Reader Question:
Hi Aileen! I am one of your followers, and I wanted to reach out to you to know more of how you started before you quit your job, how you started to travel etc. Like you, I am a Filipina, and I want to travel the world in my own pace. I know you posted a lot of stuff about it, but I still wanted to reach out and say my personal hi, as you inspired me in many ways!
– Kim from the Philippines
Ever since I posted my article: ‘5 Job Types That Allow You to Travel the World While Working‘, I have been overwhelmed by the positive response from new and old readers alike. For example, I received several messages written by people from different parts of the globe as they told me how I have given them the inspiration to jumpstart and fulfill their wanderlust. Hearing these kinds of sentiments really made me happy, that’s why I would like to take this chance to thank all of you for your kind words and for your support!
Now, much like Kim, I also had other people not only from the Philippines, but also in the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, etc. who have had the same questions asking about my past and how I started a work-and-travel lifestyle. I could understand how you guys are asking such things because my blog posts are actually not in chronological order and not even ALL of my experiences are here yet (since I do tend to be too caught up with my travels.)
So to answer you all, I will try to be as detailed as possible in this post in order to give you an idea on how my journey began.
THE PAST: Who I Was before I Quit My Job
Society had long instilled in us that there is a distinct natural order to things when it comes to your career: you have study for years first and then you have to get a 9 to 5 job. If you happen to be indecisive about your career path, someone will decide your future for you.
This, is what happened to me in 2007 to 2013.
2007 : At 15, I didn’t know what I want to do—what I did know was that I enjoyed doing a LOT of things: journalism, music, computer, art, business, finance, science, etc. You could say that I was a ‘jill of all trades and a master of none‘ kind of person—nothing seemed to fit me and I wasn’t brave enough yet to choose for myself… so the inevitable happened: my mom made the choice for me (this is also what usually happens when you come from a ‘traditional’ family).
End result: I was enrolled to a prestigious school in Manila under a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy. I was all: “Meh, I love numbers so it will be fine! And it’s a good school too. Yeah… It’s gonna be fiiiineeeeee.”
NOTE: It’s not that common by the way for Filipino students to start college at the age of 15. It’s usually around 16-18.
But after my freshman year, I discovered my intense, blood-curdling hatred for anything related to numbers. I was also frustrated, thinking that I would do the same act of balancing sheets etc., over and over again. So I thought:
“No, I’m not gonna do this to myself.”
At this point in time, I was starting to gain more independence and awareness to the things that what I want for myself. After a lengthy discussion with my mom, she finally let me shift courses so that I can study what I really wanted (whenever I retell this story, I often joke about how I had to cry to her just so I can change courses—and well, that was true, haha!)
I actually wanted to enroll to a computer-related course but since I was in the College of Business, shifting to the College of Science was too expensive, that’s why I settled to the next best thing: business. I figured that I needed this skill later on in life anyways especially if I want to set up my own business—which I hoped, at that time, I will. So, after a rigorous application, I managed to get in on a new specialized business program of my university which additionally involved a year’s-worth of internships.
2009 to 2010, I already had a taste of the corporate life with companies such as Siemens, Nestlé, and Unilever as I ‘dipped’ myself into the fields of communication, marketing, and human resource.
Hungry for more life experiences, I also decided to move out of my parents’ house during early 2011. This, was not a common thing for Filipinos to do, but my desire to live independently was strong. I really wanted to see how life can be once I look after myself and not depend on anyone else. (This was again, another matter that my mom and I had to talk over for a while. I really tried my best to convince her, and I did good, haha! Thank you mom for eventually giving me the freedom to make my own big and impulsive choices.)
Mid – 2011: At 19, I graduated university. Much like what I said about the natural order of things, I now had to find a 9 to 5 job a.k.a. corporate/office job. Plagued with the fear of unemployment, I jumped in on the first company that sought to employ me: Deutsche Bank.
As an investment bank, the job that was offered to me involved hardcore finance and trading knowledge. So yeah, I know what you’re thinking… I shouldn’t have jumped in, right? I hate anything related to numbers, right? However, this happened just less than 3 months after my graduation, so at that time I thought that I was already one of the lucky ones: a big company wanted me in for their graduate trainee program, and most of my friends haven’t managed to find a job yet. So in my mind, why not say YES? And so I did—even if a part of me felt like I was making the wrong choice…
I just convinced myself that I needed to reinforce my knowledge about finance and that I will use it as a ‘leverage’ for my future career— “It wouldn’t hurt to do so.” And besides, a part of me felt that doing this would also be a way of proving to myself that even if I shifted out of Accountancy before and have come to hate numbers, I can still take on such a field and be strong in it.
