Quitting your job to travel -- anyone do it?

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  • Derpina7
    Derpina7 Posts: 552 Member
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    This is a big dream of mine! Well, actually, doing photography while traveling world-wide to be specific :tongue:. What scares me, as a lot have mentioned, is not being able to come back to a sustainable income. I'm hoping to do at least a 2 month trip between Australia, New Zealand, and southern Asia - to start!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    i wish i had a career that would let me do that!!!

    me too

    too bad my job requires me to be at work everyday & i'm only allowed to leave maximum for one week & that's on a case-to-case basis :sad:
  • HealthyHappy120
    HealthyHappy120 Posts: 262
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    I would love to do this after college... siggghhh
  • busymnmom
    busymnmom Posts: 133
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    I love to travel as well. Haven't quit my job to do it, but I did get a job at an airline so I can travel for free or just about. But right now, alot of my travel is just daytrips....I love that I can go somewhere were I never would have gone if I actually had to pay for it. Alot of people thought I was nuts when a friend and mine decided to take our kids to Amsterdam......Just for the day!! Love it!!!
  • melinda_great
    melinda_great Posts: 33 Member
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    i quit my job late 2009 and spent six months in bolivia the first half of 2010. it was one of the best things i've ever done. it was definitely worth it.
  • lovelee79
    lovelee79 Posts: 362
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    I love travel and adventure. A few years back when I was 27, I had no money but I took a 6 month leave of absence from my job, and took off to Australia, and backpacked around... best thing I could have ever done for myself. Saw amazing things, beautiful people, and learned so much! I don't regret getting into debt or any of it. And I'd do it again in a heart beat.

    I say go for it... Life is short, we are meant to do wonderful exciting things....who knows where the road will lead...
  • Sk8_in_Japan
    Sk8_in_Japan Posts: 23
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    I did it!

    In 2008 I quit my job to leave France for China. It was my first job, I was 21 years old.
    It totally worthed it!

    And actually I did not took my job back after....I became a freelancer (graphic design) so I can work as much as I want...and I'm in Japan now! It's an awesome life. Of course there are some monthes I worry a lot about money...but...as it's not my main concern in life, I'm OK, haha :D I just eat less, haha, good for the diet!

    If you wanna travel for free and meet awesome people...I can advice couchsurfing, it was a really good experience for me and I have really good friends from the time I couchsurfed in China.

    Add me if you want, and anyone in the same state of mind, I'd be happy to share progress with ya!
    I wish you the best! Always stay away of your confort zone!
    I'm so happy to read a message like yours on my morning, it gives me so much motivation to spend my day!
  • GLJezebel
    GLJezebel Posts: 312 Member
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    Reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes from "Into The Wild":

    So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. ~ Chris McCandless (aka: Alexander Sumpertramp)

    You have no idea how much this just spoke directly to me. Thank you for posting it.
  • JennyZD
    JennyZD Posts: 176 Member
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    Yes yes yes! I did the same thing travelled to almost 30 countries. There's absolutely no richer experience than traveling.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I love traveling. I'm spending as much time as possible traveling the world before I settle down. In July I'm going to Germany, then next year I'm planning to go to Dubai and South Africa. After that I think I want to go to Brazil and Japan.
  • bjs06
    bjs06 Posts: 316 Member
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    I have done it twice, like you, to go to Central America. I also ditched university to go to Guatemala and work in an orphanage. I keep pretty laid back jobs like waitressing and child care and I know that they can replace me quite easily. In that sense, I don't think it's such a huge deal that I quit my job and take off like some do. Some give up their careers that they have worked super hard for their whole lives. I could be one of those people though. Travel is brilliant and almost always worth the sacrifices you make for it.
  • secretgirl4611
    secretgirl4611 Posts: 474 Member
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    Ive traveled without a penny to my name :) I never travel alone tho, usually my boyfriend goes with me.. So FAR we have been to Alaska, Las vegas, Seattle Wa, Oregon We havent gone out to far yet.. But We are planning to go to Honolulu Hawaii soon.. Pretty much the only money we start out with is the money for our bus, plane or ferry ticket then after that we are broke and fend for our selves.. I love traveling too def. planning on doing it alot this summer :)
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Yes I will definitely be volunteering during that time - likely a month to 6 weeks in Italy since I have family there and would stay with them for a bit too and then a few weeks at a time in other places in South America through this website http://www.helpx.net/. I don't want to spend too much time in Europe b/c it's expensive and I can go later in life, but I do have friends there. I also never really had a desire to travel through Southeast Asia or Africa but I heard amazing things about Thailand and Indonesia and wouldn't want to skip it - although adding in another flight during the trip would be where all the expenses come in. I would plan on spending a few weeks in Guatemala at a Spanish language school.

