The bottom line
When you think about going on vacation, the first thing that comes to mind is how much it’s going to cost. If you live on mac and cheese and worry daily about paying off tens of thousands of dollars in college loans, an overseas trip seems better taken via the Discovery channel. But there is hope, especially if you don’t mind small compromises in comfort. Remember: if you want to travel cheap, you’re doing it for the experience and horizon broadening, not to be waited on hand and foot.

So why do it?
Traveling abroad can be one of the most mind-blowing experiences of your lifetime. Apart from the spectacle of seeing sights you’ve only seen on postcards, you’ll discover the vast variety of people that populate the world outside of your personal bubble. You’ll realize things about the world and about the US that you’ve never considered before. You’ll start to understand why those weird exchange students act the way they do. You’ll taste some foods that will make your soul tingle, and probably a lot more that will make you wish for the American comforts of warm flat Coke and a squished Twinkee. But it’s all part of the joys of traveling. It will look really good on your resume, too.