I told myself, 1 year and then I will proceed to what I love the most.
2012: A year has passed, and yet I was still there doing trading books. How was I?
…Burned out. Miserable. Stressed.
I was the best performer in the team despite being a fresh graduate, and I was even earning enough money to live by myself (bills, expenses, etc.) I had a possible promotion coming and an overseas transfer was expected too. The icing to the cake? I became an Employee of the Month.
But despite ALL of that, what I always had in mind was: is this all there is to it? What good is in these things if I am this unhappy? If I am counting every hour until I could get home? If I am counting the days until it’s the weekend? If I am always waiting for vacation, holidays, or long weekends? If I am wasting almost 5 hours of my day in traffic? If I am plagued by overtimes and unnecessary meetings?
That was how I lived every day: I wake up uninspired and I was on a countdown of my life.
I was also gaining weight, mind you. I wasn’t healthy (when I get stressed, I don’t get thin—I get fat).
And then there are those conversations… When people start asking how my work is, I keep a straight face and tell them exactly how I feel. Once I finish, they always say that they feel the same way with their jobs, BUT they said that I was going to be fine: I will be getting a raise soon and I was one of the best, so it will all be worth it in the end. For some reason, we seem to convince one another that it will get better… But in the back of my mind, I know that the truth would be that it won’t. It was a rat race—an endless, self-defeating, and pointless pursuit.
So after a while, I started voicing out my ideas for resignation (I wanted to try doing online marketing) or going on a break (because I have always wanted to travel around). But again, people—much like the rest of society—made me hesitate. They said that:
I should cling on to what I have, I am already ‘secured’
(…was I? I can get fired when the economy goes down)
The times are getting hard so I would be needing money, and I probably wouldn’t find a good opportunity anywhere else
(do I lack the skills to try something else? I don’t think so…)
Traveling is very expensive and can always be done when a long holiday comes
(the waiting game again? Those ‘long holidays’ rarely come and traveling should not be painted in that light.)
Even if I had those thoughts, I couldn’t say a thing because I was being fed with fear. I was told to settle and to wait.
So I couldn’t do it… I was too conditioned to hesitate, that I just couldn’t do it. BUT I told myself that for the meantime, I should at least make ways to make my life a bit better until I can find an exit or a right time. To cope up with the stress, I decided to continue blogging and be a bit serious about it—and guess what? It was a good choice! It was so fun to do and it was the one thing that kept me happy and inspired.
Blogging: I slowly succeeded in this and gained a bit of a ‘name’ for myself online: I often had invitations from establishments and resorts to visit and review them for free.
But then again, blogging required traveling and taking absences at work… which was almost impossible for me to get! With this, surely, my resolve to quit my job was strengthened as I realized more and more how much better it could be if I can just control my own time, and if I didn’t have to ask someone to get some time off. (Do you realize how ridiculous that was? That you actually have to ask someone just to have a break!)
I was no longer thinking of just quitting and finding another job in a field that I like; I was thinking more of quitting the corporate scene altogether because I know that having an office job will never help me achieve such ‘freedom’. The only looming question though was: HOW can I start and sustain a life of travel and work without a corporate job?
As if life heard my plea, through blogging, I started meeting people outside of my circle as well as folks from abroad—they were backpackers, entrepreneurs, or nomads who were traveling the world as they do the things that they LOVE. Naturally, these people inspired me because that’s exactly what I wanted to do! We exchanged stories a lot and I started to get envious of their lifestyle and experiences in a very positive way. When it was time to talk about me, other than the other interesting stories of my life (LOL) I told them how I felt about my 9 to 5 job. I answered them truthfully, much like how I answer everyone else, and what happened next… was amazing! All of them advised me to quit if I really want to, and they even gave me ideas on what I can do afterwards based on my interests and passion.
It was… REFRESHING.
Finally, I have met people who did NOT feed me fear and who did not make me hesitate, instead: they encouraged me to embrace fear, to be different, to be released from the concept of ‘security’, and to take the leap!
This was also the time that I met my boyfriend, Jonas, who was already a digital nomad. To add some more ‘pizzazz’ to our story, it was actually because of him that the nomadic chapter of my life was finally ushered into motion. It was a funny moment though… but all the same, unique (at least for me).
