• Kelsea Myers, 20, traveled throughout North America during her freshman year of college.
• She took online classes while staying in hostels.
• Eventually, she wanted to have a more typical college experience.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelsea Myers. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My parents have always been clear that I would need to pay for college. During my senior year I was applying to schools and realizing I could easily graduate with $200,000 or more in debt for my undergrad degree. That gave me a lot of financial anxiety.

I had a bit of a breakdown with my parents about it during the spring of my senior year. I knew I wanted to go to college and then law school. I wasn't interested in a gap year. I also wanted to get far away from my hometown in Missouri. The University of Hawaii was at the top of my list of schools, but it was just too expensive.

My stepmother is great at thinking outside the box, and she had an idea: I could enroll in online classes at the University of Missouri, my state school, to keep costs low. Then, instead of paying for room and board, I could travel. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but I was nervous. I booked a plane ticket before I could change my mind.

I traveled the US, Canada, and the Caribbean

My first stop was in Portland, Oregon. I also visited Seattle and San Diego. Once I worked up my confidence to travel internationally, I went to British Columbia, Canada. Then, I headed to the Caribbean, where I took my finals in an Airbnb on the beach while the waves crashed and sand crabs scuttled across the floor.

I stayed at each place for about three weeks, so by the end, I felt a bit like a local. I created a routine where I would wake up and do a few assignments. Then, I'd use the daylight to explore the city. At night, I'd listen to my lectures and do more school work in the hostel or a nearby café.

I had to pay a lot of attention to school work and not get distracted by travel or the party atmosphere at some of the hostels. I'm pretty studious, so that wasn't too much of a challenge. I was upfront with my professors about my travel, and they didn't have a problem. The trickiest part was making sure I submitted everything on time when I was in a different time zone. I also learned not to do assignments at the last minute because sometimes the internet access was unreliable.

People assumed my parents were paying for my travel

My peers were mostly supportive of my choice, but they had questions. They thought I might be lonely, but I met so many people. There were lots of Europeans in the hostels I stayed in. Many were in their mid-20s, so it was easy to connect.

People assumed my parents were paying for my travel, but they weren't. Scholarships covered a lot of my tuition. I took subsidized student loans through school, which paid for the rest of my tuition and some travel. I also used the money I had saved while working.

I never ran out of money because I budgeted meticulously. I knew I had a set amount of money each week, so I made compromises on how I spent it. For example, when I went to the Space Needle in Seattle, I cooked for myself the rest of the week to make up for the money I spent. I also scoured the internet for flight deals and stayed in hostels that were affordable but safe.

I wanted to try living closer to school after a year

Throughout the year, I came home for holidays or if I needed a quick two-week break between destinations. I loved the way travel helped me see new places, meet people, and learn about myself.

At the same time, I also wanted to try a more typical college experience. Plus, I was worried about money. I wanted to minimize my loans, and living in one place would let me pay for school by working rather than taking on debt.

I returned to Missouri and got an apartment off campus with friends. I went to football games and frat parties and had those traditional experiences that I had sometimes worried about missing out on.

One thing didn't change: I stayed enrolled in online classes, which gave me flexibility to work.

I'll never regret traveling during freshman year

I'm on track to graduate this spring, completing my undergrad in just three years. I still budget travel. My best friend and I went to London and Paris for spring break. I adored it and couldn't believe my classmates were partying on a beach while I was seeing the Mona Lisa.

Lots of people say they never would have thought to travel during college. I thought there was only one way to do college until my stepmom urged me to think outside the box. I'm glad she did because I learned so much.