I don’t know who started it, but there’s a trend online of people advocating full-time travel like it’s a cure-all drug.
Well, it’s not.
In fact, for some, it would be the worst thing they can do. They may have ill family members to care for or they may owe huge student loans or they may simply prefer to enjoy their travels in small doses.
In any case, it’s perfectly normal for people to choose not to quit their jobs to travel; it’s possible they may even (gasp!) love their jobs.
You don’t have to quit your job to travel the world and learn deep stuff from other cultures.
Yes, full-time travel gives you more time to really immerse yourself in new cultures. It also often works out to be cheaper than short vacations. But then staying in one place and getting a regular job could be the best way to maximize your earnings.
There are infinite ways to travel and just as many ways to afford it.
That’s what Nomad Wallet is about: the various ways people make traveling possible, given the amount of money and time they have.
I’ve only interviewed a handful of travelers for my Other Travelers’ Money section, yet they all have radically differing approaches to funding their travels. (The Other Travelers’ Money section contains interviews with travelers about money; my first interview with Anne Sutherland-Smith is already up if you want to check it out.)
It doesn’t matter if you travel full-time or two weeks a year. It doesn’t matter if you keep your day job or freelance as a digital nomad.
All that matters is you get to see the world in a way that makes you happy.
To read more about travelers who choose not to do it full time, check out all the posts under the tag “keep the day job”.
Yes, finally someone who speaks sense. A lot of travelers speak as though traveling is something you can do at a moment’s notice that requires no money, has no real world consequences, teaches you more about the world than you’ll find in books, and that the only barrier to traveling is yourself.
As a university student who has done only a little traveling (but wants to do more), has no money, has little work experience, and has a mother who needs caring for after having suffered paralysis and speech aphasia from a stroke (and now has terminal cancer), I can say that every one of those arguments are wrong.
The freedom of being able to travel is a privilege that only some of us can experience.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Paul. I’m sorry about your mother. I lost my father to cancer and I understand that for you, as it was for me, right now is the time to be with the family. Not everybody can just get up and go, especially when there are family matters to attend to. As much as people want to say otherwise, travel can’t always be a priority.
You are right, you can travel without making it full time. I recently have started making the transition to a location independent lifestyle. I am fortunate to have two businesses to help support this. Just a matter of setting up systems in place. My first test was 10 days in Mexico, second was 13 days in the Grand Canyon and am preparing for a 3 week trip in a few months. It’s just a matter of finding a travel flow that works best for you.
Some people take zero vacation day every year and some people travel full time. Most people fall somewhere in between the two extremes. It’s great that you’re finding out what works for you. :)
Hey Deia,
Found your blog through Nora Dunn.
This post is EXACTLY what I’m about and what I’m trying to say with my blog as well.
I LOVE travel but I also love sharing an apartment with my boyfriend, being able to visit my parents whenever I want, owning a car…
There’s no right or wrong way to travel. There’s just travel.
You’re right, there’s no right or wrong way to travel. And even what’s right for now may not be right a couple of years down the road. Life is about finding out what works for you!
Hi Deia,
I stopped by your blog to read more about it and came upon this post. I travel 3-4 times a year with my husband and we both work full time jobs. There are a lot of posts out there encouraging people to quit their jobs. Of course, I’m sure that a lot of them have sold their possessions to embark on their adventures. I would love to travel the world full time, but for now, traveling with my husband has been the best experience for me.
Thank you for your post!
Best,
Ruthie Turner
Ruthie’sRoutes
Thanks for reading, Ruthie! I’m glad you can relate to this post. I hope you’ll get to travel full time someday. :)
Deia, this is a great post! While so many bloggers brag that they sold all their material possessions to travel indefinitely, I just think “that’s risky.” Some day they will want to quite travelling, get sick, get old, or need stability.
I think you can do both — set yourself up financially, and STILL do long bouts. We leave November 22 for a one year RTW, and I’ve taken a leave of absence (big company with a policy) while my husband is asking for one, but might not get it (small company, no policies.) Either way, we are prepared when the year is over and aren’t nervous about the diminishing bank account.
Thanks, Tonya! So glad you enjoyed it.
I think everybody has a different level of risk tolerance, which is why travelling full-time indefinitely isn’t for everyone. Some people can be happy travelling even if they don’t know how to pay for next week’s expenses, while others would be too anxious to enjoy themselves.
