Me

28 year old male from the USA

I have wanted to do something like this since I could remember, but not long ago was working at job where I felt stagnant, ultimately unhappy, yada yada. I seriously began planning the logistics/route in the Summer of 2017, left my long time home by the end of the year, and then the USA the following month. Looking back, it took a very specific combination of circumstances and timing to make it possible, and for me to actually do it. I had backpacked South America and Europe for about 2 months each prior to this, both in groups. So first international solo trip, but I've always enjoyed solo travel.

Where I Went

Physical Path(click for link)

This map does a solid job of explaining where I went, and how I got there. Some of the dates might be slightly off (+/- a couple days)

Countries Overview

USA(start)

Ireland

Spain

Andorra

France

Belgium

Germany

Poland

Hungary

Croatia

Montenegro

Albania

Macedonia

Serbia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Romania

Denmark

Spain(again)

Greece

India

Singapore

Malaysia

Indonesia

-----(future plans)

Thailand/Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam

USA (weddings/visit family friends October-December)

Then either back to Asia or South America

FinancialsCan't ignore this lovely aspect of any trip. Note there was a fair bit of couchsurfing, staying with old and new friends, volunteering, and sporadic work in here to ease costs. Good amount of free meals from hosts/friendly people as well, usually if I stayed there awhile I would try to do or get something to repay them, but often they refused. I would alternate being ultra budget mode, and then relax for a bit when it seemed like the right time to do so. This also only shows my spending, nothing of my earn(probably <$1,000 on the year altogether).

https://i.redd.it/z6ugq7lambb21.png

Broad Categorical Breakdown(more detailed analysis available upon request)

https://i.redd.it/qhqjngxembb21.png

Notes on Spending

The costs do not accurately reflect the cost of some gear and general prep costs like shots, insurance, etc. Altogether would estimate another 1-2k in unseen costs paid in 2017. That’s on the generous side however, as I traveled quite light(see gear list below) and already had most the clothes and gear.

Also I did the following volunteer positions at the following places to ease costs as well. In these places accommodations were free, and usually with some or all food included as well. Sometimes for extra work they'd throw you a little cash as well.

You’ll surely wonder how June/July/August came in as so cheap, that is when I was most nervous about my budget stretching all the way to SE Asia, so I went full frugal mode. I believe I actually came in net positive in June teaching English online and freelance writing while volunteering, but to keep it simple this report only shows my spending not net loss/gain. In some places remote work simply was not possible. I think it’s important to note those low spending months were among my favorites and most unique, so money spent certainly does not always result in fun.

Volunteering Locations

Paris, France
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore - Tumbleweed Program

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vagabond Hostel - Being that hostel dude, mostly front desk stuff, and socializing

Alba Iulia, Romania
Happy Faces Summer Camp - English teacher/Camp counselor

Orastie(closest town), Romania
Heavenly Village Eco Farm - General Help

Copenhagen, Denmark
Floating City - Pirate

Syros, Greece
Ms. B’s House - Dog caretaker/groomer

Bir(closest town), India
360 House - General help at paragliding house

Gear

Bags

- Osprey 55 Liter Backpack

Successfully used as a carry on for every flight so far. Strategy is as follows. When checking in or boarding, get your larger back out of sight by setting it in front of desk. If you see tape people, leave the line, your seat is assigned so when you board does not matter in the slightest. If you think this is a bullshit move, my bag has always been able to shut just fine in overhead compartment, so no one is losing space here.

- Osprey Packing Cubes

1 small, 1 medium, 1 large

- Osprey Toiletry Bag

All the stuff to keep my body clean and functional

Electronics

- Macbook pro 15 inch

- Gopro(barely used)

- External hard drive and battery(essential)

- Cables and headphones

- BUBM Cord Organizer(the holy grail, kept in most secure place while stationary with passport/cards)

Clothes

- Beanie/Scarf/Sunglasses

- 2 jackets

One ultralight rainjacket

One medium/heavy overcoat(eventually ditched)

- 5 t-shirts

Cotton/Poly/Merino variants

- 2 Short sleeve button downs

- 1 Long sleeve button down*

- 1 Sweater(important to stuff in daybag for pillow during transport sleeping)

- 2 Pairs of pants

Lululemon ABC pants for casual/hike

Raw denim*

- 1 Pair of running shorts

Doubled as swim suit for awhile

- 1 Pair of denim shorts(picked up in Denmark from free shop)

- 5 Pairs of underwear(was down to 3 at one point!)

The bamboo/fancy/whatever kinda

- 4 Pairs of socks(stuff in shoes while packing)

1 running 3 long merino

- 3 pairs of shoes

Ultralight Bedrock sandals(MVP)

“trainers”(swapped twice over year)

Thursday boots*

Gained a full suit jacket/pants/dress shirt combo from free shop in Denmark for use in wedding, now travel with it in case something formal pops up

*These three items combined allowed me to go to nicer bars and club, my only “nice” outfit option until I gained the suit.

Other

- 1 drybag I refer to as the bullshit bag

Medical supplies/headlamp/trimmer/compass/etc

- Microfiber blanket and towel(stuff in shoes while packing)

Some places charges for towel so getting one ahead saves money in long run. Also good, but not ideal, for beaches

- Eyemask/Earplugs

- Hammock(for emergency crashing, and decently useful otherwise)

- Snackbag

Always kept in daybag filled with various treats for morale

- Journal

Really helpful to have as a solo traveler, gives you a default activity to do in any situation that’s more productive than scrolling on phone. Also if you feel weird going out to eat alone at first, it comes in handy to make you feel more at ease. Reading it to close 2018 was an absolute joy, and it's one of my most cherished objects now. Have kept a journal for years, usually digital though, but now it's a pretty much daily habit for me to physically write something.

- Rotation of 2-4 physical books

Poem a day being only consistent one, all the others rotate. Usually 1-2 fiction, 1 non fiction. Definitely not the most efficient move, but it’s important for me to have a break from screens.

In Closing

Right now I'm living in Canggu, Bali to just regroup mentally/physically/financially, took some hits to end the year on the last two unfortunately. Working online as an English teacher, and still doing random and mostly low paying freelance writing jobs. I found a nice one bedroom apartment for $280 usd a month. Feels amazing to have my own space again, one where I'm not beholden to anyone, and can cook my own breakfast in my underwear with music. Will be here until end of February/March, and then moving north most likely.

There's so much that can be said about any trip, the physical/emotional/financial/social/etc. side are all interesting topics, and hopefully this post gives a good overview. Hit me with any questions about the logistics or experience side of it. I haven't fully digested it all yet, but I'm certainly glad I took the leap.