How to know if full-time travel is right for you

For those who don’t, full-time travel can seem like “living the dream.” And while it may be a dream life, it’s not always easy. Definitely not an endless vacation.

In the year In 2017, I quit my job to travel the world. So far I have traveled to six continents and more than 25 countries. For those of you considering travel full-time or part-time, here are some ways to decide if this life is right for you.

1. You like to try new and strange foods

I am fortunate to have always been adventurous with new foods.

I lived with a French host family from the age of 16. My hospitable brother offered me the brains of a sheep to eat one day. I recoiled in horror. Fortunately, I learned that I wasn’t entitled to an opinion until I tasted them. So, I did. Now I can say from experience that I don’t care for sheep brains. The important thing is that I tried them.

As you travel the world, you will constantly come across exotic foods like meat, fish, fruit or vegetables. More importantly, you will find it difficult to find the foods you are used to. For example, peanut butter is often not readily available. Potato chips in other countries are flavored with bacon, barbecue, spices, and other flavor combinations you’ve never heard of. Trying to travel the world on a different diet adds frustration to the journey because the more you limit your food choices, the harder it is to find them. Insects can be on the menu, just like interior items. If you are hosted by family for any part of your trip, it may be considered insulting if you do not eat what is served to you. Being open to new foods is an important part of full-time travel.

2. You can accommodate different beds every night.

Have you ever gone on vacation and when you get home, you say, “I loved my vacation, but I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed!” you said No doubt you’ve bought your favorite mattress, broken it in, and had a good night’s rest. When you travel full time, you can’t come to that bed. Everywhere you go, you have to arrange a new mattress, different pillows (sometimes made by stuffing clothes into a pillowcase), and different bedding (a top sheet is not a part of many cultures). While this may sound simple, full-time travel can leave you with the comforts of home; From your bed to street noise and more, you’ll be adjusting to new places when you lay your head down at night.

3. You can live out of your suitcase

Depending on where you’re staying and how long you’re staying, you may or may not have the space or need to pack. Every time you change places, your life becomes a series of packing and unpacking. If I’m going to be in a place for a week or more, or if there are drawers and closets, I open things that have hangers. But most of the time I find myself in a changing room without the aforementioned luxuries, so I pull things out of my suitcase and try my best not to get upset. When it’s time to pack again, I wonder if I can’t pack the same amount of stuff into my bag as I did on my first trip!

4. Prepare to pack light and carry your luggage.

If you are not traveling first class, or traveling with an RV, you will be carrying your own bag. This can be from the train or bus station to youth hotels, and even to the level of your room in a budget hotel.

Being able to afford full-time travel for more than a few months means staying in places that don’t offer luxury. You learn very, very quickly that you don’t want to travel with more than you can handle. I’ve donated clothes to charities and more, or gifted items to new friends who are seriously gifted when I travel. Unless it’s really hot, I wear the same shirt two days in a row. After being on the road for months, if I get tired of a shirt, or the last one shows up in the wash, I donate it or toss it for a new replacement.

It’s important to note that full-time travel is not glamorous. You won’t have much use for makeup, and you won’t have room for fancy clothes or your dancing shoes.

5. You are brave when it comes to personal development

One of the things that surprised me in my first year of travel was how much I learned about myself. My journey felt like an adult vision quest. It wasn’t always fun.

Along your journey, you will encounter new situations, challenge you and push you outside of your comfort zone. These are experiences that help you grow and become the person you want to be. Sometimes you don’t enjoy what you learn. Other times, you’ll be happy to discover how creative you can be. The important thing to realize is that when you’re traveling full-time, you don’t need the daily distractions of the office or friends and family to keep you out of the loop. It takes courage and perseverance to do this work. Make sure you’re up to the challenge before embarking on a full-time adventure.

6. You are ready to do a lot of planning

When you go on vacation, you can choose a destination that appeals to you, book your itinerary, book your hotel and tours, and be happy to go. When you travel full-time, planning becomes a full-time job in itself. Whenever you want to move to a new place, you have to figure out how to get there, where to stay, and what to do. The more frequently you move, the more planning you need to do.

I learned to stop planning every minute and focus on transportation and accommodation. As far as tours and tour time, I let that unfold after I arrived. This takes a lot of stress out of the process.

7. Don’t give up just because you can’t find Wi-Fi

If you’re planning to work or blog while traveling, you’ll quickly discover that Wi-Fi is the bane of your existence. Uploading a photo is impossible or takes hours because the signal may be weak, non-existent or shared with many people. Try making a video call and after so many call drops you will turn off the video and curse the network gods.

Bring a Wi-Fi hotspot or phone to connect and buy a local SIM card. Domestic SIM cards offer significantly lower data rates than roaming with your US carrier.

8. They accept that boredom and burnout are par for the course.

A way to burn out from work involves traveling full-time. As mentioned earlier, this is not a full-time vacation. Once you’re living the travel lifestyle, you’ll have moments of boredom, frustration, and burnout.

Here’s an interesting solution: When I started my journey, I moved roughly every three days. Several months later I found myself in a small town in Argentina with no tourism. I booked a three night stay and asked to add an extra three. Then I added another few days, and finally, I stayed for about two weeks. It was just the joy I needed to be able to pack, plan and feel like I had a home base for a long time. If it happens to you, know that it’s normal. Go with the flow and plan to relax until the burn subsides.

9. Prepare to act as an ambassador for your country.

Even if it’s not an official date, you’ll meet people on your trip who have never left their country. For some, you become their vision for your country. Your character will be the basis for judging other people in your country. I was lucky enough to live with a host family when I was a teenager. I learned to speak French fluently because of them, and in my travels, I learned that Americans who travel and expect everyone to speak English are not always well thought of. This fueled my obsession with learning the local language wherever I went.

It is important to respect local cultures and explore how people live, do business and talk to each other. American culture often insists on exemplary customer service and complains when we don’t get it. Outside of America, I find many cultures move at a much slower pace and are much more demanding. It is important to understand the layers of formality and politeness. You will have deeper experiences with the locals when you respect their ways rather than arguing or trying to change them.

Full-time travel is an experience that everyone should have, in my opinion, even if it’s just for a few months. It will change you in extraordinary ways. However, it is not for everyone. Be sure to set your expectations before you sail.