American Guy Travels to 21 Countries on a Budget for Over a Year, Spending Just $2,000

An American guy traveled to 21 countries on a budget for over a year, spending only $2,000.

 

　　"I want to go to Guilin, oh I want to go to Guilin, but when I have time, I have no money; I want to go to Guilin, oh I want to go to Guilin, but when I have money, I have no time." This classic old song expresses the helplessness of those who love to travel. However, nowadays, some travelers who are short on cash but full of wanderlust have cast off the shackles of "money" and "time," hit the road with just a backpack and a brave heart.

　　"I'm a budget traveler, and in our world, there are no strangers!" With this belief, Eric from the United States has been traveling on a budget to 21 countries and regions since 2011. Over the course of more than a year, Eric spent less than $2,000, with an average daily expenditure of just about $3 (approximately 18 RMB). My goodness—only $3 a day? Is that even possible? Eric proved with his actions that it is indeed possible. Today you travel to my city and sleep for free on my couch; tomorrow I travel to your place and sleep on your couch. Couchsurfing easily solves the accommodation problem. As for transportation, that can also be done on the cheap—by walking and hitchhiking. Today you catch a ride with someone going your way, tomorrow you hop onto a passing truck, the day after that you ride part of the way on a tractor, and then maybe you’ll have to walk for a day... Through budget backpacking, he measures the width and breadth of the world with his own footsteps.

　　Eric majored in international politics in college, studying in four countries—America, Mexico, Ukraine, and Turkey—during his university years. He began traveling extensively from the age of 18. Back then, he traveled like most people—flying, visiting tourist attractions with the crowds, and taking photos to commemorate the trip. Later, he worked for a nonprofit organization in Cambodia, where he met many backpackers and heard countless fascinating stories. That’s when he realized that travel could be so different and colorful. After hearing so many tales, Eric decided he wanted to live that kind of life too—to have a unique journey. He chose to travel on a budget. His method of travel first required learning how to hitchhike, and he was more than willing to share his experiences.

　　"You have to put on a thick skin, wear a big smile, and bravely ask." On the highway, countless cars pass by, and there’s always one going in the same direction as you. Most drivers will turn you down, but if even one stops, you’ve got a successful hitchhike. Experience has taught him that there are still plenty of kind people out there, and taking that first step often leads to offers of food and lodging. Eric also proved that travel doesn’t have to be expensive. They hitchhiked, slept on couches, ate food offered by others, spent very little money, and had the deepest, most meaningful journeys. They saw the most beautiful scenery, felt the cultures and customs of different countries and regions with their hearts, and even stumbled upon love while seemingly wandering aimlessly, walking hand-in-hand with their soulmates. Now, Eric’s budget travels have taken a brief pause. He and his fiancée, Tingzi, are soon expecting a baby in Guangzhou. Thinking about how vast, colorful, and friendly the world of budget travelers can be—and how romantic—why not take their child along on budget trips after the baby is born? They’ve decided to give their child a different kind of life.

　　In 2011, Eric started from Cambodia and traveled on a budget through 21 countries and regions including Cambodia, Thailand, India, Armenia, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Turkey, Uganda, Mexico, Hungary, Romania, Vietnam, Egypt, France, the United States, Canada, Greece, and China—by hitchhiking and couchsurfing. Over the course of more than a year, he spent only nearly $2,000, averaging less than $3 a day. "Usually, accommodations and transport didn’t cost anything; the money went to water and food." In February of this year, Eric came to Guangzhou with his fiancée to await the birth of their baby. The restless Eric explored China in the same way. His favorite place is Xian Village in Guangzhou. "The skyscrapers are like overly made-up artificial beauties, but the urban villages are the genuine, natural beauties full of human warmth."

