It’s the ultimate dream, the Holy Grail for so many, the fantasy that’s always just out of reach. Quitting everything; your job, rent agreement, your phone contract, Friday night drinks with your mates, and maybe even your relationship – to travel the world.
It’s a concept that is so terrifying and so far out of your comfort zone, that you have probably already put it off a bunch of times. The list of excuses is endless: when you have more money, when you’ve spent a bit more time at your current job, when it’s the right time, on the twelfth of never.
Well, dear friends, it’s time to level up and embrace change. It’s time to take that first intimidating step and get on your way. And here are a few reasons to help you make the leap.
1. Your job won’t keep you warm at night
Well, okay, it might in a technical sense – jobs provide an income, and that in turn pays the power bill. But, you know where you’ll be warmer? Sitting around a campfire on a beach in California. Perching outside a café in Jakarta, sucking in the sticky, humid air as you sip on a coffee and watch the world go by. Lying on the beach in Barcelona as the smell of paella wafts over from a food stand nearby. Snuggling up to someone for the night in a hostel in Amsterdam. Security and responsibility can wait a while; you’ve got places to go.
2. Get those life experience points
How many times has a potential employer mentioned ‘life experience’ in a job advertisement or interview? No matter how naff it sounds, life experience does count for something in the big, bad real world. A well-travelled person has not only seen and done more than someone who stayed in their home city and committed to the daily grind – they’ve also learned more.
A seasoned traveller embraces and relates to other cultures, religions and lifestyles. They are flexible and learn to adapt to new situations quickly, and their problem-solving skills are second to none. Their dinner party conversation game is strong, and their Facebook photo albums are the envy of their ever-growing friends list.
From exploring India by train to going wild at the full moon party in Thailand, there are so many experiences to be had. For something rewarding there are also so many inspirational volunteering programs from helping animals to working with communities.
3. Adventures are better elsewhere
Sure, you can have adventures in your own city, town, house. But don’t kid yourself – adventures improve tenfold when you’re in a foreign city, wandering the streets with new friends, feeling a little bit sick from all the food and drinks and thrills, and wondering where on earth you’ll end up.
I’m not saying you should get completely lost, just a little bit. Just enough so that you have to find wi-fi to figure out how to get back to your hotel, or strike up a conversation with a passer-by to find the train station. Just enough to shake you up and make you question all of your decisions, only to settle happily on the fact that you are really and truly exactly where you want to be at that moment in time.
4. Find a new home
There are plenty of ways to stay on the road, from taking a TEFL course and teaching English abroad, to short term summer jobs or ski season work. You can find employment all around the world, perfect if you don’t want to go home.
5. Real life will be there when you get back
But, I hear you protest, what about my job? House? Family? Gym membership I already paid for? Well, firstly, you weren’t really going to use that gym membership, were you? And everything and everyone else will be there when you return. Things might change, but so will you – and that’s not a bad thing. There’s always another job, another house, another gym membership.
Your family and friends will be there no matter what. So leave the nest, go wild for a while, embrace your inner nomad, take risks and be selfish. It’s an overused cliché, but travelling can be a form of therapy; you’ll learn more about yourself while alone on a train hurtling through the south of France than you will in your office cubicle. It’s time for you to do you.
So, are you convinced yet? Of course you are. You’ve got this. Remember you only life once, search our adventure tours today to get inspired for your next trip.