[khandelwal]

I don't get the point of traveling all at once (months at a time or more). It seems to me that most people that do so, visit dozens of countries back-to-back in a relatively short span of time.

I would think that everything ends up being rather similar.

I travel ten days at a time, with 6 months to a year in between international trips. Most trips only include one or two countries. Anything else would be a cognitive overload.

[yardie]

For the most part, the most expensive part of travel is the fare. It ends up being cheaper to start in one country, travel through the others, using cars, trains, or low-cost airlines, and then finish up going home.

And usually when you do these things you've broken free of all your commitments; sold the house, finished the lease, sold the car, etc. This leaves you with more money available down route.

Doing 2 trips a year still costs plenty. You're still paying for your house even if you aren't in it as well as paying for wherever you are. You're still paying for that car to sit in park, your still paying for cable, mobile phones, electricity, etc.

When I traveled I firesaled everything that wasn't going with me, sold the car, sublet the apartment, and cancelled my phone. I stayed with my parents 1 week and worked right up until the day I left. No more bills meant I had more disposable income.

And even when things are at their worst, everything still manages to work out.

[samfoo]

I think you mischaracterize most long term travelers. I've been traveling for a little more than two years and I'd estimate that, unless I don't particularly enjoy a location, I spend closer to a month in most places.

I've spent four months in Guatemala and over six in New Zealand. Most of the people I know who travel long term do the same thing. The only time I hear about people going to many countries in a short period is when countries are dense (central america and europe) or when they're only gone for a couple months and trying to get as many stamps (pokémon) as possible.

[dagw]

It's a fun thing to have done. The whole travel experience is very different from shorter trips and it becomes at least as much, if not more, about the actual travel experiences as the places you visit. Sure places do get blurred and looking back I often get confused about which events happened in which country, but that's kind of part of the charm.

All that being said, I'm really happy to have done it a couple of times, but have no real desire to do it again. Now I much prefer shorter (4-14 days), more frequent, trips within a more limited geographic region and a higher level of comfort.

[ronnier]

You are exactly right. Towards the end of 2008 I took off for two months, and traveled to East Africa, Israel, Jordan, East Asia, England, and Hungary, 13 countries in total. Towards the end, I really started to grow tired of the constant moving and need to be out exploring. Being home at my favorite bookstore started to sound better than ever. Even though it did get a little tiring towards the end, it was one of the best things I have ever done, something I'll never forget.