ESCAPE NOW: Ditch Your Desk & EXPLODE Into Global Freedom!

Hi Aileen! I am one of your followers and I’m reaching out because I want to ask for your advice on how to travel the world. You have been living this dream of mine and your journey has been inspiring! I want to do the same soon and quit my job, but I have no money nor the confidence and know-how on how to start. I just really want to gain the freedom to travel the world, get paid at the same time, and just be… HAPPY. I know you posted a lot of travel tips, but I still wanted to reach out and say a personal message because you inspired me in so many ways!

–Kim from the Philippines

Ever since I posted an article about thebest travel jobs, my inbox exploded with messages from readers worldwide who shared their stories and griefs(just like this letter from Kim — thank YOU for taking the time!).

I’ve read through all of these emails and somehow… almost every sender’s sentiments have reminded me of my past 20-year-old self who was overwhelmed with the desire to leave the corporate rat race to do more of what she loves. Yet, she felt ‘stuck’ to the standard 9-to-5 grind because she had no other choice but to make a living.

That’s why please trust me when I say thatI know how overwhelming it can beto aim and plan for such a HUGE life-changing decision; even more so when you are raised with a strict upbringing and/or come from a poor financial background(like me).

Nevertheless, I hope it gives you comfort to know that I am a living example of howa life of travelISpossible, no matter the unfavorable circumstances of one’s life. It will just be tough at first(oh yes sir, it will)but it is NEVER impossible, and I am here to help guide you to do the same.

So on to the golden question…HOWexactly was I able to quit my job and travel the world?

The short answer?With the help of the internet.
The long answer?Read on to know…

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RELATED READ:What to Know FIRST Before You Take the Leap

RELATED READ:How to Become a Digital Nomad

My Backstory

Before I go on to discuss how you can quit your job and travel the world, I think it’s actually imperative that I first share with you my background story to help you understand where I’m coming from(and that hopefully, it would further help inspire you to take the leap soon!).

After this section, I will start discussing the 5 important steps that will lead you to ‘FREEDOM’, so hang in there!

( —Click the ‘+‘ sign below to see the hidden section.)

My backstory from 2007 to 2012(CLICK to expand this section)

NOTE: You can also see a summary of my life’s timeline.

Society has long instilled in us the idea that there is a distinct natural order to things when it comes to life and career progression: you first have to study for years, and then you have to get a 9 to 5 job. If you happen to be indecisive about your career path, someone will decide your future for you.

And well, that’s exactly what happened to me back in 2007.

2007:I was 15*, and like most people my age, I didn’t know what I wanted to do — what Ididknow was that I enjoyed doing a LOT of things: journalism, music, computer, art, business, finance, science, etc. You could say that I was a ‘jill of all trades and a master of none‘ kind of gal. Nothing seemed to fit me and I wasn’t even brave enough yet to choose for myself.

This is why the inevitable happened: my mom made the choice for me(this is also what usually happens when you come from a traditional Asian family).

In no time, I was enrolled in a prestigious school in Manila, Philippines under a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy — a similar path that my older brother was put in. It was definitely a course that I had no interest in but I was all,“Meh, okay. I love numbers anyway, so it will be fine! And it’s a good school too. Yep, it’s gonna be fiiiineeeeee.”

NOTE:By the way, for those asking, it’s not common for Filipino students to start college at the age of 15. It’s commonly around 16-18; I was just a special case. And no, my family is not ‘filthy rich’ for having given me the chance to study at DLSU. There are middle or lower-class people like me who have managed to study there; and in my case, it’s all thanks to my mom’s hard work that she was able to pay for my university enrollment.

As I went through my freshman year, I came upon a sudden realization that I had an intense, blood-curdling hatred for anything related to numbers. I may have won math contests in the past but it was a different matter to study formulas to no end. I was also frustrated, thinking that I would do the same act of balancing sheets over and over again as a profession… So like a kick in the gut, I thought:

“No, I’m not gonna do this to myself.”

Thankfully, I was starting to gain more independence as well as awareness of the things that I wanted for myself. So after a lengthy discussion with my mom, she finally let me shift courses.

