and very great John Lennon, is one of complete simplicity, a fact I do recognize.
So call me naive and simplistic if you wish.
Maybe I see the world from a comfortable and safe place, and so the ugliness can seem nonsensical and pointless to me; I am not directly experiencing and witnessing what goes on in war-torn cities, so of course I can't relate to it or fully understand it.
I am not religious so I am not laying down my life to fight for some imagined almighty. I am not taking a weapon in my hands to defend myself or those I love.
I am not one of the victims of the worst atrocities that others in my privileged position are inflicting pain upon, actions informed by complex dysfunction.
I am simply not right amongst the troubles in the world but they are close and sometimes they feel like they are only getting closer.
For only so long can the world place importance on something other than fixing the inherent problems killing its people in all corners, not the just the white or rich ones.
The only solution
When looking at the world from the eyes of an innocent and inquisitive child, who stares at the night-sky, enchanted, we step back in time, to what the very first humans did . A child (whether today or 200,000 years ago), isn't born accustomed to tragedy and complication, it simply wishes to live, learn, grow and love.
All of us deeply seek contentment and should seek for all those around us.
Many of us are watching from the sidelines, powerless and at the same time powerful. If we live our lives positively and consciously, then that's how we create power and influence. That's how generations before us have nudged along progress and sought to keep good winning over evil.
In truth, the battle between good and bad is entirely within the individual and the choices they make each and every day.
To judge, or to try to understand?
To discriminate or to treat everyone as our equals?
To recognize the humanity in a stranger like we would in the eyes of our own children, or to focus on only our own self-interest?
Seeing the beauty of the world and embracing that, not hatred, racism, conflict, religious extremism and political quarrels, is the only way to live out your life with authenticity.
If you believe you can achieve contentment and fulfilment whilst ignoring your role in the destiny of other people's happiness, well, I don't see you ever getting there.
We must endeavour to be aware and educated, on many topics, and be aware of how we can make a difference to the world.
Short of giving our whole lives in the pursuit of a sustainable and eco-friendly world, or 'world peace' or an end to world hunger, it takes more than just one person to fix things, but it's a good place to begin.
Care, and speak up about why everyone around you should to.
Seek to understand that which frightens you, instead of destroying or imprisoning it (or them).
For me personally, I want travel to mean more than just sleeping and eating in different countries. I want travel to help me live this way wholeheartedly.
Leaving my physical comfort zone I want to know the places and the people I share this planet with. I want to share in the universal human experience.
Experiencing travel may be a selfish thing, only available to the privileged, which mostly fulfils your own happiness and focuses on your own self-development. Yet when we engage with different cultures, we are closer to supporting those who need us, and we are no longer simply living each day in a safe bubble, ignoring those far-away communities we consider alien.
It's a unifying force, travelling.
I am in a privileged position with access to money, education and thus travel. But anyone, absolutely ANYONE, in any circumstance, can acknowledge how special and insane our existence is, and appreciate that our time on this planet is far too short to fill with misery.
To try and lead a happy life is not to ignore the pain of others, it is to embrace others but also the beauty that is found in every forest, on every coastline, in every ancient ruin.
True and selfless happiness is found in looking to the past, living in (and cultivating) the present and making a better future.
Witnessing and taking in all that makes us human and all that makes this world so spectacular, is to pay respect to all those who came before us and pave the way for all those yet to arrive.
Travel (and live) with heart and give your time, love and thought to the world, in whatever way you can, because at our core, us humans are good, and we all have the same capacity for love; it can always be found, tended to and it can grow, as fast as any conflict; we are our own worst enemy but also our only saving grace.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Recommended Reads:
Cairns: A Different Kind of Settled Life
After a few weeks of breaking free from the routine of our house-share in Noosa and travelling once again, we...
Cairns Life: A Different Kind of Settled Life
After a few weeks of breaking free from the routine of our house-share in Noosa and travelling once again, we have already found ourselves settled, but this time, in the tropical North, in Cairns.
We did the whole camper-van-trip to explore Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest (both beautiful), eventually bringing our weary selves back to a hostel in Cairns to chill, armed with some of our best photographs (and memories).
An awesome Daintree sunset!
We didn't just stop for a few short days of rest however. What we ended up doing was joining a waiting list to get work for accommodation in a homely hostel called Globetrotters, and soon, began applying for paid jobs too.
Here we are 2 weeks later, and I've struck lucky already securing a job relatively quickly, and we also both now happily work in the hostel to pay for our beds.
Money, for once, isn't horrifically tight. In Noosa, because we were working and paying rent we had less margin for frivolous spending, or even just minor treats, which we have definitely been able to relax on whilst in Cairns.
Taran recently had his birthday, and I treated him to pizza at a traditional Italian restaurant, and then the next day, we took a ride on a jet-boat which was surprisingly fun and super invigorating.
Yes, we have very swiftly found ourselves establishing a repetitive routine of living, fixed to one place, but we have chosen to do this in a bustling hostel, where many other travellers have made a comfortable home. We have set up a new temporary base in an environment where we feel connected, in-touch with others, in a way that was sorely lacking in Noosa.
We have chosen a city that offers easy access to lots of outdoor activities and trips. If we hadn't already ventured into the Atherton Tablelands or traversed the Rainforest, we could easily do so, or if we want, we can do it again.
Just a few steps out of our hostel and we can walk along the busy esplanade, enjoy the surrounding green mountains, observe the occasional street performer and then relax at the weekend markets and watch a band play.
We have tried to cultivate this time to not simply work and save, as we did in Noosa, but to try and be social, build some less transient but more relaxed friendships, and enjoy truly being amongst our fellow travellers.
Many people here share many similarities with us. Many of them are British, but the thing most obvious to us is that those we have met here are like copies of us a year ago, or us 6 months ago; everyone is at a different stage of their own personal journey in Australia, some of which we have ourselves been through.
Some travellers have done their farm work, as we have, whilst others spend their days permanently attached to their laptops as they desperately seek that elusive job which will grant them a 2nd year visa.
Many are working hard saving up to enjoy parts of Australia that we have languished in for over 16 months, with tales of the places we are yet to see.
Our two weeks of non-stop travel satisfied the wanderlust that had grown during our quiet time in Noosa and so our new time of settled life is certainly feeling different to that phase already. We know we can do day-trips to the reef (already having snorkelled Michaelmas Cay) or trips inland to ride horses and explore waterfalls, if we truly want to.
This little guy posed so perfectly for us!
We are in the proximity of amazing activities, most of which we were able to do within our 10-day camper trip, but that doesn't mean we want to swiftly move onto the next thing. We just love the slow pace in our hostel, the hammocks in the palm-lined garden, and the friendly atmosphere amongst the long-termers, versus the hectic movement of some travellers on shorter itineraries and smaller budgets.
The way you view time during your travels is important; you could plan everything to the nth degree and leave no margin for free time, but alternatively, you could endeavour to experience more than just these tried-and-tested tourist experiences.
Travelling slower, pausing more and allowing somewhere to become home, can lead to something entirely more fun, relaxed and ultimately, help you forge a deeper connection to other people and their experiences, in-turn deepening your own memories beyond a reem of photographs and ticked-off to-do-lists.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
LATEST POSTS:
14 Photos That Will Inspire You To Travel
Travel might be a great way to meet new people, grow, discover adventure, and learn about yourself, but primarily, its a feast for the eyes and the soul.
14 Photos That Will Inspire you to Travel
Travel might be a great way to meet new people, grow, discover adventure, and learn about yourself, but primarily, its a feast for the eyes and the soul.
We have brought together some amazing photographers from around the world who have captured it in all its majesty. We hope these photos will awaken your desire to wander and see it all for yourself.
// United States Of America
Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park in California - a bit of a hike up from the bottom, but definitely worth the effort! - Laurence Norah is the author of Finding the Universe, a travel & photography blog, as well as the Superstar Blogging Photography course, where he shares his photography tips and tricks with the world.
// Australia
Here is a photo we snapped while on Magnetic Island, Australia, during one the the best sunsets we have ever seen! It definitely helped that the scenery around us was so picturesque.
// Russia
"This was taken at the spiritual Shaman Rock on Olkhon Island in the middle of Lake Baikal. Olkhon Island didn't have running water until very recently and most hostels didn't have it installed when I visited, so I spent three days using outdoor squat toilets in -30 degrees Celsius and brushing my teeth with sparkling bottled water. TIP: When walking on the frozen lake, remember to look closely under the ice for fish swimming below you!" Moomads.
// Chile & Argentina
"This photo was taken on top of Paso de Jama, a main road connecting Chile with Argentina. Since we first came to the Andes we have been astonished by their beauty. Although they can look relatively barren, the rock formations are often so colourful that they can take your breath away. The air is extremely clean, so you often get clear blue skies of unbelievable vibrancy and crystal-clear reflections in lagoons." Dare2Go
// Australia
Whitehaven Beach on the east coast of Australia, some of the clearest waters in the world coupled with some of the whitest sand in the world. Its a combination that makes this place the perfect beach.
// Faroe Islands, part of Denmark
"Driving around the Faroe Island is a slow and time consuming matter - not because the roads are bad, but because the landscapes are simply too beautiful to be true, and you'll want to stop around every bend to take a picture. The weather in the Faroes is cold and rainy pretty much year round - as a result, the grass is the greenest we've seen, and there are waterfalls literally everywhere. This is Gásadalur waterfall, next to the village of the same name, and barely 10 km drive from the international airport. It was the first place we visited during our recent trip to the Faroe Islands - it is one of the most photographed locations in the country, spectacular year round and in all kinds of weather." The Crowded Planet
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// Egypt
"This shot is of Khafe Pyramid in Giza - as a history lover seeing the Great Pyramids in Egypt was one of my favourite travel experiences this past year!" Jessica Norah is the writer at Independent Travel Cats, a travel blog focused on couples travel, travel history, and luxury travel.
// The Galapagos Islands
"The Galapagos Islands; where the land is made from fire, the birds can't fly, and the lizards live underwater (some of the time anyway). Nothing here quite makes sense" Lisle Gywnn
// Mexico
"This photo is of the gorgeous Cenote X'Canche which is located just 1.5 miles from the Mayan Ruins of Ek Balam in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Visiting this cenote after exploring the ruins makes for a perfect day trip. I absolutely loved swimming in the vibrant turquoise-coloured freshwater with lots of little black catfish. My friends and I were the only ones there which made for such a tranquil and magical atmosphere." Brittany Thiessen.
// Australia
We took this beauty at sunrise on a quiet beach in Cape Hillborough, Australia. We had heard via word-of-mouth that it was a great place to see kangaroos in the wild, and as you can see it truly didn't disappoint!
// Iran
"Roaming through the grassy hills outside Palangan, a mountain village in Iranian Kurdistan. Rippling grasses, blue skies, and fields filled with shockingly red poppies make Kurdistan one of Iran's most charming and colourful regions." Lost With Purpose
// Hungary
"After visiting many cities across Europe, Budapest is without a doubt our favourite city. There is so much to see and do and the history and architecture of the city are interesting to say the least. This is our favourite picture from our time there, looking across over to Pest and Margaret island from Fisherman Bastion." Flashpacking Duo
// Chile
Torres Del Paine national park. This stunningly diverse landscape in Chile's Patagonia region was captured by our good friend Chie.
// Mongolia
"Wild horses roam the Mongolian steppe at sunset, just outside of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar." NOMADasaurus
Need more inspiring?!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Essential Information For Backpackers In Australia
I've decided it's time to set the record straight on a few things and answer all those random questions I hear about employment, 2nd year visas and tax.
Essential Information for Backpackers in Australia: Visa's, tax and employment
We've been in Australia for 1.5 years, so of course we are experts now...
Hah! we still have much to see and learn, but moving between hostels and being around fellow travellers, having experienced working holiday life for so long now, we hear many of them asking the same questions repeatedly, and we often have the answers.
I get not everyone does a lot of research prior to coming to Australia, winging it a tad, and many might have been misinformed along the way, so, I've decided it's time to set the record straight on a few things and answer all those random questions I hear about employment, 2nd year visas and tax.
Tax
Working in Australia of course involves paying tax. When arriving in Australia we recommend that apply for your TFN straight away; technically you have 28 days after beginning a job to apply for one, but its much easier to have it already.
Your TFN, a tax file number, is uniquely assigned to your person and you then quote it to employers so that they can correctly file your taxes.
For years now, backpackers have been able to get back the tax they pay on their earnings, seeing that many are only here for a short duration in the scheme of things.
However, you may be aware that the Aussie government is pushing to stop all of us from being able to get back the tax, which we currently pay at a rate of 32.5%.
As a working-holiday-maker, who does nothing but spend in this country (and ironically spend my tax return in the tourism industry) this is a really sucky proposal. Many working holiday makers pass through this country only spending, never utilizing the health-care system etc.
I find it very odd that an affluent country who has whole industries reliant on the money of eager travellers, who want to stick around, work and most importantly, spend, wants to essentially punish those individuals by withholding massive amounts of their hard-earned cash.
But anyway, that's a whole other discussion...
At current there is no legislation drafted (as of August 2016) and so this move may be a while off, or, in the same terrible fashion as last year, when they brought in an end-date to wwoofing for a 2nd year visa with only a week's notice, this change really could come in at any point.
Either way, if you have been in Australia for more than 6-months between July 2015 and July 2016, and spend a fair bit of that time in employment, then you paid tax, which you can get back between between July and October 2016, by submitting a tax return online.
Many companies will offer to do all this for you, minus a $70-100 fee... But I did it the usual way, going it alone for free, and it took 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES.
How To Get Your Tax Back
Go to the website mygov. You may already have a mygov account linked to previous visa applications etc. If not, then create an account.
After creating an account, a page will come up stating 'Linked services'. You want to link up your mygov account to the ATO (the people with all your tax).
This may involve a short phone call to the ATO to confirm your identity, but its a clearly guided process on the website on how to do this.
You are now ready to submit you're return. Locate where it says 'Lodge a return'.
