Feed Your Wanderlust

I get asked this question all of the time:

"How do you do it?"

How do I travel the world? How can I stay abroad for extended periods of time? How do I support myself?

In one very simple concept, I can tell you that I just DO it.

It's great to be a dreamer, and I spend significant portions of my time daydreaming about all the places I'd like to visit, all the new parts of the world I'd like to discover, but what it comes down to is that NOT traveling is not an option.

I have given a huge portion of my energy to maintain this lifestyle, as big a portion as I would imagine most people give to paying off loans, investing in a home... and whatever else it is that people who are rooted in one place do.

There are two main factors that it all boils down to, your passion and your willingness.

I can't think of anything I am more passionate about than travel. Literally nothing even comes close (okay spending days by the sea actually does come pretty close, but I can do that while I travel).

I am also 100%, completely, and without a doubt willing to throw myself into unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations that require huge hurdles to overcome.

For me this is life. This is growth. This is the point of it all.

Learning about yourself, while you're learning about the world, what more could you ask for?

I imagine the first thought on everyone's mind (and often the biggest thought on my own mind) is how exactly do you pay for all of this?

Let me start by mentioning all of the things that I DO NOT pay for:

-New Clothes

-Material Items

-Alcohol

-Expensive Meals

-Haircuts/Manicures/Pedicures (I do it all myself)

-The Latest Technology (I still have an iPhone 6 that I bought in Dubai last year for $200)

-Luxurious Accommodation

This means that in my life, and for almost a decade now, I really only put my money towards:

-Rent

-Food

-Plane Tickets

-Airbnbs or hostels

I genuinely do not find satisfaction from the consumption of anything new except experiences (and coffee), and therefore nothing I could purchase would ever bring me greater pleasure than saving up to run off and explore some new corner of the Earth.

If you are serious about wanting to get out and wander around our amazingly diverse planet, the first thing you'll probably need to do is figure out what you can eliminate from your spending habits.

It all adds up. Take a look at where your money is going, and seriously ask yourself, is all of this necessary?

I do, of course, feel tempted at times to buy things I don't really need but in that moment of 'take it or leave it,' I always ask myself "Would I prefer to have this thing now, or would I prefer to _______ (insert desired experience) in the next few months?".

I'm sure you can guess which option weighs out heavier.

So my first pieces of advice are these:

1. Have a nice intimate conversation with your heart, and try to hear the Truth of your desire.

2. If that Truth tells you that you must get out and explore, make a deal with yourself to prioritize your goal.

3. Track everything you spend over the course of a week or two, and figure out what can be cut out.

4. Read. Research. Plan.

5. Buy a ticket.

6. Go.