With so many young people jumping on planes or getting behind the wheel to go explore the world around them, one has to wonder how exactly they are able to pull it off. For many young people who choose to spend their time traveling, there are a few tricks and loopholes that make traveling more realistic than you may have thought. Whether it’s utilizing your college experience, finding the deals, or living cheap, our generation is somehow making traveling work for us.
When I was in college I knew that travel was going to be an important part of my life. At 19, I decided to take a job working seasonally in Alaska as a way to travel so that I could afford it. I worked in Alaska every summer after that year even after I graduated until I was 25. Like so many other young people traveling with limited funds, I learned a few tips and tricks along the way.
Study Abroad
Possibly one of the best options for young people to travel is to utilize their student status and study abroad. This option is not a perk for traditional students only either, many online schools are also offering study abroad options to their students.
There are also many scholarship opportunities to help out with the expenses required to study abroad. This is something that won’t be available when traveling later in life, so it’s best to take advantage of the perks of your student status while studying abroad is still available.
Volunteer Abroad
From short, month-long opportunities to programs like the Peace Corps, the need for volunteers is abundant and there are many different programs to choose from. This isn’t the glamorous way to travel, but is arguably the most realistic view of many countries. Volunteers will be in a community with locals, experience the city they are in from a local standpoint, and have more takeaway than the other options.
There is an expense for nearly all options to volunteer abroad. You pay for travel expenses, boarding, food, and a peace of mind and will be far cheaper than other means of seeing the same place. Just be sure that if you want to volunteer abroad, know what you’re getting yourself into before committing.
Seasonal Work
When I decided to travel, I went the seasonal working route. There were expenses involved in it but not in a lump sum like some other traveling options. This option offers work experience, travel, and financial gain all in one experience. The key to traveling for younger people is to pair traveling with another profitable experience. Studying abroad offers college credit, volunteering is a resume builder, and seasonal work is for making money.
Seasonal work is perfect for students as well because the tourist season in many areas coincides closely with college semesters. Businesses that operate seasonally are used to having their workers relocate to work and, therefore, have many programs already in place for this demographic. You can search for seasonal work based on your time frame, desired location, or one that offers an internship credit for school.
The Art of Being Cheap
The real key to travel for young people is to learn how to be cheap. If you talk to many young travelers, they will tell you a lot of the same things: Always pay with an airline credit card to get miles, plan well in advance, and hotels are overrated and expensive. If traveling is a priority, save your money like it is. Traveling to unpopular places, traveling in the off-season, utilizing hostels (similar to hotels, except hostels room 4-12 guests in the same room and are a lot cheaper) or other cheap housing options, and buying food at grocery stores are all great ways to save money while you’re traveling. There are websites that offer travelers a place to stay in exchange for labor. The options for saving money or travelling for cheap are abundant if you know where to look for them and don’t mind adapting. Everyone always says they want to travel the world, but it’s still a bucket list item for many retirees that weren’t able to do it. The issue with being a cheap traveler is to understand that the deals won’t find you, you have to find them.
When I was in college and decided my summers were going to be spent traveling, I had no idea how I was going to realistically be able to do so. Fortunately, there are many ways that young people are discovering to travel without sacrificing every cent to do so. The basic message for young adults who spend most of their time traveling is that you’ll be able to find a way to travel if you really want it and are willing to sacrifice for it.
Featured image via Frank Park on Unsplash
