My husband and I have been able to do save for all the above as well as do a fair amount of traveling within the US on a modest middle-income. BUT, those trips have been modest (inexpensive motels, meals at Burger King, and usually just a few days). The point I’m trying to make is that for some incomes, if you’re being responsible and saving for all the things you SHOULD be saving for, there’s not a lot of money left over to travel, and REGULAR travel, whether overseas or within the US, just isn’t within reach.

Your post has made me sit down to write out my list of what is stopping me. Hopefully I can be honest with myself and move on, and “climb” Kilimanjaro again.

Thanks,
-Barbi

I think that a lot of times people can’t differentiate between an “excuse” and a real hold back. For example, not having funds because you never sacrifice and save is an excuse. Not having funds because you are unemployed and struggling to survive is a real hold back.

We have two main hurdles. The first is an “excuse”, our huge home mortgage due to a dishonest contractor (very long story). We are trying to wait out the real estate slump and sell when we can actually break even. This is a hurdle that we know we can eventually overcome.

Our second major hurdle is a real hold back. We are currently raising a daughter with some pretty severe mental illnesses. We are realistic and accept that it will be years before we can do something like travel overseas- but we can be saving in the meantime and have something to look towards.

In the meantime, we are doing other things that bring us joy, like camping/hiking trips in the beautiful state of Alaska where we live.

For over 20 years DH has been entering for a specific hunt permit. This year he got it. He and our 12 year old son have been walking up to 7 miles with heavy packs 4-5 days a week to get in shape.

We are also very aware that our goals-dreams change. When we finally have enough saved to go overseas, we may want to do something entirely different, but that will be an viable option because we will have saved in the first place.

Life is a series of adventures; you decide which opportunities to seize and which to let go by. Its a personal decision. The 5 star traveler can experience the same enjoyment as the guy staying at KOA. IN this discussion no one is right and no one is wrong.

I try to tell my kids to have stretch goals and to realise its not failure if you dont achieve the goal.

Just came back from 18 day backpack trip through the Middle East with my son. Worked a second job on the weekend to pay for it. You have to decide how much sacrifice you are willing to accept to reach a goal.

As for Kilimanjaro…your aunt is awesome! Climbing it is one my list but at 53 I realize I have only 2 years to make a reasonable attempt. The kids use to think I was going thru a midlife crisis, now they realise its about focusing on a goal and trying to make it a reality. Not sure about this one but I wont give up until i am sure I cant make it.

So far, what’s holding me back is my student loans! I’m working my behind off this year and making good progress. I really think I can make my first annual trip in 2011!!!

While the answer is often “I don’t have the time”, I find now that I could put that hole in my schedule. . . I don’t have the money (and yes, I’ve got a Travelocity alert up on airfare to Lima.)

So I’m going to start a separate bank account, my “Machu Picchu” account, and figure out an arrangement for contributing to it regularly, and figure out exactly what my budget will have to be. I don’t know when I’ll find the time in a few years, but at least the money will be there.

Well I have no intention of climbing anything either mainly becuase I’m a chicken but I’m impressed by that Aunt. I think she’s a person to look up to. As the writer said, her Aunt works full-time and raised two children and ran a house and obviously did a lot of planning to travel so much with children. If all you want to do is clean out a basement or your wardrobe that’s fine too but don’t put down someone’s Aunt for being so awesome and belittle her adventures.

I love hearing about older people who are awesome and achievers. Awesome-ness is not a generational thing.

Jennifer

I love to travel as well and being in Australia means that pretty much everywhere is a LONG way away!

Last year I did my own personal Kilimanjaro and trained all year with a friend and attempted to get to Everest Base Camp. Altitude sickness prevented us getting higher than 3500 metres (about 11000 feet) but it was such an adventure. We could only take 11 kilos in our packs maximum for the sherpas to take up the mountain. So nothing extra went on our holiday at all.

Then we went to India, then Hong Kong and tomorrow I leave for an eight day South Pacific Cruise to New Caledonia.

Budget travel is the way for me. Just like the person above, budget hotels, hostels, trains, buses, nothing fancy, eating from supermarkets.

I have now been to most countries in Europe, travelled extensively in the US, been to Mexico, most of the South Pacific, most of the states of Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand etc etc.

I love to travel and also manage to have a mortgage and save money because I prioritise travelling above all else.

My next trip will be to Canada to travel on that train that has the glass top, currently saving and planning for 2013 for that.

S

Maybe a good compromise would be to take time to travel in short bursts so that we can keep our jobs, see some stuff, and continue to ride out the housing downturn. But I’ve done the extended travel thing before, and one-week vacations just aren’t the same. And time runs short since we want to have kids one day. A nine-day trip to Europe is not our Kilimanjaro.

Ah, choices. We often have more than we think we do. Not all are ideal, but many are liberating. When we’re not making the liberating choices, it’s time to figure out why we’re afraid.