Fill in the fields accordingly. You DO NOT need your payment summaries to do this, as you should be able to locate the key figures of GROSS INCOME and GROSS TAX PAID from your last or latest payslip for each job you've had/are currently doing, up until the July 1st 2016 cut-off point. Your payslip should always display the pay received that date, and the total received in the Year-To-Date plus the tax paid in the YTD. Your payment summary will either be sent to the ATO by your employer, or sent to you, and it will show the same figures. So for example, I was able to use the last payslip from a job I had until January, and then for the job I was doing in June, I just used my last payslip received for work prior to July 1st.
You should receive tax back within 1-2 weeks from lodging the return. Ensure your bank details are correct, or someone else might up with your 000's!
Superannuation
Yes, the government takes some tax (and in the future, would like to keep hold of it) but you also get the added bonus of paying 'Super'.
Your employer should pay a small amount each pay-date (an amount equal to 9.5% of your total salary) into your own super fund. You need to open a super account for them to send it to, almost like enforced but painless saving, and when you leave Australia for good, you can draw the money out.
There are many companies offering super accounts, but we went with First State Super, opening an entirely free account. Your super company will invest your money either along with the market conditions, or you can choose how to invest it. We more or less chose the simplest options when opening the accounts and our money is managed solely by the account provider.
2nd Year Visa
Last year, 1 month into living and working on a farm, the government abruptly announced that wwoofing (unpaid voluntary work where food and accommodation are provided in return for labour) would no longer be accepted regional work eligible for a 2nd year visa.
We launched into a rant about it here on the blog, garnering a lot of social media attention. We also eventually submitted a paper to go to government with the WWOOF Australia guys, to support the case for it to stay as an accepted work type.
Luckily for us, the new rules didn't take effect until after we had finished our farm stint, but unfortunately for others, those big changes, still happened. It's competitive enough for people to find paid farm work and fruit-picking that isn't dehumanizing and tough beyond all reason, so this really has fuelled that fire.
As it stands, from December 1st 2015, applicants had to submit payslips as evidence in the visa application process, so basically, farmers would have to start coughing up money they didn't have, or face losing willing and able workers. Workers on the other hand would then miss out on meeting great farming families who depended upon them to thrive.
Securing Farm work or Fruit-picking
The best way to get your 2nd-year visa work hasn't changed. You still need to be looking, enquiring and researching. From Facebook groups, to specialist farming job websites, through to sites like backpackerjobs, TAW, indeed.com, and good old gumtree, jobs will be listed across these places regularly.
It can never hurt to ask around if you are staying in a hostel in an area where there might be eligible regional work, enquiring with the hostel staff or your fellow travellers who may have already completed their paid farm work.
Research the different crops and their seasons in Australia to locate where and what needs farming, and when.
As you can see, our farm work involved a lot of nuts...
Eligible Regional Areas and Postcodes: The postcode is super important!
As per the needs of the agricultural sector in Australia, your regional work has to be just that, in the countryside often far away from major cities.
It can't just be anywhere in the sticks, however, as there is a definitive list of the exact postcodes, where work is eligible, corresponding to the different Australian states. Check here for even more details.
It is helpful to have your own transport to physically get to the farm work and also have the mobility to get away from it before you get cabin fever, but it's not a deal-breaker. For us we were lucky enough to get to our farm with the help of a friend, and whilst on the farm we were extremely fortunate to have access to a so-called 'backpacker car' which we used to get our groceries.
During communications with your farm, if it is particularly far from civilisation, it is worthwhile asking how getting groceries etc will work.
Will there be any phone reception so you can contact home? Will your accommodation be separate and comfortable?
I firmly disagree that in order to secure your 2nd year, you have to be blind-sighted and then suffer sub-par conditions and complete isolation; you should at least know what you are going into before you make a commitment.
If you have any questions, not answered here, or want me to expand on any of the above, comment below!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Chasing Waterfalls In A Spaceship
We have, until now, relied on hitching and ride-share's to get around...
Chasing Waterfalls In A Spaceship
Australia's roads are dominated by grey nomads in their swish motorhomes, holiday-makers in there 4x4's loaded with gear, and finally, by many a camper-van, hired or owned, shuttling travellers the length and breadth of the land.
With vastly warm and dry weather (outside of wet season) and a wide range of amazing animals and stunning sights to see, people are spoilt for choice of where to visit and park up for a spot of camping in Northern Queensland.
We have, until now, relied on hitching and ride-share's to get around, occasionally lucking out with a car such as when we did our farm work, but mostly, we have been without wheels and the freedom they can bring.
When it came time to leave Noosa behind and follow warmer weather up north, we knew based on all the beautiful things we were yet to see, that the time to drive had arrived. We didn't want to rent a car and use our tent, having spent so long recently camping in wet weather and feeling a bit fed-up by it, and so we began researching camper-van companies...
We happened across Spaceships, highly familiar for their bright orange people-carriers, seen up and down the coast. Offering great value for travellers, with a solid amount of positive reviews, we felt confident in contacting them.
Fast-forward 4 weeks, and the day came to pick up our own Spaceship and embark on a 10-day tour of the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree Rainforest.
She's not the trademark orange, being a newer silver model, the Beta 2.
Fitted out with an adjustable queen-size bed, two large lockable storage units (underneath the bed) a top-of-the-range fridge (retail for $000's) plus lots of little nifty extras, she was the perfect vehicle to take us on a road-trip in the tropics.
Comfortable and roomy, secure and private, Stargazer (every spaceship has a name) is well designed and much improved on older model vans. With tinted windows, curtains to cordon off the whole bedroom section, plus automatic transmission and a smooth drive, we really lucked out with our little home on wheels.
Our Favourite Camping App
We exclusively used Wikicamp's, and a sat-nav (provided by Spaceships but usually costs extra) to get around and choose where to sleep. Most look-outs, rest areas and points of interest are very well sign-posted too, usually giving you plenty of time to anticipate them.
Wikicamp's is great for not just finding camp-sites for overnight stays but also locating toilets, showers, fuel stops, and things to see and do. You can download the map for each state in Australia, always helpful when you drive in and out of signal black-spots. You can buy the app for lots of extra features (as is required to after the 20-day trial period ends), but we used the free version, timing ir to last our trip.
The thing I like most about the app is the comments section where people leave brief but honest appraisals for their fellow campers, touching on the things you really want to know about free or paid camp-sites, like does the place have hot showers, and if its value for money.
We evidently loved having this app to aid us in our journey, and no, we don't need to be paid to express that!
Our Itinerary
Cairns > Atherton Tablelands
The tablelands are abundant in quaint small towns, sprawling green landscapes and the infamous waterfalls, including Millaa Millaa, with a safe (and completely bone-chilling) swimming pool.
We spent our first night at a site called Bonadio RV and Nature Park, which when we first arrived appeared to be a farm, with no other campers to be seen. It turned out our fellow road-trippers were comfortably nestled away in a paddock just over the hill, just a short walk from the Barron River where you can see platypus. Really friendly hosts only recently opened the site but seemed bowled over with the popularity of their little haven just off the highway.
For $12.50 for the both of us, it was a great place to sleep under the stars, with clean and warm showers, a wildlife viewing platform and a peaceful country-setting.
Atherton Tablelands > Port Douglas
Moving from the tablelands further up the coast, we took the super beautiful highway alongside the ocean up to Port Douglas. Stopping at a few lookouts, and the famous spot where over the years many people have built little rock towers, it was such a pleasant section of driving.
Accommodation was really booked up, so we highly recommend booking ahead for this highly popular location. We did manage to squeeze into the Pandanus campsite for the slightly hefty price of $20 each, but the site itself has a nice pool, well-equipped camp kitchen, showers and laundry, and is a short walk from the beach and the town.
Port Douglas itself has a great vibe and felt like a more beautiful and atmospheric version of Noosa. A beach perfect for a dip, and a main street great for finding affordable eats, onto a sprawling park right beside the ocean and harbour, we know we will be returning to this place.
Port Douglas > Daintree Village
We couldn't wait to visit this part of northern Queensland, not only for the chance of spotting a wild crocodile but also to experience things like Mossman Gorge. We spent the good part of a day here, where they try to dissuade you taking the easy, flat, road-side walking route in favour of their paid bus; we are glad we walked because it wasn't tough or dangerous, at all.
It kinda bugged us that they have cut off the road which leads to the gorge so that their buses can exclusively use it and make money from it, although, the area has big ties to a small aboriginal community located there, so we understood the need to protect that.
For two nights we camped at the Daintree Riverview Lodges and Van park, for $10 each. A rustic but small site, situated right beside a great croc-spotting place on the Daintree river, we loved our chilled out days here. The hosts are friendly and welcoming, the facilities regularly cleaned and there are a few nice cafe's located just across the road.
Daintree Village > Cape Tribulation
The previous few days had been endless sunshine and nice temperatures, but this day, the rain came down full-force. Unfortunately this tainted our visit to the Cape, and we only stayed for one day, at the Jungle Lodge, which was $15 each for a roomy gravel pitch, with access to good facilities, a pool and a camp kitchen.
I think you could easily stop at all the short walks and lookouts available from the ferry, to the end of the main road at the Cape Tribulation, in one day, and it would all be a whole lot more photogenic on a sunny day. Still, the cape itself is a very pretty stretch of beach, frequented by many a croc (no swimming, obviously).
There is no phone signal (or free atm's or cheap shops) in the Cape so we recommend researching your accommodation before getting there, but when you take the ferry (costs $26 return) across you are provided with a great map which marks off all the spots and bays worth stopping at on the drive.
Cape Tribulation > Atherton
We didn't stay long in the cape, not just because of the weather but because there were still things we wanted to see in the tablelands. This day we stopped off at the Woolworths in Mossman (a good spot for getting supplies before going to the Daintree) and then headed over to a rest stop for lunch. We then parked up in the tiny town of Mount Molloy, grabbed a smoothie from the cool spot, Ka-Veh, then camped at a free spot for the night, the Rifle Creek rest area located nearby.
The next day we headed to the waterfalls circuit, where we visited Elinnja and Zillie falls, then headed back towards Malanda to grab lunch, then deciding to head to the coast again for that night.
Atherton > Mission Beach
Mission Beach is a small beach town near the Tully river, which is Banana country; lots of stops for fresh fruit are along the highway here.
We spent one evening here, chilling at a cool hostel, the Mission Beach retreat, with two resident pet dogs and a super friendly owner. $24 for a space in the parking spot and full use of the facilities, this was a comfortable stop after some free stays in random rest areas with cold showers.
Mission Beach > Babinda
Leaving Mission Beach, we headed up the highway again to visit Josephine Falls, where you can safely slide down the side of some huge boulders into the cold torrents below. We then headed to visit the Boulders, a pretty area similar to the gorge with its own swimming hole.
We again camped at a free spot, a really small site right next to the Boulders, which had only around 6 spots limited to 5 people per pitch. A clearly well-maintained site with cold showers and toilets, it was perfectly okay for one evening, with the mountainous setting providing yet more lush green views from the camper-van.
Mission Beach > Cairns
On our last morning we returned to Cairns, pretty tired from 10 days of doing things, driving and visiting unfamiliar places. We checked into the Globetrotters hostel which is an affordable but great value option at $28 a night, with awesome free wifi, free breakfasts, airy bedrooms, and lots of space to relax.
Later that day we took our Spaceship to a car wash and then returned her back to the office.
Walking away we felt a little sad, having bonded with Stargazer, who kept us comfortable and safe as we experienced the beautiful Australian country-side, at our own pace, for a really memorable week.
Stopping off to check out the view on the way to Port Douglas!
Our Spaceships experience was seamless, from picking up the vehicle to navigating the Aussie roads. So if you fancy a break from tent life and coach rides, in favour of road-trippin' affordably but super comfortably, getting your very own set of wheels is the way to go.
*Spaceships kindly supplied us with the van minus the daily rental fee. We also received camp chairs + table, a sat-nav and two awnings, at no cost. We did however pay the daily fee for car insurance and supplied all our own fuel and food, and paid for all camping costs*
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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10 Stunning Reasons To Visit Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island is a rocky tropical paradise home to an abundance of Australian wildlife...
10 Stunning Reasons To Visit Magnetic Island
If you've never heard of Magnetic Island, its an abundantly interesting and sparsely populated Jurassic island.
When you arrive in the neighbouring city of Townsville you will be greeted with a spectacular view of the entire island just off the coast, and, if you climb to the top of Castle hill you will get an even better view just like the one below!
The atmosphere on the island is extremely laid back and friendly, which you would imagine from a place that only has a population of 2,107. The small bays dotted around the coast-line are home to a few shops and bars, where you can grab a cheap bag of chips and watch the sunset on the beach, which looks awesome set against the silhouetted hills that surround the bays.
The wildlife on the island is vast and you will be sure to spot more than enough to fill your camera up! Make sure to head to Bungalow Bay at 4.30pm where they feed the Lorikeets everyday.
Magnetic Island is famous for its hikes, which will lead you around the mountain tops and along the coast lines. Small sheltered bays like Arthur Bay, pictured below, will be a regular sighting during your walks.
Another incredible sighting is the rock wallabies that can easily be seen at Geoffrey Bay during sunset; many people come to this spot with wallaby seed and carrots to feed the wallabies. If you're lucky the kind old man who comes here every day on his mobility scooter will offer you some feed (if you ask nicely).
Make sure you keep an eye out for the mothers carrying joey's in their pouches! They are incredibly cute if you catch them poking their little heads out to join in the evenings action.
Magnetic Island is also home to over 800 wild koalas, and with it being such a small place you have a great chance of spotting one in its natural habitat! Just grab some water, head out on one of the various walks and keep an eye out for arrows people have made in the ground, as these will indicate where to look.
There are some interesting WW2 ruins dotted along the trails on the Forts Walk, and keep an eye out for bats and spiders in dark rooms like these ;]
Huge rocks make up most of the scenery on Maggie Island, which give the place a feel of real age. Some of these rocks formed over 270 million years ago... If your into rock climbing, you've hit the jackpot!
We had to finish with another koala shot of this little fellow who climbed down his tree right in front of us to say hello. A true money-cant-buy experience!
So now you know why Magnetic Island is a must visit, and you're wondering how you too can experience it!? Go check out our review of what we believe to be one of the best places to stay while you're there!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Wanderlust not satisfied?