One day, Jonas asked me how I truly felt about my job and for the first time in months, I couldn’t keep a straight face.
I cried.
(…To be more accurate, I bawled my eyes and heart out like a child. Haha!)
It seemed like every emotion that I was keeping inside of me finally leaked through and it hit me that:
“This is it! It’s enough, it’s time to STOP.”
You see, I’m not much of an emotional person. I know that if I cry because of a negative topic, it means that it HAS already reached a level of extreme seriousness! I figured that it had come to this point because I was already too frustrated, and having met people like him who have full control of their lives, following their passion, made me see how I can do the same; yet I was too scared to do it… So I was angry at myself for being like that.
Now of course, like I said above, the idea of resigning and applying for a marketing position in another company had crossed my mind since a marketing job will probably keep me inspired (as per my previous trainings with other companies, etc.). HOWEVER, the thought that I will be kept inside an office again or that I will be serving a 9 to 5 job (possibly with even more hours) suffocated me. I’ve already experienced enough of it and having been exposed to a work-and-travel lifestyle had already made the corporate life pale so much in comparison—especially because I was fired up with the idea of working for myself.
In the end, I told my self that:
I don’t want to hate myself or my life anymore.
I want to love and enjoy life.
I don’t want to live in constant fear and waste away my early 20s.
I want to have the courage to live boldly and to live each day to the fullest.
I don’t want society or anybody else to dictate what I have to do.
I want to follow my own desires.
I don’t want to settle.
I want to get what I deserve and what I want.
I don’t want to work for someone else or slave myself for a corporation just ‘to get by’.
I want to work for myself and not be led by ‘money’.
After a few months of preparation, it was April 2013.
I took the steps to gain a lifestyle that I want, I had my resignation in, and finally: I was FREE.
For those who don’t know it yet, I started as a digital nomad too: I offered my services online which were graphic design, web design, SEO management, and online marketing. These were all the things that I found interest in doing but never had the time to do so; it’s also important to note that I didn’t know much about these areas at first because they were not taught to me in my college courses nor in the past corporate jobs that I had.
How did I learn it…? All by myself, online: there’s just soooo many free resources that you can take advantage of!
With my set of skills, I snagged a contract with an online Swedish company that paid double than what I earned before. But after a year with them, Jonas and I decided to adapt their kind of business, so I ended my contract and dedicated my time to learning more about how it worked. After a successful launch, we now have our own brand in the U.S.: Adalid Gear! (And this was all done while traveling around Asia and Europe).
Life has been a bliss once I started doing what I always wanted to do. ♥
I guess my past and current situation is somehow, a perfect embodiment of this quote:
“Do what you love to do. Forget the money. Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time.You will be doing things you don’t like doing, in order to go on living doing things you don’t like doing… Which is STUPID! Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.
Just do what you love to do and the money will come. If you really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it.”
- Alan Watts
By the way, if you want to know how to start an Amazon business like ours, we will be launching a coaching course soon! But that will take a while to be finished; so if you want to stay updated with me, sign up for my monthly newsletter!
Now… how can you make a similar lifestyle possible?
“Do you have to be rich?” HAHA! …NOPE. Because I’m NOT rich nor did I come from a rich family. They have never given me money for these travels either, and I have never asked money from them ever since I started working. (BUT, guess what…? I am VERY rich in love, support, and skills! LOL)
But yeah, you DON’T have to be rich, you just have to take some necessary steps. Here’s how!
The 5 Steps I Took to Start a Life of Travel
1.
Know what kind of life you are getting into
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This step is vital because even if I encourage everyone to enter into the same lifestyle that I have, it is still and always important to be informed, open-minded and perceptive about this for as much as possible. Moreover: YOU have to make sure that this is something that you want or are passionate about, or else you’ll just end up hating your life again (and you must avoid that kind of cycle). Remember also that if you are troubled internally about something, you’ll be carrying those troubles with you and that might just create a snowball effect that you might regret later on if you don’t handle it now.
So yeah, a traveling nomad’s life is exciting and fulfilling, but it still involves hard work and responsibility: hard work because you have to start on something from the ground up, and responsibility because you have no one else to rely on but yourself. It will take commitment, consistency, and motivation from your part; so in a way, like I’ve said, it’s important to ensure that this is your own desire and purpose—you should never do this for someone else or for appearances. That will make all of this meaningless. At the very core, you should do this for yourself because of your desire to grow and experience.
