Hi there:) We’re Tori and Stefan. You may already know a little bit about our epic journey in travel and life from our aptly named about us page or posts on our blog or Instagram. We get a lot of questions, though, about who we really are and what exactly we’re doing out in this wide world.

Here’s an updated post to get you up to speed after nearly two years of living on the road.

1. We are not on vacation

Despite our pretty pictures. We are lucky, don’t get us wrong, but we are not on holiday.

Almost two years ago, we set out on a period of indefinite travel. We rely mostly on our modest savings for this endeavor. We go to cool places and see cool things, but we almost never spend $18 on a museum or stay in a *gasp* hotel. We can count even the number of hostels we’ve been to on one hand.

Not including flights, we spend an average of $8 per person per day. As you may imagine, that’s far cheaper that living our normal lives at home. Even Tori’s 12x6 bedroom in a carriage house split with two other people in suburban Colorado cost her about $12 a night.

Holidays are great and most of the information we have on this site will help anyone on a 10 day trip just as well. But don’t be too fooled by the glamour of our pretty pictures. We barely shower. Sometimes, we get chased by feral dogs. We have a lot of diarrhea. And we also have the time of our lives:)

2. We travel because of the people

We started out traveling during breaks in college more or less as a way to escape. In many ways, the big summer trips we took were extended holidays, all be it cheap ones. Sure, we met people along the way. We even did some mini little research projects, taking photos and conducting interviews and trying to break into people’s shells.

But it’s only in the last two years that people have turned into our reason for being out in this big, wide world. There’s so much change and anger and disagreement that it can sometimes feel hard to hold civil conversations even with friends and family.

We whole-heartedly believe that, when approached in the right way, travel can open up your mind, sharpen your critical thinking skills, and improve your relationship with humanity. We have met kind-hearted farmers in New Zealand, refugees from countries our homeland is actively destroying, people that confirm the goodness we sometimes can’t see and those that show us we need to keeping fighting for change.

We strongly advocate for experience-seeking and wouldn’t trade the opportunities we’ve had for genuine human connection for anything.

3. …And Nature

We set out on this trip with a love for cities, hotbeds for culture and excitement. And while we still love the buzz, you simply can’t spend all your time in concrete and smog on a trip like this.

More and more, we’ve embraced nature as a sustainable, peaceful way to see the world. We generally hike because, well, that’s simply the cheapest way to do it! Knowing that you’ve lived and breathed with the land of so many different nations is empowering. And you’ll always find the interactions you’re craving after you take time first to reconnect with yourself.

We would highly recommend anyone on any length of trip take the time to explore the many facets of a place, and not just limit yourself to a hotel or a resort. With a little planning and resourcefulness (and of course a healthy dose of responsibility…. leave no trace, people!) the wilderness is open to anyone.

Man walking down stone staircase in mountain

4. We travel slowly, mostly because we walk

You’ll see a ton of travelers that advocate for slow travel. And we’re right there with them. You won’t get to know a place if you constantly jump around and barely scratch the surface.

There is a time and a place for that. Activities are dope. As a pair of energizer bunnies, sitting still can be hard. We like activities, constantly seeing places and doing things. Traveling on such a small budget has really slowed us down. We simply can’t afford to hop on the next plane or even the next bus.

Take it from us, though, taking the time to slow down and sip in a place will be worth it.

5. We're Obsessed with Cheap flights

It started with now-defunct Wow Airlines and their crazy cheap flights to Iceland. Since then, our travel plans have yet to be stumped by an outrageous flight. Expect some articles on the whole ordeal, because we'd like to think that we've got it down to a science. Using budget airlines, we often get tickets within major US or European cities for $20 and we even booked a flight between the two (from New York to Edinburgh) for $89. You can read about that here.

That being said, we're willing to take horrible, hacked, middle of the night flights to accomplish this goal. We have lots of information here if you’re the same!

We also hate how wasteful flying is. It is one of the least sustainable elements of travel. We try to take as few flights as we can, and like to think that two years without a car (what’s more mostly walking and hitch hiking) helps a bit. We’ve thought about programs like carbon credits, but are skeptical about how much that really helps. We’ll continue to grapple with problems like these and would love to hear your thoughts!

