How to quit your job and travel the world

Ever since I started planning my journey, one of the questions I get the most is how to quit your job and travel the world. The truth is I still ask myself the same question from time to time and although it is hard to write down a list, I decided to share some of the “musts” I did before getting on board with my trip. I guess I still have to figure some points on the go, but in the meantime, here are some of the tips that will definitely help you to figure out how to quit your job and travel the world.

Save money

I’ve read a lot of articles and websites that state that you can travel the world for free. This isn’t true. Sorry to break it to you, but traveling costs money. I’m not saying you can’t make significant savings and plan a perfect budget friendly trip, but the truth is you will need financial back up. There are plenty of ways to economize your trip, but you still need some funding, even if it is only for emergencies. I had a strict financial policy for the last two years that allowed me to save enough for the journey (though I’m still tight on the budget). I cut down money for social events, alcohol and (the hardest one) clothes, but I managed to grow my bank account. So, if you want to know the secret of how to quit your job and travel the world, the truth is that you need to work hard for a while before you can actually quit.

Freelance, freelance, freelance

Freelance is a traveler’s friend. Backpacking around the world does not necessarily mean that you have to be unemployed. The answer to the question of how to quit your job and travel the world usually involves finding another job. One that doesn’t requite an office.

Find something you can do right and do remotely. Doesn’t matter what: photography, design, consulting. The point is to keep the income coming to extend your adventure. And, don’t worry if you run out of money and have to get back home, it’s fine. You can always save some more and pack again.

Don’t listen to people

This one is harsh but true. Since I let this crazy idea out in the wild, I’ve been receiving a lot of (sometimes unsolicited) advice from everybody around me. The opinions are very mixed, but usually people have a hard time grasping the concept of me quitting to a perfectly respectable job and spending my two years savings on a journey that may or may not lead to a full-time job as a travel writer (if you are reading this right now, thanks a lot! You are helping my dream come true). By now, I have lost count of how many times my great grand-aunt has told me that I’m going to end up dead or sold into human trafficking…

People are afraid of the unconventional, and it is very likely that they’ll prefer you to scale on the corporate ladder, get married or start saving for your retirement instead of backpacking through unknown places. But if you truly feel that this is your call, you shouldn’t pay attention. Usually, the people that really matter are the ones that will support you unconditionally.

Volunteer

This is a significant point if you want to know how to quit your job and travel the world. As I said before, it’s impossible to travel for free, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make significant savings. There are plenty of places that are willing to cover your accommodation expenses, or even your food, in exchange of your abilities. I’m going to stay in a lovely Scottish hostel that will take me for free as long as I help them with their social media strategy for a whole month (imagine how much that would have cost me otherwise!). So, just like with freelancing, find something that you are very good at doing and make the most out of it! There are several places that offer volunteering opportunities. The one I used was Worldpackers, which especialises in hostel work but there is also Workaway, HelpeX and, if you are more into the outdoorsy experiences, Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). If you are curious about the last one, you can check this amazing volunteering experience in the U.S.A.

Have a backup plan

Here is a fun fact about traveling: At some point, things will go wrong. Don’t want you to get paranoid or anything, but flights get cancelled, luggage gets lost, hotels misplace reservations, money gets stolen… There are plenty of things that won’t go according to plan. I will never forget the time where I was homeless in Paris or when my camera fell into the ocean in Croatia.

Traveling the world for the long-term is a life-changing decision. That’s why it is so scary. I’m a bit of a control freak so backup plans help to calm me down. So do whatever makes you feel more at ease. Hire a travel insurance, keep a second bank account with emergency money, try to have a near contact in every place you visit in case you need help. And, foremost remember that everything is part of the journey and each problem will later be an amazing story.

Don’t be afraid

Do you still want to know more about how to quit your job and travel the world? Well, the truth is that it requires guts. So one of the first things you need to do is stop being afraid.

I’m trying to follow my own advice in here too. I read the news. Terrorist attacks, raising crime rates, stricter immigration policies… And, as women, we are also more vulnerable to crimes like rape and sexual harassment. It is easy to get scared, but I always try to remember that anyone is exposed to danger, despite the city they live in.

At the end, the idea of staying in the same place I’ve been for the last two years scared me more than the idea of leaving. And that was pretty much the dealmaker for me. Anything can happen at any time, and being afraid will just prevent you to enjoy all the wonders out there.

Do not overthink

This one was the hardest for me. I’m an over-thinker, which means I spend a lot of time thinking and very little time actually doing. That’s why I had to force myself into this venture and bought a plane ticket a year ago. That way I’d have no other choice but to keep going with my original plan. It is true; I could have waited another year to be more prepared for my solo trip. I could have saved more money, plan more things ahead… Learn more about blogging, for god’s sake. But the truth is that you are never going to be completely ready for a choice this big. So set a date, make a to-do list and get on board! You will solve everything else on the road.

Of course there are plenty of more things you can do in order to figure out how to quit your job and travel the world, but this is a good starting point. If you want me to make a more extensive list with more details about volunteering programs and freelancing opportunities, don’t forget to let me know on the comment section.

I guess I’ll see you on the road.

Love,