With long-term travel comes discomfort, uncertainty and ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on in your life, which is always the case of course but when you are at home you might have people who help you out make you dinner, give you a ride or buy you a ticket to the game. Plenty of people are willing to help you out while you are traveling. An incredible amount actually but it is not something you can count on like close friends or family. It is different. And being truly on your own, in a strange country without hotel reservations or signs in English, can be uncomfortable.

Being disconnected may have its merits but it wore me down over the months. Granted, I was connected to the Internet more days than not. I could email, social media and connect to my friends and family most of the time. But everyone is still back home and you are still out there.