　　In 2009, Eric, who had just earned his master’s degree, came to work for an international nonprofit organization in Cambodia. He rented a house in Phnom Penh for 2,000 RMB a month. The house was by the river, had seven floors, seven large rooms, and a big kitchen. The house was too big, and since Eric lived alone, he posted a notice online: anyone could come stay at his place for free, for however long they wanted. The day the notice went up, Eric began hosting travelers from around the world, unintentionally becoming a couchsurfing host. In a year, he hosted nearly 300 couchsurfers. It was these couchsurfers who rewrote Eric’s life story.

　　The couchsurfers shared their travel experiences with Eric, showing him photos and videos. Some climbed lonely stone peaks in India alone; some rode motorcycles on narrow mountain roads, arriving in a coconut-producing village covered in dust; some helped elderly villagers chop wood, their muscles flexing in the sunlight. In the photos, people from different countries, speaking different languages, shared shelter, food, and experiences. The more stories Eric heard, the more amazing they became. He began to think: These stories are adventurous and beautiful—they could be his too. So in 2011, Eric began his own budget travel journey.

　　Among the couchsurfers he hosted, one woman stood out—Tingzi from Guangzhou. One day, Tingzi, a junior in college, suddenly wondered what the meaning of life was, what the outside world was like, and whether she could live a different life. The sudden thought was so strong that she decided to take a gap year and travel around the world to see what it was like.

　　After consulting with a senior, Tingzi decided to travel on a budget. "Being a couchsurfer not only saves money but also lets you meet locals, get into their lives, and understand their culture."

　　Tingzi’s first couchsurfing stay was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which also marked the beginning of something special in her life. When she arrived in Phnom Penh, the Italian couchsurfing host she had arranged to stay with online suddenly couldn’t be reached—the phone was unreachable. As night fell, Tingzi had no choice but to call another backup host, Eric, for help, and he readily agreed to host her.

　　So Tingzi took a tuk-tuk to Eric’s home. Since Eric’s place was full of other couchsurfers, he didn’t pay much attention to Tingzi, only exchanging WeChat and Facebook info. Tingzi later left Phnom Penh and continued her travels, but her connection with Eric was just beginning.

　　When Tingzi left Cambodia and went to Iran, she met a senior who was also traveling on a budget, and the two began living together—staying on couches, hitchhiking, and eating bread. In Iran, the government prohibits individuals from privately hosting foreigners, but they stayed with couchsurfing hosts for over 20 days. They built friendly relationships with their hosts, sleeping together in one big house. Tingzi remembered that the host, named Ali, had a home covered in thick Persian carpets. On one side of the carpet were many pillows and quilts. When guests arrived, the family would take them out, and everyone would sleep on the floor in a room of just a few dozen square feet. While moving the pillows around, they started a pillow fight. Though they didn’t speak the same language, their childlike playfulness instantly brought everyone closer. For over 20 days, they ate together, sang, danced, and Ali became their tour guide in Iran. When locals celebrated birthdays, they sang the Cantonese birthday song to wish them well. Though they didn’t understand the language, the smiles on their faces were joyful, and they pulled each other into dances. This left a deep impression on Tingzi. "Chinese and Iranians may sound unfamiliar at first. But if you don’t trust others, you’ll never know how close strangers can become."

　　After Tingzi left Cambodia, Eric also set off to hike across Asia, travel through Europe, and return to his hometown in the United States. His first stop was Thailand, where he ran into an old friend, so Eric’s budget travels had company. They hitched rides on trucks heading to suburban villages, passing through jungles marked with signs reading "Danger: elephants and tigers." The driver didn’t slow down at all. Tree leaves scraped painfully against their faces, and the cold wind gave them goosebumps, but Eric was thrilled. In the village, Eric met a hunchbacked old woman who read his fortune and gave him a protective amulet, telling him it would protect him for life. "In different countries, you realize that the local customs and cultures are truly unique." In the village, Eric walked through muddy paths to the farmland, squeezing through narrow old houses like a maze, until he reached a fruit orchard covered in golden mangoes and tangled vines. There, he saw sunlight streaming through the dense leaves, casting countless tiny stars on the ground—it all became interesting again. He finally felt the meaning of travel.