Sounds like you have a great plan! This way you won’t have to worry about money during the one year and can fully enjoy your travels.
Deia,
The new site looks AWESOME!
As for this article, I couldn’t agree more…not only does it not make sense for most people to quit their jobs, but the attitude of those who suggest this is the only way to be a real “traveler” is absurd.
Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to stop back in and see what you have going on in the future.
Cory
Thanks for the compliments, Cory! Glad you agree! Hope to see you a lot in the coming days. :)
Congratulations on your new site! It’s looking great.
You hit the nail on the head in this first post.
Traveling indefinitely is not for everyone and it is lots of hard work. Instead of really enjoying the places, you spend most of the time in front of a computer or on your smartphone!
Yes I was a backpacker in my early 20’s but I don’t think I could do it on a FT basis. I’m a flashpacker ;)
I happen to love what I do for living and prefer to travel a few times a year!
Being financially responsible is very important and I’m excited that you will be writing more about it. I can’t wait to learn from you!
Thank you so much and I wish you lots of success ;)
Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful comment, Karla. I find that many people could only do the travelling-indefinitely thing for a limited time. It could be decades for some really committed full-time travellers, but travelling does take up a lot of your energy and sometimes you just need to rest in comfort. That said, I do want to try doing it full-time, if only to see how long I’d last. ;)
Congratulations on the new website! Looks great! I’m not ready to quit my job to travel, but I wouldn’t complain if I suddenly became independently wealthy so I could travel whenever I wanted… :)
Well, that’s the dream. Who needs rest from travel burnout or homesickness when you can rent a luxurious villa and invite all your friends and family over from time to time?
Hey Deia! So happy for you getting this up and running! Looks like it’s gonna be a great resource!
I love the idea of full time travel, but I think moving often is best for me over bouncing around every few weeks. My current plan is to work through as many working holiday visas as I can before I’m too old to get them anymore.
Thanks, Olivia! I hope you’ll like what’s to come.
That sounds like a good plan! There’s a non-negotiable time limit on those.
First off, kudos on launching the site! Nicely done. As for full-time travel trending, I only realized it was a thing when I joined the travel blogging ruckus. Nonetheless, I absolutely agree it’s not a cure-all drug. Actually, it shouldn’t be a cure at all. Nobody should hop on the long-term travel bandwagon to escape whatever is screwed-up in their lives (jobs, relationships, personal hygiene) – it’s a bad idea, and will probably lead to some kind of burnout. Before I embarked on my current silly adventure, I did a lot of holiday travel, leaving to distant lands at least 4 times a year – perks of working in Northern Europe. I was happy seeing the world a couple of weeks at a time, until I got greedy and wanted more – hence my current situation. I see it as completely undramatic – just something I decided to do with my lady while our legs can still climb temples in the jungle. Whenever the money runs out, we’ll think of something – and getting back to an office job is definitely an option. If that happens, we’ll just start saving again to travel some more! PS We have no debts, no pets, no kids – no drama :)
Hey, thanks! You’re winning the Longest Comment of the Day Contest so far!
Yeah, it’s a thing that appears mostly in travel blogs. I’ve seen it on major news websites, too, but they’re not treating it as a mainstream thing. Obviously I agree that it shouldn’t be an outlet to run away from your real life. (By the way, how does one escape personal hygiene?)
It seems you “levelled up” slowly, which is how I would do it, too. Is it possible that you’ll burn out before the money’s gone? Well, may your money last and your bank account well-padded, my friend.
Congrats on your blog and first post Deia :) Wish you all the best, and I’m looking forward to read more!
Thanks, Nita! More content is on the way! :D
I’m all about this site and these topics! I think going semi-nomadic is a better way to go for me than do the full-on global backpacker thing, I’ll be exploring similar topics on my site and would love for you to check it out, maybe I’ll even submit a story on here as I prepare for my next trip, probably spring of ’14 so don’t hold your breath :)
Wow Andrew, thanks for the comment! I’m really glad you find the site relevant, that makes it all worthwhile.
I’ve never done the “full-on global backpacker thing”. I’d love to try it, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s the life for me before actually trying it and that makes me nervous about uprooting my life right away. If I ever do it, it’s gonna happen through small transitions over a long period of time.
Definitely let me know how it goes with your future site!
Hey Deia – Congrats on the launch of your site. Look forward to reading more!
Hey Sandra, you’re my first commenter! Thanks so much :)