Traveling the World for 9 Months on Under $10,000

Written by Wilson Cusack

Last January I was in my senior year of high school and, after finishing my college applications, decided to begin exploring alternative options for the next year. I had a desire to see and understand the world's problems for myself, and a deeper religious obligation to be a part of the solutions. That, set alongside the realization that the people and organizations I wanted to work with were only an email away, was enough to get me searching.

After looking at different options, I was accepted to a fellowship that would facilitate an entire gap-year for me. I was excited about it, but it seemed to be sort of a backwards fellowship, one in which I had to pay them: to the tune of around $20,000.

After several conversations I came to the realization that I could put together my own "gap-year", work with people and organizations whom I personally chose, and do it all for much cheaper than $20,000. It's that effort that I'm now trying to chronicle, to encourage and counsel the other people thinking about taking on the great unknown of opportunity.

To keep it as true to what as you might expect on your own trip, I've included almost all of the total costs of the trip: all the groceries, restaurants, random charges I can't remember, metro cards, leisure travel; almost everything. I figure if you do your own gap year, you'll end up pursuing as many random adventures as I did and so I want to keep the figures as realistic as possible. The only things I've not included are things that were particular to me, such as costs of camera equipment I needed to pick-up for work along the way and gifts for friends back home.

I began the trip in Guatemala, working in the communities around the garbage dump in Guatemala City with Potter's House. an indigenous partner of a US based organization, endPoverty.

I was connected to endPoverty through a friend who recommended and introduced me to them. At first they were very hesitant, to say the least. They'd never taken anyone straight out of high school, and I'd be the first volunteer they'd ever sent to their partner in Guatemala. But after several interviews, both over the phone and in person, they agreed to take me on.

Before moving to Guatemala City, though, I wanted to brush up on my Spanish, as I'd only taken it for two years in high school and had forgotten most of it (thinking, "When am I ever going to use this?” Oops). So I first spent two weeks in Antigua, Guatemala studying Spanish six hours a day, five days a week at a language school there.

Once in Guatemala City with Potter's House, I spent one day a week working with the micro-finance team, three days a week working with the international marketing team, and one day teaching English to sixth graders.

August – November, Guatemala