Now, what should you mainly do in order for you to know what kind of life you’re really getting into? Simple, look into the lives of the people who are doing a life of travel.
You’re actually doing this now because you’re reading my blog—so yay, good job! But other than my blog, try to read other similar blogs too, so you will know the different kinds of lifestyles that we lead depending on the types of jobs that we do. Besides, there are just so many different types of ‘traveling nomads’ out there. Obviously, I am asking you to do this so that:
You can lower down any expectations that might be overly-romanticized
You can find out what your daily routine or life might become if you follow the same path
If you ask me, I usually categorize all of us into these groups (other than ‘digital nomad’, the rest are ‘terms’ that I made up):
Corporate Nomads – those who are allowed by their companies to work from home. I have even heard of some people who get to work for half a year, and then have a 6 month leave afterwards—and repeat.
Traditional Nomads – they have the ‘conventional’ careers that enable travel sprees, like being a tour guide, a cruise ship crew, a flight attendant or pilot, etc. The downside though is that most of the time, it would require a lot of hours still (sometimes fixed).
Offline Nomads – they jump from one country to the next depending on the opportunities available; these can be jobs or activities on the road (big or small, volunteering, etc.) in order to earn just enough every day. It’s usually a bit of a strict-budget-lifestyle than those nomads who have stable businesses or work of their own, but it’s a fulfilling journey nonetheless!
Digital Nomads – they depend on technology or the internet to earn (blogging, freelancing, etc.)—and typically, they earn a good amount. There’s usually a few hours in a day dedicated for working and the rest is left for traveling and whatnot.
Phase Nomads – usually the ones who just graduated from university and they intend to travel around for only 1-3 years just to take advantage of what they can do with their youth. Afterwards, they go back to their home country to get a job.
Rich Nomads – these are the ones who have a lot of money saved up from the start and they use that to launch their traveling journey (the money may be from an inheritance, from a high-paying career, or from selling every possession they had). They may or may not work anymore while travelling, but most of the time they don’t.
Chill Nomads - they may be a different kind of nomad before, but currently, they manage to earn more than the ‘average’ (can be even waaaay more) due to a successful business start-up or reputation. They don’t work as much anymore and they often travel from one place to another at a slower pace in order to take in a country’s culture and lifestyle for a longer period of time.
Of course, depending on the skills or situation that you have, you can be any of the above (and there are nomads who can be a mix of types; for example, I am a mix of a digital and chill nomad ★) so it’s best that you open your eyes to these realities so you know what can happen or will happen.
For example: if you have a really high-paying corporate job, surely this lifestyle wouldn’t replace your current salary right away (if that were possible then everyone will be doing this in a heartbeat). It will take time, but during that transition—in exchange—you will be achieving 100% freedom, you will lead a simple yet fulfilled life, and you’re now working fewer hours on a beach doing what you love the most. How about that! …And again: “forget the money. Just do what you love to do.”
What’s more is that it’s NOT always as glamorous as you think; it’s not like everyone goes to 5-star hotels instantly once they become a traveling nomad—even if they do, the adventures, experiences, and stories are the real golden treasures that NO money or 5-star whatever will ever compare.
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2.
Reinforce your desire to travel and work remotely
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I guess now you’re sure that this lifestyle is what you want or it’s one of the means to start doing what you love! AWESOME. What next?
As you might have noticed by now, inspiration played a humongous role in my life: it was the main driving force that helped me become who I am today. This totally makes sense of course, because in this kind of life, it’s important to stay committed, consistent, and motivated especially when you’re starting out—besides, a LOT of things will try and make you hesitate to do what you want to do. (Fear, rejection, failure, etc.)
So what can you do to stay inspired and motivated?