Whenever I retell this story to friends, I often joke about how I had to cry to her just so I can change courses — and well, that was true! Haha. I was young and my parents still had a great deal of hold on me. (And yes, you guys are my friends now.)

I actually wanted to enroll in a computer-related course but since I was in the College of Business, shifting to the College of Science was too expensive. I didn’t want to further burden my parents, that’s why I settled for the next best thing:business. I figured that I needed this skill later on in life, especially if I wanted to follow my dreams of being my own boss.

After a rigorous application, I managed to get into a new specialized business program of my university in 2009 called ACM (Applied Corporate Management) and it additionally involved a year’s-worth of internships. Regarding the latter, I got accepted into different multinational corporations such as Siemens, Nestlé, and Unilever as I ‘dipped’ myself into the fields of communication, marketing, and human resource management.

2011:I was 19 and I finally graduated from university. Much like what I said about the natural order of things, I was at the point of my life where I had to find a 9 to 5 job a.k.a. the good ol’ corporate/office job.Plagued with the fear of unemployment, I jumped in on the first company that sought to employ me: Deutsche Bank.

As an investment bank, the job position offered to me involved hardcore finance and trading knowledge. So yes, I know what you’re thinking…I shouldn’t have jumped in, right? Because I did mention that I hate anything related to numbers, right?

However, this happened just less than 3 months after my graduation; so at that time, I thought that I was already one of the “lucky ones”. A big company wanted me for their graduate trainee program; whereas most of my friends haven’t managed to get job offers or even interviews yet. Not to mention that I made a rash decision of living separately from my parents*, so I was in dire need of some money.

*Once again, this isn’t the ‘norm’ for Filipinos. Most children don’t leave their parents’ house up until they marry(some even stay with their parents when they arealreadymarried). But for me, due to family issues as well as personal reasons(i.e. my intense desire to be independent),I had to make the decision to move out.

So in my mind, when Deutsche Bank offered me the job, all I could think of was,“Why not sayYES?“

And so I did — even if a part of me felt like I was making the wrong choice.

I just convinced myself that apart from needing the money, I also needed to reinforce my knowledge about finance and that I would use it as a ‘leverage’ for my future career — “it really wouldn’t hurt to do this temporarily.” Besides, I wanted to prove that even if I shifted out of Accountancy and came to hate numbers, I could still take on this kind of field and be strong in it.

I told myself:1 year and then I will resign and apply for a job that I actually love.

2012:A year has passed, and yet… I was still in Deutsche Bank (DB) working on trading books. How was I doing?
Burned out. Miserable. Stressed. Confused.

I was the best performer on the team despite being a fresh graduate. There was even talk of recommending me for an overseas transfer. The icing to the cake? I became an Employee of the Month.

And yet… I was only earning about $300 a month.

It was definitely not enough so I literally had no savings; but of course, I had to make do. At some point, they offered me a promotion for the next year with only an $80 increase and I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry. I also felt a bit of spite because there was a new hire I was training(and who even took my accomplishments to his credit)who was paid triple than me. He may have had prior experience than me for 5 months, but it still felt unfair.

Don’t get me wrong though, working at DB had its fun parts but it was mentally and physically draining. My morale was also low. I started thinking…

“Is this all there is to it?
What good is in this ‘interesting work’ if I am this unhappy?
If I am counting every hour until I could get home?
If I am counting the days until it’s the weekend?
If I am always waiting for vacation, holidays, or long weekends?
If I am wasting almost 5 hours of my day in traffic?
If I am plagued by overtimes and unnecessary meetings?“

It was my daily grind: I woke up uninspired and I was on a countdown of my life.

I was also gaining weight. I wasn’t healthy(when I get stressed, I don’t get thin — I get fat).

And then there are those conversations.Whenever people asked me how my work was, I kept a straight face and told them exactly how I felt: that it was an interesting and challenging environment, but I wasn’t happy. Once I finish, they always say that they felt the same way with their jobs, but then they quickly add the comment that I was going to befine: I will be getting a raise soon and I was one of the best, so it will all be “worth it” in the end.

