The top four tips for taking the leap into world travel from those who have done it.
Let’s be honest. At some point in our lives, we have all pictured ourselves taking a break from adulting to travel the world and with various countries offering citizenship for those who work from home, you’ve probably thought a lot more seriously about world travel.
Wanderlust can hit you at any time, whether you’re getting ready to go to work in the morning or unloading the dishwasher. Some of us dreamers are comfortable living vicariously through others, while others actually go for it and document their journey along the way. Whether you’re thinking of taking the leap yourself, or want to know more about the “how’s” of it, here are the top four essential tips to make it work.
- Immerse yourself in the culture. I think we all know by now that a country or city is best seen through the eyes of locals. There are various ways to meet with locals your age or based on similar interests, from MeetUps to various Facebook groups. Another popular trend proven to guarantee you socialize with locals is Couchsurfing. Not only can you stay with locals for free, you also get to know the must sees and must eats of the place you’re visiting which makes the experience much more authentic.
- Be financially ready and prepare yourself for the worst case scenario. Have a small separate budget in case of emergencies and research the costs of living in the countries you plan on visiting. Backpacking can be fun and life in some countries may be cheaper than back home, but taking financial risks abroad is never a good idea especially since different countries mean different laws and regulations. When it comes to preparation, the more the better.
- Earn as you go.Travelling the world can not only satisfy your hunger for discovery, it can also become your new source of income. Originally from the Ukraine, Alina McLead, a Ukrainian-Canadian travel YouTuber from Saskatchewan decided to create a YouTube channel to document her travels after ditching the 9-5 lifestyle, starting with her dream trip: The Trans Siberian Express across Russia. After 32 countries and six continents, Alina has reached 10.8 thousand Instagram followers and close to 71 thousand YouTube subscribers: “It feels amazing now to not only be doing what I truly love while being my own boss, expressing myself creatively and also having more stability financially- because that relieves so much daily anxiety.”
- Enjoy the benefits. Travelling the world means being exposed to some of the best things life has to offer. For those travelling or relocating with children, they will learn foreign languages through school and socialization. Growing up in Morocco and attending school in my hometown, it was wonderful being in a classroom with children from Spain, France and even Korea who were fluent in our dialect. Another thing is food and nutrition; there are great health benefits to cuisines all around the world. While living in Japan, I drank green tea and ate seaweed almost everyday as part of my diet and I could see the difference in the health of my hair!
Once again, the key to making it work for yourself is to be prepared, stay with locals and enjoy the ride. Notice how “know what you’re doing” isn’t on that list? That’s because figuring it out as you go is sometimes also part of the journey. And like Alina says, “You also have to have a very strong belief in yourself and be your own cheerleader because if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.”
I love this! So inspiring and makes me hopeful of a time where I could go ahead and do this! Your mention of Couchsurfing and reminder of the Meetup app was also so helpful 🙂