And that's what you need to know going in, because it's going to happen to you. This is space, [or in this case long-term budget travel] it does not cooperate! At some point, everything's gonna go south on you. Everything's going to go south and you're going to say, this is it. This is how I end [maybe not as dramatic as life and death of course, but it is a realistic possibility just like staying within your comfort zone of home, you can unfortunately be hit by a car and die]. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem... and you solve the next one... and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home [or in this case continue to be a savvy budget traveler]. All right, questions? – Mark Watney (film, The Martian)

Traveling for more than four-years continuously, I've obviously met a lot of travelers that are traveling for different reasons. Often friends that know me and those that have somehow stumbled across my blog have asked me advice about how it's been possible to budget travel for such a long period of time and where to even begin, because they [themselves] want to begin on the same journey, which I think is great because I feel there is an enormous amount of life experiences that cannot be gained through traditional classroom settings or simulated through two-week vacations abroad. This truly is a lifestyle that takes on an entirely new meaning of life. You deal with more challenges and frustrations then you could ever imagine and either you confront them head on or you succumb to those demons unfortunately. I've both witnessed and experienced both sides of this coin, fortunately or unfortunately. I've dealt with some of the absolute most lonely times in my entire life, knowing that not a single person within a thousand miles knew who I was or where I was, and I've also experienced meeting some of the most amazing strangers that have become life long friends! Just as we all know that life is not easy, but there are always daily challenges, whether that be crossing borders or going to the office. Life. Is. Not. Easy! And the same goes for travel. Therefore, when I am presented with these types of questions, I often begin by answering with questions of my own toward the individuals. I normally begin with, so why do you want to quit your job and travel round the world? I would have to admit that 95% of people that reach out to me are both not serious and/or are trying to escape from something in their life. Therefore, I wanted to take a moment and talk about one of the unglamourous sides of travel, even before you may begin your own journey.
1. USING TRAVEL AS AN ESCAPE
2. STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTIONS
2. DIFFICULTY WITH BUDGETING
For example,