For some reason, we seem to be on an unending cycle where we convince one another that it will all get better. But in the back of my mind, I know thatit won’t.It was a rat race —an endless, self-defeating, and pointless pursuit.

Of course, I know that this office work/profession seemed to work for others (it was their passion) but for me…it just didn’t work at all.

So after a while, I started voicing out my ideas for resignation(I wanted to try doing online marketing)or going on a long break(because I always wanted to travel). But again, people, much like the rest of society — made me hesitate. They said:

• I should cling to what I have, I am already ‘secured’.
  …was I? I can get fired anytime.All of us are technically ‘disposable’ employees.
• Times are getting hard. I probably wouldn’t find a good opportunity anywhere else.
  …do I really lack the skills to try something else?
• Traveling is expensive and can always be done when a long holiday comes.
  …the waiting game again? Those ‘long holidays’ rarely come and it even saddens me that traveling is painted in that light.
  .

Even if I had this number of retorts in my head, I couldn’t say a thing because I was being fed with fear. I was told to settle and wait.

So I couldn’t do it… I was far too conditioned to hesitate. BUT I told myself that in the meantime, I should at least make ways to make my life a bit bearable until I can find an exit.

That’s why in order to cope with the stress, I decided to start blogging* again as a hobby — and guess what? It was a good choice! It was so fun to do and it was the one thing that kept me sane, happy, and inspired despite my 9-to-5 job.

I set up two platforms: this website(which was branded as a lifestyle blog then and hosted on Blogspot)and then a food website(called FoodieFromTheMetro.com, and which was more popular than my lifestyle site).I slowly gained a bit of a ‘name’ for myself online in the Philippines through these websites, so I often had invitations from establishments and resorts to visit and review them for free.

But then again, blogging required traveling and taking absences at work… which was almost impossible for me to get! As such, surely my resolve to quit my job was strengthened as I realized more and more how much better it could be if I could control my own time and if I didn’t have to ask someone togetsome time off.

Do you realize how ridiculous that was? That you actually have to ask someone just to have a break!

I was no longer thinking of quitting and finding another job in a field that I liked; I was thinking more of quitting the corporate scene altogether because I knew that having an office job would never help me achieve the freedom that I wanted.

The only looming question though was:HOW?
How can I quit my job and travel the world and actually LIVE?

As if life heard my plea, I started meeting people outside of my corporate circle through blogging events. I even started to meet folks from abroad and they were backpackers, entrepreneurs, or nomads who were able to travel the world as they did the things that they LOVED. In fact, it was the first time that I heard of the term:digital nomad.

Naturally, these people inspired mebecause their lifestyle and profession were the exact things that I would have loved to do! We continued to exchange stories and I started to get envious of their lifestyle and experiences in averypositiveway.

When it was time to talk about me, other than the other interesting stories of my life, I told them how I felt about my 9 to 5 job. I answered them truthfully, much like how I answered everyone else, and what happened next…was amazing!

ALLof them advised me to quit if I really wanted to, and they even gave me ideas on what I could do afterward based on my interests, skills, and passions.

It was REFRESHING!

Finally, I met people who did NOT feed me fear and who did not make me hesitate, instead: they encouraged me to embrace fear, to be different, to be released from the old concept of financial security, and to take the leap!

This was also the period when I met one of my closest friends today. He was already a digital nomad himself when we met and it was actually thanks to him that the nomadic chapter of my life was finally ushered into motion. The moment that triggered this change was a bit of a funny occurrence… but all the same, unique.

You see, one day, we had an earnest conversation and he asked me how I truly felt about my life and my job. For the first time in months, I couldn’t keep a straight face.

I cried.
…To be more accurate, I bawled my eyes and heart out like a child.

It seemed like every emotion that I was keeping inside of me finally leaked through and it hit me that:

“This is it! It’s enough. It’s time to STOP.”

