FBC – 404 – This is one of the main excuses for missing out on world travel

This is one of the main excuses for missing out on world travel.

Do you envy those bigger than life influencers and wish you could travel like them?

After all they seem to have it all figured out and are living the dream…

So why is it that you are still stuck in the same place and decided not to travel?

One of the most common excuses I hear is “I won't be able to make friends”

To be honest, it couldn't be farther from the truth my friend…

Making friends abroad is SUPER easy, provided that you follow this ONE RULE

Everything is explained in details in the episode

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I wanted to talk to you about something that’s actually keeping people away from their dreams and basically keeping people where they are.

OK, so the thing is, this is when you're an entrepreneur, you can work from home, and you can work from anywhere and stuff. It might not seem like it, but it can get kind of lonely.

Why?

You can go anywhere you have more time than most people and stuff. But here's the problem. You have more time. They don't. So very often while you have all the freedom in the world, then your friends are at work or they're doing stuff.

So the other thing is a lot of people are like, yeah, but, you know, I have my friends here. If I leave, I'll be by myself. How do you actually meet people? You know, it's hard to meet people, especially the older you are, the harder it becomes to meet people.

And so this is the stigma that people have in their mind. And basically they said, you know what, I'm just going to stay where I am because of my friends. You are my comfort and stuff.

This is one of the main excuses for missing out on world travel

OK, so me as you know, I've done a Round the World tour by myself for the most part. So the first couple of months or the first two months I was traveling with a buddy, but then afterwards I was by myself. So, you know, so when you're traveling like this, you will go places, you will meet people. But these people, they come and go, right.

But I went to the most beautiful places on the planet. And I remember at some point I was in Bora Bora.

And I went to this restaurant and there was a fire dance and stuff. Like Polynesian women like dancing. And a fire breather. It was epic. Right. But here's the thing. Everybody was with the wife, the girlfriend, the family and stuff. For me, I had my table by myself and I could see that some people were looking at me weird, like, oh, man, poor guy and stuff, right?

So maybe you may have seen that before and you were like, oh, man, it will suck. I don't want to live like that. But I didn't mind. I just enjoyed it as much as anybody else there.

And actually there is a way for you to go to any city, any place in the world and be able to make friends without having to do anything weird or like do anything you don't want to do. It's just that people have this idea in their mind that, oh, if I go abroad, everything will be so different. And no family, no friends, no blah, blah, blah. I don't want to do it right.

The easiest way and the wrong way of going at it is that you arrive in a city and you are looking for your like fellow compatriots. Right. So, for example, me, I'm French, so you will go and you'll try to find some French circles.

So next thing you know, you're just hanging out among French people moaning about French stuff. And it's as if you never left France. And I see a lot of people in in this case here in Bali, they just hang around with French people. That's all they do. They speak French all the time.

What you want to do is, well, look at what you're passionate about and go and find people who do this. It's very simple. So me, I am passionate about basketball. Right. So if you practice any sports, any sports at all it will make perfect sense for you. And people don't actually think about this. But basketball is universal. It's like football.

You take your orange ball, you go to a playground and you play with people there, you're going to make friends. OK, I don't care who you are, you are going to make friends just because they love basketball, and you love basketball. You guys play together like, oh, man that was a really cool move. Where are you from? Bam, bam, bam.

I have never had any problem meeting anybody on the planet, you know, just because I had basketball.

But this is what people think when you're abroad. It is super simple. You go do something you love. So if it's, you know, scuba diving, maybe you're into scuba diving and stuff, just go scuba diving.

You meet people who are over there. They love scuba diving. And you can have all these weird discussions about the percentage of Carbon Dioxide in the bottle and all that kind of stuff, they will understand, you make friends, all right. And this works anywhere, regardless if you actually speak the language.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common excuse people use to avoid traveling the world?

The number one excuse is not enough money, even when the real blockers are fear, comfort, and unclear priorities. Many destinations cost 1,000 to 1,500 dollars per month all in, less than rent in most Western cities. Reframing travel as a relocation, not a vacation, kills the money excuse immediately.

How much does long-term digital nomad travel actually cost?

Realistic monthly budgets range from 1,200 dollars in Southeast Asia to 2,500 dollars in mid-tier European cities, including accommodation, food, coworking, and transport. Flights average 400 to 800 dollars per quarter when booked early. Most solopreneurs save money traveling because they cut subscriptions, commuting, and impulse spending tied to home routines.

What mindset shifts help solopreneurs overcome travel hesitation?

Stop framing travel as a reward at the end of success. Treat it as a tool that lowers your cost of living, expands your network, and forces sharper time discipline. The first booked flight removes 80 percent of imagined obstacles. Action collapses fear faster than any amount of planning ever does.

How can entrepreneurs structure their first international trip?

Pick one country, book a 30-day stay through Airbnb monthly rates for a 40 to 60 percent discount, and keep your business workflow identical. Bring two SIM options, two payment cards, and one backup work device. This minimal setup proves the lifestyle works without forcing you to abandon income or routines.

Related Reading

• FBC – 481 – How to become a responsible digital nomad
• What Financial Planning Strategies Should Digital Nomad Entrepreneurs Prioritize
• How to Create a WordPress Blog using Bluehost – Start Traveling & Liv
• What Are The Must-have Tech Gadgets For Entrepreneurs Embarking On Their Digital

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.