Leif Pettersen, a Minneapolis-based travel writer, recently addressed how “long-term travel isn’t just for nobility, retirees and underachieving drifters.” And we were proud to contribute to the conversation!

Whenever people hear about my early-30s lifestyle reboot that led to 4 1/2 years of solo international vagabonding, their reactions are uncannily similar: Their jaws slacken, their pupils dilate and they whisper an awestruck “Wow.”

How, with the meager income of a novice freelance travel writer — a profession fractionally more lucrative than collecting beer cans under the Washington Avenue Bridge — was I able to visit 40 countries on three continents and live in Spain, Romania and Italy?

The secret — it’s more of a poorly circulated fact — is that travel and living abroad are nearly always cheaper than simply sitting at home.

The myth that average mortals don’t have the time, money and hygienic flexibility to entertain anything more ambitious than a week in Cabo is being rapidly demystified by a slew of travel-enabling websites, like Briefcase to Backpack.

You can read more of Leif’s article on Vita.mn, including our 10 tips for planning and executing long-term travel.