Earlier this year, I bought a one way ticket to Europe with a vague plan in mind. I wanted to do as much exploring as possible, and as cost effectively as possible. I wanted to experience new things, meet new people, try unique foods, and acquaint myself with other cultures. I was starting my own company, and had planned to work from the road while enjoying the nomadic lifestyle. Opening a travel company, exploring new destinations made sense for business, too. But I also needed this personally.
They say that travel changes you, and while I not only believe that, I feel it is one of the biggest reasons everyone should do it. The world becomes a smaller place, and you learn to appreciate life a bit more. You become more worldly, more empathetic. You make incredible friends and build lifelong memories. I started a travel company for this purpose. To not only encourage people to get out there but to help them do it. Whether you seek a 5 star luxury vacation in Italy or a casual retreat on the beach in Florida, every step you take outside of your normal routine inhibits growth.
Etretat, France 
Zadar, Croatia
While I have been back for just over a month, I am still processing how this experience has shaped me. I go through pictures (and yes, I took over 20,000), and am constantly reminded of stories and experiences I had while on the road. If you have any good ideas on how I can showcase some of my photos, let me know! I’m thinking of printing some for frames to go up on the wall, but perhaps you have another creative idea – and I’d love to hear it!
Milan, Italy 
Venice, Italy
There are some general misconceptions about life on the road. First, it is not always glamorous. Yes, my Instagram feed is beautiful and I have been to some incredible places. However, I maintain that ‘travel day’ is the worst. It looks something like this. Your alarm goes off, and you immediately wake up to stop it in effort to avoid waking up the other people in your hostel. Unlike at home where I might set 10-15 alarms at 5 minute increments, in a dorm room you don’t have that luxury. At least, not without coming across as a complete tool. You quietly open up your locker and gather the things you need to shower, slip on your flip flops, grab your towel, and get ready. Then you quietly re-enter the room and pack whatever you might have left out. Take a deep breath as you look at your 40+ pound backpack and realize you will be walking with it for an undetermined amount of time. Backpack on, front pack on (another, smaller backpack that you wear on the front), and you are finally ready to go. You make your way down the stairs, elevator if you are lucky, and go to the front desk to return your key and get your key deposit back. Then it’s time to step outside, hopefully the weather is nice, and make your way to the bus, train, metro, or otherwise to get you to your next destination. In a perfect world, the metro/bus stop is only a block or two away. Usually, it can be up to a mile or more away. With a heavy backpack on, it get’s challenging rather quickly. Hopefully you understand the local language and figure out directions easily enough (CityMapper is an absolutely invaluable app for navigating public transportation in many cities). And in some places, you can’t even find a street sign. Are we even going the right way?! When you finally make it to your destination after traveling for a few hours (depending of course on where you are going to/from), you stand in line and wait to check in. You try to be patient while they explain all of the features of the hostel/airbnb/etc., yet all you can think of is getting to your room and getting the backpack off your shoulders.
Living that backpacking life in Amsterdam. ‘Travel day’. 
Backpacking in the rain.
Not to sound like I am complaining, the entire experience was incredible and the ‘travel days’ made me appreciate what a normal travel day looks like outside of the backpacking lifestyle. Taking an Uber from airport directly to the hotel? Amazing. When you are spending months on the road, budgeting is of course a high priority!
Dubrovnik, Croatia 
Outside Mostar, Bosnia
Traveling long term is also incredibly exhausting. You are usually only spending 2-3 nights in a place, so ‘travel day’ happens frequently. Not only that, it’s hard to really plan anything out too far in advance. There are many factors that will change your plans: weather, exhaustion, illness, or just making new friends and going somewhere with them instead. Some days you wake up and just want to lay in bed all day, turn on the TV and relax with a bowl of ice cream. TV?! What TV?! This is, of course, a joke. Most of the places I stayed did not even have a TV in the lobby. You definitely miss some of the aspects and conveniences of living at home. You are constantly waking up, getting ready, and doing some sort of exploring or activity. It is definitely an active lifestyle, which is great! I worked off all the pizza and pasta carbs I ate in Italy (which I ate LITERALLY every day when I was there. And in this case, I am not using that word sarcastically). Not to mention actually planning all your travel, which can take minutes to hours, depending on how complicated it might be to get from one city or country to the next. You quickly realize which websites are the best to search through, and use your new network of travel friends for some recommendations as well.
Train from Milan to Varenna, Lake Como. 
The occasional flight
In addition to all of this, I was still working! I conducted over 40 site visits at various hotels, primarily in the beginning months of my trip. It was a great way to see hotels, meet with contacts, and understand local markets. A large purpose of my trip was to understand the European market in effort to become an expert on travel within so that I could make personal recommendations. I was also booking some travel for clients while on the road. Never a dull moment!
Salzburg, Austria 
En route to Oxford
Now that I am back in the states, I am focused on building my business and itineraries. I have already got a few projects in the works, and will be in Charlotte for the time being while I get everything sorted. Thinking about your next trip? Let me know where you are going! In the meantime, I am enjoying having my own bedroom, living out of a closet and dresser drawers opposed to a backpack, and having a consistent Wi-Fi signal. I’m sure I will go stir crazy soon and book another trip! I’m sure I’ll be back on the road soon, once I find that next great flight deal…
Follow me on Instagram @mkontheroad and my business page @mkluxlife. Additionally, you can read more blog posts and stories on my personal website (mkontheroad.com) and my business page (mkluxlife.com). Connect with me via email at michael@mkluxlife.com or WhatsApp at +1-202-480-1664 when you’re ready to start planning your next trip…wherever that may be. I can help with a custom proposal and itinerary, complete with accommodations, transport, and everything in between!