You see, I’m not an emotional person. I know that if I cry because of a negative topic, it means that it HAS already reached a level of extreme seriousness!(Remember how I had to cry to my mom just so I could shift courses?)That’s why this time around, I figured that it had reached this point because I was already too frustrated, and meeting people like him who have full control of their lives while following their passions made me see how I can do the same — and yet, I was too scared to do it!

In some way, I was angry at myself for being like that.

Now, of course, as I said above, the idea of resigning and applying for a marketing position in another company had crossed my mind because a marketing job would probably keep me inspired(as per my previous training with other companies, etc.). HOWEVER, the thought that I would be kept inside an office again, working for someone else, and serving a 9 to 5 job(possibly with even more hours)suffocated me.

It just felt like another trap.

I’ve already experiencedenoughof the 9-to-5 grind and having been exposed to the existence of how I could travel the world had already made the corporate life pale so much in comparison — especially because I was fired up with the idea of finally working for myself.

In the end, I told myself that:

• I don’t want to hate myself or my life anymore.I want to love and enjoy life.
• I don’t want to live in constant fear and waste away my early 20s.I want to have the courage to live boldly and to live each day to the fullest.
• I don’t want society or anybody else to dictate what I have to do.I want to follow my own desires.
• I don’t want to settle.I want to get what I deserve and what I want.
• I don’t want to work for someone else or slave myself for a corporation just ‘to get by’.I want to work for myself and not be led by money.
  .

I voiced out these thoughts to my mom and much like any big life choices that I have made before, this one was a huge struggle for her. Probably the worst too because working online was a novel concept at that time, and I’m sure she thought that I was flushing my future down the toilet… as well as wasting the years of effort that she did to put me into school. After all, she did all she could so that I could get the formal education that I needed.

I totally understood this and I felt guilty. Oh boy, I sure did… but I knew that this shouldn’t deter me(nor should it deter you too).It may seem selfish but I know that it’s never a child’s fault. Parents, at the very core, know that it’s their responsibility and that they only want the best for their kids — and my decision to change my profession and lifestyle is what I wanted best. It’s what would make me happy; and what makes me happy, will make my parents happy. Even more so when I succeed and pay it forward. Besides, in the first place, my education will never be wasted, it was just changing form.

Also, in our culture, decisions like these almost always have to go through one’s parents because you somehow need their ‘blessing‘. Most Filipinos do it for approval; but for me, I do it as a sign of respect. Besides, if she objected to my plans, I think she also knows that I was at the part of my adulthood where I would have done it nonetheless; so, I guess a part of her was just thankful that I told her. And I am just so glad that my mom found it in herself to let me go and not be angry about it — and for that, I will be forever thankful for her.

…After a few months of preparation, it was finallyApril 2013.
I have been taking the steps to gain the lifestyle that I wanted, I had my resignation in,and finally: I was FREE!

I started as a digital nomad: I offered various services online:graphic design, web design, SEO management, and online marketing.

These were all the things that I found interesting to do but never had the time to do so because of my 9-to-5 job. But obviously, with more free time as an online freelancer, I got to polish these skills further.

It’s also important to note that I wasn’t so adept in these areas at first because they were not taught to me in my college courses nor in the past corporate jobs that I had.

So how did I learn them all?All by myself, online!
As always, Google is your friend. There is a crazy amount of FREE online resources that you can take advantage of.

After a while, with my set of skills, I snagged a permanent contract with an online Swedish company that paid more than triple what I earned before. But after a year with them —learning all their processes and seeing how profitable it was(an Amazon FBA venture)— I decided that it was something that I would love to do as a business!

I pitched the idea to a digital nomad friend that I had who was open to investing in ‘angel businesses’ and thankfully, he was interested. I proceeded to end my contract and dedicated my time to learning more about Amazon(while traveling around Asia and Europe).

Fast forward to July, we had a successful product launch for our own brand:Adalid Gear* — and the rest, as they say, was history.

(*UPDATE: As of 2020, I have sold off this business and explored other online businesses to date.)