　　Of course, the inconveniences along the way were countless. "Our kind of budget travel isn’t all romance and scenery—it’s more about difficulties, even despair. Not knowing where the next meal will come from or where you’ll sleep next. But isn’t experiencing the journey itself the point of travel?" Tingzi, who was traveling abroad for the first time, had no travel experience. Every time she encountered a problem, she turned to Facebook for help, and Eric always responded to her as quickly as possible, teaching her many methods.

　　For Eric, this Chinese girl, who left her country alone to explore the world, seeking the meaning of life and seeing the world, possessed a bravery and curiosity that not everyone has. The beautiful Chinese girl instantly attracted Eric, who wanted to know how she was doing. So whenever he saw her questions, he answered immediately. The two stayed in touch and even talked about traveling together someday, but because their destinations were always different, they never managed to meet up. When Tingzi had been traveling for 10 months, she felt a bit tired and wanted to go home, so she called Eric and said, "If you don’t come soon, I’m going home, and we’ll see each other again sometime." At that time, Eric was in Europe. He felt he couldn’t let this opportunity slip away, so after hanging up, he immediately booked a flight and told Tingzi to wait for him.

　　And so, the two finally began their journey together in Armenia. Compared to other countries, it was hard to find online couchsurfing hosts in Armenia. So they could only stand aimlessly on the streets, thumbing for rides and hosts. Finally, they caught a ride, and when the driver asked, "Where are you going?" Eric and Tingzi would say, "We don’t know—just take us wherever you’re going." Often, the drivers would take them back to their own homes, giving them food and a place to sleep. In Armenia, Eric and Tingzi hitched all kinds of rides—some trucks were full of watermelons, some full of lumber, and once they even got into a car driven by a drunk person. "The moment I got in and saw the driver was drunk, I got worried, but I couldn’t just get out right away." So when the driver stopped on the side of the road, Eric immediately grabbed his bag and ran off the vehicle, glancing back to see the driver still waving drunkenly.

　　Following the advice of locals, Eric and Tingzi went to the ruins city of Sushi. The two hiked to find a local trail said to be very beautiful but ended up getting lost between cliffs. They tied safety ropes to each other—one would go down to scout the path, and if it was safe, the other would slowly follow. If not, they’d pull the first one back up. Once, the two had just climbed onto a large rock when the rock they had just stepped on rolled down the cliff—it was terrifying. "At that moment, you know what it means to risk your life." When they safely returned from the cliffs, Tingzi vowed to live a more meaningful and textured life. "If you don’t go out, you’ll never know the other possibilities that exist." Love in Guangzhou: They decide to travel the world with their baby.

　　In Georgia, the two got lost again. They had planned to camp in the mountains for two days, but four days later, they still hadn’t made it out of the forest. For Tingzi, a girl from Guangdong, not staying in hotels or eating good food didn’t matter—but showering and washing her hair every day was essential. So Eric had to carry a mineral water bottle to a water source two kilometers away, then start a fire, boil water, and help Tingzi pour water over her head to wash it. Traveling with Tingzi, boiling water for her to wash her hair, mending her worn-out shoes—throughout their journey, the two supported each other through life and death, gradually planting the seeds of love.

　　Time flew during their travels. Tingzi’s one-year leave of absence from school was up, and she had to return to complete her studies. At that time, Tingzi invited Eric to travel in China, and Eric decided to go back to China with her. "China is an ancient civilization with thousands of years of history—there must be many interesting places. Why not go?" While Tingzi returned to China to finish her studies, Eric went back to his home country to reunite with his parents and came to China in February of this year to experience the Chinese New Year. Before the trip, Tingzi had no idea the world could be so vast, colorful, and full of friendly, different, and romantic strangers—and that life could hold such possibilities. Now the two are preparing to register their marriage, and Tingzi is seven months pregnant.