What It's Like To Sell Everything You Own And Live Out Of A Backpack
35 pounds. That’s the weight of everything I own. A year ago, if you had told me that I’d eventually fit everything I own into a single backpack, I would have...
What It's Like To Sell Everything You Own And Live Out Of A Backpack
THIS GUEST POST is brought to you by Eric and Allison of The Endless Adventure. Currently in Europe they work on the road sampling all the delights on offer across the world, whilst living out of their backpack's. We wanted to find out just how they do it so we invited them to chat about their life as nomads.
35 pounds. That’s the weight of everything I own. A year ago, if you had told me that I’d eventually fit everything I own into a single backpack, I would have broken out into uncontrollable laughter.
Fast forward 12 months and my wife and I are sitting in Milan, Italy with no permanent home, no long-term plans and nothing but our bags to our names.
It’s a dream of many to 'sell it all and travel the world with nothing but a backpack' (If you couldn’t tell, that was meant to be read in a nice whimsical tone while looking up to the sky). But, in reality, it’s actually extremely difficult and not very glamorous (but it’s fun as heck!).
When we arrive at a new hotel or Airbnb, it quickly turns into a battlefield of clothes, electronics and… yeah that’s pretty much all we carry these days. And when it’s time to stuff everything back into our bags and move on to the next location, suddenly they become impossible to close!
We’re in a constant battle with our things.
With every single purchase, we have to consider the weight, size of the item, as well as what it will replace in our bags (since all bag space is pretty much spoken for). It can be easy to say “eh, this item’s weight is negligible” when making a new purchase. But you pay for that sort of thinking later on when you strap on a 50 pound bag to your back and trek through Milan for an hour searching for your AirBnB.
This isn’t good for your body and it isn’t good for your spirit. Trust us, traveling light will save you long-term back pain and potentially permanent damage to your body.
Naturally, when everything you own fits into a single carry-on, you’ve got to learn to be versatile with your items. We keep a small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap on us at all times. This stuff is literally magic. It can wash dishes, clothes, bodies, you can brush your teeth with it... okay maybe not that last one.
It’s also important to pack clothing items that can be mixed and matched. This is typically easier for us guys. 5 t-shirts, 5 underoos, 5 shorts/pants 5 socks and boom, you’re covered. But for the ladies, it’s not that simple.
Here are a few tips from Allison:
Stick with a general color palette. For me it was blacks and grays as these photograph well and show less stains.
Take an outfit that can be dressed up with a pair of nicer flats, but make sure they’re both appropriate for everyday wear so that they’re more versatile.
Avoid taking any items “special occasion” items. Chances are you won’t need them and they’ll just be dead weight.
Pretty much every top should be able to mix with every bottom. It’s fine to take some bright colors or patterned items, but keep them either all on top or bottom. That way you can have fun skirts/pants to mix and match with basic tops or vice versa.
Check out her minimalist packing guide for even more tips!
Talking about becoming homeless and actually making the leap are two very different things. For most people, it’s easy to put up with uncomfortable beds and weird showers for a week, maybe two. But, when you have no permanent home and travel is your life, you have to learn to accept that your home is wherever you are for the night.
If you’ve got a bed that’s too small for you and your legs hang off the bottom, that’s home. If the people on the street outside your window are partying until 6am, that’s home. Once you realize that home is wherever you are, it’s easier to accept your circumstances for what they are.
Before setting out on this endless adventure, we had an apartment in San Francisco, 2 cats and a whole bunch of stuff that we needed to sort out. We gave ourselves 5 days to figure out a new home for all of it (yeah, I know, we’re idiots).
We decided to sell anything that we thought was of value. We seriously had about 20 separate listings on Craigslist at a time. Everything from workout equipment, to old records to Magic the Gathering cards. Surprisingly, we were able to sell most of it and put about $1500 into our pockets. Everything that was not-so-valuable went to Goodwill.
Parting with all of our things was tough, but I wouldn’t say it was emotional. We had put a 'lot' of thought into this decision beforehand. And we had actually taken an 4 month road trip around the USA leading up to it, so we had already lived without these items for a while.
On the other hand, parting with our sweet little kitty cats was very emotional. We didn’t want to have strangers taking care of them, but most of our friends and family were like “hell no” when we asked if they could take them. Luckily, we found a friend who was willing to take them in. Now they have a lot more room to roam and I’m sure are much happier!
We also decided to try and scrub the heck out of the apartment to see if we could get at least some of the deposit back. Most of our friends said we were dreaming and should just consider that money gone. But the jokes on them! That place was so clean we got almost the entire deposit back, around $1400!
For the most part, we’ve gotten used to living out of a single backpack, but we’re also constantly looking for potential improvements. We’ve tried tons of different packing techniques, we’ve shipped boxes of stuff back to our parents to decrease our weight, we’ve tried booking rooms close to the bus station or airport so we didn’t have to walk too far with our packs on. No doubt, this lifestyle is a constant learning process.
I don’t know how long we’ll be living out of our backpacks (we honestly haven’t made any long-term plans). But, for now, we’ll travel the world with everything we own strapped to our backs, with home being wherever we lay our heads for the night.
I'm currently travelling the world and searching for adventure with my wife, Allison. We're vlogging our daily travels on YouTube, subscribe here to follow along! Have you ever tried living out of a backpack? Do you have any tips or stories to share? Leave a comment or reach out to us on Twitter. Thanks for reading!
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Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
There's something special about very much still being the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from everything, in a really refreshing way...
Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
When we read about Magnetic Island, a lush green mountainous expanse, home to many an Australian animal, and only 20-minutes by boat from Townsville, we knew we had to visit it.
We are definite island hoppers having spent 2 months living on Fraser Island in a tent!
There's something special about still being on the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from the goings on and ups and downs of normal life.
Researching all Magnetic island had to offer, we stumbled upon Bungalow Bay Koala Village, and of course, the thought of getting up close to some furry Koala goodness (among many other amazing creatures), combined with the fact they offer a great budget camping option, we were really excited to head over, and set up our tent for a few days.
We used Fantasea cruises (passenger and vehicle ferry) to transfer to the island, an absolute steal at $13 a ticket (one-way).
On the island, everywhere (its a pretty small place) is served by the bus route, which can cheaply move you from the ferry to all the main points of interest. There are also taxi's, hire vehicles and the popular mini moke.
Bungalow Bay is located in the beautiful Horsehoe Bay, where we witnessed a ridiculously vibrant sunset sky and enjoyed some top-notch takeaway burger and chips.
Beautiful Camping and Bungalows
Technically a YHA hostel largely frequented by backpackers, we camped alongside many different people, from families to couples and friends, with its spacious and natural setting in the bush, amongst palms, open green space and of course, abundant wildlife.
Accommodation ranges from camping to cabins, with lots of outdoor and undercover spaces to relax, ample room to set up your tent or camper-van, plus facilities (laundry and bathrooms) and a well-stocked camp kitchen. The kitchen is pleasantly large and cleaned regularly, which is really good to experience when you live your life on the road as we do.
With the beach nearby, plus small cafes and restaurants, and everything else only a short drive or bus-ride away, its the perfect spot to feel like you truly are on an island; bush walks, mountainous tracks and numerous stunning bays, there is so much to see and do, with Bungalow Bay the perfect base from which to do it all.
As we set up our tent on a powered site, a roo hopped by us, the first of many we'd see in the coming days. This brought back memories of our time at Melaleuca Surfside in Port Stephens, where the resident rescue roo Josie would keep us company (and try to eat our guide ropes).
That place too had the same feel, one of being very mindful and conscious of the environment in which its operating, treating it kindly and allowing it to thrive whilst allowing others to enjoy it.
There are signs near the well-kept and large kitchen, asking you to kindly not feed the resident animals: wait until 4.30pm in the afternoon and you get to hand-feed the Lorikeets!
A Responsible Wildlife Tour
On our first day, not long after setting up camp, we booked ourselves onto the next wildlife tour. Tours run 3 times a day ending at 4.30pm.
For $29 (adult price) you get 2 hours with a knowledgable guide who takes you through the small animal sanctuary, allowing you to handle and interact with an array of exotic animals. For an extra $18 you can be photographed holding a koala, alongside your family or friends. You can also bring your own photography equipment in, but just be sure to let the guide do their talking and respect where you put your lens!
I was most looking forward to seeing my first crocodile, and the only other animal we had yet to see in Aussie, a wombat.
The tour group was small which we really liked.
We are very conscious about attending animal-oriented tourist outlets, because we believe animals should be kept out of the wild for solidly valid reasons, such as providing sanctuary and conservation to an at-threat species, or keeping a sick animal alive that could not survive in the wild.
Its important to then utilize these facilities to educate others on these animals so that they care a little more about the natural world around them and the role they play as the keepers of it.
We appreciate that when well-managed and organized, animal sanctuaries such as this one at Bungalow Bay, are pivotal in cultivating an informed respect for these animals, but in a selfish way, we also love that for a brief few moments, we got to carefully handle these stunning animals.
Set slightly away from the other camp buildings, surrounded by bush, the sanctuary is home to only a few animals, which really appealed to us; less animals means more focus and time on their individual care and well-being.
This is not a zoo in any sense, and there is none of the usual sadness when you see vibrant animals living a life of miserable captivity. This is not anything resembling that.
It appears as a well-maintained haven for a range of animals, many of which are living so openly during the day, you wonder why (or how) they haven't yet escaped. But we mused, they clearly have all they could want or need in Bungalow Bay.
I got to hold Pebbles the koala, whom whilst not the first one I've held (since our random rescue of a baby from a road-side) this interaction was in much better circumstances.
Her heavy little body supported by my hand and held still, she was as docile and seemingly content as you would expect of the famously relaxed Australia native. Yes, the urge to rock her like a baby was big, but we were succinctly instructed on how exactly Pebbles should be held, with her welfare clearly of primary concern.
We observed as we held the different animals, some which appear threatening, either with dangerous looking spikes or sharp claws, are all actually, fundamentally vulnerable. They are literally soft and smooth in fact, and many of them, are so small, timid, and completely unassuming.
They are vulnerable to other animals but most importantly to us.
We are the ones who have taken over the running of this planet but we are not secondary to the beautiful variety of species that we inhabit it alongside.
We felt this acutely whilst at Bungalow Bay, as we walked from one side of the camp to the next, we were greeted by a possum, a group of nibbling wallabies and a bush-stone curlew (a funny-looking long-legged nocturnal bird). The nature here is of course widely tame, used to humans and the little tasty treats we inevitably leave lying around for them.
But still, it feels so good to be living amongst, if only briefly, such an array of animals, whom all live side-by-side, mostly in peace, and approach us with a curious yet reserved respect.
Treating Animals How They Treat Us
If we regard animals the way many do us, we would treat them with slight fear and curiosity, but ultimately we'd be kind and gentle, and of course, many of us already do this. Many of us are animal lovers and desire to be close to nature, in fact, what's the first thing many of us say out loud as we slowly approach a wide-eyed creature?
We say 'It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you'.
Amongst the mentality of regarding animals as they would us, there is a complete absence of mindlessness, malice or the prioritizing of ones own needs over those of the small and large, furry and spiky beings, whom we share the environment with.
Bungalow Bay re-instilled this in our minds, despite it being something we have always believed, so we really hope it has the same effect on other visitors.
A Comfortable Stay with A Conscience
This place was a real experience, but also one where the comfort of the accommodation is not sacrificed in the face of the wider ethos of the place.
We camped happily for 3 days, and had everything we needed. Despite a freak weather-front of windy rain, we never felt like we wanted to leave. In fact, we had some of the best experiences of nature, from seeing a wild koala, to holding a crocodile, to watching the most richest red sunset.
In fact, our Magnetic Island visit turned out to be one of our favourite excursions in our whole time in Australia.
You should probably check it out, because we think you might just love it...
*DISCLAIMER: All these thoughts here are our own, and we only ever review things and places we love. Bungalow Bay kindly allowed to us to camp for free. We both purchased the tour tickets and photograph holding a Koala ourselves*
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty...
Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty. Rich man's playground and poor man's workplace.
I sit in the back of an old if not determined commodore, head resting against the solid mass of my backpack, the place I stow all my worldly possessions. Well, the ones I choose to bring along on this journey.
My leg is twisted awkwardly, resting along the window edge. A steady flow of cool air kisses my face, coming in from the driver-side window.
Its the blackest night, punctuated by the occasional reflective sign, made less quiet by the sound of music of every genre.
Daniel, our driver (found via a Facebook ride-share group), a fun and kind-spirited German dude, plays some of his own recordings. We move between our home-grown favourites and some other classics.
The road is ours and ours alone, or so it feels.
In our metal cocoon we fly along the highway, feeling each bump and hump as we soar.
The conversation is real and interesting, truths being spoken with open ease.
I rest my eyes and let sleep take me in short bursts, waking not to see if we have reached our destination but to stare back out into the black.
Is there anywhere more peaceful, suspended from real life and real time, than being out there on the road?
You are moving away from one part of your story, running toward the next chapter. But you are merely a passenger, along for the ride, letting the road deliver you forward. Your mind can wanderer faraway, or stay right there, immersed in the moment before the next thing begins.
Who knows what comes next?
Townsville
Arriving in Townsville at 7am, the sun just rising in the sky, the car slowly moved toward the strand, where we could stretch our tangled limbs and dip our toes in the ocean.
In the distance sat the tall and lush green Magnetic Island; we would be heading there tomorrow.
We made our way to sleepily find food and eventually check into a hostel, at which point Daniel would be going off on his own way. We hugged and said goodbye, aware that we might not see him again, most likely won't.
That's the nature of many of the connections you make on the road; brief but often really awesome and memorable.
Tired and bedraggled, we thought, lets not just sit around and relax, lets climb Castle Hill, the imposing orangey-red rock-face visible across the whole of Townsville.
There isn't a lot to Towsville, other than being the gateway to Magnetic and home to a lot of industry, but its flat range of buildings are encircled at the edges by more lush green mountains, making the climb up Castle Hill well worth the hike.
I decided to take the hill at my own pace, allowing Taran to go ahead by himself. Sandy stones crunching underfoot, the path edged up toward the uneven and steep steps.
