So i started travelling 2 years ago and because of university I\'ve only travelled during my summer break. There are so many places i still want to go and visit BEFORE i settle down and start a family. However i'm also just starting out in my career and its extremely hard to get vacations (only 2 weeks/year), which isn't much. After reading blogs, it seems like some people are constantly travelling. So my question is how are people able to travel and be able to support themselves financially??? Do you work for a long time and had money saved up and took months off work?? or do u work abroad while travelling?? I guess i just need advice because i don\'t know how to go about this. I want to travel but time and money seems to be a constraint, therefore i need a plan=)
Reply to this I don't think I'll have the answer you are looking for but Nikki & I are pretty boring when at home in the UK. We rarely go out, neither of us drink (maybe 3-4 times a year), we don't smoke, we don't eat out or go to the cinema much, it feels like we pretty much work & sleep whilst in the UK & do nothing else which allows us to save money to travel.
You only get 2 weeks a year? Wow that must be hard, luckily for me I get about 5 weeks a year but do extra work to make it up to 6 weeks.
Reply to this Travel is rewarding and enriching and a shared desire among those of us who frequent this web site.
I am from the United States so I am very aware of your problem of having only two weeks of vacation each year. That is the norm for us Americans. Sadly, many Americans have jobs that don't provide any paid vacation. It is frustrating when you have to make the choices.
Unless you have a wealthy family that is willing to support your travel habit you will have to earn some money for your travels before you take off. If you have been at the university for two years it sounds like you should finish in another two years. If you work a year you should be able to save enough to take you on some nice travels.
Many people who participate in travelblog are traveling a lot but that is not to say it was immediate gratification. As Chris pointed out he has made choices to give up other things so that he and Nikki have the money to take the trips they want. They set their priorities.
If you read more you will see that many families are traveling with their children-- so having children does not mean you have to give up traveling-- you just need to find a like minded partner.
I went into nursing because the world has a shortage of nursing. I worked for a traveling nurse for many years which allowed me to move around the US on short term assignments. I have lived and worked in 15 states. I have seen all of the US. Nursing is stable and pays well which allows me the ability to save money for my foreign travels. Nursing also opens the door to working overseas. It provides many opportunities.
Traveling is not free but can be done cheaply with a little planning. Happy Travels!
Reply to this Think of your University studies as a downpayment on future travels. If I didnt have the qualifications I do I would not get 12 weeks annual leave and earn the salary that allows me to travel. My travelling days stopped for a while when I was at Uni not because of having kids (I was a single parent doing a double degree). As soon as I graduated and got a job I started planning for hitting the road again. It is about sacrifices and choices. I one day chose not to bum around the world wondering where my next meal was coming from and to knuckle down, stick out this uni and childbearing business for a few years so I could start travelling again.....except nowdays I know I have money for my next meal.
Reply to this Cindy- well said--- not just the next meal, but the next trip!
Reply to this As for me, it isn't so hard as you think
I always worked when I was a student
and always I had the money for my travel trips
So you simply begin and will see that everything can be combined
Reply to this Travelling is a drug...well for me it's for sure, and we need ways to get it. I know I am fortunate to travel the world a lot, so I'm for sure not a "typical case".
First, as said above, education is the key to everything. But for info, I got the travel bug while at University. I made sure to chose classes I did not have to attend, or get in good terms with my teachers to make sure Iwas not sitting in a class, but did study on the road. And for the last 2 years of Uni, I was working for club med...3 to 5 weeks at a time, getting paid for it...in gorgeous places. You get paid to party, that's nice...but very often at 2am...you would see me in front of my Uni books.
After university, I just took off, had a airline ticket return to Hong Kong (I'm European) and went on to find a job...which I found in 1996 in less than 3 weeks. Since than, I live and have made my life in Asia living in 4 different countries (we speak a lot of different languages at home).
Working abroad is already a huge trip in itself. And by moving countries every few years, it's like a very long trip. There are thousands of jobs which will allow you to travel, it's just a question of choices...and to be ready to open all opportunities in front of you.
And the family...well, my son had his 60th flight at 23 months old, so don't have to stop with a family. He is today 10 and on the road pretty often too. What you need at the end of the day, it's he right partner...not always easy to find!
The most important thing is always the first step. At 18 I was hitchhiking around Europe, sleeping in youth hostels...and few train stations...today I apply the same rules, I just upgraded my lifestyle a little.
Reply to this I traveled with my children. And alone. It doesn't matter - I've properly warped them, and they travel when they have the time now. Even if it's only local, they're out of the house as soon as they have a free moment. Right now, they're looking for jobs that will take them somewhere different, just for the sake of doing so.
The previous posters are right - make your education work for you. And if your life involves kids, take them along! Mine have great memories, and while I mostly catered to their needs while we were out, I know that they received more than just a short two-week stint away from home. They ended up with an experience that I couldn't possibly duplicate with anything else. But it doesn't have to stop at two weeks. You have weekends, don't you? And things in your area to see? It works. XD
Reply to this I left home nearly 2 years ago with barely any money at all and have managed to survive! I left uni with nothing but a heap of debt so worked in a restaurant, cash-in-hand, 12 hour days, 7 days a week for 3 months and managed to save enough for my plane tickets and a few months in SE Asia.
Firstly, I'd say to spend the majority of your travels in the cheapest places. These are always the most amazing travel experiences and you'll be able to spend so much longer in these places. If you travel on a real budget than you can live on less than 10 pound a day.
Then when you run out of money I'd suggest visiting a country such as Australia or New Zealand where its easy to find work and save some money. You can find jobs where you work and travel at the same time, work somewhere rural to save you pennies or work in a popular town or city so you'll earn enough to enjoy yourself without worrying about your budget. You can also work in some touristy places through Asia but you'll basically only earn enough to eat and sleep.
You can also find jobs abroad teaching English really easily in loads of amazing places. this then gives you a base to travel to surrounding areas during your time off.
Reply to this Have you thought about studying as an exchange/international student? I meet heaps of uni and tech students from all over the world in Aus to have fun, sight see and study towards their degrees. If you can get a student visa you are allowed to work a small amount of hours to supplement your living. Of course there is the cost of fees/tuition but you would have that anywhere you study. As long as where ever you may choose to study is an internationally recognised institution, you will get credits towards your course at your home university.
LOL Metal Wallflower...properly warped children - sounds like mine!
Reply to this LOL Metal Wallflower...properly warped children - sounds like mine!
Yes. But now they keep leaving without me now, darn it!
I like the idea of the international exchange student. I may be too old for that now, though. But I've been looking into some of these other things, like travel clubs that stay at the hostels, and the hiking from one hostel to another. But I still like my tent. XD
Reply to this Scott and I are doing a stint in Norway, the pay here is much greater but the cost of entertainment much higher, sort of forcing us into the situation like Chris and Nikki where we just have to tough it out, work a lot, and find free ways to entertain ourselves, so we can save up and go traveling again.
It also depends on where you want to go and for how long. We found that we were able to survive for 6 months in South East Asia for quite cheap, but two months in southern Europe was a bit more difficult on the budget. Also depending on your degree you can find international work (what type of degree and where it is from. For example, in Canada, not many international Uni's are accepted).
the hardest barrier to cross though is to just go and do it!
Reply to this 
