OK, so you’ve decided to leave your dreaded job? You don’t want to travel between the designated weeks your job has given you or request time to live your own life. I get it. For years I kept telling myself that’s not how I want to live. Traveling isn’t just a form of vacation. It’s a way of life! I chose to quit my job as a scientist and travel on the little savings I had. It was hard leaving a career I worked so hard to get into. I felt like I was going to be behind or never find a good job. I prolonged leaving my job due to the doubts and possible judgment from others. Will I be able to retire? Will I be behind? Will I get a job? Should I spend this money on a house? But I realized that I never answered the question am I happy? I wasn’t. I wanted to spread my wings and my career was snipping my wings. If you live in America, you know how hard it is to get out of all your bills. Expensive rent, phone bill contracts, car insurance, car notes, student loans, medical bills, etc. This is one of the main reasons why we are limited to travel and are stuck with our jobs. We don’t have the option to leave expenses (unless mom and dad are rich!!!). But I’m here to say that I’ve been there and you can quit your job to travel the world too!
1. Figure out where you want to go and for how long
This should be your first step when constructing a long-term trip. Depending on where you want to go and for how long dictates how much money you’ll need to save. For example, if you were saving to go to Southeast Asia, $5,000 would get you far for a couple of months compared to Europe. When I was saving to backpack SE Asia, I aimed to save $8,000 for 6 months. I wanted to spend less than $1,000 a month and had a strict daily budget.
Research the countries you want to visit by analyzing their cost of living and the average price of food, transportation, and accommodation. This is key to planning your daily budget. Once you plan your daily budget, you can calculate the total cost per month. Do not be conservative with calculating your budget. There will be things that you will want to do and great food you might want to splurge on. Always give yourself a cushion. Once you have your monthly cost, you can then see how many months would be ideal for you. If you know you can only afford $4,000 and you decided on a place with a cost of living at $1,500 a month, then you would be looking at around 2 months of travel.
Let me be clear. It took me years to get to this point in my life where I was able to travel. Saving is hard, especially with all the expenses that we are obligated to take care of. Please don’t think this is something that I did overnight. It took years. If you have money saved that will sustain you, then great for you. I’m only speaking from experience. It might take months or years to get to a point where you’re financially free and that’s ok. If you’re passionate about travel then the time is worth it. Be consistent!
2. Bills and expenses
This is the hardest part about picking up and leaving a job. Your bills are something you can’t run from. If you’re an adult then unfortunately you’ve had the responsibility of paying them. As you plan, you will be saving as you also pay your bills. If possible, I recommend paying off most of your debts or loans. Again, like I said this might take months if not years to do. If you are unable to pay off debts, then you will need to factor into your monthly spending the bills you’ll be paying.
3. Sacrifice
Sacrifice can mean many different things to people. When you’re saving you will have to analyze what you will need to sacrifice to save money. This can range from staying home to eat instead of eating out to selling your car to pay off debts. In my preparation to travel, I moved in with my family so I could save the money I was paying for rent for my trip. I love my family but I didn’t want to move back in with my fiancé and our cat. I knew travel was the number one thing in my life so I made that sacrifice to move in with them. I paid off bills and ended contracts/subscriptions. Subscriptions add up over time and it’s best to end them if you won’t need them. Obviously, a phone bill will be necessary so don’t terminate that.
4. What traveler are you?
This question is something you need to ask yourself when planning. It is important to gauge what kind of traveler you are so you can save enough for what your expectations are traveling. I’m a backpacker. I travel with the bare minimum and don’t need to pay for checked luggage. I choose hostels over resorts and eat local foods. I walk or use public transportation if it’s more affordable. Some people might enjoy staying at an all-inclusive resort or enjoy luxurious hotels. That’s fine and everyone travels differently. Do what will make you feel comfortable. By figuring out what type of traveler you are, you will also be able to factor in if this will sustain the designated time you allotted for travel.
5. Working?
If you’re considering to work abroad please look at each country’s visa policies for working in their country. Countries can be strict about unauthorized workers not taking the necessary steps to work in their country. This goes for digital nomads and volunteers. There are specific visas for volunteering and digital nomads so always check the countries’ visa requirements before going.
6. Tie up loose ends
When you’re traveling the world, the last thing you want to think about is if your possessions back home are safe. Make sure your furniture and possessions are secure with a storage unit or family members you trust. If you have pets make sure the person you’re leaving them with is comfortable in case of emergencies. Animals can have unexpected accidents and/or health issues and leaving them with the right person is important to make sure they get the quality care they need. They’re your babies and you wouldn’t just leave your baby with anyone.
Again, don’t forget to end unnecessary subscriptions that won’t be of use to you while traveling. You can buy a nice meal in another country with that Netflix monthly subscription price. Make sure your car and home are secure. If you have a house that you will be returning to, maybe hire someone to check in once in a while to make sure the place is in standing condition.
7. Book the ticket!
The moment you’ve been waiting for. Everything you’ve planned has led you to this moment. Search for the flight that you’ve been dreaming about and book it!
8. Quit your job
If you’re not going to be working as you travel, then the time will come to send in that resignation letter. Give your job at least 2 weeks’ notice of your leaving. It’s always ideal not to burn bridges just in case you have to come back. They might not understand why you’re giving up a career to travel full time and that’s ok. You can even tell them you’re pursuing other opportunities that align with your current goals. Be confident and know that you’re pursuing your passion. It was so hard leaving my job. People thought I was crazy choosing an uncertain path and questioned if it was even possible. I used the doubt from others as motivation and remained confident in my choice. This is your life and there is no right way of living it.