I felt out of breath and languid in my legs almost right away. 4 months of sitting behind my laptop working on the blog plus not having the most difficult hospitality job meant my fitness has definitely gone down-hill, no pun intended.
Quarter of the way up the walk a man twice my age past me heading down, and seeing my puffy red face asked if I had water and made sure I was stopping to drink it. The fact my woeful fitness was trumped by someone much older than myself did little for my confidence in climbing the hill.
In reality the hill isn't that tall or difficult a climb, not for anyone of reasonable health, not at all. But its the same with all challenges or obstacles in life, some of us take a little longer to surmount them.
Yet this was a challenge I chose to take on, because I knew I would find it difficult but I knew the pain would be worthwhile.
Most importantly the desire to do what deep down I knew I could do, was stronger than the voice in my head (and my aching limbs) telling me what I couldn't do.
I kept my eyes on my feet, as they moved upward, taking each step at a pace I was comfortable with. I didn't look up at what I still had to climb nor did I look back at what I had already done. I kept entirely present and focused.
Sometimes if we focus on the main goal and not the incremental small tasks and successes, we just don't even bother trying.
I took the climb one step at a time and I can't think of a better metaphor for how to live your life than that.
Reaching the top, walking the last few steps up to the viewing platform, I leaned over the edge of the railing and felt a great whoosh of fresh breeze embrace me. I could see everything, 360-degree views of this small slice of Australia, looking out to Magnetic and behind to the distant mountainous walls guarding the city.
It was understandably worth it. My mind quietened having spent the past hour talking me in and out of finishing this hot uphill trek.
Cramped, long-distance car rides followed by steep and hot midday hikes, might sound uncomfortable and painful, but in reality these things can be as wholly simplistic as they are unexpectedly beautiful.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
7 Important Tips For Travel Preparedness
Being prepared does not stop me from having amazing, spontaneous and unpredictable experiences, not at all, it simply means I can enjoy them more, because I’ve taken care of my little niggling worries and taken moves to protect myself should certain annoying scenario's arise.
7 Important Tips For Travel Preparedness
So, let me admit from the get-go, I am not the kind of person to ever ‘wing it’.
I never assume that things will be okay, or that those dreaded and frustrating scenarios won’t happen to me. I very much air on the side of caution in life, and so to, in my travels, which is probably totally unsurprising considering the personal stuff I revealed previously.
Is that such a bad thing?
Being prepared does not stop me from having amazing, spontaneous and unpredictable experiences, not at all, it simply means I can enjoy them more, because I’ve taken care of my little niggling worries and taken moves to protect myself should certain annoying scenario's arise.
When you're travelling, maybe thousands of miles away from home, or even only a few hundred, it’s likely that there will be admin associated with it; from travel insurance, to itineraries, there will always be boring (but important) aspects to deal with.
I want to make it easier for you to deal with the duller part of travel prep, so I have compiled a list of 7 tips for travel preparedness, ones which you can adapt to your own travel circumstances:
7 Tips For Travel Preparedness:
Making copies of important documents and ID
Before we left the UK we made a scan of both our passports and driving licences.
We assumed this might make life easier in the event that these things could go missing. We keep these paper scans in a separate folder and also have the copies emailed to a trusted family member.
If you acquire important documents whilst travelling, a good app to use is GeniusScan, which is a fairly self-explanatory way to make digital copies.
Having duplicates of important documentation just ensures that all is not lost, if something is lost.
I also printed off a document which specifically detailed the steps to take in the event I do lose my ID's so I can quickly refer to this, making an annoying situation easier to deal with.
Create a ‘While I’m away’ file
I had no choice but to make this file before leaving the UK as being self-employed meant I had a UK tax return due whilst I was away. To make my life easier and forego having to worry about doing this whilst I was 1000’s of miles away from my paperwork, I passed the job onto to my ever helpful and willing mother. I knew what data my tax return would require so I ensured I had all this documented for my mum to reference.
If you don’t have business affairs to deal with as I did, or maybe you are only off on a short trip, your file could contain anything important that your loved ones might need access to in your absence. My file also included copies of my insurance cover details with relevant contact numbers. It also contained a copy of my visa entitlement plus my passport photocopy.
I know, I am a tad OCD in my preparedness. But I would rather be too prepared than not at all.
Use secure password storage software
It’s a good idea to note any important passwords/logins, especially when it’s to do with money, not only for yourself, but so that someone else (someone trusted) can help you deal with anything online-related.
There are a few highly secure systems out there where you can safely store password hints and then assign a master password which your trusted person can access if required. Of course, there's good old-fashioned pen and paper, whereby you could note important passwords before you head abroad and your trusted person can keep them safe.
I had something happen whereby I needed to access my business email address (which was attached to my visa application) but as I hadn’t logged on in months, I had forgotten the password.
Long story short I couldn’t get into my account, as my old UK phone number was still attached to the verification process. I also had a third party taking payments out of my UK bank (which I couldn't stop without accessing the email account) for my old business website. If I'd had the foresight to use a storage programme (or note the passwords down at home) then my poor memory wouldn't have been a problem, or, at least I could have asked my mum for the details.
I simply didn’t realize that this would arise but we often manage so many online accounts (especially as bloggers), differing our passwords for security reasons, that we can cause unprecedented issues when we are in faraway lands trying to deal with boring things like visa’s and banking.
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Write down international contact details for cards
I have the international telephone numbers for my most important cards written down on one page in my notebook, along with other contact info, so that in the event I lose a card, I can straight away notify my bank.
You could also leave these details in your ‘While I’m away’ file.
Notify your bank of your abroad travel
Be sure to notify your primary bank of your travel destination and dates.
You can do this online for some credit card companies or in branch for your main bank accounts before you leave home. Whilst your destination may change, your bank at least needs an indication of your intent to be abroad and potentially use your card there.
Be aware that when you do try to manage your home banking from abroad, it can be difficult to assign a trusted person to do this, as banks like to deal with the account holder directly (naturally), so try to make provisions for this happening by keeping them in the loop.
Tell your trusted family member where your important paperwork is kept
I have made sure that my mum knows where my important files are, ones not necessarily related to my travels. It just gives me peace of mind knowing someone else knows where I have squirrelled away certain things in the event that they need to access them.
Get insurance and printing off the certificate
Okay, so it’s a good move to secure insurance for your trip, being that in many places you need to contact your provider as soon as any issue arises, but do you leave the documents in your email account, or just saved on your laptop?
It can’t hurt to have them printed off (as well as forwarded to a family member) and put into your travelling file so that your travelling partner (or someone else) can do what needs to be done if you are indisposed.
Prior to leaving your home country, its worth trying to ensure that you are prepared for a few irritating eventualities, as likely or unlikely as they may seem amidst pre-travel excitement and optimism.
Setting aside some time before your travels, designated to these steps, will ensure you can travel happily and worry a little less about what could happen; by creating a clear action plan, and inviting someone in on it, it will help you easily deal with the boring and annoying stuff that could arise.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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How To Experience San Francisco Like You Live There
It would take months of expensive cable car rides, boat tours, and winery escapades to ever get a true sense of San Francisco, but an authentic experience doesn't have to cost much at all.
How To Experience San Francisco Like You Live There
THIS GUEST POST is brought to you by Taylor & Daniel, the guys behind Travel Outlandish! Two dudes living it up in San Fran, we're not sure how often they wear flowers in their hair, but we do know they have a love for adventure and good times which they share on there blog. We wanted to know more about San Fran so we asked them what its like living there, this is there response..
San Francisco is an awfully amazing city.
Everything about it is iconic! Before moving here, we seemed to think that the Golden Gate Bridge would be a permanent backdrop. Maybe we’d live in the Full House house and subsist entirely on sour-dough bread. We may have arrived hoping that The Summer of Love never ended and the Beats never died, but 3 years has taught us a lot.
You see, the city is changing fast. Once defined by artists and immigrants, San Francisco is now home to Twitter. Union Square is full of vanity store-fronts, and Fisherman’s Wharf feels a bit more like Disneyland than a boatman’s reprieve. Money came to a city once defined by counterculture, and popularity amongst tourists and techies has begun to oust the very people that built it. You could say that San Francisco "got cool". But, it’s not all bad! Just beyond the tourist traps, it is still possible to find the experiences where San Francisco’s genuine legacy carries on.
It would take months of expensive cable car rides, boat tours, and winery escapades to ever get a true sense of San Francisco, but an authentic experience doesn't have to cost much at all. Instead, there are plenty of ways to experience San Francisco while uplifting the communities that made it. In fact, we can assuredly say that the more local you go, the better your experience will be! So, if you're ready, we'd like to recommend some almost free and very local things to experience in San Francisco. Let's go!:
1. Eating In The Street
We’re firm believers that San Francisco has one of the world’s most amazing ethnic food scenes. You can wait hours at a trendy restaurant for overpriced bone marrow and salad wreaths (seriously), or you can scale it back for something equally fantastic. Our best finds have been El Farolito for burritos, Hang Ah Tea Room for dim sum, Kevin’s for pho, Duc Loi for bahn mi, and Arizmendi for artisan pizza by the slice. Grabbing food for take away usually comes at half the cost of sitting down, and it will give you a chance to support small businesses and taste the City without spending a small fortune.
2. Wandering The Neighbourhoods
San Francisco neighbourhoods are the next best thing to Epcot — each neighbourhood has a visibly distinct character. Rather than overdoing it with scheduled activities, create your own fun and get a sense of the city just by walking the neighbourhoods. Visit the most densely populated area West of Manhattan in San Francisco’s Chinatown, dipping into the Fortune Cookie Factory and Tin How Temple along the way. In the Mission, you can spend hours looking at politically-charged murals in Balmy or Clarion Alley, checking out taxidermy and rare plants at Paxton Gate, or hanging out in Dolores Park. Check out the Haight for second hand shopping and cheesy homages to the Summer of Love. Or, make your way to Pacific Heights, for Golden Gate views along with the colourful little houses that make their way into every San Francisco based movie. If you’re open to the adventure, a walk through any neighbourhood will reveal more than any city tour ever could.
3. Getting Around
San Francisco is quite small at just 7 miles x 7 miles, but the hills make it tougher to walk across than you’d expect. Public transportation in the USA is notoriously terrible, but San Francisco is quite well connected. The BART will get you to a few major parts of the city, and the MUNI will fill in any gaps. With additional services like Scoot, GoCar, Lyft, and easy to rent bikes (most of which offer a first-timers discount) just getting around the city can be half the fun. Wear a helmet, and be warned that car doors and trolley tracks have taken plenty of casualties!
4. Experiencing San Francisco Park Culture
Perhaps the most unique part of San Francisco is the park culture. Sure, there are bars, festivals, and street fairs, but if you’re really looking for a free and year-around alternative, head to the nearest park! San Francisco parks are great for hanging out, people watching, and taking a break from the week’s hustle. With lax nudity laws and an affinity for personal expression, it won’t be your average family picnic. At Dolores, Alamo Square, or Golden Gate Park you can bring your own snacks, a frisbee, and a 6-pack for a whole day of activity.In our opinion, heading to the park is the very best way to get a sense of the local San Francisco without spending a dime.
5. Seeking Out Free Days
San Francisco’s museums are a huge part of its character, and many are just as unique as the city itself. The SFMOMA, the Cal Academy of Sciences, and the De Young offers rotating exhibits that are totally worth your time. In the interest of promoting the arts, almost all San Francisco museums offer a free day once a month. Most of the free days fall on Tuesday or the first weekend of the month, but it’s always worth checking for other promotions. If your schedule doesn't line up, there are plenty of small galleries and quirky museums worth exploring.
6. Hitting Up The Festivals & Street Fairs
San Francisco has a pretty epic line-up of events, festivals, and street fairs, particularly during the summer months. Come to town for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or the Stern Grove Festival for free live music, the Spray Can Art Fest for street art in the making, and Bay to Breakers or Pride for complete and utter chaos. Just about any time of year, you can find a neighbourhood festival, free film screening, or other offbeat event listing that will give you a more personalized sense of San Francisco.
Can't find any events of interest? Check out other upcoming events on sf.funcheap.com
7. Getting Outside
The West Coast has some of the most stunning scenery you’ve ever seen. Between the massive redwoods, a jagged coastline, and an abundance of national parks, it would be a shame to visit San Francisco without heading outside for a hike. If you’re renting a car, escape the city for a Southerly drive along the Pacific Coast Highway or head north to Muir Woods. Just further afield is Lake Tahoe or Yosemite National Park where you can hike, bike, camp, and see just what the outdoor culture movement is all about. If you’re without a car, these parks are wildly popular for weekend trips. Look into ride-sharing or bus routes to meet new friends and to get there for just a fraction of the cost.
8. Staying Affordably In San Francisco
Housing in San Francisco is infamously expensive. With rent on one bedrooms going for around $3,000/month, accommodation is one area where you may have to break your budget. That being said, there are a few options to consider:
- San Francisco has a thriving sharing economy. If you're able to find a willing Couchsurfing host, this will always be your most affordable option!
- Hostels haven’t taken off in the US like they have in other parts of the world, but San Francisco does have a few — you can find a dorm bed for around $30/night.
- Stay outside of the touristic neighbourhoods in an Airbnb. While the cost of accommodation might be the same, you'll be able to save a lot on food and activities.
- San Francisco runs on Craigslist! If you’re staying in the city for 1+ week, scan the short term rentals section. As rent is so expensive, people will often be desperate to sublet their rooms while they’re out of town to make up some of the difference. Applying is horribly competitive, but apply widely and hopefully you’ll hear back!
Thanks a lot for reading, guys! Have you ever been to San Francisco? What tips would you share for avoiding the tourist traps and experiencing local San Francisco? If you're coming into town for a visit, contact us for tips and recommendations!
Want more info on what to do in San Fran?! Check out this top 25 list of things to do!
BIO: Hey there! We’re Taylor + Daniel. We created Travel Outlandish to showcase the offbeat, immersive, faraway travel experiences that even our 5-year-old selves would be into. We cover street art, street food, adventure travel, festival travel, local experience, and our personal favorite, the “what the hell is…” series. Learn more about us here!