6. We Travel as a Pair

There's a freedom that comes from traveling solo. Although we don't have that perk (most of the time), we've been pretty good travel companions over these last four years and we've seen some advantages.

This means that you'll see our budgets generally reported as a pair. Note that converting those to per person isn't as simple as dividing by two: traveling together does save money. We've been over the moon for Couchsurfing and we think it’s super fun and easy to find hosts for two people. It also means that we're more comfortable doing adventurous things like hitchhiking or night travel or solo treks. We’ve heard so many horror stories from solo female hitch hikers and haven’t had to deal with an ounce of that. Still, we understand these wild experiences aren't for everybody. We hope you'll push yourself, but also politely ignore any experiences that you don't feel comfortable with.

Traveling together is also hard. It’s so much more intense than living together. We see each other nearly every minute of every day, the good and the bad and the (very) ugly. We argue over the stupidest things and lack autonomy for simple reasons like only carrying one tent.

It’s really helped us to set goals for ourselves as a pair and individuals. Taking solo time can be hard, but it essential. Another thing that’s kept us sane is personal projects - Stefan likes reading and Tori more writing. Self care, people, at home and on the road.

7. Our Backpacks are 40L

For those of you who don't work in liters, that's a really small bag, basically the next size up from a day pack. In those tiny, tiny bags we manage to include a computer, a DSLR, all the camping necessities, and even a little first aid kit.

On the plus size, we'll be posting some exciting articles about ultralight equipment and prioritizing your packing to travel the world. On the downside, it means that our outfits might not always be what you would call photo ready. You read it right, we're not a fashion blog.

We would highly recommend traveling light. It is very freeing to see how little you really need to survive. Take that, capitalism.

8. We Advocate Experience driven Travel

Unlike most travelers we’ve talked to, we love planning, at least a a bit of planning. We find that thinking about when and where you're going helps you get a lot more done with a lot less tears (and backtracking). And there have still been lots of tears. That doesn't mean plans don't change. Sometimes, we throw all ours out or find something cool and tweak them a bit. Flexibility is key.

We're not perfect. We also like to stay busy when we travel. So, take that with a grain of salt. Spread out the activities, nix some, add others, meet people and generally enjoy your unique trip.

One thing we’ve started doing this year is experience-driven travel. We never just go to a place just to go there. We generally pick an experience we really want to do, usually a hike or an event, and plan around that. On a long trip, it helps us prioritize and feel purpose. It also means we check into things like weather in advance to avoid disappointment. We still leave plenty of time for contemplation and inspiration, but we let those things fall into place around a central goal. That means we’re rarely sitting and waiting for inspiration to strike, but actively seeking it out.

9. We're From the US

Ah, it's a fact we're not always proud of, but alas it is true (although, fun fact, Stef just got his Irish citizenship so YAY for easier European visaing from now on). Your country of origin usually colors your experiences abroad, and we know the stars and stripes has drastically changed ours. We’ve had to address stereotypes, discuss politics, and come to terms with the best and worst of being American.

Of course, we're only experts in US visas and tend to list the dollar as the first exchange. If you're interested in traveling in the US, domestically or from elsewhere, let us know! We'll slowly be adding some of our favorite experiences to help you get to know this massive country a little better. Despite what we sometimes think, it's pretty cool.

Stefan stands in front over green islands in blue ocean

10. Our Average Daily Budget Is a Lie

Here's the thing - our average daily budget is just that. An average. And for any of you familiar with statistics (chemistry nerd here sorry), you know sometimes those numbers can be misleading. We almost never spend our average budget, but instead spend far over it some days and far under it most others.

These tend to be relatively stable for particular locations. For example, whenever we're in a city we spend about the same amount every day, and that amount is likely to be more than $15. For this reason, we include a recommended daily budget for nearly every place we write about. We also tend to favor experiences - like a table at the world's best restaurant or a night sleeping in the world's second biggest cave - highly. These balance out with other days where we sleep in our tent, cook our own food, or participate in a workaway where we get free food and accomodation.

Our average numbers also do not include flights, visas, or pre trip expenses.

Our numbers are still radically low. If you don’t want to go slowly and sometimes be uncomfortable, you may not want to travel with such little money. But, we think that it’s pretty cool that it is possible.

