Becca and Nate in Surin, Thailand. Photo: Becca

Becca and Nate are the writers of the hi & thank you blog, for which they were recognized as a 2010 Lonely Planet Featured Blogger.

In the post Reflecting: The Cost of Travel, Becca paints a vivid financial and spiritual portrait of their trip through Southeast Asia.

Aside from safety, the cost of going abroad is the biggest worry of most would-be vagabonders. Glossy magazines and splashy TV spots make travel seem impossible to afford. Becca’s blog post goes some way to correcting this perception.

Becca kindly shared her views on the subject with Vagablogging.

How did you get the money to fund your trip?

We saved, saved, saved. We had professional jobs and we just lived below our means and stopped buying stuff.

In the months leading up to the trip, we staggered our travel-prep purchases. First the plane ticket. Then a new camera. Then travel insurance. Then a netbook. All of these things were purchased separately from the money we were putting aside for the trip.

Before we left, we were both using Mint.com, which is great for budgeting at home — you can set monthly budgets and see in great data visualizations what you’re spending your money on — but abroad, especially in Asia, most purchases are made in cash, so it’s not as handy.

To get an idea of an appropriate daily allowance, use the wealth of information on the internet: Travelfish.org is a great resource for traveling through Southeast Asia, and Lonelyplanet.com has a variety info on places all over the world. Both have forums where travelers discuss issues from A to Z, and prices and costs of travel are a huge topic of conversation.

Nate

Were there any advantages/disadvantages to traveling as a couple?

The advantages are huge. For starters, traveling in a pair costs less, especially in Asia where dorm beds aren’t the norm. For sports — climbing, kayaking, hiking and diving — you’ve always got a partner. And someone’s always got your back. I would have been much worse off if Nate wasn’t there to take care of me when I was sick with typhoid. Couples be warned, though: traveling together long term can make or break a relationship.

The main disadvantage when traveling as a couple is that you probably meet fewer people than the solo traveler. When two people are sitting together having a conversation, they’re hard to approach. And we found ourselves sitting together having conversations a lot. Even so, we’ve made some great friends along the way.

You have an excellent blog. Can you share any advice on blogging?

Thanks! I think investing time is the key. Before you leave home learn whatever platform you’re using and take time to make the blog feel like you. Then when you’re on the road stay disciplined. Sometimes it’s not fun to spend four hours reviewing, editing, and uploading photos then writing a post to match, but you have to set aside this time to make a quality blog.

What were your favorite experiences on your trip?

Ziplining through the jungle canopy and over the morning mist in Northern Laos on the Gibbon Experience. Chatting with a monk for hours about life, religion and family in Chiang Mai. Breathing underwater for the first time in Nha Trang. Coming face to face with whale sharks in Sogod Bay. Witnessing the power of nature and the grandness of the ancient Angkor civilization at Ta Prohm in Siem Reap. Jumping off Chinese junk boats and onto limestone rock faces in Ha Long Bay. Dancing around a bonfire and skinny dipping under a full moon in Padre Burgos.

How do you think travel has changed you?

Travel in general has made me more open-minded, accepting and patient. Developing the patience needed for traveling through Asia was no easy task coming from New York, and I hope I can hold on to this new found virtue after I return home. I appreciate downtime more. Traveling sometimes means spending endless hours on buses with nothing to do except think about life — past, present and future — and it’s in these long hours that you really start to know yourself. I’ve learned that adventures start in very common places and you never know how or where you’ll meet your next life-long friend.

Other than that, I’ve overcome my fear of rock climbing and squat toilets, become an avid scuba diver, learned to make a mean curry and to say Hi and Thank you in seven additional languages.

You’ll be returning home soon. What did you miss most from home while you were away?

Aside from friends and family… Wine, cheese and bathtubs. Nate would add New York pizza and Hulu.com — I can agree with those.