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Living With Anxiety - How To Cope And Thrive
So, you've read the title, and now, you know the truth. My big secret...
Living With Anxiety - How To Cope And Thrive
So, you've read the title, and now, you know the truth.
My big secret...
Although,it's not really a massive revelation is it?
I have certainly alluded to the fact that I am not an infallible and unflappable lady, and have indeed had 'issues' in the past.
But I want to make it clear in this post that my anxiety is very much alive and well, as is my nomadic lifestyle.
Hiding my truth like its a third nipple.
For most of my travels, and indeed my life, I have withheld information about myself from those around me and in the last 2 years, those who read my blog.
The kind of anxiety I dance with daily is not generalized, natural or normal every day worries, its a state of being and overthinking that alters my behaviour, decisions and daily choices.
For me it reveals itself in a few different ways. It comes out in OCD tendencies (which I don't want to over-focus on) as well as times when I wake up with an inexplicable and wildly overpowering feeling that something is about to go horribly wrong. It sometimes makes me feel completely empty and void of passion for anything, other times it makes me miserable and unkind.
Anxiety comes forth when I am making changes in my life, like when I start a new job or plan a new venture. It tries to dominate my mind at every turn of my life's path, and it almost succeeds at making me recoil and retreat from the things, and the people, that I love.
I wrestled with my anxiety so hard throughout 2013/2014, that it made me physically ill and nearly stopped me from coming travelling.
Seriously, it wasn't until the week before I left that I let myself believe it was going to happen and I was going to like it.
Anxiety is trendy.
It's not suddenly cool to suffer a mental disorder, but its certainly popular to talk about right now.
More people, from everyday folk to other bloggers and creatives, are speaking up about how anxiety affects their life beyond the usual idea of being a 'Worry wart'.
The reason I have held back this truth, the reason I don't admit it to people who have actually witnessed me having an anxiety attack (I just tend to cry and sob then refuse to say why, just a tad alienating) is because I feel shame.
I don't shy away from much, but I have sat down to write this post approximately 8 times, each occasion talking myself out of it. I have walked to work mentally writing it out in my mind and then mentally sent it to the trash.
The thing with anxiety is that you feel anxious admitting to suffering with it... nature of the beast an all.
Why do I feel shame? Well, I don't want certain people to perceive me as weak; be it in my job, in my freelancing or amongst my peers. And even by Taran.
The belief that I should quash down this part of me isn't helped by the fact that someone, not long ago, made me feel incredibly guilty for not being at my best. I was made to feel pointless and useless, because they couldn't deal with my humanness.
I get that there are people in society who marginalise those with mental illness and many of them do so because they suffer in silence or have a loved one who's mental illness might have negatively impacted them. These people might try to cut down those who represent a hard truth, one that threatens their self control and ability to keep it together.
And then there are those who are simply uneducated or bigoted. Those people are indeed the weakest of us all.
Their knowledge and understanding is weak, their desire to know more and care more is weak, but I don't judge even the most closed minded, because anxiety or not, I'm gonna do my thing and I'm gonna do it well.
This isn't mind over matter or ambition over adversity, this is evidence based thinking. I know that despite my anxiety I have succeeded at many things that have truly mattered in my life so far.
I bet all of you have done amazing things, and mundane things, just perfectly, despite your powerfully anxious thinking.
I was able to start and grow a new loving relationship. I also struck out alone and started my own small business.
I have also then gone and jacked that in, in favour of travelling indefinitely...
I haven't exactly made life easy for my anxiety and its punished me by laying the worries on heavy and thick!
So I know that I might have up until now, felt this horrid inhibiting shame and not wanted to share a large part of my truth, but regardless of that shame, I know that nobody can call any of us sufferers, failures or weaklings, because we live our lives the best we can despite our mind and physiology fighting us.
We aren't sufferers, we are fucking warriors.
We try hard, time and time again. When we do focus on ourselves, and ignore the judgement and treatment we receive from others, we recognize that we can have a fulfilling life, we just have to work a little harder to get there.
I no longer care what someone thinks of this part of me. In honesty, I am usually proud of the fact that I am not them. I would rather be emotional and sometimes frightened, and endure my afflictions, than be a nasty, vacuous or close-minded individual.
Awkward when you suck so much someone would rather live with a mental illness than be remotely like you, the supposed embodiment of strength and success, HA.
Anyway, truth bombs dropped, let's get specific.
Anxiety warriors tend to prefer routine and predictability as a way of coping and I am no different. Sometimes they desperately want to try new things but spend months going back and forth in their head before they do it, or they just simply never end up feeling able to.
The last 4 months have been marvellous in that I have had time to unpack, settle and just stop; stop having to plan our travels or deal with tent-living or force myself to interact with new person after new person.
And yet, it has also been a time of challenge, with my work not being overly steady, my income being way less than hoped, and just the fact that our brief period in Australia being sucked up by our need to be employed.
It's been a mixed bag of emotions and I am now so ready to go and travel again that I am chomping at the bit to get going.
That's why I am a traveller right now. I want to explore and I want to live outside my comfort zone but that small part of my anxious mind would prefer it if I didn't.
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How I travel with anxiety, and in spite of it:
I don't follow this advice like I've read it in a book or adhere to it like a diet pan. But I do try to remember these things each time I am on the brink, and it often helps me nip an anxious thought in the bud before it builds momentum.
I hope this advice can help any and all my fellow warriors, not just the ones living out of a backpack.
Balancing Today with Worries Of Tomorrow
I worry about money, an awful lot, and the only way I have found to counter this is to try my damnedest to be present and mindful.
As a particular worry grows in volume, I will tell myself 'Take life one day at a time' because that's all anyone can ever do.
If we don't at least try to do this, we either make impulsive emotional choices, afraid of some imagined future event, or we simply retreat into ourselves and ignore the positive things happening right that moment.
There is a right amount and wrong amount of time to spend thinking and planning for the future, and we tend to end up on the wrong side of that.
But when we recognize that we can indeed cross our bridges when we get to them, and not a month before, we become more present and more calm.
Accepting The Worst Case Scenario
For me, right now, the thought of having to prematurely return home is a big anxiety trigger. The thought of my dream being cut short due to financial reasons feels akin to someone cutting my oxygen supply.
So over-bloody-dramatic! Get some perspective woman!
Travel is a privilege and it is not the only avenue to feeling happy, but my anxiety would have me believe that the alternative is way worse than it is.
The best way I have found to overcome this and actually enjoy the travelling I am doing is by making sure I stay in contact with my loved ones, stay engaged with what's happening there and remind myself that home is never ever the worst place I could end up.
Not Trying So Hard
By this I mean caring a little less about those steadfast ambitions that feel as if they are the be-all and end-all; yes, I want to be a successful writer and one day a published author, but my goodness, if it doesn't happen, is that the end of the world?
Unless your life is truly horrible as it is, and unless you are trying to recover a lost career or even your health, having a dominant and all-consuming ambition is draining and frankly, its self-inflicted stress.
Why can't ambition be a slow process, one that has things in perspective and recognizes that no dream is worth sacrificing your now? Are you living and breathing for the right things?
What if you work so hard you get burnt out in the process and end up loathing what you once loved?
Just something to think about, applicable even to someone who isn't trying desperately to be anything other than a travelling bum.
Revelling In Joy Wherever I Can
I LOVE my morning walk to work with my headphones and 30 minutes of podcast time. I GO CRAZY for hugs from Taran. I INHALE chocolate and BATHE in cups of tea. And when we are on the road, I jump out of planes and rescue Koala's...
The little things AND the big things; I'll take them both.
I don't just feel the hard shitty parts of my day, I wholeheartedly enjoy the simpler moments, the ones which are able to happen because I am alive, healthy, and okay.
Anxiety can feel like it taints the good things we seek out in life and takes us far away from feeling the joy, but like I said, even the simplest of practises can bring us contentment.
Turning Down The Volume
When you have a headache because the TV is too loud or suddenly the radio is just super annoying, what do you do? You turn down the volume.
What do I do when my thoughts are vying for hours of my time and emotions, I turn their volume down.
I distract myself with writing, reading or listening to meditative podcasts, or even watching a movie. If my mind and my attention is taken up with things other than thinking, it stops the worry in its tracks. It might not erase the worry but it makes it quieter for a while, until some time when I deem it relevant to actually confront that worry.
This isn't about escapism or suppression, it's about giving yourself needed breaks from over-thinking and the havoc it wreaks on your behaviour and those closed to you. Inevitably you will still spend large chunks of your time given over to anxious thinking but a few periods of distraction amongst that will help.
Viewing My Weakness As A Strength
I find that I am usually the most organized person in my relationship and I have always been known for being reliable and trustworthy; my anxiety simply won't let me be any other way.
I am never late to anything because the idea fills me with dread; I might not turn up at my perkiest but I sure as hell will turn up.
I make provisions for the future to prevent my worst case scenarios actually happening, by being frugal and thrifty where possible.
I might try to live one day at a time, accept my worst fears, take it easy with my goals, revel in the small joys and distract my busy mind, but I also thank my anxiety on occasion, because it isn't all bad.
I'm not all bad. Neither are you.
Anxiety makes us feel acutely aware of the negative things in life, in people and in the passing of time.
We are all complex individuals with different motivations and differing amounts of time in which to achieve our goals, but at our core we are a beautiful concoction of processes.
I could see my anxiety as an indicator of the scary world in which I inhabit, or I could see it as a reaction to wanting to so desperately be part of the beautiful world which I also inhabit.
My anxiety makes me reach out, give love and accept love, because I fear losing the chance to do so. My anxiety forces me to weigh up decisions carefully and whilst it might have nearly stopped me coming to Australia, it also helped me prepare for it properly.
I treat my anxiety like a parasite; I feed off it and convert its strength into mental energy for myself.
It is possible to take the bad, with the good, and thrive in spite of what our mind fears or what actually happens to us; anxiety can be painful and feel impossible but anxiety also means we care and that means we are able to feel hope, faith and love. That means we live, not simply exist.
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9 Reasons Why You Must Travel While You Can
If you asked me a couple years ago, what my biggest fear was, i'd probably have said spiders. Then once i'd thought about it, i'd of said, spiders and being unemployed...
9 Reasons Why You Must Travel While You Can
Updated 2016: This post was originally published in April 2014, and we are now over a year into our Australia journey. You can read more about our recent adventures here.
If you asked me a couple years ago, what my biggest phobia was, I'd probably have said spiders. Then once I'd thought about it, I'd of said spiders, and being unemployed.
I have always been scared of the things most of us are: instability, unpredictability and struggle.
Most of you might agree, that you too are terrified of not having a regular income and a secure job, and not being able to comfortably live and enjoy life with a healthy bank balance.
I personally have always played it safe and feel much more secure when I am paying each bill, in full, every month, and so, financial peril has always been just too unnerving a prospect to think about; I have always made sure I was never unemployed.
But I have now left behind the relative relaxed lifestyle I had, where I at least had enough money to get by, stay out of debt, and live fairly happily.
I became a nomad in March 2015 and I have been unemployed (or casually employed) for much of the last year, and guess what, I'm doing okay!
It has not always been an easy or wondrous experience since arriving in Australia, but as of yet, none of our fears or obstacles have made us quit. And neither should they stop you from travelling in the first place.
If you really need convincing as to why travel is awesome, beyond the fact that it's fun, eye-opening and life-altering, keep on reading...
9 Reasons To Travel While You Can:
1. Life is short, too short, and sometimes really crappy
Okay, interesting and negative place to begin, but, what I mean by this is, life, from many angles, is frustrating, stressful and endlessly unfair, which is why we have to carve out beauty in our lives as best we can.
We have to try and squeeze out as much joy from each day, which for some can involve taking our little selves across sea, land and sky, to see it all, before we no longer can, before we are old enough and cynical enough to regret not having done so.
2. Routine leads to predictable (and boring) results
Our daily lives often become made up of routines and habits, rarely deviating from a normal range of actions and emotions. It can feel like nothing is that exciting or inspiring when we are lost in unfulfilling ruts.
If you ALWAYS work a Monday to Friday, and ALWAYS eat spaghetti on a Wednesday, and ALWAYS sleep in on a Saturday, is it really possible to ever feel anything other than entirely predictable feelings that are okay and fine, but they are just that, fine.
Travel is unpredictable, in a good way; everyday can bring something new and never-before experienced, and it can completely reinvigorate your senses and alter your world-view.
It can make you fall back in love with life, enough to not need the safety (and dullness) of predictable routines all the time.
3. Your career or job does not define you
You are not the achievements you have built up on your resume or the promotions you have gained or the title on a name badge.
Yes, you should absolutely strive for success and be proud of your achievements but if you choose a different path, even for a short while, that's okay, and it isn't a regressive move.
Maybe some people enjoy living to work, as opposed to working to live, but I know which kind of person I am, and that's one who wants to see the amazing stuff and DO the amazing stuff.
I fully appreciate that one day I will likely settle down and that will likely involve regular work. But I like to think that first I can focus on selfish exploration and adventure, and that I don't need the outward markers of success to feel good inside.
4. Babies are cute, but they can wait
Many of us millennials are ready to pro-create, because its the done thing. People do it all the time, and that's totally cool.
But babies turn into children and children turn into teenagers who turn into adults; having a baby is not a short-term thing and you have to be truly ready to grow, birth and then build that human for, well, the rest of your life.
So when you start popping out mini-me's, it will inevitably make it harder to simply leave your home country for an unlimited amount of time and do whatever the hell you want.
There is a lot more to think about when children come into the frame; education, health, stability.
All the things you would need to provide your children, are not as easy to manage when you're living a nomadic lifestyle, so maybe travelling now is better than later, before chubby little humans take over.
5. Life is unpredictable; but you can bet on death and taxes
Our lives take the oddest and harshest of turns at times. I have always had a tendency to ruminate on the worst possible scenarios that could befall me.
But its possible the saddest thing that can happen to anyone is not living life to the absolute fullest because of the fear of what could happen.
You really have to ask yourself the question, whether the bad things come or not, what can I do to build solid foundations and powerful memories which will build me up when I need to recover from whatever life throws my way.