    The plan would be to have enough money saved up for a 6 month to 1 year trip and then to come back to the U.S. with 6 months living expenses still in the bank. I am very fortunate to be living in a major city with a good job and super low living expenses/rent (I just sold my car since I walk to work). I just don't know when a "good" time would be - I'm not really in love with my job and am sure I will start looking elsewhere in the next year or two anyway. I was thinking that leaving with 4.5-5 years of work experience would be okay and that employers wouldn't think twice about the one year gap.

    The other problem is that I can almost guarantee that if I lived in South/Central America I would end up meeting someone and want to stay haha!

    It sounds like you've really got this planned well. A one year gap won't be a huge deal, and in some fields the experience from volunteering may actually be beneficial in getting a good job after.

    Don't forget, though, to start thinking about the future, even retirement. We weren't careful in our younger years, and now we have 4 kids that we want to put through college and no funds for it, plus nothing saved for retirement yet. The good news is that we can still work another 30 years (...is that good news? :laugh: ) but I wish we'd started preparing sooner.

    Still, since you're not going into massive debt for it, and plan to have some saved for when you get back, I think you're better off than we are. Have fun!
  • lovelee79
    lovelee79 Posts: 362
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    Reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes from "Into The Wild":

    So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. ~ Chris McCandless (aka: Alexander Sumpertramp)

    Edited because I just remembered I saw this movie in a theatre in Sydney, while I was away adventuring in Australia!!!!! Perfect movie for a perfect time in my life. :heart:

    ahhhhhhhhh.. love this movie so much !!! and Eddie's soundtrack is just gorgeous ! :)
  • Mctree20
    Mctree20 Posts: 137
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    I packed up my life into a suitcase, sold everything else and left the UK to travel and see the world. That was 12 years ago, and I'm still at it. I have lived in Bahrain, Dubai, Canada, Australia, and have currently been in the U.S for the last 2 years.

    Looking back, I remember a cold and rainy day in England, looking out the window and thinking "I don't want to look back and think "What if?""

    I've enjoyed it, had a lot of fun, met a lot of people, have some awesome memories, and am still going...
  • jcriscuolo
    jcriscuolo Posts: 319 Member
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    yogaonavolcano.jpg

    This is a picture of my daughter on top of a volcano in Guatemala. She quit her job, sold her car and went to Mexico and Central America for 10 weeks with her boyfriend. She had a blast. When she returned to Portland, she got her job back. It was an incredible experience based on all of her stories. Do it. Life is short.
  • Jenerferzzz
    Jenerferzzz Posts: 148 Member
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    If this is a serious passion of yours, you should do it. As others have said you will probably regret not doing it later on in life if you don't. I don't see you regretting going. I wish I had more courage to do things like this.
  • jcriscuolo
    jcriscuolo Posts: 319 Member
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    Reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes from "Into The Wild":

    So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. ~ Chris McCandless (aka: Alexander Sumpertramp)

    Excellent quote! Thanks for taking the time to post.
  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
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    If you have the option of doing it.. do it. You don't want to wake up one day and only have stories that start with: "I could have..."

    I left Canada almost 8 years ago and have lived in Indonesia and Germany and now Japan. I'm a teacher and have worked at international schools which is great because I can still earn a salary while exploring different parts of the world on my holidays. Plus you really don't get to know a place until you live there.

    Go for it! Explore the big world!
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
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    Question for those who have done something like this - what do you do with all your stuff? Do you store it, or do you get rid of everything? Car, clothes, pots/pans, computer, etc.??

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