10 Things A Startup Founder Learned About Money While Backpacking Around The World

In 2012, Jason Vitug found himself on top of a temple in Myanmar.

"I realized I was living a childhood dream," he says of that moment, near the beginning of his year-long, 21-country travel adventure. "And I started wondering why I was the only one there. "

That epiphany became the first seed of his financial education website, Phroogal, which crowdsources high-quality answers to anyone's burning financial questions in order to help them afford the lives they want to lead.

Vitug returned from his trip ready to help others have their own top-of-temple moments.

Traveling through countries including the Phillippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Brunei, Timor L'Este, and Belize, "relates a lot to how I view finances now, and what it truly means to live life rich," he says.

Here, Vitug shares the personal finance lessons he absorbed on his way - along with photos of some memorable moments from his trip.