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6. See the world without financial commitments elsewhere
People might associate travel with needing a lot of money in the bank to begin with, when that's really not the case. However, you do kinda need to not be paying for 5 different bills, from loans, to credit cards to mortgages.
What you do need is limited financial commitments and some healthy savings to launch yourself off on your way.
Thanks to the thousands of people who travel, and who thus demand better deals on all things associated with it, it is becoming easier to afford your backpacking adventure. But there will still be times where you will have no regular income, and during that time, you really don't want to be worrying about your bank balance at home.
Fantastic websites such as Workaway and Couchsurfing are evidence of a whole sect of services geared at making travelling easier on the bank balance, but it helps to have few financial burdens to begin with.
7. If you don't use it, you lose it
This is true of a lot of things; if you don't actively engage your mind, it turns to mush. And here I apply that idea, as well as physical health and fitness.
When you go travelling, you are often constantly seeing and doing new things, potentially challenging your mind and body, and so there will inevitably be health benefits that will come with these experiences.
Whether its slightly tighter thighs, enviable calf muscles, or simply, a clearer and less stressed mind, what else is going to shake up your life so radically, from the inside-out?
8. You deserve fun before the serious stuff sets in
Many people focus their everyday life entirely on the things that will come down the line, as mentioned above, like babies, marriage, a home.
But of course none of these things are guaranteed so much as they are wanted and expected.
Then again these things CAN wait, because if you are like Taran and I, still young enough to be mildly terrified of babies, marriage and mortgages, that's because you aren't yet ready for them and you should be using your time to grow and have fun!
The awesome clear waters of Noosa river.
9. If not now, when?
People often see happiness as a destination, as a place they will eventually reach, if they just get THAT job, buy THAT car, buy THAT house, marry THAT person.
But what if you get all the supposed markers of fulfilment and still feel dissatisfied?
Life doesn't have to be merely the ticking off of a list of things you believe you need or want, with a deadline attached to each milestone.
Instead, you can focus on the now, and make choices each day that make you happy, instead of gearing your every move towards an imagined and unpredictable future.
I believe that travel is an option for anyone, whilst acknowledging that it's not necessarily an easy one.
Many of us choose to live our lives guided by an imaginary timeline put upon us by societal norms. We feel like we should follow a certain path according to a certain method and we often break our backs trying to conform because we believe it will make us happy.
Or, we can do things differently whilst it makes the most sense to.
If life really is one long list of deadlines then maybe we should defer some, and appreciate that life is more than a tick-list of actions we must undertake based on the opinions and behaviours of others.
From our experience, travel has helped us appreciate life differently, and become more open-minded but most importantly, more present and mindful, focusing on the joy to be found from one moment to the next.
More Travel Inspiration:
1. Budget Travel Will Turn You Into An Adventurer
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Latest Travel Inspiration:
8 Ways To Simplify How You Communicate: Creating Intentional Interactions.
Our style of communication can actually hold us back, with an over-abundance of words meaning our purpose and points get lost in a sea of confusion. Yet sometimes we don't say enough in fear of what others will say in response...
8 Ways To Simplify How You Communicate: Creating Intentional Interactions.
The journey to minimalism is not in itself entirely minimal...there are many facets of your life that you choose to simplify, or not.
For me it went:
I entertained the notion of leading a simpler existence, less reliant of money and things, because I wanted to become a nomad.
At first I very much focused on the visible side of minimalism, the noticeable changes obvious to myself and those around me; I halved my wardrobe, discarded trinkets and random furnishings and stopped bringing in more random stuff.
Over the last two years, I have embraced minimalism wholeheartedly whilst travelling, gradually learning to that I can live happily with less things, and love what I do have more.
I cherish what I have, seek quality over quantity and try to maintain a feeling of lightness and freedom.
An entirely different area of simplifying has only recently come into my mindset.
So, I have always been a rambler. I love words, it’s as simple as that. I love that our vocabulary and language can be ever-changing and growing, something we expand with age and exploration.
But I have come to realize the benefit of stopping, thinking, speaking a little less, and choosing my words better.
In terms of written and spoken communication, the value of less can still very much apply.
Our style of communication can actually hold us back, with an over-abundance of words meaning our purpose and points get lost in a sea of confusion. Sometimes we don't say enough in fear of what others will say.
For example, I sometimes lack assertiveness and directness in how I interact with others and I have been known in the past as the person who might mutter or say a little too much when less would have sufficed fine.
I have tried to overcome this, not by suddenly pulling inner confidence from thin air, but by thinking about how I speak before I do so.
I try to be clearer, more concise and leave no doubt in the mind of the person I am communicating with in what I mean, want or need.
I don’t desire to create drama any more, directly or indirectly, by either letting my words run away from me or by not speaking up enough.
I don’t want to be a mutterer or a mumbler any longer. I don’t want to make others feel like I don’t know who I am or what I mean.
Maybe years of letting others make me feel inferior or insecure in myself has brought me up to this point.
I have come to a place where I want to live intentionally across the board so why wouldn’t I also deal with the issues that prevent me asking the universe for what I want and deserve via purposeful and intentional interactions?
It got me wondering about how can I de-clutter the intangible e.g. from my thoughts to my speech.
How can I realistically still be the fun, chatty and interested person I try to be in a conversation whilst also being less wordy and more to the point? Do I not risk coming across as a boring person void of personality?
I really want to pour my energy into my written words and generally feel a little less overwhelmed in the creative process. I therefore believe its important to conserve emotional energy where possible, and help others understand me even better, to ultimately reach my broader goals in life a little quicker.
That is part of the reason for me simplifying my communication style, but it's also because I want to quell my tendency toward irrational and anxious thinking. I often go from 0-10 on a scale of worry and trepidation and it shows itself in scattered, fast, emotional and unthinking speech.
I no longer ignore how my mind makes me behave and defeatedly believe that my anxiety is a natural thing; I have taken the time to regain some control and assess ways that I can minimize its impact on my daily life, most prominently by fostering more intentional interactions.
I believe that I have developed a clearer mind and an even calmer life by simplifying my communication style; from shorter emails and quicker responses, to facing head on the conversations which make me uncomfortable.
If you feel it's time to find simplify your life even further, for whatever reason, then keep reading:
8 Ways To Simplify How You Communicate:
Think Whilst You Speak
Apply the age-old idea of ‘Think before you speak’ but put a twist on it, and make it ‘Think before and as you speak’.
You can do this by talking slower, choosing your words carefully, not feeling as if you can’t take a moment to craft exactly what you truly wish to say.
People are often rushing, from one place to the next, from one idea to the next, and never stop to see what fresh inspiration can come from the pauses in breath we take between speaking.
Embrace being able to think through your ideas before and whilst you discuss them because in a conversation, new ideas emerge and your point might clarify even more in your own mind.
Write It Down
If you are struggling with a particular thing you wish to communicate with someone, write down some bullet points with a few keywords on the topic.
Do this prior to a conversation, be it via phone or email, and help yourself be efficient and clear in what you want to say and need to achieve.
Try to avoid mentally forming a long monologue in your own mind and building a sense of anxiety before you talk.
You needn't pour out a raft of information and stumble over yourself, resulting in your original message getting lost in a sea of language.
Appreciate Being Quiet
Celebrate the ability to be quiet and selective with how much you talk each day. We can expend a lot of mental energy if we try to be talkative or engaging every moment the opportunity arises.
Sometimes I prefer to sit and think more instead of externalize my every idea and whim.
Or, I write my ideas down in a brief form and I find I can return to them far easier later on, having not verbally put ideas out into the world that I then forget about.
I embrace how nice it is to just be still and peaceful, even in a world where it’s pressed upon us that we must speak up loudly and proudly.
Don't Paint The Silence
I am especially guilty of talking too much when someone asks me a question, in that as soon as the silence after the answer happens, I try to fill it with even more detail.
I think I'm just trying to stave off awkwardness or believe that the silence is indicative of my failure to get my point across.
I have learned recently that I do not need to fill those quieter moments, and instead realize that a conversation is a two-way thing; if the other person chooses not to immediately respond, let them.
Don't pounce on the quiet moment and recognize it as a natural and important part of allowing others to process their thoughts.
Keep Calm
During any heated or difficult conversation, listen closer, remain calm, and keep eye contact with the person you are speaking to.
We are all human, all afflicted with the same inner crisis and neurosis, it's just that some of us hide it better beneath a veneer of intimidation. But we are all just trying to appear strong to in-turn, feel strong.
The best way to ensure you don’t leave behind a conversation with words unspoken or ideas poorly gotten across, is to overlook the individual you are talking to.
Overlook how they make you feel or how you appear to make them feel. Focus only on why and what you are trying to achieve from the conversation.
What is your desired outcome and can remaining calm and patient help you achieve it more easily?
Don't Neglect Others
Don’t put off replying to those lingering conversations or messages and instead view it as if you having a real life talk, and you simply stop talking, for days on end.
Surely it can be pretty confusing for others, leaving that time for them to build up negative ideas in their mind about you e.g. so and so doesn’t care enough to reply, there not a true friend.
Sometimes we see a message, we put our phone down and it lives our mind completely. Then days pass and the message remains ignored. Often this is accidental, the symptom of a busy life, but other times we simply put off talking to people when we can’t predict how or when they will respond back.
But it’s time to take charge of this and endeavour to provide some kind of quick reply to each message we receive even if it's simply to say ‘I will get back to you later when we can properly talk’. The difference between a simply reply and no reply at all is hurting someone’s feelings or not hurting them.
Our fundamental human need for the interaction, companionship and the attention of others needn’t always be superseded by our supposed busy-ness.
Accept People's Differences
Recognize that no matter how clear and confident you speak others will not always deliver an equally measured response. But you can still retain your calm and concise approach, and you don’t have to lose your control to feelings of anger.
Sometimes a blow up will happen, and it will often come from you, but if we practice ‘Keep calm and carry on’ , on our side at least, we can stop things escalating beyond what we need to be dealing with. Arguments are often fuelled by passion but they can equally be fuelled by using thoughtless, unkind or defensive words.
When you shout, they shout back even louder and when you go silent, they press you harder. By no means should you back down but you should try to argue differently. Argue but argue in a way that is more likely to deliver a better mutual outcome than if you rally someone into agreement.
Life is too short to spend it trying to constantly fight with our loved ones and the change the mind of another when all we should be doing is living by the example of our own values.
Postpone Irrelevant Thoughts
As a chronic over-thinker, an anxiety-sufferer and a generally argumentative personality, I find it incredibly hard to shut my mind off. I find it near impossible to not play out entire conversations in my own head way before they are due to happen.
Newsflash, to myself, I am neither psychic nor do I need to take every thought that enters my mind and give it hours of my life. Neither do you!
I have gotten into the life-changing habit of mentally pigeon-holing a thought or idea. I acknowledge the thought, file it under 'Emergency' or 'Completely non-emergent and just plain silly', and act accordingly.
I don't need to map out conversations I might not even have or don't need to have until some future point. I certainly do not need to act immediately on my every thought because time changes your mind and so much of what we go to say or do is driven by a passing mood or emotion.
Practise acknowledging thoughts and then post-pone them; you can ruminate on any idea you wish, but only when its appropriate and healthy to do so.
It's easy to feel powerless to the way our minds work, and its harder to change than to stay the same.
The way we communicate with the outside world is more than just sounds or performance; it can be a vehicle through which we positively change the way our brains work.
We can create the space and the peace needed to figure ourselves out and attract the things which make us happy.
It is possible to create a minimal way of life, one that builds deeper connections and more fulfilling interactions; we just have to balance the silence with the noise and equalize the thinking mind, with the quiet one.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
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7 Things We Wish We Had Done Before Travelling
We wouldn’t change any part of the trip so far, even the crappier times, and so, this isn't a negative retrospective, more of a list of the things we have thought of and discussed along the way.
7 Things We Wish We Had Done Before Travelling
I’m not big on having regrets in life. If I wake up most days feeling basically happy with my decisions and I retain perspective on my good fortune, regrets are pointless and silly.
Yes, we've had 16 months of new experiences, learning opportunities and true challenges, all of which balance out to create a story of immense awesomeness...
Yet that doesn’t mean however that we must ignore hindsight and not acknowledge the few select things we wish we had done differently before we left the UK (Beware, our blog was in its infancy when we posted that), because it’s possible we’d have made the journey even better.
We wouldn’t change any part of the trip so far, even the crappier times, and so, this isn't a negative retrospective, more of a list of the things we have thought of and discussed along the way.
But still, if you are yet to embark on your travels, the things we wish we had done, might be the things you still have time to implement, to help you avoid some of the difficulties we have faced.
The 7 Things We Wish We Had Done Differently:
Built A Larger Savings Account
I know that it can feel like you will never have enough savings when you begin travelling, because no matter how much you have it will still run out one day.
Plus, if you spend too long saving then you put off travelling even further into the future. Still, we wish we had been even stingier and amassed larger savings accounts.
The benefit would have been that we could have left more behind in the UK as emergency money instead of all our money being in our current account out here.
We also could have purchased a vehicle when we got to Australia.
We went back and forth about this and now know it’s too late to buy one...
We didn't have enough money to get one and now cant afford to, but we felt we could travel just fine without one and it would force us to be more imaginative, but in a way, not having one has been a restriction.
SOLUTION: PLAN FOR YOUR BIGGER TRIP EXPENSES BY INDULGING LESS AND LIVING ON A BUDGET.
Had a Second Income Source
To have been able to save more we would have needed to work more. I worked as much as I could as a dog-walker during the day but still had free time I could have filled with extra work, be that by beginning my freelancing career or getting a small side-gig.
Taran only did a little part-time job with a side-business of selling his art.
I sometimes think a little bit of overworking and suffering in the short-term would have benefited us in terms of savings.
It might have better prepared us for the hard work and long hours we would end up doing out here as well as helped us appreciate, even more, those first blissful work-free months in Australia.
SOLUTION: TRY TO FIND SHORT-TERM OR PART-TIME WORK WHERE POSSIBLE.
Gained Different and Varied Work Experience
It turns out we both came to Australia with very few of the skills and experience really in demand from backpackers and working-holiday makers.