Keep your plans secret; but if you don’t want to keep it a secret, make sure that you surround yourself with supportive, inspiring, and positive people
Of course if you’re planning to quit your job it’s important that you keep it a secret from your boss and coworkers! What I’m referring to though is keeping it as a secret from your friends or family—this can be VERY helpful if you’re the kind of person who can’t handle social pressure. I say this because, chances are, once you tell them of these plans, they might keep bombarding you with questions of “How’s it going?” etc. that you might end up putting too much stress on yourself and end up abandoning your plans of working remotely. (BUT if you’re the kind of person that becomes even more productive when under stress then take advantage of that! )
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Meanwhile, if you decide to rather tell them of your plans, make sure that you only surround yourself with the supportive ones since it could help motivate you to continue pushing through your plans, consistently. But do be aware that NOT a lot of people will understand what you’re planning to go through; most of them will think you’re crazy while some of them might be secretly wishing that you fail. So to keep your mind in the game, pick who you interact with carefully and at the same time, if you manage to find a ‘mentor’ or a similar person who has succeeded then, great! Continue conversing with them or reading their messages, stories, etc. (BONUS: If you can find another person who’s also in the same process, then it becomes greater! Because now you have a ‘transition buddy’ with you! *I hope my blog here can become a platform for you to meet fellow people who want to make the same change*)
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Ultimately, you shouldn’t care much about what others think—this is a VERY important life skill that you should try to develop by now. You’ll just be wasting your time trying to to mind others when you could just focus that energy into quitting your job to travel the world. Going back to what I said in point #1—you are doing this for yourself, NOT for others. This is not something that you should aim for if you just want to impress your friends or ‘followers’ on social media.
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(★ For my case, I didn’t keep mine a secret because I certainly want my parents, my boyfriend, and my best friends informed of my coming life changes. And oh, for some reason, I told my boss about it too and she was so cool with it haha! She was so excited for me! But I advise that you DON’T do the same if you’re not close to your boss.)
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Read inspirational books, stories or movies
Other than inspirational people, inspirational books also helped me during my transition. ★ One of my favorites is Tim Ferris’ book: The 4-Hour Work Week which has been on The New York Times Best Seller list for 4 consecutive years and has sold over 1.3 million copies. (He is also a digital nomad himself). Now why do I absolutely love this book? Though it has superfluous parts that have to be taken with a grain of salt, it still gives you a lot of resources and ideas on how you can maximize your life in the long run. Tim also has a way with words to really inspire you to get out there, so I say take it and read it nonetheless!
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Basically, you have to keep this in mind: ALWAYS jump on opportunities or resources that will feed your mind with excitement so that you can fall head over heels in love—over and over again—with the idea of freedom, doing a job that you enjoy, and working for yourself. (Other resources are blogs, like what I mentioned in point #1. You can also try watching this amazing video:)
In summary, below are the books that I recommend. If The 4-Hour Work Week is going to help you ignite your desire to leave your 9 to 5 job with some business sense + tricks, The $100 Startup will give you more ideas on how you can use your passion to create a new future, and then Laptop Millionaire will teach you more of the opportunities online.
Join communities and network with like-minded people
There are a lot of free communities out there that can give you in-depth advice and support when it comes to travel and working remotely. Of course I am already here to act as your ‘guide‘, BUT I am not knowledgeable about EVERYTHING so you still need other people’s collective or specialized advice. For example, let’s say later on you figured out that you want to teach English overseas; certainly you shouldn’t be asking me about this since I haven’t tried that out yet.
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So how can you find relevant groups? Google. Otherwise you can try Triberr, InterNations, Couchsurfing.org, Google+ Groups, Facebook Groups, etc. For example, since I do Travel Blogging, this group is a great community for travel-related questions. If you want to become a travel photographer, this can be your go-to place.
List down the reasons that are keeping you from travelling
I need you to list down all the ‘excuses’ running through your head that are possibly holding you back from being totally immersed in doing a life of travel. Why? Well, chances are, those excuses are invalid and are only preventing you from gaining that inspiration/motivation to take the leap. Possibly, some of the things that you’ll be thinking of are:
“I can’t afford it; I don’t have money.” You can and you have. If you really want to prioritize this dream, you are capable of making a way and I’ll discuss how you can do so later on in this post. Besides, don’t let yourself use this excuse if you managed to get a freaking iPhone 6 for yourself in the past month.
“I’m afraid to travel alone.” Actually, when you travel, you are NEVER alone. You’re bound to meet people along the way. You’ll be making friends on the road who can turn out to be your best friends for life. Nevertheless, take this as a challenge for yourself; it’s time to stop being dependent and I’m telling you, it’s not so scary to travel alone abroad as long as you stay street smart and know where to go. (For a start, you can try going on a small solo trip for a couple of days to some nearby city, just to get a feel of this, and I’m pretty sure, you’ll be fine).
“I’m taken right now. I can’t leave my bf/gf.” Then travel together! If you do, the two of you can save together and it will make things faster and easier. However, I understand that some partners wouldn’t want to do the same… then make them read blogs like this and maybe they’ll find out that it’s their passion too! :P But that aside, I guess it’s time to make a bit of sacrifice. If you’re still young, I strongly advise that you don’t give up your dreams for someone else.
