My Advice for Traveling Indefinitely

I’ve been overwhelmed with messages and emails from readers that have heard of our story and decided that indefinite travel seems like something they want to do. I cannot express how honored I am to inspire people, but I feel extremely uncomfortable as the catalyst for such a huge decision. Yes, I quit the career I hated to create a lifestyle centered around my desire to travel and write, and yes, its all worked out to be a great adventure, but it is very unique and tailored to my loves and my Love. The process was far from overnight and I honestly don’t think our plan of “winging it” is a good plan to follow.

If you want to go on a long term adventure, I think thats great. But please understand that there is no such thing as a travel guru (so be weary of anyone claiming to be one). Many of your favorite travel inspirations probably live with their parents and take week long trips when they can. For every beautiful sunset picture, there’s a mental image of a sketchy neighborhood I walked through, where I was too afraid to pull my camera out. So don’t idolize anyone, or their travels, especially me or mine. I cannot explain to you how deeply rooted travel is in my heart. That love alone is a major reason why we’ve always “found a way”. Jarrell laughs at my excitement every time we book a flight, bus, apartment, try a new food or see a new body of water. At this point in my life, travel is as much of a necessity to me as food or shelter. So I will sacrifice; abandon my comfort zone, wardrobe, and every shred of familiarity for it.

And then there’s Jarrell, my knight in shining armor. I can teach you how to find the best flight deals and less expensive destinations, but I can’t tell you where to find a good great partner. I’m confident enough to think that I could have, and would have, gone on this adventure solo. But I’m humble enough to acknowledge that I didn’t, and admit that he has greatly impacted my success. When I’ve come up short, he’s picked up my slack and when I’ve been scared or worried, he’s rubbed my back. Without my love for travel, amazing husband, and our shared determination for independence, I think I would have packed it up months ago. So I can’t teach you how to travel indefinitely, especially without knowing you personally, because you may not have the same variables that I have. I do not have a blueprint, and to be honest, if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you.

No one can teach you what you’ll need to know, because it is a personal journey unique to you, and you only. By answering all of your questions, I would be short circuiting your process. Every question you think you have for me, you really have for yourself. My answers, and our travel decisions, are unique to our situation, opportunities, comfort level and skill set. For example, I often get a question about what we do for healthcare. Imagine if I told you we spend $10,000 a month on healthcare, because that’s very important to us. You would probably say, I’m not comfortable paying that much monthly. However, if I told you we believe the body should always heal itself so we refuse to seek treatment for ailments, you may think that’s crazy too. It’s about what works best for you. By the way, we use the healthcare in every country we visit and have not had any problems thus far.

My point is, I can’t be your teacher for indefinite travel outside of the ‘how to’ aspect. I can’t be your support system or fountain of wisdom. I can’t guarantee your safety or ease your concerns. I am happy that our story has encouraged so many people, but I do not want to lead anyone into launching a go fund me campaign to get back home. Traveling is nothing short of amazing, but it is very real and life doesn’t stop because you’re abroad. There are still expenses, and unforeseen fees tend to appear from thin air in foreign airports.

Now, hopefully that shook you enough to at least think your decision through. Of course I couldn’t leave you hanging with absolutely no advice. I just need to make it clear that I do not have all the answers and I am not a travel guru. You need to be in charge of your journey and figure it out for yourself. Here are 5 tips/steps to planning a long term adventure if you think it will benefit you:

1. Figure out how to make money online. If you have the economic means to travel without worrying about generating income, even better. But I don’t recommend saving up, traveling and going home to return to your old lifestyle. It kind of defeats the purpose.

2. Pick a place to travel. Study regions, because surrounding countries will be your easiest destinations for continued travel. Research accessibility, visa requirements, required vaccinations and costs of living.

3. Decide what to do with your things. We chose to sell everything, because it funded our initial departure and we didn’t want any loose ends. However, you can rent out your place, effectively solving #1, or simply place your things in storage.

4. Pack. Oh how difficult one word can be. Try to pack things that can serve several purposes, and remember that you can buy things along the way. Only pack for the current season, but be mindful of weather changes. Also consider carry-on measurement requirements if you plan to really take advantage of budget airlines (checked luggage can cost as much as the flight).

5. For my literal ‘how to’ advice for finding cheap flights, accommodation, transportation, cheap travel tricks, experiencing cultures, and leveraging unique skill sets, use my ebook. It’s honestly every strategy and travel tip we’ve used throughout our adventure.

Happy Travels, Love.

xoxo