5 things no one tells you about quitting your job to travel the world
Ashlea Halpern is six months into her year-long trip. TripAdvisor
Countless people dream about leaving their jobs to travel. I was one of them.
And last November, that's exactly what I did: After years of disciplined saving, I Myanmar Adventure Tours quit my job as an editor at a respected magazine in New York, bid adieu to my bargain apartment, sold my furniture, dropped off my beloved Chihuahuas at Chez Parents, packed our bags, and set off with the boyfriend for a yearlong, 16-country tour of Asia.
We're six months into the trip now, having visited China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Thailand (twice), myanmar bicycle tours, India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
In many ways, this semipermanent vacation is exactly what I imagined and hoped it would be when I was chained to my corporate desk. But there have also been a few surprises - not all of them positive.
Here are five kinda major things nobody tells you about when you give up your life (and paycheck) to travel long-term.
1. Not everyone will be stoked for you.
When I first started telling people my grand plan, I was met with one of three responses: (a) awe and envy, usually from fellow travelers; (b) fear for my well-being (What about H1N1? What about terrorists? What will you do when you get back? Who could ever possibly want to hire you again?!); or (c) total disinterest.
That last response was, invariably, the most disappointing. Jeez, buddy - I'm giving up the rat race! I'm living out of a bag for a year! Don't you even want to know what countries I'm going to? The answer is no - no, they don't. And that's a hard thing to accept. Making a leap like this is so far outside the realm of some peoples' realities, they can't comprehend what you're telling them, let alone quiz you on the specifics. Others loathe their own jobs or lives and wish they could do the same but lack the know-how, financial means, familial support, and/or cojones to pull it off.
The lesson? Focus your energy on the people who are as excited for your Myanmar Adventure Tours as you are, and never mind the hate-hate-haters.