What Does it Take to Travel the World Indefinitely

So, are you thinking about leaving everything behind and start traveling? Nice! But now you want to know what it takes to start traveling the world. It depends on what kind of person you are.

The majority of people aren’t interested in travel or can’t handle traveling long term. They don’t even want to think about the idea because it makes them uncomfortable. Most people just don’t want to leave their comfort zone.

The starting point of our trip around the world: Bombay, India.

Then, there are people who say they dream about traveling long term but probably never will because they don’t want to make a big change in their lives. Fear of the unknown is what keeps them from making that change. If you’re reading this, hopefully you’re neither of these people.

If you want to travel long term or indefinitely, you need to be willing to make a big change—one that will turn your whole life upside down. The problem, is that you don’t know beforehand if it will be a good or bad decision.

Here’s the thing, if you’re already stressed by thinking about it, then traveling long term is probably not for you. You have to be willing to take the plunge—live from day to day and be open to any possibilities for the future. Is that you? Great, then you can probably handle it!

Making a change

The most important thing is to make a change. It’s the main thing that keeps people from doing it. They’re afraid of change. Your life won’t be the same again for the next couple of years and you’re going to live out of a backpack. Say goodbye to your daily routine and embrace not knowing what will happen or where you’ll end up the next day.

Money to travel indefinitely

Of course you need money but the amount is different for everyone. Some people travel on a shoestring and others need a minimum level of comfort. We’re like the second ones. We travel on a budget but don’t want to stay in gritty rooms or hotels.

Oh, and you need to be willing to spend your savings. Most people won’t even think about touching their savings to spend it on long term traveling.

When we set off, I set myself the goal of trying to make a little bit more money along the way but I was also willing to spend my savings on the trip. So, even if you want to work while you travel, it’s good to have a budget available. Pressure is not a good travel companion.

Quit your job to travel?

Do you have a day job? Then you need to quit it if you want to travel long term or indefinitely. It’s part of the ‘Make a change’ and a lot of people start panicking when they start thinking about quitting their jobs—even if they don’t like it. In my case, it was the best decision I ever made. It’s a cliche but at some point in your life you just have to follow your heart, right?

Don’t worry, you’ll see amazing things. This is Mount Bromo in Indonesia.

If you feel you need a change then just go for it. Are you bored in your job? Why continue then? Just because? People make a lot of excuses because they’re afraid of change—even if they genuinely want it.

Partner

Ah, you’re not alone? Well, that might be a problem. Is he or she the one? Then you probably need to talk about traveling long term together. Do you want to go by yourself or not? I’m lucky because when I proposed the idea to Joanna, she said: “Sure..?” And we left together.

Dominican Republic. Don’t forget to take a break from traveling.

Now, a year later we’re still going strong and our relationship has grown even stronger. That might not be the case for everyone. If you decide to go with your partner, you have to accept the fact that you might not come back as a couple. Sh*t happens but again, if you start worrying about what might happen in the future, you might as well just stay home.

Persistence

Don’t give up along the way—especially if you want to earn some money while you travel. Everything will take time and you need to find a good work/travel balance. A lot of things will go wrong or not the way you want them and that’s when most people give up. Traveling long term or indefinitely is all about solving problems on the spot and taking your life in your own hands.

It’s only the people that accept failure who will succeed. Don’t ever give up and work for what you want in life. Eventually, you’ll get it and the people who said otherwise are the ones who gave up too fast.