“I’m too old… It’s too late. I have kids.” Nope. It’s never too late. I’ve seen a lot of traveling nomads who are in their 50s or even 70s, and their kids are traveling with them too. Sometimes, we are just making up these excuses in our heads when in fact, everything is almost possible, for as long as we kick out the fear and well… the ‘excuses’.
“I might not get a job once I finish traveling.” Will you really want a job again once you get back? Okay, maybe you will, especially if you became an offline nomad most of the time. But hey, you still can get a job in the future depending on your skills. Other than that, if you have managed to establish your services online anyways, that’s already your career. And who knows? Along the way, maybe you already have managed to make your own business!
“I don’t think it’s the right time.” Newsflash: there’s NO right time. You just do it and make time for it. It’s as simple as that. We are never ready for anything anyway—may it be love, studies, or moving to a new place. It just happens if you let it happen.
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3.
Plan your trip while continually doing the pointers in #1 + #2
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Yes. It’s finally time to plan! Aaaand nope, it’s not time to quit your job yet, but we’re getting there. (We will get there!)
First things first: I need you to plan these things because not only do we want to know where and when you’re going, but we also need to figure out your travel fund.
CITIES
Think of the places that you want to go to
List them all. Go wild. But do choose your destinations carefully!
Research for the basic details
The cost of living, the weather, the internet speed, the flight time difference, the average flight cost, time zone difference, etc. These are all important so that for instance, you can figure out how much money you will be needing and what things you need to bring for the road. A good resource website for this that I found is Nomad List. They have come up with a veeery good list of the best cities to work in, along with the details that I mentioned. Otherwise, you can also try Lonely Planet to see the practical information for each city or country. (For the cost of living, it’s a good practice to add more than what’s stated because chances are, some cities can be surprisingly more expensive).
Research the Visa requirements, border fees/requirements, travel insurance, and vaccinations
Very important, of course. Take note of the fees or costs for each. For Visas, there are some that you can get on the road, while some, you need to get from your home country. For vaccinations, to know whether you need any for certain cities, check by this website. Other than these, it’s important to also know whether some cities require their visitors to have an outbound ticket upon arrival; a lot of countries usually require this when you’re at the immigration (so they can have the assurance that you’ll be leaving the country by the end of your stay).
Rank them according to TOTAL cost
…with the chepest country at #1! (Do be reminded by the way that if you’re from Asia, as much as you might want to go to New York, it’s impossible for you to head there directly if you don’t have a lot of money saved up yet… especially because the cost of living there can be crazy expensive for a starter nomad like you. Besides, going to countries that have a lower cost of living will give you more free time, more extra money, and more value for your money—that eventually, you will manage to land into the city of your dreams.) Now once you have ranked them, pick the top 5 or 10 countries (depends on you) and spread them out in a span of months:
Some nomads make plans for 3-6 months or even a year. This is also totally up to you how long you want to stay in each country.
Some nomads actually just pick one country and base their travel fund on that alone; they have the idea that they will just work on the next cities along the way. This is a nice spontaneous plan but it’s up to you if you want to do the same. (★ For me, I kind of started like this. Besides, we don’t like planning too much so we just let things happen as they happen.)
Meanwhile, some nomads don’t plan or save up at all! This is the highest level of spontaneity! But I don’t recommend this if you don’t have that much knowledge of traveling. Besides, this usually just happens for those who live in a big continent that they can just hop on the car to cross borders and get to the next city, etc. (Otherwise, for those who plan to go to another country that is like seas away, of course you will need to save money to purchase your flight tickets; don’t ever believe those bloggers who claim that they didn’t save up at all because they did have to get some money first for that airfare—unless they won it or it was given to them.)
Find out the airfare costs
—when you jump from one city to the next. Mix and match every city as possible; sometimes, a certain route can be cheaper than another. Though if possible, take trains/buses/cars as they are more affordable than flying. (Some people hitchhike but I don’t recommend this much). At some times, you also have to check the dates since you might get better deals on other months, etc. (The date for the start of your travel actually depends on your capacity to come up with the total fund for your trip, it might also depend on when your company is able to completely let you go—★ for example, I had to stay in my company for 2 months after I handed over my resignation).
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ACCOMMODATION
Figure out where you want to stay
If you check by my article here, I have stated some ways of getting free accommodation if you don’t want to shell out extra money for a stay in a hotel or hostel. Couchsurfing, home stays, and the like are just some of the ways that you can have a free place to sleep in for a longer period of time. Otherwise, you can try and ask a friend or relative—that’s living in a city that you want to go to—if they can possibly take you in for a while.
