Rest Is a Travel Expense - Here’s Why We Resist It
Published about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, ✉️ Monday Momentum #32
Hello there my Fit Travel Tribe, On today’s Monday Momentum I'll share a status report on my budget brain fighting my well being.
Why?
Because...
😖💰Saving money isn't always "worth it" 💰😖
Besides staying active and healthy on the road, budget travel is kind of my thing (especially if you travel as much as me while living off savings for 2.5+ years).
But here’s the truth no one talks about enough: Ultra-budget travel stops being “adventurous” when it starts draining your nervous system.
Here’s the psychological piece I’ve been sitting with lately:
When you’ve trained yourself to survive on very little for a long time, your brain starts to confuse frugality with worthiness.
Saving money becomes proof that you’re doing travel “right.”
Spending money - especially on comfort - starts to feel reckless, indulgent, or undeserved… even when you can afford it.
QUESTION:
What’s worth the splurge for you when you travel? (Food, housing, experiences, etc.)?
And....
Is REST on your list?
So I'd love to know (yes, please respond to this email)...
Because rest isn’t a reward for burning out. It’s a requirement for staying healthy, active, and sane on the road. Rest = travel expense.
So today I'm giving you:
📍 Update from my private Airbnb — The splurge I needed on multiple fronts ✅ Tours you keep for life - and why they're more budget friendly than you think 🏄♀️ Surf culture in Morocco (no, it's not just desert) ✅ Creating rules to decide when to splurge or spend (I'll show you mine - hope you'll share yours) Let's get into it 👇
Also for those facing severe winter weather, stay warm. And for everyone in the US...stay safe ❤️
🌟Notes from the Fit Travel Trail
Bonjour again from Morocco! 👋👋 I'm in Essaouira to finish my trip and I'm happy to report that the next edition will be coming from home in Sofia (WAHOO!)
Last time I wrote you, I had just recovered from food poisoning in Rabat and traveled to the mighty yet overstimulating Fes (famous for their leather tanneries)
Since then… I've thankfully gotten to slow down a bit in my last two cities.
📍 Marrakech: Much easier to manage than Fes (because when I say "overstimulating," I really mean "too much unwanted attention").
In Marrakech I was Couchsurfing for 5 nights. Friendly vibes. Breathing room. And oh my sweet love - a space heater!!! (They don't typically do "heating" in Morocco even though it gets chilly).
But still....I felt like I had to keep managing my social battery and comfort.
📍 Essaouira: And now for the remainder of my tour, I'll be situated here in Essaouira.
Sunset on the ramparts is definitely the prettiest location in Essaouira. It's nice to sit among the cannons and look out to the waves crashing on the rocks.
Any Game of Thrones fans recognize this??
A few Game of Thrones episodes in season 3 (army of Unsullied) were filmed here in Essaouira! Ironically, just before New Years, my partner and I started watching GoT haha
After bouncing between hostels, couches, and cities, I made a decision that felt expensive at first - but necessary.
🏠 I booked myself a 12-night Airbnb!
Private space. A real kitchen. A living room where I can actually exercise. A big grocery store nearby. No social pressure. No cold rooftop workouts. No shared bathrooms.
And the moment I clicked “book,” I felt it:
👉 You’ve earned this.
(more on that below)
Finally have reliable exercise space for any time of day. I hadn't done Bodycombat in awhile and it was super humbling and exhausting...but amazing!
I can buy some "bulk" food items like oats and chia seeds. I've been loving my overnight oats and I'm hoping to find more protein powder at a shop nearby. Also, I can make freshly squeezed orange juice for under $1.00!
Looking forward to saying "au revoir" soon to this lovely country! It'll be tough transitioning from French back to Bulgarian hahaha
🎉Featured Expedition
And since we're talking about managing splurges, this TWO NEW POSTS deserve the spotlight. 👇👇👇
🎧 How VoiceMap Audio Walking Tours Actually Work
(What to expect, FAQs, and how to use the app)
Audio tours are one of my favorite travel investments:
😇Splurge Where It Stabilizes You💸 Budget Travel Meets Psych 101
I love hostels. I love couchsurfing. They’ve saved me thousands.
But long-term travel comes with:
Decision fatigue
Constant social interaction
Zero routine
Always adapting
At some point,saving money starts costing energy.
CASE STUDY: Me after 3 weeks in Morocco
I struggled hard to let myself book 12 nights in an Airbnb.
Not because I didn’t have the money - but because I’d internalized the idea that this “isn’t how I travel anymore.” That comfort is a luxury I no longer need since I’ve proven I can go without.
But what I actually needed was stability.
I was counting down nights in a chilly hostel, struggling to exercise, struggling to eat well.
I wasn’t living - I was surviving.
So here’s the real question: If each day feels a little wasted because you’re “saving” a few dollars… is it worth it?
When quality of life is at stake, your body doesn’t care how good the deal was.
It cares whether it feels safe, rested, and regulated.
This is your reminder:
It’s okay to slum it sometimes
It’s okay to pay more sometimes
👉👉Comfort isn’t a failure - it’s fuel
Especially if, like me, you’re traveling long-term not just for fun, but because logistics (hello, visas) require it.
So, find a combination that works for you.
Crete a set of rules like mine:
💸 Save on:
Transportation hacks
Cooking most meals
Walking-based exploring
💆♀️ Splurge on:
Sleep
Personal space
Mental reset points
That Airbnb? It’s cheaper than burnout.
Always on my mind: More money for more (HEALTHY) travel! It's often worth a little extra money for your well being 💸
⚡Biweekly Boost: Quote of the Week
Nothing as restful as a cat sleeping in the sun
“
Rest is not quitting. It's maintenance.
🙏A Friendly Favor...
A friendly favor (tiny ask): If this helped, share with one friend and use my links when you buy gear/cards. It costs you nothing - it just keeps my content free. Thank you ❤️
