A lot of people ask me how I manage my travel lifestyle. How I afford it. How I navigate the world without having a “real” job. Here’s the simple truth: if you want something bad enough, eventually you will find a way to make it work.
.
Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve had an insatiable desire to travel the whole world.
.
For a long time I was reluctant to step into this desire for fear of what others would think. As a southern girl growing up in conservative Alabama, I thought this isn’t “normal,” nobody else does this, everybody else is getting jobs, settling down, starting families and saving up their wealth for retirement. What will my family think? What will the world think? I was scared. Scared to be truly me.
.
In a nutshell, it all comes down to fear. Fear of how others will react. Fear of quitting our jobs. Fear we’ll run out of money. Fear we won’t know what to do when we get there. But as Tony Robbins said, “the only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”
.
Little did I know once I would step out into that world, I would discover multiple new worlds. Multiple new paths, ways of being, perspectives and lifestyles. I discovered “other black sheep.” Maybe I wasn’t so alone after all.
.
It’s really not as hard as our minds make it out to be. Once I overcame the fear of what my friends or family (or even strangers) may think, or what “might” happen out there, I just started with one step. And then another. And then another. And soon everything began to unfold organically. 6 years later….here I am.
.
Many people think that you have to have a lot of money to travel which is one of the greatest deceptions ever. Traveling isn’t the same as holiday-ing. If you’re staying in 5 star hotels and eating out every meal, then yeah, you might run out of money. Yes, you have to be smart with how you spend it. Know when it’s time to work and time to play, when to spend and when to save. It’s a balance, yin and yang.
.
I hiked and camped all over New Zealand while working my a** off in renting skis and selling Icebreaker merino. I lived on $10 a day in Thailand and Laos, booked budget flights and shared spaces with more humans than I care to admit to save money on rent. I made extra money teaching yoga while saving money cleaning toilets and making beds for a guesthouse in Australia. I’ve done heaps of yogatrades, foregoing the cost of food and accommodation in exchange for my skills, while also having the opportunity to earn extra money on the side. I worked on farms, vineyards, hitchhiked, lived on people’s couches and Harry Potter closets and did everything I could to make the most of exploring the beautiful places of the countries I’ve visited and lived in. I teach on the road because I love it, live it, and breath it every freakin day.
.
Sure, it’s not always easy. And it’s certainly not all glamour and roses and “insta-worthy” moments. I still gotta find a place to sleep and food for my belly. I still gotta do my laundry and plan the next bus or train and maybe do a little research. At times I have to ask strangers for directions or tips, be really goddam*** thrifty about how I spend my money, how I’m going to get from A to B, and be really conscious about what’s worth my time. I give up certain luxuries but also know when to treat myself: splurge on that extra legroom, or that nice Airbnb or $5 gelato because I damn well deserve it! But it’s not like it all comes on a silver platter once you make the decision to start “traveling.” All good things come with good effort.
.
Resourcefulness. Flexibility. Adaptability. Time Management. Humility. Love.
.
But the most important thing I’ve learned is that I’m constantly aware, and constantly learning. The. entire. time. The strength I’ve gained is just an added bonus. I’ve learned to relish it all – the highs and the lows, the thick and the thin, the mud and the grit and the smiles and the sweat and the kisses and the fear and the euphoria and the stillness. All the while having faith that the universe has my back because it does and it will.
.
“Poverty is inescapable as long as wealth exists, but there is undoubtedly a natural richness to be achieved by every human individual in his course through life.” – Less is More: The Art of Voluntary Poverty
.
Fear has a way of keeping us frozen for a looong time. If you are waiting for a magic 8 ball to offer you a guarantee before leaving that job, having that kid, starting that dream company or walking away from that relationship…are you more scared of going for it? Or are you more afraid of never trying and knowing what could have been?
.
No one regrets the mistakes they make because those are our greatest life lessons. What we regret are the moments we weren’t brave enough to hop on the train not knowing exactly where we might get off or where the adventure will take us. The terrifying and e x h i l a r a t i n g leap into the unknown.
.
“The goal of preparation, then, is not knowing exactly where you’ll go but being confident nonetheless that you’ll get there. This means that your attitude will be more important than your itinerary, and that the simple willingness to improvise is more vital, in the long run, than research.” -Vagabonding, Rolf Potts
.
Fortune favors the bold. If you want something badly enough, take the leap of faith and GO for it! Unhappy with your life, guess what? You can change it! Sadly, the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. Conditions are never perfect. “Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. If it’s important to you, and you want to do it eventually, just do it, course correct along the way, and trust that life is giving you exactly what you need practice in.
.
You are the only person dictating your happiness. If you don’t like the book you’re reading, nobody says you have to finish it.
.
Fortunately, we were all born with winning tickets—and cashing them in is a simple matter of altering our cadence as we walk through the world.
.
Maybe it won’t work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.
.
#idareyoutosayyes
Next up on the blog, I’ll offer some useful tips and links on how you can get started working and traveling on the road. It’s not hard to do it. It’s just scary cause it’s unknown!