I had never worked in hospitality before this trip (I had worked in retail, banking and self-employment) whereas Taran had done a little bit of bar work and waiting, around 5 years ago.
We have struggled to find jobs that we could even apply to let alone the issue of competition from fellow travellers and Aussies.
The upside has been that we have been given chances and have come to learn lots of new valuable skills, with me finally understanding what a Latte and a Cappuccino are (and also randomly how to service a bloody tractor!) whilst Taran learning how to properly prune trees.
Thankfully going forward we are better equipped for a variety of jobs but we wish our arsenal of experience was a bit broader from the get-go.
SOLUTION: RESEARCH, TAKE COURSES OR FIND PART-TIME JOBS IN THE FIELDS RELATED TO THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE GOING TO.
Got Rid of More Clutter
When we visited home in February I realized just how much stuff and clutter I had held onto despite my love for minimalism and my belief that I had shed a lot of things in preparation for nomadic life.
It turns out I could have shed a lot more, and most importantly, I could have sold more stuff to free up cash for my savings.
I hate to think that my bedroom at home is a treasure trove of random stuff that is getting no use or love and I wish I had felt unafraid of letting go of certain luxuries like my TV.
SOLUTION: DONATE OR SELL ALMOST ALL OF YOUR REPLACEABLE BELONGINGS.
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Purchased A Good Camera
It wasn’t until a good 7 months into our travels until we invested in our Canon G16, meaning our photography of the first pivotal days and weeks of our adventures have been captured on less than stellar smart-phones and our go-pro.
Had we saved more money and considered how much use we would get out of a camera then we would have a full library of equally brilliant photo’s.
Our new camera in action!
SOLUTION: SET ASIDE SOME TIME AND SAVINGS TO RESEARCH AND PURCHASE A GOOD CAMERA (AND ENSURE THIS IS COVERED BY YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE).
Brought Smaller Backpacks
Now of course we can change our backpacks at any stage, throw away a ton of stuff and downsize, but I like my current backpack (and it cost quite a lot) and I know all the little quirks of how to best use it.
We have gotten used to having a certain amount of stuff whilst travelling and have become accustomed to having the room that we have.
Taran however wishes he had a roomier bag as his is quite small inside and he'd prefer to have less clothes and more room to store camping gear.
I almost wish we had been more restrictive from the beginning, buying smaller bags which would force us to carry less and make it easier to travel with the important things we have gained on the road.
SOLUTION: TRY OUT BACKPACKS OF A SMALLER SIZE BUT NOT A LESSER QUALITY, AND BRING LESS CLOTHING.
Enjoyed Home More
We spent a lot of time in the build-up to travelling almost just waiting around, not making the most of the final weeks of time with friends and family.
We realize now we could have spent that time better and not worried that it would take us away from our tight spending mindset.
I wish I had seen certain family more often because you can never have too much time with your loved ones, but you can certainly have too little.
SOLUTION: PLAN TIME TO BUILD GREAT MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY PRIOR TO YOUR TRIP.
Evidently some of our regrets are incongruous with one another; its unlikely we could have worked more, spent less and also had plenty of family and friend time.
But maybe even just a couple of these ideas will help you realize that the time before your trip deserves as much attention and thought as the time spent on your travels.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Blogging Overwhelm: Having A Break, Not A Break-Up
This travel blogging lark sure is a story of ups and downs…
Blogging Overwhelm: Having A Break, Not A Break-Up.
This travel blogging lark sure is a story of ups and downs…
This week I fell out of love.
I fell out of love with blogging.
I went days without even thinking about our little corner of the internet, not wanting to put fingers to keyboard to produce anything at all.
I also found Twitter stifling, Facebook cluttered, Pinterest visually irritating and my own blog...just a source of massive stress.
My natural response was to take a step back, avoid these spaces online and just give myself a break.
Sadly my other natural response was to fall into a pit of mild creative despair and stress.
I felt pretty upset and anxious that when it came down to it, during the time where I was realizing just how much I want to do this professionally and long-term, I also felt completely bored, bummed and baffled by it.
I suddenly didn't want to write anything, and I didn’t fancy reading another ‘How To’ post, experience another sea of graphics and headlines on my Pinterest feed, or even read posts from my favourite bloggers.
I know that it's entirely normal for my energy and enthusiasm to wane time to time. If things in other areas of my life aren’t going so swimmingly, I am more likely to sink under, instead of swim in the ocean of expectation I have for myself and my goals.
That has definitely happened recently as my casual job role, outside of the blog, has pretty much dried up due to the end of the tourism season in this part of Australia. We are yet again experiencing money struggles and feeling disillusioned and discouraged from our life of perpetual travel.
We still have no regrets about embarking on this crazy and unpredictable adventure but the downs have been more powerful lately than the ups.
In the face of our work struggles I knew I had to get more serious about my freelancing career, and I had to truly knuckle down.
But it’s amazing how when you actually zero in on your creative expression to try and make it something more, the fun gets sucked right out of it in the same moment…
This week I had 7 days of no paid work outside the house. I suddenly had a long week ahead of me with no structure, and it was easy to feel overwhelmed by this void of spare time. Usually I strike a balance whereby I work for 3-4 hours outside the home and then I do the blog, but this week I felt like I should take this chance to work non-stop on it.
Instead, I pretty much shut-down and turned my back on my to-do lists, plans and creativity altogether. For me, if I spent all my days off working on the blog that would mean wholeheartedly acknowledging my financial worries. It would mean giving into the crappy part of travel, whereby you feel like the thing you love doing is at threat because you can’t maintain a decent and sustainable income on the road.
But when it comes down to it, it goes beyond just my external stressors; I also have a chaotic number of goals and ambitions exerting internal stress.
I have so many ideas, about so many different things, all hanging over my head like tiny little speech bubbles. They follow me around and steal my mental clarity, and even my sleep. I tried to unload some of my ambition baggage onto a wall of post-it notes; I literally wrote down all the different goals, short and long-term, that were muddling up my brain. Then when I realized my cheap post-it notes didn’t fancy staying stuck to the wall I had designated for them, I thought I’d try something more compact and functional.
I moved to Asana to try and outline my different ideas and suggest practical tasks relating to them. But since opening an account 2 weeks ago I have probably revisited it once…
Am I my own worst enemy, neglecting the very problem-solving routines I know can probably help me out? Or am I just totally overwhelmed?
Overwhelmed by my goals, and the wealth of advice available out there designed to help me reach them.
Overwhelmed by the acute internal pressure of building something financially viable out of a life-long vocation.
Overwhelmed by the knowledge of potential and the struggle needed to make it a reality.
Overwhelmed by the amazing output of my fellow creators and my desire to be a fledgling part of that community.
You might be feeling something similar, or, if you are passionate about your creative pursuits and have the goal to take them to the next level, then it's likely you too will find yourself experiencing general overwhelm.
What can you do to ensure a little break doesn’t become a full-on break-up?
You need to get back to the most fun part of blogging and make it simpler to do.
You need to implement a simple planning system.
You need to accept the bad days and write when it feels right.
You need to acknowledge your fears and worries as well as your goals.
Foremost, you need to enjoy the life you have chosen and live out the mantra's you advocate via your blogging creations.
You need to remember that having a passion and something that you are good at, is truly a privilege, something to be grateful about and empowered by.
Also, how can anyone find the stories they read on a blog truly aspirational if they feel like the writer is not actually enjoying living out those experiences, and relishing the opportunity to share them in honest and authentic detail?
I personally would rather see my favourite blogger produce one amazing blog post a fortnight, and take their time creating products, than try to produce and publish non-stop, because the quality of their offering will suffer.
I get that us creatives are always tweaking our strategy, changing our routines and finding what works best for our audience, but we shouldn’t lose sight of what works best for us.
I truly believe that blogging overwhelm is a double-edged sword; on one hand it proves your passion and reaffirms your 'Why' for doing what you do, and on the other hand, it literally sucks to experience.
But the path to where you want to be, who you want to be, is littered with obstacles, up-hill climbs and stress, but so much of that will come from your own internal dialogue.
Pressure isn't bad, ambition isn’t either, but when the two become bigger than the act of doing what you enjoy, then the balance has been tipped out of your favour.
I took some time out, time I didn't measure or dwell on, and I did all the random things I felt like doing, like binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy, and reading a novel, but what felt like wasted time was actually a much needed break.
The break clearly worked because I felt refreshed and ready to write this post. It wasn't a long break but it was enough.
I did think through my goals, and realized that I can likely reach them one day, but if I don’t chill, take a step back and remember to enjoy creating and living, they will become insurmountable dreams instead of entirely possible outcomes.
Suggested reading for some inspiration when you aren't feeling so overwhelmed:
Thanks for Reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Life After De-Cluttering: What Comes Next?
We all have different reasons for embracing minimalism, and not everybody will have a long-term goal that is deeply interlinked with their minimalist changes
Life After De-Cluttering: What Comes Next?
As nomadic minimalists, we talk about minimalism in a lot of detail; from why you should embrace minimalism, to minimalism for beginners and the basics of de-cluttering:
- Minimalism Will Make You A Calmer Person.
- 12 Struggles of Minimalist Beginners: How To Overcome Them.
- The Minimalist Life Cleanse: Stage 1, De-Cluttering Your Home.
I even wrote an eBook, Minimalism: Cleanse Your Life, Become A Calmer Person, a practical guide to simplifying your home, your wallet and your online space.
We all have different reasons for de-cluttering, and not everybody will want to become fully-fledged minimalists. For some, de-cluttering might have just been a short-term process designed to simplify on a basic level, creating a tidier and more organized home space.
But some newly established minimalists may want to continue to build solid minimalist foundations from which to follow their life goals, and that’s how it was for me.
So it's all good and well, knowing the Why and the How-To for adopting minimalism...
But what about the When? When you are supposedly 'finished'; you’ve de-cluttered, you’ve implemented new routines to make life simpler, and created an environment which will help you work towards your goals.
For me, when I was done with dealing with much of my clutter, I kept on going...I kept on reducing my material footprint and I kept with my mantra of not bringing in more low-quality stuff. I kept clearing my debts, adding to my savings and began to see my dreams take shape; I maintained a lifestyle that was aligned with my long-term goal of travel.
I didn’t enact minimalist principles on a whim; I fully embraced the minimalist mindset and resolved to never let it slide.
Okay, that’s also, all good and well, but what can you practically do to maintain a minimalist and simpler life?
Below are some key ideas relating to maintaining minimalism, for not merely keeping clutter at bay, but to ensure we can better reach our personal, professional and financial goals.
The 4 area's of importance for life after de-cluttering relate to being accountable for our daily choices to remain clutter-free, creating more fruitful and balanced schedules, building healthier passions and interests, and developing routines which help change our bad habits.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
List your goals in a mindfulness diary.
Through my minimalism journey, I went from being financially fraught and lost, to taking back control and devising a solid repayment plan to clear my debts. To remain mindful during this process and to know exactly what I was spending, acquiring and saving, I began keeping note of all my spending.
You might already do this, and you might already live on a specific budget, but having a mindful diary isn't just about keeping note of the numbers...
I began my blog, which became the place I could stay motivated by sharing my minimalist transition. But you might not wanna do that... which is cool.
Instead, begin writing in a journal.
In the front of your journal, write your 3 key goals, the ideas that are on your mind right now, which could range from the small and daily, to the long-term and life-changing.
Consider these ideas:
- Which hope, aspiration or dream is motivating the decisions you make each day? Do you make choices that work toward these goals positively?
- Do you feel as if you are on the cusp of some major life changes? Do you want to feel more ready and able to cope with the up's and down's of daily living?
- Are you trying to accomplish a financial goal, or move up in your career? Do you have some time limits by which you want to achieve these goals?
- Are you hoping to confront some things about your life that you have been avoiding? Do you want to continue on a therapeutic journey where you can focus on the now and the future, letting go of negative moments from your past?
Without an outlet to explore my own thoughts and establish some focus, I was out-of-touch with what I was doing, why I was doing it and what I actually needed to do to be more fulfilled.
I was the most prone to impulse spending and over indulging myself, financially or otherwise, when I lacked a broader focus, or the means to hold myself accountable for my daily choices. I could walk into a shop and leave with 5 t-shirts and it wouldn't negatively impact my goals, because I didn’t have any!
Stumbling through my life, ignoring my stressors and relying on materialist escapism was certainly harming my health, but I didn’t yet know better.
Minimalism (and a lot of other positive changes) happened because I let new positive influences come into my life, entertaining new ideas and goals for what I could do to change things. I kept a solid note of my goals and these began to shape the way I lived my life each day instead of resorting to habitual and detrimental behaviours which worked against my quest for fulfilment.
Commit to spending a few quiet moments a day with your journal to keep in touch with your goals and quieten the thoughts that threaten to undo your new minimalist lifestyle; each passing day or week, note the various ways your simpler lifestyle and minimalist habits are helping you reach your goals.
PRODUCTIVITY:
Create days based on balance.
I read plenty of blog posts about organization, simplifying and goal-setting, which talk about designing the perfect daily schedule. These posts outline how you should best use each and every hour of your day.
But often a lot of these posts suggest practises that I feel actually complicate your day a further...
Some of the ideas put forward can be a little unrealistic; setting rigid rules for how to plan and use each day doesn't account for those times where we feel tired, distracted, de-motivated, or uninspired, or those days where we just can't shake our mood.
We then feel bad for not actually wanting to be a productive boss right that moment...
Maybe some people find it helpful to plan out each day and believe it staves off these negative, albeit totally normal, peaks and troughs in energy.
But I believe it can be detrimental to our ability to succeed in whatever our goals are, without burning out, if we ignore the natural ebb and flow of our moods. This mindset can put us into a damaging cycle of perceiving natural dips in enthusiasm as proof that we are doomed to fail in our goals, or that we don't actually deserve the success we are pursuing.
To counter this, I personally aim to create balanced days; I do write 'To Do' lists, but only short ones. I aim to achieve something small professionally each day whilst also tending to my own self-care needs. If I wake up feeling tired and like I want to avoid all my responsibilities, I either take a brief walk round the block, watch my favourite Youtuber's, or listen to a podcast. I might do my laundry, clean the house or read a book on my kindle. I try to take my mind off feeling like I should be doing something else and just do whatever the hell I want.
