Anyone who has ever been travelling, whether for a month or a year, knows that there’s some point where you don’t want the adventure to end. When this realization hits, you try to figure out everything you can do to extend your trip just a little longer, whether that’s by missing a flight, rearranging one, or hitching a ride with someone you meet along the way.

And once you’ve extended it a little bit, the itch is usually scratched. However, this doesn’t apply to everybody. For some people, the travel itch is never fully scratched. If this sounds at all familiar to you, whether it’s yourself or someone you know, here are some ways you can make sure the adventure never ends.

Get to Know Everybody

The connections you make during your travels can come in useful a few weeks or even months down the line. Friendly travellers who love to engage with others will create a network of friends who can help them out of a jam should they need it.

Whether you need a couch to sleep on or want to invest in the property Malaysia offers with someone you spent a 16-hour bus journey discussing your plans for the future, these connections will be invaluable.

Travellers are typically friendly and understanding people as it is, so don’t be afraid to make these friends and reap the benefits later on.

Work Online

Finding remote work online with sites like Fiverr or Upwork is another way to ensure the adventure keeps going as long as possible, especially if you’re staying in a country with a low cost of living.

You can do all sorts of jobs online nowadays, including writing, graphic design, translation, and coding, among others. Working online might mean that you need to miss out on a few mid-week activities that your hostel friends are doing, but you will have more money to enjoy other adventures later on.

If you’re someone who hates missing out on things, then it might be worth getting out of the hostel and away from all the excitement, just to make sure you get your work finished.

Volunteer

If you’re unable to find a job online, there is always the option to volunteer. No matter where you travel, you will be able to find decent volunteer opportunities that will help you save some cash and also make some connections.

Most travellers volunteer in hostels as receptionists, bar staff, chefs, or as a cleaner, and with this volunteering, they get a free bed and occasional discounted drinks or food. Other volunteer options include working as an au pair with families or even on farms. These places give you the chance to learn the language and integrate more authentically. In Paris you can even work at Shakespeare & Co. in exchange for a free stay!

While hostels are great for meeting people, they do not give you the immersive experience that many people look for when travelling. If you want to throw yourself further into a real adventure, then working with the locals is the way to do it.

Cook Your Own Meals

When travelling, you always want to sample the local cuisine, and while most countries have cheap street food for you to enjoy, buying this every single day will quickly drain your bank account, meaning you may have to return home earlier than expected.

If you’ve got the luxury of living in a hostel or hotel with your own kitchen, cook your own meals to save yourself some cash. In some instances, you might spend as much as $10 on a meal, but you could spend exactly that amount and get a few day’s worth of food out of it when you cook yourself. Buy lots of rice, pasta, sauce, and get creative with what you can do.

Search for Discounts

Discounts might be more associated with the life of a student, but as a traveller, you’ve certainly learned how to find a bargain in the rough. You know how to haggle, you know how to find the right offers for your situation, and you often know what scams to avoid.

All of this will be important when you’re trying to extend your adventure for as long as possible. The more discounts you find, the more you’ll save. Likewise, if you avoid scams and other potential money-wasters, you will keep a positive attitude about travelling, rather than get ground down by a consistent wave of nonsense.

The Neverending Story

There might come a time where you are ready to say goodbye to your backpack and get back to the real world, but if that time doesn’t feel like it will be soon, these are just some ways you can continue your adventure and see as much of the world as you can.