　　As for their upcoming baby, Eric and Tingzi have decided that once the child is born, they’ll keep traveling the world—with their child. They’ve decided to give their child a different kind of life. "I can homeschool, can travel with the child. The child doesn’t have to go to a regular school. Traveling will broaden their horizons." Eric and Tingzi have both decided to continue their budget travels, to experience and feel life for a lifetime.

　　Now in Guangzhou accompanying Tingzi as she awaits the birth of their child, Eric came to teach at Guangdong Experimental High School. In his spare time, he still loves exploring Guangzhou. With its towering skyscrapers, he only likes the rooftops of these buildings and enjoys climbing to different rooftops to see the whole city. "From the rooftop, you can see higher and farther." Once, when he climbed to the 29th-floor rooftop of the Liyede Yingjia Garden, he found his favorite spot—urban village Xian Village. He was instantly struck by the stark contrast of skyscrapers just meters away from crumbling, precarious houses. He immediately fell in love with Xian Village. He knew which houses had red flags on their roofs, indicating the owners refused to relocate; he knew how many ancestral halls were in Xian Village, and how villagers liked to play mahjong in the open spaces in front of them around four or five in the afternoon; he knew that a pond in the urban village used to be crystal clear—you could swim and fish in it; and most surprisingly, an elderly man could cut a single sheet of red paper into various flowers, characters, and stories. He would climb into some abandoned houses and feel the stories of the previous owners. He loved the real people living in the urban villages—they were always warm and often invited him in for tea and conversation.

　　Conversation with Eric
　　Hi Guangzhou: Most people think urban villages are dirty, messy, and poor. Why do you like them so much?

　　Eric: That might just be my personal preference. I’ve always liked places that aren’t so well developed — like in the U.S., I also enjoy going to slums. No matter where I travel, I prefer places that are a bit poorer, have history, and feel human. Rural areas, small mountain villages, things like that. I think these places are more real, more authentic. To me, Xian Village is the real Guangzhou, the Guangzhou of historical culture, the Guangzhou with stories.

　　Hi Guangzhou: Why do you say that?

　　Eric: To be honest, I don’t like cities full of skyscrapers because I feel every big city’s high-rises look the same. Look at them — they’re all towering, with shiny large glass panels, colorful neon lights, and huge promotional posters. But I always feel these are cities wearing the same mask, like beauties all made up with thick foundation, all with big eyes, high noses, fair skin, and red lips. They feel fake, masked, only caring about how to be more successful, how to be more beautiful. You can’t see their hearts, their souls. But here, people live genuinely. They may be poor but are sincere, not concerned with fame, wealth, or appearances, and show their true selves to everyone. Their house might be small and cramped, their home might be messy with no decorations, but they will sincerely invite you in for a sip of water or tea. Her clothes might not be nice, she might not wear makeup, but she’ll invite you to share a meal she cooked herself. They are genuine and sincere, willing to tell you about their family, their stories, their dreams, and share them with you.

　　Hi Guangzhou: And you also like climbing rooftops?

　　Eric: Yeah, there are so many tall buildings — it’d be a waste not to climb them. When you get up there, you can see much farther, the view is wide open, and you can discover lots of interesting spots. Also, I think people waste rooftops too much. In Guangzhou, I’ve climbed almost every accessible rooftop in the city center, and the views from up there are really different. Most importantly, some rooftops are so spacious you could play football or games on them; others are small but clean — next time I can’t find a host, maybe I’ll just stay up there. We really shouldn’t waste rooftops; we should make use of them.

　　Hi Guangzhou: Some buildings have security, and it’s hard to get in without a keycard.

　　Eric: Not really. Just pretend you’re a resident of the building, walk in confidently, and the guards won’t stop you. If the door is closed, just wait a bit, and when someone comes in, follow them right in. I once tried to get to the rooftop of a bank in Zhujiang New Town, and the guard stopped me. After I explained my purpose, he took me to the manager, and later the manager gave me a tour of the whole building. Actually, as long as we trust others enough, they’ll trust us too. And how will you know if you don’t try?

　　Hi Guangzhou: In Guangzhou, can you also travel for $3 a day?

