Ever wonder what it would be like to travel around the world? Ever had that dream? To leave it all for a while, take a skip year and just go? Do you have these thoughts and then wake up to do your normal mundane routine all over again? Get up and do it again, and again. You question it all; what about my bills, what about the cost, what about the kids, what about my spouse, what about the fur babies, what about my medicine. Can I take time off work for a couple weeks, maybe just one week, but where can I really go and what can I do in just a week? It’s not just the ticket cost, what about the hotel or hostel costs, the taxi costs, the train ride. – I can really go on forever here. It’s a subject that has kept me from traveling for nearly my entire life. These are called responsibilities. I have begun to think, that if we only wish to make something happen and plan appropriately, action, instead of just complaining that we can’t do this or that – then it can eventually be done.
Some tips I have figured out to help:
- When searching for air fair tickets round trip- use a google search and type the departing airport symbol to the arriving airport symbol. Don’t worry about the dates. The closest airfare come up first- then choose the departing date and you can search through 11 months and it already places the prices for you so you can get the cheapest possible fight when booking ahead of time. Just try it and see. Super easy. The norm is about 1K roundtrip but I got a round trip flight direct flight by the way from the central US to London for less than $500 round trip.
- Buy un-refundable tickets. I have overthought trips so many times and came up with a million reasons to cancel them. Take the choice away, remove the possibility of canceling.
- When you have removed the ability to cancel you have an added benefit- that you are forced to figure a safe cost and begin saving for it. Best done over time. If going to a European country then your savings will need to be higher then if you were going to South America or Asia. Keep that in mind.
- Think about what you want out of the trip. You can actually travel around the entire world for a year on less than 20K including your airfare and train fare. That’s a YEAR straight. How are you willing to live during that year? Live like a local and really soak up the cultures and you’ll see its easy. Choose to live like an American (Luxury driven) and 100K won’t get you there.
- If you don’t have time as in a month or taking a fabulous skip year than first, rethink how you’re living. But hey, that’s just me. Let’s say you can’t take a month off- how about two weeks? Let’s say a flight from Atlanta, GA International airport to London is an 8 hour straight flight. You can time your travel to coincide with their time zones- sleep on the plane and arrive in the morning (their time). Spend 4 days in London then hop on a train to Paris, France that’s 2 hours long. Enjoy 4 days and then get on a plane in Paris going to Dubai, UAE (roundtrip $300) and spend three days. When you arrive back in Paris, France, hop back on the train and head back to London or even take a quick stop in Amsterdam before returning to London to spend the last couple days before your return home. Let’s do a cost down:
- Ticket (Round Trip from Atlanta, GA USA to London, England) $540
- Train Ticket from London to Paris $65
- Plane Ticket from Paris, France to Dubai, UAE (Round Trip) $350
- Train Ticket from Paris to Amsterdam $100
- Train Ticket from Amsterdam to London $40
TOTAL: $1,095 usd. Don’t tell me that most of you don’t get that back on your “tax refunds.” I know you do.
Lets factor $150 for food and shelter per day as well so that another $2,100 so TOTAL $3,200 and yet those of you that are always complaining you can’t go anywhere because you can’t afford that- I call bullshit. If you’re too poor you think, then you’re probably getting a nice tax refund. If you make too much money to get a refund- then you have money to save then don’t you! Remember, not only in traveling but you are the only thing that is stopping you from doing what YOU want to do. It’s 2019 people. The world has never been more open, more tolerant, less judgemental, less discriminatory than it is right now this very minute in time. If you don’t believe that, then you’re not educated enough or you’ve been brainwashed. Go out and do what you wish to do. Do you think your child is going to have a mental breakdown if you leave them with a grandparent for a week or two while you travel for some much-needed R&R? Can a friend watch your dog/cat/goldfish for a week if you promise to host the Christmas Party? Don’t feel bad about it. Hey, leave your spouse at home too. Why not? Remember it’s good to have some self-time traveling. Exploring the world. It will help make you a more interesting spouse/person.
Make time for travel. You never know when the powers of the world will change hands. You never know if socialism or corruption could come in and devastate the current situation. We had men turn entire nations at one time in history- enjoy what the world is now. Experience the life and love that is all over. You may find a new passion. You may find a cause. Make the time.
E.W. 