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To give you an idea of a typical Southern Californian who wanted to travel, but felt he had too many obligations and limitations, I offer you my own story. It may not be too different than yours.
 In mid-January of 1995, I asked my (then) wife (Sheila) ‘What would you think about us quitting our jobs so we can go traipsing around the world?’ With no hesitation at all (or asking how we could possibly pull this off) she said ‘Okay!’ (and then for me to "shut up" because she was trying to watch an episode of Northern Exposure on the TV). Although Sheila had once been an exchange student to Denmark and we had both spent a month in Europe, we knew we were getting into something way different and well beyond our standard "holidays."
At that time we had no bank savings. We did, though, have credit card bills totaling $6,000, an established business into which I had put my heart and soul, a so-so-paying job (me), a lesser-paying job (my wife), three cats (Jake, Esme and Aussie), an aging parent, a rented house full of antique furniture, closets and drawers filled with stuff, a garage full of more stuff, (including: four bikes, skis, stored memorabilia, and assorted tools) and family and friends we knew we would miss. (Sound familiar?) But we believed that the prospect of leaving this particular world, with all its trappings, for a completely different one would be worth whatever effort and sacrifices we would have to make. Since we both fervently agreed on that point, we then had to begin the process of organizing for it. We knew that a project like this would not be unlike the difficulties of organizing our wedding. Luckily the first hurdle was already cleared. We knew we both were committed to finding a way of escaping the mundane. We had the will to travel.
On October 17, 1996, Sheila and I landed at our first destination, Melbourne, Australia. And by the time we returned, six months later, we had visited three continents, seven countries, several dozen towns and villages. We were nearly broke and had almost no furniture or creature comforts upon our return, but we had experienced more in that relatively short time than most do in a lifetime. Sheila decided she liked Nepal so much that she had to go back—without me. (What can I say? She and the jungle guide connected better than we did. But, I regress. Sorry.) I, meanwhile, had been infected by the travel bug. Immediately, I began planning for my next around-the-world adventure. Now when I want to travel, my planning is confined to that of a check-list and the selection of my next foreign destination. (Which means that if I can do this, so can you.)
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The first part of this session is for those who have financial limitations and obligations, and who want to travel on a budget for a period of a few months or longer, but do not necessarily want to give up comfort.
It is the belief of most travelers that by shedding your way of life and adopting a more tolerant and flexible one, you will maximize on the experience. This backpacker way of traveling is more enjoyable, cheaper and enlightening than traveling in tour groups (or even with a bunch of friends). And you don't have to be a college student (trust me on this point) or even own a backpack to be a "budget traveler." If, however, you already have your ducks in a row, money and ticket in hand, you may want to skip over to Section II: Preparing for Your Journey.
If there is one thing I had learned from my first major travel, it is that I tended to over-organize for the trip and to exaggerate what I needed to accomplish before being able to leave. The next time, I realized that when it comes right down to it, all one really needs is: money (including credit and ATM/cash machine cards and, maybe, a few travelers checks), their passport (and travel visas), airline ticket, and essential gear. Everything else will come together as you go. This is provided that you have already shed your personal obstacles and have the freedom to leave.
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