Stop Worrying. Backpacking is easy. Seriously

Being able to avoid worrying about the small (and medium) things is crucial to having success backpacking and traveling cheaply. Western and American culture teaches us to be skeptics, micro manage, and overplan everything. I had a severe case of worry worts before I came to Asia and for the first few days here, so take my word for it and just Do. Not. Worry. The process of traveling is not hard. So for the first post in my Backpacking is Easy series, some rules of thumb to follow to avoid anxiety and to maximize your time backpacking abroad:

Avoid the Noise
There are a million travelogues and guidebooks on the internet quoting great restaurants, guesthouses, specific train cabins, and giving literal directions to the train station’s men’s toilet. Well, great, but this is all noise that you don’t need to know quite yet.. = NOISE. Just like that clever test from the economics professor that gives you 10 unnecessary variables when calculating RGDP Growth, ignore the noise for now.

There’s no use in worrying about how to do exactly everything quite yet, and trying to keep everything straight beforehand will just lead to anxiety. There’s plenty of time to figure this out later when the time arrives.

Be Efficient and Resourceful
When planning a trip, plan it. When it comes time to do something, figure it out. There’s a lot of time in the day, and there’s internet almost everywhere. So when the time comes (night before), figure it out quickly and move on to enjoying what you came to see.

Furthermore, don’t forget to ask. There are tons and tons of budget travelers around that you’ll meet who would love to tell you their story and share tips. Guesthouse staff will always assist you doing anything. Better yet, ask locals. Most (in Asia for sure) will love to help out however possible.

Be flexible
Don’t prebook all your accommodations if you don’t have to, and definitely do not get pressured into prebooking bus, train, or ferry transit for side trips. There’s always transit options, and always places to stay.

Slow down, be rational, and remember Worst Case Scenario
There will surely be bumps at times, but it’s critical to slow down, take a breath, and think of the worst case scenario rationally. You’re not going to die. Worst case scenario is most often being tired and out some dollars which is frustrating, but being flexible as mentioned above minimizes the worst case scenario in almost every instance.

Forget those sunken costs
You’re probably going to overpay for something, get scammed, or miss a connecting train ride. As a frugal bastard, this is annoying. But these are sunk costs = they cannot be changed. Like accounting, they must be ignored and forgotten. Always easier said than done, but grab a beer, laugh at yourself, and move on.

Be sure to follow and check out the next posts in my budget travel is easy series

1. Stop Worrying. Backpacking is easy. Seriously
2. All you Really Need for Easy Budget Travel
3. Complete, Easy Guide to start planning a Backpacking Trip
4. The Budget Traveler and Backpacking Commandments