It’s important to note that even before this online business venture started, working online as a freelancer had already given me the freedom to travel the world and earn a living at the same time. But of course, having this business made my financial situation even more comfortable and secure. My journey made me see clearly that life has truly become such a blissful experience once I started doing what I always wanted to do ♥

I guess my past and the current situation is, somehow, a perfect embodiment of this quote:

“Do what you love to do. Forget the money. Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You will be doing things you don’t like doing, in order to go on living doing things you don’t like doing… Which is STUPID! Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.
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Just do what you love to do and you’ll see… the money will come. If you really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it.”
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– Alan Watts

So again… how can YOU make a similar lifestyle possible?

“Do I have to be rich?”NOPE.

Because I was NOT rich nor did I come from a rich family. They have never given me money for these travels either, and I have never asked for money from them ever since I started working.(BUT, guess what…? I am VERY rich in love, support, and skills!-wink-)

But yes, you reallyDON’Thave to be rich. You just have to take these steps in order to travel the world…

• • •

5 Steps: How to Travel the World

Step 1:Ask Yourself Some Hard Questions

This step is crucial because even if I encourage everyone to quit their job and travel the world as I have, it is stillandalways important to be inquisitive and perceptive about this as much as possible. How can you do that? By asking yourself these tough questions that are grouped in three (3) phases.

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∙∙∙Phase 1

• “What exactly am I unhappy about with my office job?“
• “What would it take for me to be happy here? Or is my happiness elsewhere?“
• “Have I taken every action possible to try and make my job be better for me?“
• “If nothing is working out no matter what I try, what problems am I expecting to solve if I quit my job and travel the world?“
• “Is it really my dream to travel the world?“
• “What do I ultimately want as a career or lifestyle?“
  .

YOUdefinitely have to ask yourself these questions and actually answer them. After all, you have to make sure that quitting your job is something that YOU want, and traveling the world is what YOU’RE passionate about — or else, you’ll just end up hating your life again(which is a cycle you MUST avoid).

You also have to ensure that you are not using this as an ‘escape’ or a ‘fad’ you just want to jump on when in fact, what you might actually just need is a different kind of job, field, boss, or company.

• Do some self-reflection.If you are troubled about some internal or external issues in your life, remember that you’ll be carrying those with you when you set out into the world… and if you don’t handle those issues NOW or at least address them, it could create a snowball effect that could affect you while you’re on the road. So as early as now, try to understand yourself as a person so you can see if you can handle the lifestyle change you’ll be doing.
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• Make some mental notes.Remember that though a traveling nomad’s life is exciting and fulfilling, it will still involve a great deal of hard work and responsibility — it could even be the same level of effortor even morethan the current work you’re putting into your office job. The only upside is that you’ll finally be working on something that’s for yourself, and not for others or some big ol’ corporation.
  • Hard workbecause you’ll really have to start on something from the ground up.
  • Responsibilitybecause you have no one else to rely on but yourself and all decisions will be made by you alone
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• Be sure.It will also take commitment, consistency, and motivation on your part in order to quit your job and travel the world. So as I’ve said, it’s important to ensure that this is your own desire and purpose to grow and experience. You shouldneverdo this for someone else or for appearances because that will just make all of this meaningless.
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RELATED READ:5 Important Things to Know First Before You Quit Your Job to Travel the World

Think about all of these thingsverywell, and if your answer remains to be…

“Yes, I don’t want to work a 9-to-5 job anymore because I want to have the freedom to work in my own hours and in a setting that’sbeyond the confines of an office cubicle. To travel the world is also my passion, so if I could combine these two, the happier I will become and the closer I can be to my dreams. I want to make this happen.”

…then that’s great! Next up:

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∙∙∙Phase 2

• Am I prepared to sacrifice things to achieve what I truly want?
• Do I really know what I’m getting myself into?
• Do I know anything about the life of non-stop travelers or working nomads?
  .

For the latter question, somehow, you have already tried to answer them because of the simple fact that you’re now reading my blog —so yay, good job!

