[leftbrain]

I did all that minus the video games while travelling in south and south east asia for a year and a half, and with a $20 daily budget. Gave up some of the comforts of western standard of living and got a whole lot of new friends and experiences.

I have kids now and when they are old enough to move out, I’ll quit my job (programmer, and I love it) and get back out there because “The mountains are calling and I must go”

[wing-_-nuts]

I'm curious what comforts you gave up. For me, I'd at minimum want a quiet, private room with AC if it's over 80F, and a 'non public' bathroom with a lockable door. I know that probably rules out a $20/d budget.

[leftbrain]

I also preferred private rooms, but AC was not an option usually since I avoided hotels completely and stayed in cheap guesthouses available almost everywhere. Sometimes I got a fan, sometimes there were no electricity at all in the room. Hostels usually had AC but those would be in the big cities, and I’d never stay too long because they are expensive. Hell, I could have my own bamboo hut with veranda, a hammock and the ocean breeze in a country side with the price of a hostel bunk bed in a big city or a tourist hot spot!

Private bathrooms I gave up on when I realized those attract many bugs I did not want to share my room with. Actually I could say you end up sharing the bathroom one way or the other. Common ones are fine as long as they can be locked and are cleaned regularly. Before I checked in at any place, I’d check the common bathrooms to make sure if I should…

I would pretty quickly get adjusted to the local way of avoiding heat, which is to get up really early in the morning, rest in the afternoon and then go back out during the evening.

Another pro tip that requires some planning ahead and available time is to go to the “south” during winter and to the “north” or the mountains during the hot summers.

[leftbrain]

One more thing I gotta add is that you will get used to any situation soon enough, especially if the benefits outweigh the discomforts. I did. You know how the time flies like every day seems long and before you know it a year has passed? It’s the opposite way out there. The days go by fast and after a couple of months and a couple of countries I felt like I’ve been traveling for some years already.

[wing-_-nuts]

When I was a child, it seemed like time stretched on forever. Summers were luxuriously long. As an adult in his late 30's? Every day goes by fast; Good or bad. Everything feels like it's next shortest unit of time. Hours feel like minutes, Days like hours, Weeks like days, and so forth. I'm kind of hoping that time slows down a bit when I retire (mid 40's), but I doubt it.

[euroderf]

It won't. Every day fits too easily in your head, a discrete block of time that whizzes by. Unless every day you can get really, really deeply into something that suspends time for you.

[wing-_-nuts]

Yeah my main thing is I refuse to sweat indoors. I think maybe AC will become more of a requirement as wet bulb temps go up in the global south over time. When you say hotels are expensive, how expensive are we talking? I'm in my late 30s, I'm willing to pay for some comforts.

I don't mind 'common' bathrooms, but I despise public restrooms with stalls. I want a clean, lockable bathroom / shower.

[thatfrenchguy]

Even American bodies can get used to be inside at 80F :-)

[wing-_-nuts]

I keep my place on 78F but I constantly have a fan on. 78F with a fan is at the edge of what I'd consider comfortable. I refuse to sweat indoors.

[ta988]

Then travel to colder climates, there is a common belief that the nice areas are hot and sunny. That's not my preference, I like it cold and not have to worry about sunburns and heat and so on.