What Is Like Having a Travel Lifestyle?

I am almost 30 and have finally realized that monotony is fun. Something, you wouldn’t have if you adopt a travel lifestyle. While I’d kill to go back to traveling all the time again, here is what you should know about doing the same.

In 2023, I had a crazy time traveling, which is much unlike how 2024 has been for me so far. I had trips back-to-back between September and December. I also had a life-changing event where I moved from the City of Joy, Kolkata, to the Pink City, Jaipur, right before I had all the trips planned.

My travel lifestyle in 2023

Living the digital nomad life feels fun and is absolutely rewarding, but it does take a toll on you. I moved to Jaipur in July 2023, went to Udaipur for a trip in August, and then went back to Kolkata for two weeks in September.

During this time, I didn’t realize I’d have to live out of the apartment that I pay rent for every month and stay in a hotel instead. But my mom had become so used to not having anyone around that she was better off alone. I, too, needed my headspace to work, so I moved out.

It was quite bizarre to live in a hotel in the same city where you’ve spent 28 years of your life. But isolation always comes with peace and a price, and this time, it was an unaccountable 14,000 INR that I had to pay in a hotel where I stayed.

I have never experienced something close to a homestay, but Soukyam Hotel in Kolkata did give me that vibe. I went home for lunch and spent time with Mom, but my work schedule revolved around the newfound nest opposite Jodhpur Park.

Pros of adopting the travel lifestyle

I am glad to have had the privilege because I can attest it is the dream. The dream of being in multiple places and working around the globe. So, here are some things I absolutely love about honing a travel lifestyle.

Constant learning

My motive in creating travel and lifestyle blogs was to educate and inform through my experiences by documenting what I learned. I didn’t start traveling because I wanted to see a lot of places, but I wanted to learn as I couldn’t read a lot.

I still can’t! And being a writer, admitting that you’re not a reader is kind of a bummer. I mean, most people don’t expect you to be a great writer if you don’t read enough. So, when I realized I didn’t know enough, I turned to traveling.

Travel gave me experiences I didn’t know I’d have. I met people from different cultures and lifestyles, and honestly, I haven’t had even 0.001% of the experiences I can if the Universe allows me to become a globetrotter! For now, all I can do, is trust the process.

Observation

You can only learn when you can observe. Yes! We adapt and imply what we learn to ensure that we fully understand what we want to learn. But the first step to everything is observation.

Some of my observations have teared my heart apart. More often than not, they are about unfortunate children. From the brutality of child labor to having childhood snatched away, these are aspects that have often bothered me when I went to places where the lines of inequality became clearer.

These observations keep me rooted and make me want to count my blessings every time I complain about how hard my life is.

Tasteful Space

While Tasteful Space was a blog that I once wrote for, what I mean here is the variety of food that you can taste when you constantly travel.

From samosa chat in Kashi to authentic Balinese fried rice, from the Thai curries in Krabi to Dal Bati in Jaipur, different types of food create an undeniable impact on our palate when we’re always on-the-go.

I have refrained from consuming some forms of animal products, and I will continue to so that across countries. I avoided having clams in Bangkok, and I’ve cut off pork after having the most incredibly delicacies at Pork Star in Bali.

Exploring uneven terrains

Honestly! It feels like you don’t become a travel creator until you’ve experienced the mountains. And somewhere, I also feel that until I’ve accomplished a trek or have seen enough snow, I am not an expert.

But experiencing uneven terrains can also mean trying hard to keep your feet stuck on the ground as a high tide comes your way. It can also mean riding a scooter in Udaipur while the road seems to slant up and down.

Minimal living

When you fall in love with places and people, you stop falling in love with things. Impulse purchases take a backseat because you don’t feel like you settle anymore.

While you need a profession that makes you feel settled, you’re constantly moving. You want to stay light and carry a gallery full of photographs instead of possessions that won’t matter for long. You are constantly moving from one experience to another, and memories are what you strive to collect throughout your lifetime.

Cons of adopting the travel lifestyle

The constant feeling of being unsettled can often come in the way, as most people around you would not aim for that. I think food, travel, and possessions interest everyone. But moving regularly can also tire you out. Even when I don’t have a lot of experience, my travel lifestyle in the latter part of 2023 was hard.

Here are some things to consider before you plan to become a digital nomad:

Unending tales of attachment and detachment

Imagine going to a place and never returning from it. Like, yes, your body comes back, but you know a part of your soul is stuck elsewhere. You take time to come out of the zone that you had put yourself into. The people you met came close to you. Suddenly, you have to leave and seek new experiences. Suddenly you realize maybe you’d rather stay there than go anywhere.

Our lives are supposed to be a constant practice of accepting detachment, but it is hard to do just that, isn’t it? If not, death wouldn’t be painful for the ones left behind and separation wouldn’t have been life-changing. There are some things we never get over, don’t we? Travel can do that to you sometimes, and there are times when you would feel that it isn’t fair!

Too much information

The reason why I am okay with not having travelled a lot in 2024 is because I have so many stories to share already. I know even if I don’t step out of the house this year, I’ll still have stories to share from all the travel I did last year.

If you’re someone like me who travels to learn and not just for the gram, you’d be loaded with information each time. Even a new city can offer unending stories; imagine going to a Varanasi, a place believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world.

Distasteful space

See what I did there with the play of words? LOL! So here is what my travel stories looked like in 2023. I moved to Jaipur and visited Udaipur, then stayed in Kolkata for two weeks, and then went to Thailand for one week.

I came back and did daily city tours in Jaipur for a month, and then went to Pushkar, Varanasi, and Delhi. By the time I was in Varanasi, my stomach had given up with all the outside food I consumed.

To adopt the travel lifestyle, you have to create a holistic plan to keep your gut health in check. If I start traveling voraciously again, I will be much more careful about what I eat.

Imagine going to Kashi and not being able to eat at Kashi Chaat Bhandar! I mean, what’s the point of travelling at all, right?

So, bringing moderation and being careful about the meal choices you make while traveling regularly is key to not missing out on a city’s delicacies.

Mishaps

I fell down while trying to click a picture of a peacock at Taj Nature Park. I didn’t have anyone around to help me, and I also bruised my feet. Travel doesn’t necessarily make you prone to accidents, but you never know what you’ll encounter.

It is important to keep yourself safe and be well aware of places you visit before you go. Solo travelers need to be more cautious about making daunting decisions. There are people we are accountable to and that has got to be on our minds when we’re alone.

I freaked out when I stayed in a 3-star hotel in Varanasi that was away from the ghats. The thought of being alone in Uttar Pradesh was quite adventurous. But Kashi was one of the safest places, and thankfully, I was guided and protected by the Supreme power.

Missing love, missing life

If the solo travel lifestyle has your heart, there will also be times when you wish there was someone to share. Someone who saw the sky full of fireworks with you on Dev Deepawali and who fed the seagulls in the winter mornings while sailing through the Ganges.

Melancholy creeps in when you have family back home who would be as joyful as you became when you ticked off the itinerary. I haven’t been in a country solo, and I am sure that’s going to be even harder as the people I love would be even further.

Wrapping up the dream life!

The cons don’t outrank the pros of the digital nomad life and that’s also the reason why you read till the end. I think moderation is key and having a place you call home is necessary.

There will be times when you’d want to unwind and go to that place where the bed feels familiar. If not the bed, definitely the toilet! These feelings cannot be dismissed so let’s have plenty of homes but also have a nest to rest.