11. We Carry a Tent

We love hiking and some of our best experiences (shout out to the Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru) are also our cheapest. We'll try to demystify the solo trekking experience for you (i.e. we don't hire guides or tours if we can help it) and hope to make it accessible to more people. If camping isn't your thing, we understand. But literally carrying your home on your back can be extremely liberating.

12. Sometimes We'll Do Anything to Save a Few Bucks

Ah, a perfect example of this is our article about how to get across the Ecuadorian border into Peru without hiring a through bus. Sometimes, we go a bit crazy to save a dollar. Some of it is a personality issue, one mostly driven by Stefan much to his chagrin, and some of it really does save us enough money to keep us traveling for longer. Take what you will from our budget hacks and keep moving forward with your own.

We will take most any transportation that saves us a few bucks. Night busses (and trains) are great for this, as you don't have to pay for accomodation or miss any daylight. We also walk most places under 10km and hitch hike where ever we can. We'll almost always advocate for cheap transport, but sometimes we hate ourselves at the end of the trip for it. Ride or fly or whatever at your own risk.

13. We're Young

We just graduated college and we're in our early twenties. Most applicably, it means that we're broke, we're willing to forgo sleep, and we're relatively fit. We also have the appetites of young grizzly bears.

We are at times old souls and we have been doing this traveling stuff for quite awhile now. We don’t drink that much or smoke and honestly we’re realizing how much small habits can break the budget. Our daily dose of coffee can be a real buzz kill. Thankfully, we usually make our own so we never have to forgo caffeine.

14. We love food

We're eating way, way cheaper than normal this year. But we still love it.

Biggest tip? Learn how to cook.

15. We're on This Travel Insurance Journey with You

We've traveled for four years without travel insurance. Gasp! We had good enough medical plans in the US so that international expenses were, for the most part, reimbursed. That doesn't mean insurance isn't a good idea. This year, we bought additional coverage, so expect some honest reviews of our transition. We're learning with you on this one (and most things, if we're being honest).

16. We've Gotten ill While Traveling...

Speaking of! Travel is not always easy. Stef contracted Dengue Fever in the Philippines and we both had pretty consistent colds for the duration of our stay in chilly Bolivia. Travel can be hard on the body and mind. Asking for help can be necessary and taking precautions is essential. Listen to yourself and react accordingly. Sometimes, you might need to take downtime that we didn't. Heck, sometimes we need to take downtime that we don't. Slow travel is amazing, and we all need to remind ourselves of that.

17. ...and Experienced Burnout

This refers to the mind part. Stef and I always have chats about how we wish, just for a second, that we could jet home and then come right back. We try to combat burnout by varying our travel (like spending one week at the beach and the next on a trek) and taking enough time for ourselves. This can be hard. Sometimes our photos look way happier than they actually are. And sometimes they couldn't possibly show how full our hearts are. But we all get better with practice.

18. We have no shame

One of the best things about this year has been learning to live outside the system(s), both the ones we create for ourselves and those that others impose.

Starting out, we felt guilty hitch hiking. We’re luckier than most, and completely understand that we are not entitled to anyone’s generosity. But by the time we get out of the car, our drivers are normally thanking us for brightening their day.

There are so many things we took for granted at home. But, truth is, you don’t have to eat kale to be healthy or pluck your eyebrows to be pretty or buy a new laptop to be productive. Certainly, you can do these things (we still wear deodorant… usually). But it’s your choice. Not everyone in the world does, and even if they do, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should, too.

We would highly recommend experiencing some of the offbeat. Not only will it save money, but it’ll probably teach you something along the way, too. There’s Work Away, opportunities to do a bit of work in exchange for lodging and sometimes food (if you don't know about Workaway, check it out here). There’s our favorite app in the world, Couchsurfing, where we’ve met so many wonderful people. We’ve also forayed into responsible stealth camping (Tori still gets anxious about this), dumpster diving, and long-distance walking.

Trust us, there’s no requirement to be ‘normal’ - whatever that means for you.

19. We Like to Think

We studied philosophy and anthropology in college, after all. There's a lot to think about while traveling: ethics, money, globalization, sustainability. We'll likely write more on this subject from the road, as we develop our stories. If you'd like to talk about anything, though, let us know. We like to expand our perspectives and we're open to the idea that we make mistakes. Alternative viewpoints are always welcome.