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YOUR WORK
Identify your skills. Will you get jobs on the road or work online?
DON’T underestimate what you know or can do, after reading my articles here and here, decide on the skills that you can do and the job/work that you will be doing to sustain your traveling lifestyle. (Note: Tim Ferris discussed in his book, the 4-Hour Work Week, a plan on how you can try and negotiate a remote work arrangement with your company. It’s worth a shot if you want to keep your job that you love.) On the other hand, if you don’t want to work while on the road, your travel fund should take this into account.
Once you identify your skills, lay out a plan on how you can do it
Start looking for websites that you can offer your services to (if you want to be a digital nomad). Start looking for schools (if you want to teach English). Etc. etc. etc. Investigate the job market in order to know how easy or how hard it can be for you to get work.
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FINANCES
Banks, method of payment, withdrawals, etc.
Find out if credit cards are widely accepted (if it is, ensure you have a credit card), or if a debit card is enough (I have mine from Skrill) or if it’s better to have cash. Be informed of the bank fees for overseas withdrawals and transactions too (it’s always best to have an online bank account). Meanwhile, with regard to your work, figure out how your clients can pay you; if PayPal is needed, go set it up, and so on.
Mind the exchange rates
Do the math for this in advance.
Allot an emergency fund and/or a safety fund
Apart from the costs for traveling, it’s important to set aside an amount for possible emergencies (example: you suddenly need to fly back home, etc.)
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THINGS
Figure out the things you’ll be needing
It’s always best to have a good backpack especially if you’re going to be on the road a lot; if you don’t have this, put it in as a cost of the travel fund that you’ll be saving up for. Other than that, go and figure out the other essentials that you’ll be needing not only for ‘living’ but for working too (nope, most likely you won’t need more heels, okay?). If you’re going to be a digital nomad like me, it’s always good to ensure that you have a backup hard drive and some anti-theft software.
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4.
Put your plan into action: start saving and working
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By now, you should have a rough estimate of the amount of money that you’ll be needing in order to support and start your life of travel. To come up with this money, take advantage of your current reliable source of income: your job.
HOW?
Discipline & a change in values
Keep away a certain percentage of your salary and put it in your travel fund. Every ‘deposit’ that you make is a step closer to your dream lifestyle—and all it takes, what it just really takes, is a sense of control on your part.
Change spending habits
One way you can go about this is to track your spending; where is most of your salary going to? Is it from eating in expensive restaurants during lunch break? Is it because of your shopping sprees whenever you feel stressed out from work? Go ahead, list everything and once you’re finished, identify all of the unneeded ones and cut them out. It may seem hard to believe at first, but you can really keep a lot of cash if you really separate your wants from your needs and then cutting out the unnecessary costs in your ‘wants’. It really takes some sacrifice for this, but imagine: after it’s all done with, you’ll have more freedom than before and you can say goodbye to your unhealthy lifestyle.
Other than those, here are some other options for quickly saving up:
Slowly sell/rent your possessions
When you’re going to start your nomadic lifestyle, you won’t need that TV in your apartment. Really. Well actually, some people have done the extreme, like selling their house and apartment to keep a traveling lifestyle for the rest of their life. It definitely sounds like a plan… but if you’re not ready to do that kind of thing, or if you still want to have a place to come back to, then at least get rid of the stuff that you won’t be needing or might only stay unused for months or years. Actually, you can also opt to rent your place if you happen to own an apartment/house; or even your car. (TIP: If you ever need a place to store your other valuables that you can’t part with, don’t pay for a storage place. Try asking your parents or friends if they can keep your stuff for the meantime).
Start ‘working’
You’re going to kill two birds with one stone on this one. Now I’m not talking about your office job because you’re already doing that; what I am rather talking about is the possible work that you will be doing once you start to travel the world. So in case you want to be a digital nomad: start developing your profile/reputation online, start proactively looking for jobs wherever you can, and start doing work whenever you have a free time. With this, not only will you save faster for your travel fund, but you will also be fueling your future of ‘working remotely’. (★ This is actually what I have done; right from the moment that I decided to become a digital nomad, I worked online whenever I had some time off from my job at the investment bank).
Now other than saving up, start working on the other plans that you’ve made in #3. My tips:
Accommodation
Start scouting for couchsurfers, home stays, etc. that can take you in on the dates that you desire. Better be prepared beforehand!