　　Eric: Of course. You can even spend less. There are actually many places in Guangzhou where food is very cheap, like in the urban villages — you can eat your fill for just a few yuan. Often, people invite me to eat with them, and I always go and eat as much as I can. For accommodation, I still stay on people’s couches.

　　Hi Guangzhou: Do you still stay on couches now?

　　Eric: Not now. My fiancée is pregnant and wants to give birth in Guangzhou, so we need a stable place to live. Also, I now have a job and an income to pay rent. I’m working while continuing to explore Guangzhou. Guangzhou is a great city. Once the baby is born, we’ll hit the road with our child and keep traveling.

　　Hi Guangzhou: You’ve traveled on a budget to over 20 countries and regions. Which place left the deepest impression?

　　Eric: You’ve stumped me. For me, Bangkok’s hedonism left a deep impression, as did the deserts of the U.S. and the forests of Moldova, Ukraine’s vast snowy landscapes, and the endless beaches of the Philippines — each has its own unique, beautiful culture and scenery. But if you ask which place I’d most like to revisit, it’s Nagorno-Karabakh. It’s still a very raw place, with a population of only about 100,000, almost all living deep in the mountains. To reach a village, I had to cross rivers and climb mountain peaks before finding some hidden residents tucked away in the mountains. These places remain untouched, seemingly cut off from the world, with no sense of the changes of the past few hundred years. But the people there are the most hospitable I’ve ever met. No matter which village I went to, every person I encountered in the mountains invited me to their home for a meal, to rest, or to spend the night.

　　Eric knows many people think hitchhiking is difficult or even worrisome. “But those murder cases or robberies mostly only happen in TV shows or movies — they’re not real. We just have to face our own shyness.” Eric started his travels by hitching over 1,000 rides.

　　Of course, hitchhiking isn’t as simple as just standing by the roadside and thumbing up — you have to adapt to the situation. Eric says the most important thing is to first find a highway. If you’re in a big city, you have to get out of the city center first. In Bangkok, Eric had to take the cheapest train to reach the highway; in Kolkata (India), he had to take a bus to get to the highway entrance; in Istanbul, he just walked through the city to find a road. “Once you’re on the highway, you can stick out your thumb, and also give a big smile — smiles are contagious, and people can tell you mean no harm, you just want a ride.” If you’re lucky enough to come across a gas station, go ask drivers there. “Don’t be afraid — most people will say no, but as long as one person says yes, that’s enough.” In China, Eric went up to toll booths and asked every passing car — within half an hour, he found a ride from Guangzhou to Sanya, and then hitched a ride back to Guangzhou from Sanya. “So don’t be afraid — the road is in your mouth, be brave enough to ask.”

　　Sometimes, while hitchhiking, you can chat with the driver and ask if they can host you for the night. If the driver doesn’t offer, get off the vehicle and immediately look for local hosts on budget travel websites or couchsurfing platforms. If you can’t find any or don’t have internet access, then go to the first place you can walk to after getting off — knock on the door of the first house in the first village you see. “You just have to say, ‘Hello, we’re travelers from out of town, we have no place to stay, can we sleep on your couch?’” Generally, locals seeing someone with two big backpacks and looking tired won’t refuse. They’ll not only offer a place to stay but also local food. “Be bold and ask, show them your backpack so they know you mean no harm and need help.”

　　For Eric, food and water made up a large part of his $2,000 budget. So when staying with a host, if they invite you to eat together, definitely don’t be shy. And if they offer you food to take when you leave, don’t refuse either. Eric once stayed and ate with a host who, seeing his worn-out clothes, even gave him a better one. “Really, don’t be shy at these times — eat as much as you can, take as much as you can.”

　　Backpackers, traveling the world with just a backpack. Day and night temperatures vary, so pack clothes for both spring and summer, as well as a raincoat.

　　Additionally, your backpack should include phone and camera chargers, a survival rope, a map, eye drops, various medications, a flashlight, books, a small sleeping bag, compressed food, and water.