Updated FAQs

Before we left for the trip in August, we posted a list of frequently asked questions we had been receiving about the planning and trip preparation process. Now that we’ve been on the road for six months, we wanted to share an updated FAQ list. If there’s anything you are curious about, feel free to leave your question in the comments below!

What’s your favorite destination so far?

This is a tough one because we have seen some incredible places! Probably Sri Lanka is our favorite destination so far. The scenery was unbelievable, it was incredibly affordably (a budget traveler’s dream!), the food was great, and the people were the most friendly we have encountered.

Rice paddies in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

How successful have you been with managing your budget?

Overall, we’ve done well sticking to our budget. The first few months, we were under by a decent amount. That was balanced out with more expensive destinations like the Seychelles, New Zealand and Australia. We are still tracking all of our expenses by using the Toshl Finance app, which has been a huge help. So far, so good.

One of the beaches we visited in the Seychelles. This stop on the itinerary was well worth the splurge!

Do you ever get sick of traveling and want to come home?

There are definitely days when our motivation is way down – being homesick over Thanksgiving/Christmas or after a long travel day when we’re exhausted. After we got sick in Myanmar, it was tough to get excited to pack up and hit the road again. However, the motivation always picks back up eventually as we look ahead to the next destination we plan to visit.

Wiped out after a long travel day.

Have you ever felt unsafe?

We really haven’t. It could be that we’ve been hyper-vigilant about staying aware and alert of our surroundings, but even when we’ve been harassed or heckled by people out on the street, we have never felt truly threatened. It’s pretty crazy that three of the places where we have visited have suffered attacks within the past few months (Paris, Istanbul and Bangkok), but it just goes to show that you never know what can happen and that’s not necessarily a reason to avoid certain cities or countries.

Stunning Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

What’s the worst accommodation you’ve stayed in?

There have been plenty of budget accommodations that would be in the running for top prize in this category, but it would probably be the hotel where we stayed our first night in India. We had been given wrong directions by our taxi driver and sent to a very nice hotel in Amritsar at first. Much to our dismay, there was no reservation for us there, but we were instead directed to a nearby accommodation that was pretty miserable. Highlights from that room include: wet towels, a random, dirty bucket in the shower, sheets with questionable stains, and mice outside the front door. Not exactly ideal!

Which country has the best food?

India. Hands down.

Amazing food in India

Have you had any major travel issues or mishaps?

Again, in India – our train from Amritsar was canceled, but we had no idea. We traveled to and waited at the station like a couple of unsuspecting idiots. Christina went up to the desk eventually to ask about restrooms on the train, only to find out that there was no train! We had to rush to the airport and book a last minute flight to get to Jaipur and our volunteer program on time. It cost us $350, but there was no chance we were going back to the shower-bucket hotel.

Train station in Amritsar, India

Has your itinerary changed a lot since your first mapped it out?

The itinerary is constantly changing. Originally, we planned to do a multi-city tour of India, but we ended up volunteering for a month (only touring on the weekends), we had to cut out the North Island of New Zealand when we were running short on time, and we had to reschedule our upcoming plans to work at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand (which will now be happening in late March). However, the biggest change is coming up over the next few weeks. We have decided to extend our stay in Bali to just over three weeks. We wanted to stay put for a little while and give ourselves some time off from being on the go so much. We wanted to fully immerse ourselves in the culture there and try out a lot of the things the island has to offer. We also hope to do some reflection and really think about what we want the next few months of travel to look like.

How has it been to live out of your backpack?

The backpacks have been great, really sturdy and we’ve found that we did a pretty good job of packing the things that we really needed. However, it gets a little old wearing the same five outfits over and over!

Our layover view from the Brisbane airport

Have you gotten sick of each other yet?

This is such a funny question because never in the course of the six years we have been together have we had to discuss our relationship this much with other people. Before August 2015, no one was asking us “How is your marriage?” “What do you fight about?” “Do you enjoy spending so much time together?” That being said, it totally makes sense that people are curious. It’s not normal for couples (or anyone for that matter) to spend 24 hours a day together, 7 days a week. So yes, we’ve had disagreements. We’ve been crabby towards each other during a long travel day. It’s not always easy, but we know how lucky we are to be on this journey together. A little quiet time each day helps too.

Taking a boat ride in New Zealand

What advice would you give someone else starting to plan a similar trip?

1. You can read travel blogs and get all the suggestions in the world, but ultimately you need to form the trip that makes sense for you. Some people can move from place to place all the time, while others will want to take a slower pace. Certain places will appeal to some people, but others won’t enjoy them. You just have to think about what is important to and interests YOU and then go from there. It is impossible to go everywhere, so you need to prioritize and make peace with the places that you won’t visit (on this trip at least).
2. It’s important to remember that almost everything can be adjusted, so try not to stress out too much about planning every little detail because so much of it will change along the way.
3. Money is important and no one could travel without it. However, you don’t want to be so tight on your budget that you miss out on the experiences that make the trip, the trip. Don’t go crazy with your spending, but don’t limit yourself too much either.
4. Do your best to stay in the moment as much as possible. It’s tempting to constantly look ahead (because there is always a ton of planning to do), but if you can’t stay in the present, you’re going to miss the whole point of why you are traveling in the first place!
5. Pack light.

-The Morts