Realizing it’s cheaper to travel full time than just live in the United States is one of the biggest things that edged me to go! I think there is a common misconception especially here in the United States that travel is outrageously expensive. The biggest expense of my entire year have been student loans and medical bills. Not flights, not hotels, not tours or activities. Money that I’m more or less paying to the government, for services that are free in many parts of the world. Even in a country with more money than anywhere else in the world, it’s normalized to go into debt for services for what are considered human rights elsewhere. I actually think the reason I don’t meet tons of other Americans over seas is because we’re tied to these extreme expenses that make it impossible to leave our jobs. The Dutch travelers I meet don’t have crippling student loan debt, or medical bills. Not to mention they have double the paid vacation time. And it feels like no coincidence I meet so many of them. Even though their population is 1/18 of ours. They’re everywhere. The reality is if I kept going to school I couldn’t afford to travel. And right now that’s just not a sacrifice I’m willing to make, even though truthfully I’d love to have a filmmaking degree. Getting my wisdom teeth removed this year almost ended my trip because of how expensive it was. My family and I are going to be paying that off for awhile. It’s not fair that it works the way it does, but it is. Through noticing all of this I’ve found a way to overcome it and make a lot of my dreams come true. I hope you all can too! It’s not easy, it comes at a price, and I’m making this captain to acknowledge I really understand the financial struggle. And I also understand that there are parts of the world that don’t have the strength of passport, or currency, to afford travel. Despite American problems that I believe are the result of greed and corruption, we’re really really privileged too. It’s just fascinating when you notice things, and the way they work through your own personal experience. I hope you can resonate. #travel #cinematography #visualstorytelling - @fletchermphoto