Freeform Vagabonding: A Preparation Guide
What is Freeform Vagabonding
One of the absolute best ways to experience as much of the world as possible is through freeform vagabonding. This is an open-ended method of travel where a person simply hops from place to place as the wind carries them, following travel deals, interesting stories and opportunity. It is one of the purest forms of adventure left to the modern era.
Traveling without a set plan is actually one of the best plans out there.
Freeform Vagabonding takes a bit of skill, but anyone can manage it with relative ease following a few start-up strategies.
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Advantages of Freeform Vagabonding
Freeform Vagabonding has some truly fantastic advantages. Because there’s no set schedule, a person can travel without rushing. Whenever they find a place they’re interested in, they can simply sit down and enjoy themselves for a while. Furthermore, a freeform traveler can make huge hops around the world without fear of upsetting plans. If a flight finder has a ticket to Paris for twenty dollars, a freeform vagabond can take advantage of that incredible journey.
Freeform Vagabonders generally have a better chance to get immersed in a local culture and meet people to form deeper relationships. Without rushing, a freeform vagabond can
Mentality
A lot of traveling is goal based or at the very least, experience based. Most people planning trips for temporary journeys spend time trying to visit as many interesting places as possible, take part in as many activities as possible or lounge as much as possible.
Freeform Vagabonding is different. Once a person has been traveling for a month or so, the reality of the lifestyle sinks in. Freeform Vagabonding is just life, with a few extra bits and pieces. There needs to be time set aside to work, eat, sleep and wander. A Freeform Vagabonder needs to have a slower, more comprehensive mentality. Those who rush burn out quickly. Those who pace themselves and are willing to enjoy downtime tend to do much better in the long run.
Working on the Go
Generally, there are three forms of Freeform Vagabonders. The first is a saver, who has stockpiled significant financial assets and is currently traveling on those savings.
This method of vagabonding is excellent as it allows all your free time to be used for exploration, relaxation and self-improvement.
A second kind of Freeform Vagabonding is work-hopping. This type of freeform vagabonder looks for a job or a series of jobs which allows them on-location travel. A traveling bartender is a great example of this. Such an individual travels for a while, finds a place that speaks to them, settles for a while, saving up money, and then gets back on the road. Work-hopping also works for low-entry odd jobs. A person who is a cruise ship worker one month, a painter in Italy afterwards, a tour guide translator in Morocco a month later and an English Teacher in Spain later on is a work-hopping vagabond.
The last kind of Freeform Vagabonder is a transit worker. This is someone whose job is tied to travel or can be done remotely. Traveling photographer, tourism researchers, digital nomads and vloggers all fall under this category.
Ear to the Ground
One of the most interesting and compelling parts of being a vagabond is the ability to regularly change plans for the better. A skilled vagabond keeps an ear to the ground and gets a clearer picture of the world as they go.
Is there a festival two towns over involving a lot of fire throwing and cake? That’s something a barista at a cafe might be able to mention. Is there a hidden grotto leading into an underground swimming cavern? That might be worth a detour. Is there a large-scale flood coming in, necessitating evacuation to higher ground? A vagabonder needs to stay connected to the world around themselves for such information.
Since there are no plans strongly set in stone, a person who is freeform vagabonding has the advantage of incorporating new and interesting elements whenever they may like.
Handling Communication
Vagabonding makes communication a lot trickier than other forms of travel. In general, a vagabonder has no permanent address and tends to switch frequently between time zones. Often, hours are spent in transit with no internet connection.
Staying in touch with your support group, including family and friends back home, takes some extra effort as a vagabonder. The best method involves changing your address to a friend’s house to receive important mail or documents while abroad. You can also tie an international phone number to this location or address, ensuring you have a way to remain in touch with people from your home country. Otherwise, free messaging apps, such as Signal, Telegram, Whatsapp and Discord can keep you connected without fees. Keep in mind, it is possible to save your current phone number while abroad by “porting” it to Google Voice for $20 USD. This will allow you to make and receive calls while abroad.
Staying in touch with friends and family is very important when traveling. Being on the road for long periods of time can become lonely, though it is a fantastic adventure. Having people who care about you and check in frequently is a godsend.
Additionally, if you live in a democracy, you can vote while living abroad as well. Simply mail in absentee ballots early for your votes to be counted. Give yourself plenty of time for your ballot to reach its destination, as international mailing is notoriously slow.
Currency While Vagabonding
Organizing currency can be a little tricky while Vagabonding. The easiest thing to do is just take out cash from an account whenever needed. This can be done from an ATM with a travel debit or credit card. Make sure that there are no international transfer or ATM fees if you are using this method. Also, keep an eye on online banking or your banking application to ensure this method is working for you. Be sure to have backup cards in emergencies, as well as an online method to lock your card in case it’s stolen or lost.
If ATM’s aren’t a good option, it is also possible to use international currency exchange services cheaply. Services like Moneygram and WesternUnion allow you to wire money to yourself from an account. Alternatively, your friends or family members can also wire money through this method. You only need two forms of ID, such as a passport and driver’s license to receive cash.
When vagabonding, cash is still the best method of handling money. It is generally safer and more stable than trying to use digital payments across a lot of countries, especially countries that are still developing.
If you have cash with you, be sure to exchange your change and bills before crossing borders. This allows you to have physically correct buying power when entering a new country. If you don’t get a chance to do this, don’t fret. Merely find a money exchange on the other border or find a traveler going the opposite direction who is willing to exchange money without an exchange fee.
New Experiences While Vagabonding
Vagabonding spends much more time exploring countries than an average traveler. The result is access to new and obscure experiences that few ever get to witness.
For example, it becomes much easier for a vagabonder to pursue odd and obscure travel goals. Do you want to sample every possible major type of Chinese cuisine in its traditional region? That’s something a vagabond traveler alone is capable of. The same goes for a person attempting to visit numerous WWII battlegrounds, major Incan historic settlements, various wildlife sanctuaries of Afria\ca or tectonically active islands around the Ring of Fire.
Adding in these miniature goals while vagabonding can turn an already enriching experience even more vivid while combining personal interests with existing journeys.
Be sure to also connect with the people you meet on the road. Travelers tend to connect easily with one another, since they share similar values and lifestyles.
Though Freeform Vagabonding is a unique and lengthy lifestyle, the reality of the journey is profound and ever-enlightening.