Working Your Way Around the World
At first glance, the travel world seems to be firmly divided into two camps: those who have a steady job and income and so only take two to three weeks to travel per year and those who “broke free'” from their job to take an around the world trip, live as a vagabond, or take a long-term career break. But what about the middle ground? What about people who like settling down into a “home,” who love their job or who simply need a steady paycheck and the perks that come with it? Are those people forever limited to short trips a few times a year?
The answer is a resounding no. It is possible to explore more of the world and not sacrifice your career to do so. In addition to shorter-term solutions like taking a career break or a sabbatical, it’s possible to make travel and work a lifelong partnership. The first step is to decide if long-term travel is right for you. Are you comfortable not having a permanent home or with spending long periods away from friends and family? Do you have specific obligations that keep you tied to one place? If the job is the only thing holding you back, you just need to figure out how you can go about getting paid to travel, or more realistically, how to find a job that allows – or even requires – you to travel.
Travel nurses, tour guides, international school teachers, and cruise ship workers all get to see the world as part of their job. However the difference among them (other than the skills required) is that some involved making one place you home for a few months at time while others involve constant movement. Other jobs that allow you to move to a new place or keep traveling are: scuba dive instructor, circus employee, flight attendant, consultant (or freelancer) and many more. If you currently have a job that you can do from home, consider asking to make it a full-time remote working situation. It’s not much of a stretch to go from working from your home in Chicago to working from your home in Paris! So long as you have an internet connection and can be available when the job needs you, many jobs can be done from any corner of the world.
If you think of RTW trips as something that only young people with no responsibilities and no careers can manage, remember that your round the world trip doesn’t have to look exactly the same. If you’re committed to both your career and travel, you can have both by working your way around the world.
Photo by Jeff Henshaw