World Travel: No Job Quitting Required
Sometimes it feels like everyone I know is traveling the world, and I’m stuck in my 9-5. Scrolling through my Instagram feed has become a masochistic form of self-torture. Not everyone can afford to quit their job to travel the world, but that doesn’t mean we should miss out. With a little creativity, travel can be an amazing experience.
Here are some tips on how to see the world without quitting your job.
1. Visualize Your Goals
1.1 Define Your Priorities
Sit down and ask yourself what is important to you. Visualize your travel dreams in as much detail as possible. Research shows that the more time you spend visualizing your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.
2. Book in Advance
2.1 Plan to Avoid Procrastination
Not only will this save you money, but it will also prevent you from leaving things to the last minute. Do you ever get excited about going out with friends on a Saturday night, only to regret not being able to stay home in your pajamas when the day comes? To avoid letting people down, you put it off anyway, and usually end up having a great time. The same goes for travel—make plans that work around your inner lazybones!
3. Get Some Local Knowledge
3.1 Do Your Research Before You Travel
One of the reasons why short work-related trips sometimes seem unappealing is that it seems impossible to get a real travel experience in just 48 hours. But don’t despair: do your research. Ask your friends who are well-traveled for advice. I may be biased, but I find that staying in a hostel is the fastest way to get information about a new place – travelers love to chat and help each other with advice.
4. Learn to Prioritize
4.1 Make Travel a Priority
If you decide to make travel a priority, you’ll be less tempted to spend £8 on lunch every day or spend every Friday night binge-watching Netflix. No matter how busy or broke you think you are, there are always new adventures to be had if you make them a priority. Being truly adventurous means wedging little trips in between the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
5. Create a Travel Fund
5.1 Manage Your Expenses Wisely
Take a good look at your spending and put some meaning into the numbers. Three pounds on a coffee every morning may not seem like much, but when you multiply that amount and compare it to what three pounds would buy in Thailand or Bulgaria, it suddenly doesn’t seem like such good value. The rewards of delayed gratification are truly remarkable.
Read more: New York City
6. Set Deadlines for Yourself
6.1 Avoid the “Someday” Trap
It’s easy to put off traveling because you’re tired of the daily grind or have a lot going on at work. But for true nomads, traveling isn’t just a nice-to-have extra that you can do when you have time, it’s a critical part of your well-being. Setting a timeline for yourself will help you avoid the “someday” trap.
7. Take Small Steps
7.1 Start with Manageable Travel Goals
I often feel overwhelmed when I think about how many places I still have to see. Add to that the commitments of a full-time job and you can feel like a failure. But don’t let paralysis and inaction win – even a small step towards your goal of seeing more of the world is a step in the right direction. So make plans, no matter how small.
8. Make the Most of Your Weekend
8.1 Utilize Your Time Off Wisely
You have over 100 days off a year. That’s almost three months. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can only travel during your annual vacation.
My most recent weekend adventure was a trip to Paris – it’s ridiculously easy to get there and you’ll be rewarded with an obscene amount of Nutella. It might be the last thing you want to do after a long week at work, but once you’re there, the fatigue will disappear. Sure, it would be great to spend more than one weekend there, but it’s better than nothing!
9. Adventure Doesn’t Always Mean Boarding a Plane
9.1 Explore Your Backyard
True nomads can find adventure in their backyard. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to jump on a plane and fly to another country, but if you keep your eyes open, there are plenty of hidden gems to explore right at home.
Have you ever noticed how much you enjoy showing off your hometown to foreign friends? Try to maintain that enthusiasm and see your city with fresh eyes: don’t just go to the same old places. Expand. I try to visit at least one new place a week – even if it’s just a lunchtime stroll and finding the best bagel shop in town.
9.2 Visit Friends in Other Cities
Visit friends in other parts of the country – a weekend spent wandering the cobbled streets of Cambridge or eating ice cream on the white cliffs of Beachy Head can do you a world of good. My beautiful little country of England is full of adventure, and so is yours!
Read more: First Trip Abroad
10. Turn Your Family Vacation into an Epic Adventure
10.1 Make the Most of Pre-Planned Trips
Backpacking can be challenging when a portion of your annual vacation time and money is already set aside for standard family vacations. My wife is originally from the US, so I often have to give up more frequent, shorter trips to new places to fund larger annual trips to the States to visit relatives.
10.2 Find New Experiences Within Familiar Destinations
But who says we can’t take advantage of those trips to see the world?! We always try to do something new while we’re there, using our local knowledge to avoid tourist traps and go off the beaten path.