I try to re-direct my energy to myself, providing the space for my enthusiasm and focus to return naturally; that familiar stirring of ideas and a need to create eventually comes back and I run with it. I might sit down and spend hours on a blog post, or look at my professional goals and set specific targets for that week. I might connect with people on social media or read some inspirational blog posts. I do whatever feels right, whilst also chipping away at my blogging responsibilities and goals.
The important thing to remember is that most of the time, the dreams we are chasing aren't trains leaving a station; they will still be there, in a few hours or in a couple of days. When we believe that we should be maxing out our 24 hours in the pursuit of our goals we forget that probably only a quarter of what we do in that time will yield actual results, especially if we are neglecting our self-care, our relationships or our health.
A balanced day is one where we don't force ourselves to do the tasks that we would usually willingly choose to do, because we falsely believe that our dreams will desert us; we don't turn our passions into burdens by valuing them above our own basic physical and psychological needs.
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FUN:
Embrace healthy escapism and joyful passions.
If you are trying to make minimalism stick, by avoiding temptation to consume or do things which are detrimental to your goals, the biggest issue can be boredom. One of the many reasons that we come to have homes full of stuff, unfinished projects and numerous distractions is because we haven't yet found our true passion.
When we do find a passion, hobby or vocation, we tend to give a lot of our time and energy to it. If we have a sense of purpose each day, one revolving around something other than consumerism, then the inference is that we are more likely to retain minimalist ideas and enjoy the positive side-effects.
But what happens when your hobby involves oodles of things?
There's nothing wrong with having a cupboard full of art supplies or a shelf full of books, unless we don't actually give time to exploring and enjoying these things. Minimalism isn't about having as little as possible, it's about having as little of the pointless and extraneous, so that you can appreciate what you love at your core.
What if you don't have a hobby or a passion?
This was me a few years back before this blog began. I always loved writing and I often wrote poems and songs, but because of the creative energy needed for it versus the energy I was expending elsewhere on crappy exploits, I didn't write as much as my inner creative would have liked.
The fact I was also surrounded by clutter and visual distraction didn't help.
Ideas to consider to help you get back in touch with what you love:
- What did you always love to do as a child, something that might not have left as you moved into your teenage years? I always used to try and command the attention of a room, spend hours writing poems, and I was known to tidy up a lot... in my adulthood these principles have translated nicely into my blog and my eBook!
- Did people ever remark on a particular talent or ability of yours? People often told me I should consider journalism or teaching, but I always felt afraid of these two particular routes. Thankfully with time and research I found the best outlet for my natural skills and hobbies.
- Do you enjoy experiencing the creations of others? I have always loved film, music and reading, but it was only this year that I discovered the awesomeness of podcasts and audiobooks. There are always more ways to explore the entertainment that appeals to your particular personality.
- Do you seek out escapist and simplistic entertainment when you could be seeking out interesting or useful knowledge? For years I visited the same websites peddling gossipy information that I could do zero with. I began to seek out things which expanded my mind instead of filled it up with random useless information.
For many years I felt like there was no wider purpose for exploring and indulging my passion for writing. What is the purpose of doing something that doesn't elicit interest or appreciation from others?
Surely being a part of the consumerist dynamic, partaking in the same expensive and outward pursuits as my peers was a better use of my time?
I clearly lacked a lot of self-confidence and was always trying to fit in with the world around me, pursuing the same paths as my peers instead of nurturing my inner truth.
But I realized later on that when we let ourselves explore our own mind freely, we learn that we have the tools for fulfilment right here within us.
Eventually my love for creating did become a bigger than just a hobby, and now I blog (and all the side stuff that comes with it) more than I shop or watch television. This blog isn't making me rich, but I find it no less satisfying to do; I enjoy doing it, and if I ever did make a profit, but no longer enjoyed it, I would probably stop.
All the little ways that we like to spend our time, from reading, to writing poetry, to taking photographs; we should accept that there doesn't have to be a grander purpose for why we do them. It's grand purpose enough to fill each day with the things that we love, and which love us back; activities which incur no painful financial or personal cost.
PSYCHOLOGY:
Countering the behaviours which bring in clutter and stress.
This is probably the more difficult and yet most important part of retaining a simpler life; changing the habits which brought in our clutter and problems in the first place.
This article defines a shopaholic in multiple terms, from spending over your budget, to hiding buys from family, to buying more than what is needed, to shopping to eliminate negative emotions. You don't need to have a full-on shopping addiction to exhibit these traits, but even in lesser amounts, these behaviours can be pretty damaging to the simpler living ethos.
You can be mindful, tend to your self-care needs and develop healthier passions, but much of this involves changing your psychology and dominant habits. Habits are very much things we naturally gravitate towards doing without much thought being required.
Alex Lickerman describes the different stages of changing habits and behaviour; if you are reading this post you are most likely hovering between the stages of Contemplation and Maintenance, meaning you are either radically wanting change or you are wanting maintain your newly formed habits.
Hopefully by this stage you have already felt inspired to start some new daily behaviours which might help dissuade your old bad habits.
But our habits are formed and then reinforced, often for years, meaning it's incredibly difficult to unlearn them.
There's plenty of psychological work we can do to change these habits, but it's also important to reinforce new behaviours to form new habits, such as the behaviour of thinking through every purchase we want to make and weighing up our consumer decisions at the point of buying to help us evaluate a need versus a want. This increases our general mindfulness and steers us away from the impulsive habits which take no consideration for the negative results of excess spending.
You could also try to develop better habits around how you use and organize the things in your home to help prevent clutter amassing and items going forgotten and wasted.
We need to create some new go-to thought processes which stifle the negative habits that we want to let go of.
Here are some ideas for overcoming excessive or impulsive consumption that work alongside accountability, productivity and fun:
- Consider carrying your mindful journal with you whenever you are going to the places that usually incur random consumption. Having the physical weight of your goals acts as a reminder will make you think twice before you buy something you do not need or truly want. If we pour our hearts into honest expression and then we literally leave the product of that in a drawer at home, where its message becomes passive, we do a disservice to our inner truth and favour the impulse habits of our pasts and thus hurt our future.
- Anything you do buy each week (excluding food), consider putting in one place, e.g. a basket or box. Make it a habit of putting everything you bring into the home, that isn't a necessity or a perishable, into this box. Place this box in the center of your living space, somewhere that you will walk past it each day. This is a process designed to make you acutely aware of how much you bring into your home. This can be a short-term experiment to gauge the types of things you are prone to over-buy but it will help you confront the reasoning's for why you purchase certain things plus make you accountable for the expenditures you are making. This is an exercise in undoing the irrationality of impulse and over-purchasing; if we are wholly aware of the nature of what tempts us and able to see that we don't need certain things to be truly happy, we can simply stop wanting them, stop seeking them out and stop our bad spending habits.
- Write a list of all the random material desires which pop into your mind day-to-day. If you have been wanting new clothing or some particular gadget, don't sit and look at it online or mull it over, just write it down on a wish-list. This isn't a task that will take a lot of time but it will unload this portion of mind-clutter, allowing you to analyse your relationship to material things. This list might end up representing genuine needs for things that you can't stop thinking about after weeks have passed, your daily life lacking in some way for the absence of it. But it might also make you realize how fleeting your desires for material goods can be, compared to how quickly you usually act on these impulse wants.
By unpacking your thoughts and diverting from the habits your mind will automatically put into action, thus making consumerism wholly mindful, you can change the way you acquire; from buying when you are in a bad mood to wrongly defining a want as a need, you can transform your negative behaviours and leave bad habits behind.
What comes after de-cluttering is a push to create something new in the physical and mental space that you have given yourself.
De-cluttering can be more than just a one-off act and can be enacted as an ongoing process where the way you live each day is fundamentally altered.
It's not merely about having less and spending less, its about finding something rewarding, real and important, more important than resorting to habits which have proven themselves as damaging to your health and happiness.
What do you do to keep clutter at bay and place your goals at the forefront of how you live?
Thanks for reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Budget Travel Will Turn You Into An Adventurer
Travelling on such a small budget will force you to make crazy decisions that you might never have made if you...
Budget Travel Will Turn You Into An Adventurer
When you travel long-term, life becomes a whole lot more unpredictable, but in a good way. You open yourself up to seeing and experiencing things that make you feel incredibly alive. That's why it becomes addictive, knowing that you are going to have your mind blown and your heart made full, exploring beyond your immediate surroundings.
When you know how it feels to travel, how it truly makes your senses heighten, and your stresses melt away, you will never want to stop.
And the best thing about travel, is that it can be done on a budget!
We came to Australia with about £3000 which may sound like a lot of money.. but we made that moolar last 6 months before we did any sort of paid work; in turn I know people who have spent that amount on a 2 week holiday!
Travelling on such a small budget will force you to make crazy decisions that you might never have made if you could afford the comfortable alternative.
When we first landed in Melbourne we set to work researching all the different ways we could travel the 10 hour journey to Sydney, as we knew we weren't going to hop on a Greyhound coach, not just because of the price, but because we kinda feel it takes the adventure out of the experience. We also didn't fancy spending hours sat on a cramped bus, catching brief glances of Australia out the tinted window, not stopping anywhere but at the designated drop-off's.
During our search we found a website called Co-seats, which is a kind of pre-arranged and paid hitch hiking deal; drivers can advertise their car journey, or you can advertise your preferred destination, and you then look for a match, send a text or make a phone call, and agree to pay a certain small amount towards fuel. It really is a super simple process. We got ourselves a ride with a really friendly young couple, who picked us up just after sunrise from a street corner, at the beginning of another busy day in Melbourne.
Over the next few months we continued to look for cheap and alternative ways to travel; we spent a month living in a two man tent and working for accommodation in Byron Bay, at the same hostel featured in the Inbetweeners 2 movie. Hannah cleaned toilets 3 hours a day, and I helped do some basic maintenance across the site, we worked 2 days on, 2 days off.
This saved us so much money and we made some great friends during our time in Byron Bay. We also got into the habit of hitch hiking as much as possible and although we've had some long waits and some strange people pick us up, you just cant beat the unpredictability of it.
We love the idea of the sharing economy that makes up so much of travelling; opportunities to get food and accommodation in return for a few short hours a day of work, plus the social nature of hitch-hiking, where people often love to pick you up just to hear your story.
One of our most memorable experiences so far was the time we met a hippy named Spartacus in Bellingen, who told us about a festival coming up in Nimbin called Mardi-Grass. He offered us a lift in his van (which is also where he and his son Apollo call home) for the 4 hour trip it would take to get there.
It was pouring down with rain that day, and it just didn't stop for the whole journey. We were diverted from a main road due to a massive accident, and pointed in the direction of a small one-way back-road. Headed down a narrow road more akin to an English country lane, after a few minutes of trying to see the road through the windscreen wipers, a feeble effort with the lashing rain, we spotted something sitting on the side of the road.
A cat? Surely not out here in the middle of nowhere..
We wish we could of got a better picture!
We stopped the van, and jumped out as Spartacus said excitedly, 'it must be a Koala!'
We both got a bit excited as we had been yet to see a Koala and weren't really keen on going to a zoo just to hold a docile one for a quick photo op. And then before we could even actually prepare ourselves, Spartacus had wrapped it in his jacket and was bringing it back to the van!
We grabbed some towels as it was really wet and cold, and then we got our first look at it before we wrapped it up like a little baby! Hannah then proceeded to cradle the baby Koala in a state of disbelief and cute overdose, while we drove to the nearest town after contacting a Koala rescue team.
This was such an amazing experience and we still look back at it and cant believe it actually happened.
There's very little chance something like this would of happened if we had just hopped on the Greyhound bus!
Watch the video below if you wanna see how it all went down:
We're not telling you that something like this will happen to you, as we are very aware it was extremely lucky for us to have had the experiences we've had. But we do believe that when you seek out cheaper and more adventurous ways to travel, amazing things can happen, and you get to see a side of a country you probably wouldn't have otherwise.
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If you stick to the pre-arranged tours and activities that are peddled to you as a backpacker, you will only ever experience the same thing everyone else does; you will stay in an pre-determined comfort zone.
For example...
While on the East Coast of Australia, we were searching for a way to experience the famous Fraser Island. We had seen all the various backpacker tours and day trips and knew that we wouldn't be paying their crazy prices, and our plan had been to try and hitch hike around the island; we did end up doing this briefly while on the island, getting a lift down the beach, but lifts are few and far between with everyone's 4x4's packed with supplies.
In the end we got to the island because of a job. Way back in April 2015, we happened across an advert for a remote campsite on the island, and from then on, we sent our resumes multiple times each time the ad resurfaced on Gumtree. Finally, in October, we actually got a response and then a phone interview! We secured the couples position and looked forward to finishing up our farm-stay to start working and saving up again; and of course, visit the mythical Fraser Island.
To actually get to the island, we were treated to a 4 seater plane ride over the island with a beach landing. Long story short, we ended up spending 2 months living and working on the worlds largest sand island, living in a tent, spending every day without phone signal let alone internet access.
Two months of being totally disconnected, the only possible way to communicate with the outside world being a hike up a massive sand dune. Two months of living in a tent that needed constant repairs. Two whole months of being exposed to light pollution-free night sky's full of stars; this was an experience we will remember forever, and we know that going on a 2 day party tour of the island just wouldn't have been the same, nowhere near.
You must try and challenge yourself when you travel.
It doesn't matter what kind of traveller you are, be it a luxury hotel frequenter, a hostel bunk-bed addict or a camping master, you can still experience a crazy adventure and all you need is a little imagination and the right mindset.
By sharing some examples of our improvised travelling method, living every day way out of our comfort zones, we hope to inspire you to seek out the road less travelled; it's the best way to create a travel experience that's entirely unique, utterly unforgettable and completely life-changing.
Make sure to share this with your friends who you think will benefit from it :]
Do you seek adventure? It may be easier than you think (and cheaper) https://t.co/5RYWVVJwIK #adventure #travel pic.twitter.com/IfiN8uUSH2
— Taran & Hannah (@Nomaderhowfar) June 3, 2016
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Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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