“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”
Helen Keller
For most of us, the idea to quit your job and travel or leaving the normal path of studies and then a professional career seems impractical. We believe that it may sound fun, relaxing and everything we ever wanted but it’s not just a way of life. We intend to see the world, to travel and accumulate experiences but leaving behind the conventional path to pursue this full-time is something we don’t normally factor into life’s equation; but what if we did?
For a moment, consider that you actually listened to your heart and did it. Imagine that you were hit by severe anxiety one day. The thought of sitting at an office desk for the next forty years came down on you like a ton of bricks and you just quit. You made the decision to travel the world and make a lifestyle out of it. What would happen? The advent of social media has brought many people into the limelight who have done just that.
Today, let’s talk about the pros and cons of quitting your job to travel the world.
How You Can Go About Quitting Your Job and Travelling the World
The urge to simply drop everything and begin travelling comes spontaneously but there has to be some participation of the mind in the decision-making process. There needs to be a method to the madness. Quitting your job to travel the world is not financially sustainable and this is why you need to consider a few things before actually committing to the cause. Here are a few of them:
Research and planning
Quitting your job in pursuit of this idea of travelling requires a few things that need to be taken into account. You can’t just get up and go. You need to read about where and how to start. Look at the budget you have at the moment or other sources of funding that may be available. Search for options within the budget that you have. There will be a lot of things that you will have to research if you want to make things last and all these have to be done beforehand.
Managing the Budget and Looking for Revenue Sources
First and foremost is finances. If you are quitting your job, you need another way to keep the daily expenses going. Most people who travel the world full-time work freelance. There are hundreds of work categories available online to pick from. Other revenue sources can include investments or remote employment etc. In the same frame, you also have to perform budgeting regarding your travels like the country you are heading to, accommodation, transport and other living costs there.
Finding Inspiration
It may already seem unrealistic to some but if you have it in your heart to quit your job and travel then you can make it happen. There are a number of people out there who can serve as an inspiration to you. Lexie Alford, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, has committed full-time to her quest of travelling. She is on Instagram and her handle is @lexielimitless. You can also follow her YouTube channel with the same name.
Living Boundlessly (@livingboundlessly) is the Instagram page for a family of four who sold all their assets a few years ago and dedicated their life to travel the world and learn through the experiences that it brought along. This is another fascinating story that you can follow.
Rewards and Loyalty Programs
When you want to quit your job and travel the world, there are a lot of cost-effective options that you’ll need. Loyalty and reward programs offered by banks, airlines and other companies can come in handy at a time like this. You can use these vouchers and discounts to save significantly while travelling.
The Pros of Quitting Your Job to Travel the World
There is no doubt about the fact that for people who have been working a 9 to 5 routine for even a couple of years, the idea of just giving up everything and going on a long vacation is exciting. There are a lot of benefits that come with the prospect. Travelling is one of the most profound ways to expand your physical and mental horizons. The experiences alone can teach a person lessons that they can cherish for a lifetime.
Freedom
Sitting at a desk, living the same routine every day gives a lot of people anxiety. This is one of the main reasons why many of us get sick of it. You wish at several points in the day to quit your job and travel. The biggest benefit of adopting this lifestyle is the freedom that comes with it. The exposure that you get from having the time and ability to travel where you want, whenever and however you want is something that excites everyone to visit different places.
Peace of Mind
The biggest problem that the generation today faces is stress, depression and being burnt out. The corporate lifestyle deprives us of the peace of mind that a person deserves. Being free and travelling the world, going to places without any worries or responsibilities is such a refreshing experience that there is nothing that compares to it. Mental satisfaction is the prime component in the growth of an individual and travelling full-time provides that effectively.
Learning Through Experiences
Universities are hubs for theoretical studies while organizations prefer that they hire skilled workers with professional experience. There is a gap that exists in terms of relevant learning. The people who travel around the world testify to the fact that it is one of the greatest learning experiences any person can have. The family, Living Boundlessly, pulled their children out of conventional schools and teach them on the go, making them expand their knowledge through experiences in the places that they visit.
Physical and Mental Wellbeing
A person’s physical health is deeply linked to their state of mind. Stress and anxiety lead to a lot of ailments like hormonal imbalances, cardiovascular diseases and internal infections that include ulcers etc. To quit your job and travel means that you free your mind of all the elements that cause stress. Yes, it means that you won’t have a luxurious lifestyle but the freedom that comes with travelling is more rewarding than money.
Embarking on a Journey of Self Discovery
Being stuck in the vicious corporate circle that makes up our daily lives, limits our thinking. There is little time to grow as a person or even think about it. When you give all this up in favor of travelling the world, you embark on a journey that will teach you a lot about yourself. The experiences and learning are so profound that people get addicted to the lifestyle.
The Cons of Quitting Your Job to Travel the World
There are two sides to every picture. Giving up the normal traditional life for an experiential one has benefits but there are some drawbacks too, i.e. if you consider the disadvantages. Here are a few to keep in mind before deciding to take the step:
Instability
Following the conventional path eventually leads to financial stability. This leads to all other elements falling in their respective places too although there is little guarantee that this will happen. Full-time travellers have no set path or sources of income. There are times when these people don’t know what the next day holds. This can count as a huge demerit to many.
Limited Finances
Freelancing is a lucrative career option for people who have established clientele. So is making investments and earning returns. Unfortunately, there are fluctuations in the amount of money that a person can make. A set job pays more and it provides a specific earning each month but with remote work, none of this is guaranteed.
Staying Away from Family
In order to quit your job and travel, you have to say goodbye to your loved ones and stay away from friends for long periods of time. The adventures that you embark on will take you far and wide most of the time keeping you away from family life. Many people don’t consider this a disadvantage but it varies from person to person.
The Nomadic Lifestyle
Being a devoted traveller means that you can’t have a home. You adapt to the idea of living in a new place and this changes regularly. Settling in is a term that vanishes from life. You become a person without a specified address. This is a drawback because we take many things in life for granted and we only value the importance of a home when we lose it.
Regret
Sooner or later, a person is hit by the strong feeling that they can’t continue this hipster lifestyle for long. This is when regret sets in. The feelings of uncertainty and not having enough money can drain a person mentally making them incapable of enjoying the life that they’ve chosen for themselves.
Conclusion
Quitting your job and travelling is not easy. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your ‘why’. What is the reason behind your choice and how intensely you are committed to the cause. Check your ‘why’. Only accept the challenge if you think your reasoning behind the decision comes from deep inside the heart or else in due time, you will fail at it.
