Before I left for my very first trip around the world there was a lot of things I wish I knew then that I know now. There are some things to think about when on traveling around the world and some of them you might not have even thought of! Well I hope to clear some of these up and give you my insights on what I would do next time I plan a world trip.
A bit of inspiration from Rick Mereki who traveled 38,000 miles and visited 13 countries in 44 days… Travelling is fun! Now move!
Whether you’re planning to go around for a few weeks, few months, few years or even indefinitely (not knowing when you’re going “home” is pretty fun by the way), a little bit of planning goes a long way.
What Sort Of Trip Do You Want?
First thing to think about is what you want sort of trip you want to have. Do you want to go see loads of cool and wonderful things? Do you want to learn a new skill whilst you’re in an other country?
Planning on what you want to do will help you figure out what sort of countries to visit. For example, if you’re goal is to learn the French language in a country that speaks french, then planning on going to China or Thailand probably won’t help you too much. Obviously you’re going to go to France!
I wouldn’t plan too much though. Every time I try planning something, it always changes!
I planned on going to Brazil and Canada after being in Australia for 11 months, but instead I ended up being in Fiji for 6 months teaching people how to scuba dive. I didn’t even plan on being a scuba diving instructor whilst I was in Australia, it just sort of… Happened! I enjoyed doing over 500 dives on the Great Barrier Reef in my time in the land down under, something I never thought of before I left England!
Think about what sort of trip you want… But remember you can always change things whilst you’re away.
In fact you don’t even have to plan… Some of the best times I’ve had are from just “winging it” and from those last minute decisions!
Cash… Moolah… Dosh… “The Dollars and Cents!”…
It’s important to know how much cash you have when you start your travels because it all equates to different amounts in different parts of the world!
If you had $50 and you were in Australia, it probably wouldn’t go too far. If you had the same $50 in Vietnam then you are able to sleep and eat for a week!
So it doesn’t matter how much money you have, it all depends on where you are around the world to the value of your savings. So set yourself a reserve or a buffer to say “right once I get to X amount of dollars, I need to find a job” and stick to it. I’ve met a few people who never have more than $100 to their name, and that was in Australia where that would last you a couple days if you were lucky.
Now being here you will know that my number one suggestion and the whole reason I created That Marketing Dude was to show people that starting an online business is perfect for traveling. You can make very good money anywhere around the world with just an internet connection.
And again, depending on where you are in the world, the money you make online could allow you to live like a king in some countries and can continue to fund your trip to many more countries!
I do however suggest you start your online business before you leave your own country, just because it’s easier to get everything started when you’re not constantly on the move. It is possible, I did a massive chunk of it whilst I was living in Australia, but it’s much easier to do it before you leave.
Where Are You Going To Start Your Adventure?
Picking that first country to visit probably isn’t the toughest part for most people. Many of us have that 1 particular country we’ve been wanting to go to for YEARS! Well… Maybe you want leave that one for later on in your trip and pick one that’ll be an easy transition towards your potentially new nomadic lifestyle.
A very popular country for a lot of people, and is also the same country I started my travels in, is Thailand.
Thailand is a beautiful country and is great especially for people living in the western world because there is also a culture change to go along with the stunning scenery. The people are so friendly there that if you ever get stuck or experience a bit of trouble, most of the locals would help.
The place is set up nicely for tourism that you can get around the country with very little drama. When I followed the “go straight to Bangkok” advice like a few guys told me, it was the best decision I made because it opened up so many more opportunities for me in the future! I met so many people, especially Canadians, that I wish to visit that I have many more countries to visit, just after being in Thailand for a month.
Thailand is very easy going which is why it’s popular, especially with young travelers and retirees… It’s hard to go wrong there!
There Is No Going Back Once You Get Started… But That’s a Good Thing!
Think of your new adventure as an open book and you have loads of pages to fill. There are SO MANY COUNTRIES to choose from to begin your adventure that it can be hard to decide where to start.
An excellent metaphor I read recently for someone contemplating taking “The Jump” on whether to go traveling is:
“It’s like doing so out of a moving train, with a blindfold, and a stick with a pack of clothes tied to it slung over my shoulder”
Even if you have the smallest desire to travel. GO! That train is just going to get faster and faster and it’s to become almost impossible to jump.
Sometimes it’s just better to jump in head first. I’ve met so many people on my travels who have just decided to go on a spur of the moment and now they’re been traveling for a few years had have so many amazing stories and memories. All because they didn’t think and just did it. Not everyone is like this, but for some people, this is what you need. Just to make that jump and things turn out the way they turn out.
You can always return home whenever you want… But won’t not see if you get some amazing memories to take back with you!
Now When Does Your Adventure Start?
So when are you going to leave for your trip? Not only do you get to see some amazing things traveling but you have some once in a lifetime experiences and meet some of the most amazing people ever.
In my travels I’ve met senators from Argentina, met international businessman who I’ve had the pleasure of bouncing ideas off of. I’ve met ex-special forces divers whilst I worked as a diving instructor and they’ve told me about their lives. The world truly is a fascinating place, so go explore it.
Check out more around here at TMD and maybe you’ll get more ideas about your future travels. Whether you end up getting a working visa and work in Canada or Australia or decide to start your own business… I hope to give you 100’s of ideas of where you can go and what you can do with your adventure around the big rock we call our home!
You may think the world is pretty big, but believe me, once you start traveling, the whole world is really just on your doorstep.
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