We all know someone, or at least know of someone, who has decided to quit the rat race and go travelling. What comes to mind when you think about their decision? Many people express admiration and wish that they’d have the nerve to do the same, but there are always plenty of good reasons why they don’t follow suit and hand their own notice in and book a round the world flight.
Should you quit your job and travel the world?
Of course, many of us have responsibilities that we can’t simply step away from. If you’re married or living with a partner you have to take their thoughts, feeling and opinion into account. What if you want to jack in your career and they don’t? How do you find a balance? If you have kids, then you have even more obvious reasons why you should stick with your job and provide them with everything they need, both materially and emotionally.
But if you aren’t in a long-term relationship and you don’t have children yet, it doesn’t necessarily make it that much easier to step off the train that everyone else is on and forge your own path in the world.
Making a big decision that involves conquering your fear of failure and finding success in whatever life path you choose requires guts and determination. It’s always easier to maintain the status quo, and not do anything to upset the applecart. But if through taking this option, you’re going to feel like your life is only half-lived, then it’s time to do some really serious thinking about how to make a significant change.
The first question you have to ask yourself is what you want to achieve by going travelling? Are you going to see the places you’ve only ever dreamed about visiting, or are you hoping to discover something about yourself on this trip? Do you plan for it to be one extended holiday, or do you imagine you could do what so many bloggers out there seem to be able to do – travel continuously and support themselves through their blogs and with other types of freelance work as they go?
When you get a clearer view of the goal you are trying to reach, you can start to think about the nitty gritty details. One of the main things you’ll need to consider is what you do with your possessions and your home if you own one. Do you sell your things or put them in storage? Would you rent out your home and keep it as somewhere to return to should your longer term plans change, or would it be less of a headache to sell and have the equity (if you have any once you’ve paid off the mortgage) sitting in the bank. Don’t forget how much work you had to do to buy the place – do you really want to be in a position a year or two from now when you’re starting over?
Think, too, about the job that you’re considering quitting and the career path you are on. What would a self-imposed extended break do to your career chances if you wanted to get back onto the same path when you were done with travelling? Some professions are much easier to pick up again than others.
There’s a lot to consider when thinking about calling time on a job and going off to explore the world. It’s not a step that should be taken lightly, but for many people who do take the plunge find it turns out to be the most liberating experience of their life.