9 reasons you may get stuck in one place while traveling

This post was originally posted on Forever Roaming the World: 9 ways you can get stuck long-term traveling

It’s not going to happen — then it does!

I don’t think there is a single first time traveler — backpacker, solo, budget or long term traveler who sets out and thinks “You know what I think I’ll get stuck traveling.”…Note I did say first timers. Having backpacked since 2010, I’ll admit and I’m sure other long term travelers will too, once you’ve been going for a while you start to recognise and know where you might end up getting stuck whilst travelling. I know I do.

You might be sitting there, thinking about traveling in the future thinking, “Nope, not me. I will have a plan, I won’t be getting stuck whilst traveling.“- Yeah that’s all well and good right now, like I said none of us ever think it will happen — but then wham one day you wake up and realise you haven’t left; You’re stuck whilst traveling!

Things can change in an instant!

Unforeseeable situations and circumstances can occur, even those Ironclad plans can go up in smoke. Once you’re on the road, especially if you’re planning on long term traveling, ( I mean 6 months+ and years on end not just a couple of months) you’ll find things are not so straightforward and simple.

Different factors will come into play, people you meet will effect your decision making, locals you meet can change your opinion and mindset, your priorities can change. You might set off on your trip thinking you want to explore X, Y and Z but once you’re there have a completely different thought process.

Let’s have a look at the reasons:

Comfort zones

It doesn’t matter who we are, that moment we step foot in a new country, we are out of our comfort zone. Everything is new, the surroundings are new, the people are new, and some cultures are polar opposites. So it’s human nature to seek out and grasp onto things that we find familiar, something we can relate too like other backpackers or hostels.

• We make friends
• We get used to the surroundings
• As places become familiar they start to feel more comfortable and become normal.
• We feel at home
• We settle in our new environment and that’s when we start to form a bubble.

As days pass by the further we fall into the comfort, so we stay longer. The desire to leave starts to evaporate until there is none.

The irony is, we travel to get out of our comfort zone but sometimes that’s the first thing we try to find or create.

Making friends has a huge influence

Traveling is as much about the people you meet and the experiences you have with them as much as the sites and destinations you travel to.

Here’s the thing about traveling, especially as a long term traveler; you just don’t know who you will meet or what significance they may have on your life. In an instant lifelong friends can be formed. You may meet people who become closer than family, your soulmate, or people who change your life. People can come into your life at any point, it could be on your first day or months into your trip.

• You form tight bonds and don’t want to leave each other
• You have too much fun and forget where you are
• Time passes without you even realising
• Sounds ridiculous but priorities can change
• Days, weeks can turn into months without realising
• You turn into a family, all in the comfort zone together

You’re not getting stuck whilst traveling — You’re already stuck traveling!

There have been so many occasions over the years where I’ve arrived at a new destination with no intention of staying more than a few days but met amazing people and just stayed.

If you do get stuck because of the friends you make, don’t feel guilty about it. In most cases you are going to have a better time, create amazing unforgettable memories and have an enriched experienced with them rather than leaving. If you do wrench yourself away, most of the time you will just keep thinking back on your friends. You’ll keep wandering what they’re doing, comparing others you meet with them, and even feel down and sad about leaving them.

Running out of money!

There comes a point for every long term traveler, unless you have a trust fund, parents paying for the trip or income coming that you will run out of money. The quicker you come to terms with the fact, the easier you will be able to adapt.

When you reach that dreaded ‘0’ for the first time it will feel like your heart stops or somebody has hit you over the head with a sledgehammer. However It’s not the end of the world, there’s no need to panic, you will be able to continue traveling again but you will need to take a break.

There are ways to cope, replenish and move on. Many long term travelers run out of money. We know there will be days where we are broke, and days we are flush; money comes and goes.

If you find yourself in a situation where your funds are running low, there are no more Western Union transfers from the family It’s time to stop, make a nest for a while and replenish.

There are plenty of ways to make money while traveling (no not blogging, unless you already do).

• Work in exchange for food and rent
• Dependant of your visa, get a jo for a while
• Ask locals if they need help
• Look at homestays or volunteer
• Look for cash in hand jobs
• Work on farms
• If you have the skills and means work online — That doesn’t mean try and become an Instagram influencer overnight
• See if there are jobs from your home country which you can work remotely

Read the rest of the reasons you may get stuck in one place traveling