“I never had more than a week’s worth of clothes,” he said. “Downside is that I had to find a laundry place, but upside is that you can move around so easily.”

For the first three weeks, he only traveled with a small backpack. Along the way, he was able to purchase items he needed.

Carrying less allowed him to be more agile when plans inevitably changed.

After first landing in Mexico City, Peter began to be homesick. “I wanted to go home because I was like: ‘oh, it’s going to be a long journey,'” he said. “But then then I started making friends and got comfortable real quick.”

For most of the trip, he chose to stay in hostels as a way to save money, as well as to meet fellow travelers.

“Just start talking to people,” he said. “Everyone’s really approachable and thinking the same thing.”

When traveling around foreign countries, it is important to maintain a level of caution.

“I think it’s always good to just have a mentality that a lot of people might be trying to rip you off,” Peter said. When making purchases or decisions, he suggests: “Take your time.”

“Especially in a foreign country, use the buddy system,” he said.

Locals can usually tell if you are a foreigner, which can put you in a compromised position. So it’s important to be always aware of your surroundings and the situation.

“I don’t understand people that like go travel and eat burgers and pizza,” he said. “Going to McDonald’s is more expensive than some of these local places.”

During his time abroad, Peter made it a point to enjoy the local cuisine, which added to his travel experience.

On Feb. 29, Peter returned to the United States feeling happy with everything he had experienced.

“If I had an unlimited budget, I’d probably keep going, but I felt like I just I saw everything and I was ready to work,” he said.

“I feel content… it’s just nice to have time off and have like a different routine than going to work,” he said.