When I was growing up, my parents were frugal. They clipped coupons and scrimped on haircuts. We utilized hand-me-downs (even the ones that didn't fit or were stained), and we received what we needed for gifts rather than anything we wanted. They were on fixed incomes, but they never made it sound like they weren’t making enough to live on.

I am an adult now. Frugality has taught me well; it’s been an important and humbling concept, one that has taught me about the values and principles of life.

Kanye West summed it perfectly in his infamous quote, money isn’t everything, but not having it is.

Even on their fixed incomes, my parents retired younger than all their peers. They did so following the basic principles of spending less than they earned and making safe and sound investment choices.

As for their retirement journey? They’ve spent the past few years on wild travels; a few weeks ago, they came back from an epic trip to Antarctica and the Circuit Trek of Patagonia. Over the past two years, they’ve kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland and swam in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. They’ve drank margaritas in Havana, Cuba and walked across the Great Wall of China. They’ve sent me photos from every corner of the world- proudly stepping on all seven continents this Earth has to offer.

You know those cheesy scratch-off maps where you can scratch each location you visit? Their map is getting full of scratches.

I won't lie- I'm jealous of their map. They've inspired me to book a trip to Patagonia and New Zealand in the next year.

They’re still frugal- in every way that retired folks can be frugal- but they live richly and deeply with experiences.

Travel has enriched their lives, and it has enriched mine as well. I prioritize globetrotting as much as I prioritize my health, wealth, career. That’s because, without travel, those things don’t nearly matter as much to me.

You know that phrase, getting bitten by the travel bug? I blame my parents- it was the one area where they spoiled us in. Never the fancy hotels or five-star restaurants- never the glamorous souvenirs or obscene excursions- we went the hostel and camping route. We went the pack-your-own-sandwiches-in-a-backpack route.

My husband and I are now carving out our own life and our own priorities. It’s probably no surprise that we travel as frequently as we can- together and sometimes with our families. We hope to instill the same magic in these trips as my parents did for me. We hope to keep the travel bug very much alive.

Even though I have a Master’s degree today, I still consider my travel experiences as the best education I’ve ever received. Cliched yes, but who else is with me?