But other than my blog, try to read other blogs of traveling nomads so that you can see the different kinds of lifestyles that they lead depending on the jobs that they do. I say this because there are just SO many different types of working nomads out there. Obviously, I am asking you to do this so that:
~ You can see your possible options
~ You can lower down any expectations that might be overly-romanticized
~ You can find out what your daily routine or life might be if you follow the same path

If you ask me, I categorize remote workers or nomads into these groups:

1. Corporate Nomads– Those who are allowed by their companies to work from home. Before the whole 2020 pandemic, I have also heard of people who get to work for half a year or have a 6-month leave, then go back to the office — and repeat.
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2. Traditional Nomads–They have the good ol’ conventional traveling careers that enable them to travel the world(e.g. tour guides, cruise ship crew staff, flight attendants, pilots, etc.)The downside to this, however, is that it still requires a lot of hours(sometimes fixed).
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3. Offline Nomads– They start a life of travel by jumping from one country to the next depending on the local opportunities available. These can be jobs or activities on the road(big or small like volunteering, etc.)in order to earn just enough every day. This usually works best for budget travelers and is often the first starting point for those who want to travel the world.
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4. Digital Nomads– They depend on technology or the internet to make a living(e.g. freelancing, blogging, online shops, etc.).These kinds of nomads typically earn a good amount of earnings for doing in-demand online jobs, so you’ll usually find them glued to their laptops, if not traveling.

RELATED READ:The Ultimate Guide on How to Become a Digital Nomad

5. Phase Nomads– Those who just graduated from university and intend to travel the world for only 1-3 years — just to take advantage of what they can do with their youth(sometimes called a gap year). Afterward, they go back to their home country to get an office job.
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6. Rich Nomads– These are the ones who have a lot of money saved up from the start and they use it to launch their traveling journey(the money may be from an inheritance, from a high-paying career, from selling every possession they had, etc.).They may or may not work anymore while traveling, but most of the time, they don’t.
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7. Chill Nomads– They may be a different kind of nomad before but currently, they are earning more than the average(and mostly passive income too)due to a successful business start-up or reputation. They don’t work as much and they often travel from one place to another at a slower pace in order to take in a country’s culture and lifestyle for a longer or indefinite period.

RELATED READ:5 Job Types That Allow You to Earn as You Travel

Of course, depending on your skills or circumstances, you can be any of the above at the start of your journey! And as you go on, you can turn into a nomad that is a mix of, let’s say, a digital and chill nomad(like me).

All in all, you should open your eyes to these possible realities so you can see whatcanhappen OR whatmayapply to you. It can also help manage your expectations and squish any unrealistic views.

To illustrate this further, let’s say you currently have a high-paying corporate job. Surely a new nomadic lifestyle wouldn’t replace your current salary right away especially if you choose to do volunteering which is often paid less than most travel jobs(if that were possible, then everyone would be doing this in a heartbeat!)

So yes: to maintain and start a life of travel is NOT always as glamorous as you think. It’s not like everyone instantly goes to 5-star hotels once they become a traveling nomad — or even if they do(because they’re rich in the first place)the adventures, experiences, and stories are the real golden treasures that NO money or 5-star whatever will ever compare.

That being said, if your heart is truly set on this journey, let’s now proceed to the last phase.

– – –

∙∙∙Phase 3

• What’s holding me back from taking this leap?
• What excuses have I built up in my head?
• What is actually the truth behind these doubts?
  .

I need you to list down ALL the excuses you’re thinking of that are possibly holding you back from being totally immersed in your goal.Why?Because chances are, those excuses areinvalidand are only holding you back.

Possibly, some of the things that you’ve been thinking of are:

“I can’t afford this change, I don’t have any money or savings”
Actually, you can. If this is really your dream and it’s something you absolutely desire, you can always find a way.(Take it from me who was almost living through cup noodles for every meal just to make ends meet).Of course, words are shallow but I’ll actually discuss how you can manage your finances later on in this post. So please, don’t let yourself use this excuse — even more so if you managed to get the latest iPhone for yourself in the past months(see how youactuallyhave the money?)

