Stress is a part of life. Anxiety however, is something we can manage and prevent with the right tools and support. During travel stress is amplified, moving in such an unnatural way is a lot for our body and mind. I lived and loved the vagabond lifestyle for a number of years. It was a lot of fun to explore the world, make new friends and visit old ones, try out places to live etc. And, that amount of travel did have its repercussions. At some point I developed a lot of anxiety around flights and developed these strategies to help me cope.

WWOOF aka World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is a really fantastic way to travel, meet new people and learn a little about farming in the process! Workaway, and HelpX are other programs that offer similar opportunities where guests volunteer their time in exchange for room and/or board. All are fantastic options for traveling the world while on a budget. Save money on the cost of sleeping accommodations and food while getting to socialize and learn, what's not to like there?

I’ve travelled quite a bit and have also lived in many MANY communities. Backpacking, courchsurfing, dormlife, shared housing situations, international host family exchanges, hostel living, farm-life has given me a lot of experience in this area. What I’m offering for is kind of a beginner’s guide, a “How to for Dummies”, a How to be a Guest 101. I’ve moved to share this because as I travel around I am still surprised to meet others who haven’t learned these basics. Granted, there are going to be personal and cultural differences for what is considered considerate, but these have all proven positive in my varied situations.

Travelling holds value for many reasons. It allows for new perspectives, a change of climate, entertainment and education, interactions with people from all backgrounds, a chance to leave one’s comfort zone and be pushed to grow personally, a great opportunity to practice minimal living etc. But how the heck do with get all that without losing our life savings?