Flights
If there are flight tickets that you need to purchase, go and sign up for websites/newsletters that can prompt you when there are promo fares.
Motivation
Remember my points in #2. While you are putting all of these plans into action, it might take some months. Given time, it’s likely that you might lose your focus and drive in doing this. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN. Ensure consistency, stay determined, and get rid of self-doubts. Keep yourself inspired, daydream about your bright future, and always remember your goals. Remind yourself what you are working for: freedom.
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5.
Quit your job and start your life of travel!
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It’s time. Your travel fund is ready, your plans are checked. What’s left to do…?
QUITTING. YOUR. JOB.
This is it! You’ve finally reached this stage so go and celebrate by hitting the road or flying away! Do yourself a huge favor: enjoy, travel to your heart’s content, and have the best time of your life! You’ve earned it. You really did!
And while you are traveling, remember these:
Be flexible
I know that I did make you plan for the cities that you’re going to; however, it’s very possible that you will have to change your initial plans. So don’t go crazy trying to fix yourself into your schedule. Relax. Chances are, you will be loving a certain city/country too much that you might decide to stay there longer than you wish, and that’s perfectly alright!
Don’t be scared, just be careful
Stay safe and be ‘street smart’. Always be aware and careful. There’s no need to fear; foreign countries and people are not so scary as you think. (Also, do embrace the idea of going alone every once in a while, even if you are traveling with someone).
Take advantage of countries that don’ t need Visas
Because Visa procedures and applications can be such a pain, so if you can avoid it, then by all means take advantage of such a chance. Example, if you’re from the Philippines, try going to South America. They have countries there that are visa-free for Filipinos, like Brazil and Colombia!
Try to learn the language
Not only to impress the locals, but it’s a good way to interact with them and eventually befriend them. It also helps you navigate your way through foreign territories better and develop your brain power. But I guess, ultimately: it will completely transform your travel experience!
Make friends, network/socialize, try a LOT of things, and eat a LOT!
Indulge the joy and luxuries of traveling! Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Go ahead and socialize with the locals or fellow travelers. Soak in all the culture and be open to new experiences. Now when you do meet all these people, remember to be understanding. A lot of the people that you will meet will have different views or habits, so it’s important to refrain from making quick judgments—but actually, you will learn this yourself, because I believe that travel makes you look past the black-and-white side of things. It’s a natural effect: the more people you meet, the more understanding you become of others’ quirks and flaws.
Save up and try to look for other ways to gain a more stable income for yourself and secure your future of traveling
Amidst all the fun, try to keep this in mind. For my case, I managed to find a way to make an online business for ourselves and I’m pretty sure that along the way, you will also find an idea that will help you earn a reasonable sum that can last you for the rest of your life.
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OVERALL
I tried to be as detailed as I could… I really hope that this answered all the questions!
(Whew! This took me days to make!)
By the way, I know that I have been talking about how I don’t enjoy a 9 to 5 job. Please be mindful that I am saying that out of MY own experience since my past just happened to be a discovery of how that kind of life wasn’t a perfect fit for me. So of course, I wholly recognize the fact that there are some people who enjoy their corporate/office jobs (I know some of my friends who do), some people also enjoy just staying at home as a stay-in mom, etc. etc. and in NO way am I putting them down; because in a sense, they are just doing the same thing that I am doing: pursuing things that they love to do. I wholly respect the kind of work that they do but it’s just not my preference; therefore, this post is catering to the people who are going through the same path or mindset that I had back in 2011, and are now wanting to make a change in their life since they have the same passion as me.
Now, to end this entry, I leave you with this amazing quote in the hope that it would keep you motivated in making the MOST out of your life.
Making a big life change is pretty scary. But you know what’s even scarier? Regret.
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As cliché as this might sound: we only live once, you know? And it’s a waste of time and effort to do work that you hate or dislike, purely for the aim of just making money. Please try to make the steps of abandoning conformity and fear. Don’t hesitate anymore. Don’t mind what society or what other people may say. This is your life. NOT theirs. So take control and make that change.
JUST. DO. IT.
(Hi, Nike.)
How about you?
Are you a ‘travel nomad’ like me? What other tips can you add? Have I missed out on something?
Are you still hesitant in starting your dreams, what’s keeping you? Let me know!
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The post Who I Was before I Quit My Job & the 5 Steps I Took to Start a Life of Travel appeared first on I am Aileen.