Alternatively, there’s a touchy topic regardingprivilege. We obviously don’t have the exact same life circumstances and your situation could be far worse than mine back when I was still starting.
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A sample concern is: “What if I’m supporting my siblings or parents?”.
I can understand how difficult of a situation this can be since it’s a common occurrence, for instance, in Asian countries like the Philippines(in fact, to this day, I am still supporting my parents).But still and the same, there’s a viable option for you: finding a better job where you can compete and gain a salary that’s not within 3rd world standards — which is what I’ve done and achieved.
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So I know that YOU can do something similar given that I’ve managed to do so with maddening perseverance and hard work. But of course, I acknowledge the reality that this post will likely NOT cater to those who are poverty-stricken; nevertheless, I am obviously catering this to people like YOU who at least have the chance to access the internet which is a vast area where you can gain a LOT of opportunities to uplift your life’s situation. After all, access to the internet alone should already show you the reality that with such ‘privilege’, you CAN already turn your life around if you dearly will it so. Take it from me, as well as from the number of successful nomads worldwide!

“I’m afraid to travel alone.“
When you travel the world, you are NEVER alone. You’re bound to meet people along the way. You’ll be making friends on the road who can turn out to be your best friends for life. So take this as a challenge for yourself. Don’t underestimate yourself before you actually get the chance to try it out; besides, you’ll be surprised how strong and independent you can actually be! Plus, it’s not so scary to travel alone abroad as long as you stay street-smart and know where to go.(For a start, you can try going on a small solo trip for a couple of days to some nearby city, just to get a feel of this, and I’m pretty sure, you’ll be fine.)Besides, the world isn’t such a scary place at all like what the media portrays it to be.

RELATED READ:Solo Travel Tips

“I’m taken right now. I can’t leave my bf/gf.“
Then take this leap together! If you do, the two of you can save together and it will make things easier and more achievable. However… I understand that some partners wouldn’t have the same dream. Why not try to make them read blogs like this and maybe they’ll find out that it’s what they want in life too? But if it’s not, I guess it’s time to make some sacrifices. And if you’re still young, I strongly advise that you don’t give up your dreams just for someone else’s benefit or request.

“I’m too old… It’s too late. I also have kids.”
Nope. It’s never too late. I may seem arrogant for saying this because I don’t have kids yet unlike you; however, I’ve seen a LOT of successful married and older nomads who made it a point to work remotely and travel the world. They were in their 50s, 70s, or more, and their kids were traveling with them too! Most of them have tried traveling around in a van, or just simply jumping from one country to the next while home-schooling their kids. To put it simply: they found ways! Sometimes, we are just making up these excuses in our heads when in fact, everything is almost possible if we just take the initiative to try and see.

“I don’t think it’s the right time.”
Newsflash:there’s NEVER a right time. You just DO it and make time for it. It’s as simple as that. We are never ready for anything anyway — may it be love, studies, moving to a new place, or pursuing to travel the world. It just happens if YOU let it happen.

For more sample excuses, read:Top 15 Common Travel Excuses That Should NOT Hold You Back!

I hope that these have addressed some, if not all, of your doubts. This last phase just basically boils down to these 2 ideas of how you should never let yourself be boxed into any of your preconceived notions, and how you should never undermine your ability to take on new things in your life.YOU are a lot more capable than you think!

Feel free to take some time to internalize all of these questions because by following through all these 3 phases, you will be achieving a better sense of direction and clarity for properly aligning yourself to the dream life you’ve envisioned.

Once you’re all done with this, you’re now ready to take on the 2nd step!

• • •

Step 2:Reinforce Your Desire to Travel the World (& Make it a Constant)

NOTE: This step, along with #3 and #4, can all be done at the same time!

As you might have noticed by now,INSPIRATIONplayed a huge role in ushering me to this new chapter of my life! In fact,DESPERATIONplayed a crucial part too.

Now, tell me… when youfirstthought of pursuing the decision to quit your job and travel the world,what were the emotions that you felt?

Please identify those, and once you do, I am strongly encouraging you to keep those emotions — it doesn’t even matter if there were negative emotions in the mix because fear, for example, could be a strong and helpful ally if you use it to your advantage.

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