Instagram feeds full of incredible adventures, perfectly painted sunsets, cheers of expensive champagne on a private island, tropical well orchestrated outfits, and the effortless grinning smile of the travel blogger. It’s hard to look at these photos, and even harder to look away. Our feeds are full of these perfect moments, and as much as we know they are fabricated, it’s hard not to feel an insane amount of jealousy for these seemingly perfect adventures.
When I was in the lobby of a Torres del Paine refuge, surrounded by people glamping in bath robes and sipping on $18 glasses of wine, I was huddled by the fire, soliciting the “guest only” area to warm up, before returning to my $6 paper thin tent rental. To the right of me was a guy angrily yelling at his phone. Within a couple hours of sitting with him, I learned his flight had been cancelled, he had the stomach flu the entirety of his trek, and luck was absolutely not in his favor. These stories are not the ones you see posted all over social media, but the realities of traveling. Little did I know, a night later, my patience would too be tested when I realized my flight was also cancelled.
Hiding by the guest only fire place.
Traveling is not usually a curated sponsorship Instagram trip. It’s a person trying to explore a new region, typically on a budget, and learning about themselves every step, mistake, mishap and crusty experience along the way.
One. Hostels. Hostels are a staple for budget travels, but also a crucial experience for meeting new people. Despite the research, and the reviews, hostels can be extremely hit or miss. Sometimes a great hostel can just be understaffed and overbooked causing for lots of traveler collision, waits for the showers, and loud roommates.
I’m not sure if my favorite experience was getting bed bugs in Argentina, listening to a man hack loogies at 6 AM in Colombia, having to pee outside of a hostel in Chile because there was no front desk person, or having a man with night terrors share a shoebox of a room with me for four nights. Regardless hostels will offer an abundance of amazing travel stories, some funny, some scary, but always entertaining.
Two. Transportation. Budget traveling means unideal flight times, 15+ hour busses, squashed middle seats, and a whole lot of waiting. Budget airlines love to watch you squirm in front them as they measure your carry on item, charge you to print out your ticket for you, and essentially make you pay to breathe on their airline.
Many of my traveling days were spent finding ways to entertain myself at bus stations, praying that my phone didn’t die as we waited in standstill traffic, juggling through crowds with a massive backpack while metro-ing to the airport, and searching for a source of light to read my book during night trips.
Three. Food. As much as you want to indulge in all of the best meals from each region, sometimes our budgets will just not permit for another wine tour. Budget food consists of lots of home cooked meals, tupperwares to go and tons of questionable street food. Rice and beans, tortillas and peanut butter, and bags and bags of local sweets were my go to fuel for any trip.
One of my favorite meal memories was a restaurant found in a German guide book in the oh so touristy area of San Pedro dessert in Chile. My friends ordered a massive meat dish, requesting it to be rare, than changing their mind to well done, and finding pounds of uncooked meat served to us on a platter, accompanied by out of tune guitars, the meal was unforgettably terrible. Another budget trip, I solely ate packaged gas station sweets, donuts, and “hot” wings that were just chicken covered in tomato sauce and my stomach never felt the same.
Street Food will be your savior. 
Lentils and rice for every meal!
Four. Views. That perfect shot, the cloudless sky overlooking a gorgeous hike with an effortless looking couple, sweat free and grinning over a beautiful view. The reality is that the most Instagramable shot is probably full of tourists, overrated, or completely dependent on the weather.
The day before hiking Torres del Paine, in a hostel we met a guy who had woken up at 4:30 AM to see the famous towers, and was gutted when he arrived to a cloud covered scene. Sometimes you just luck out. Before my Patagonia trip I was stressed because every blog post ever said I should go in March, and my schedule only permitted April, and there was not a flake of snow, where as my friends who went in summer experienced all four seasons in a day. Regardless, sometimes the best spots are not the ones everyone and their mother has blogged about, explore on your own terms and make the location your own.
Five. People. Some of the best experiences from traveling come from the incredible people you meet, but some travelers on the other hand make you want to hide in under your hostel bunk bed and never leave.
Having to constantly explain myself as a person from the US and my political beliefs, dealing with people overstepping their boundaries because I was a girl, and being taller than average populations all offered unique experiences while traveling. Some people just don’t mesh, and occasionally you will be in a hostel of people who have no self awareness, and learning to deal with various personalities is a huge barrier to overcome.
The name “Hailee” in South America was always a challenge.
Despite these five unglamorous elements of traveling, they can also offer the most incredible experiences. You can connect with so many people through hostels. I’ve been able to see countries through incredible bus rides. I’ve eaten some of the amazing street food of my life and created friendships with vendors. I’ve seen some of the most beautiful views of my life, most unexpected through various adventures. And the best part, the people. I’ve met so many amazing people, whether if be for an hour making dinner together, or traveling with someone for months. Traveling may not be the instagram moment, but it’s an amazing way to learn about yourself, others, and to get out of your comfort zone.
The best part about traveling! All the fun people!
Hailee Boyle Social Media Management 