Use your kit lens for general photography and get a 50mm f1.8 prime lens for low lighting photography like portrait or candid. Once you are ready, you can upgrade your kit lens to a better lens like 17-55mm f2.8.
Get a good bag. I use a belt pack for easy access.Yes.. if you've even used a point and shoot camera before, the 18-55mm is like a 3x zoom. If that was sufficient, this should be sufficient. Yes, there would be some far away things that are hard to reach but it is still sufficient for you to learn the camera. Work more on your framing than being concerned with getting far away things up close. If you need them close, then move closer to shoot those. You will start to learn to see things from different angles if you let you legs do a bit of work.
I have a D50 with kit lens. I usally take photos with the kit lens most of the time, although I do use the Tokina 12-24mm f/4 for landscape and wide angle shots. When I need the extra distance I use my Nikon 70-300mm G lens. That said, the 18-55mm is usually sufficient for me most of the time. When I don't feel like changing lens (or is not possible to do so), I move my position so that I could include the composition I want. Sometimes, I will also shoot and crop later, if it helps with the composition.
Personally, I don't think you can ever travel light with DSLR, what with the extra gears like batteries, flash, portable storage, etc...
But please, I am only an amatuer, not a professional travel photographer. I just like to take photos when i travel.
If you are on abudget, then make do with what you have. I still do.
It's not lack the eye.. it's just lack of exposure. You will need to learn to appreciate art first before you can create an artpiece. You can start with some guidelines like rules of third, vanishing point, using a path that leads to your subject etc.. but after a while you will develop an eye for compositions that invoke your senses.
