I’m confused.
I’m simply confused as to how it’s possible that I have so far failed to properly explain how I’ve managed to travel/live/work abroad nonstop for 12 years straight (and counting).
The questions are still pouring in every single day: How do you do it? How is it possible to travel for so long? Where does the money come from?
And while I thoroughly enjoy communicating with readers (I’m being completely serious and encourage you all to continue sending your emails to me as often as you wish), the fact that these very questions are on the minds of so many of you out there has led me to believe that I need to do a better job at providing the answers.
While it’s true that I’ve already written plenty of posts on the matter, clearly all of these posts, even as one collective entity, still fall well short of proving that a life of travel is not some crazy fantasy but a perfectly reasonable and easily attainable lifestyle option instead.
I’ve even referred to other travelers who are out there living a similar nomadic lifestyle, but apparently, that hasn’t been enough either.
So what am I to do?
How do I prove, once and for all, that you do not need $500,000 or even $50,000 in your bank account, that if you are able to scrounge together $500 bucks, there’s little stopping you from becoming a full-time nomad. I’m not joking here. After all, this is exactly what I’ve done myself. Okay, I first left home with $1500 to my name but that’s not exactly a fortune either.
I’m not going to give up trying, so here’s another attempt to show you how I’ve managed to live a life of constant travel.
The following is a brief summary of the past 12 years of my life. It is a timeline of sorts that details where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing and where my money has come from at all times. Ultimately, it shows just how one ordinary person has so far managed to fund 4,195 days straight of traveling and living abroad.
THE TIMELINE
December 25, 1999:
- Left home and flew to Bangkok with $1500 in my bank account
- Planned to spend 3 months traveling around Southeast Asia
March 2000
- Decided to officially extend my trip despite having only $500 left to my name
- Taught English in Chiang Mai, Thailand, earning approximately $150 USD per week (more than enough to live well in this city at the time)
October 2000
- Returned to the US with $300 in my account (after paying for the flight home)
- Spent 2 months in Boston working as a high school substitute teacher
- Saved $2500 during this time
January 2001
- Returned to Asia and spent 12 months traveling through Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia
- While in India, volunteered as an English teacher for 3 months in exchange for room and board
- Stayed with friends for 3 months in Thailand and taught English once again in Chiang Mai
- Lived with friends for 2 months in Australia, which kept my expenses quite low
- Returned to the US with no money at all
February 2002
- Through a contact, I applied to work on board cruise ships
- Landed a job as a Tour Staff with Carnival Cruise Lines
- Worked on board two different ships during one 8-month contract
- Saved $8000 during this time and then decided not to return for another contract
November 2002
- Traveled to Australia for 4 months
February 2003
- With $4000 in the bank, I spent two months living with a friend in Los Angeles
- Found a short-term job at an advertising company through a temp agency
- Worked for two months and left LA with $5000 in the bank
April 2003
- Traveled to Thailand, Bangladesh and India
September 2003
- Landed a job as a Tour Manager for Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Worked two contracts on board ships located in Hawaii and the South Pacific
- Traveled to Europe during my 6-week vacation between contracts
- Saved $20,000 by the end of my second contract
July 2004
- Spent 7 months traveling to Europe, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan
March 2005
- With $10,000 still in my account, decided to work two more contracts as a Tour Manager for Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Saved an additional $20,000 during these contracts
- Traveled to Europe during my 2-month vacation in between contracts
December 2005
- Traveled for 8 months to South America, Europe and India
September 2006
- Was offered a job with Cunard Line (cruise line based out of the UK)
- Worked as a Tour Manager on board the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liners
- Spent 18 months with Cunard, saving over $3300 per month
- Traveled through Europe, Caribbean, Mexico, the Middle East and SE Asia during my vacations in between contracts
April 2008
- Traveled back to India for 3 months
July 2008
- Worked one final two-month contract for Cunard Line, saving an additional $6000
September 2008
- Left Cunard (with more than enough money saved up by now) and moved to Australia
- Spent five months in Melbourne working on creating online streams of income
December 2008
- Sold my first eBook online
- Continued working on promoting my eBook while creating a second eBook to sell
- Began earning some income through affiliate marketing
February 2009
- Spent six weeks in Thailand
- Volunteered and traveled in India for six weeks
- Visited Italy for a few weeks
June 2009
- Traveled through Central America and Mexico, finishing the trip by renting an apartment in Sayulita, Mexico
- Continued working on my online projects
- Income from my online projects reached $1000 per month for the first time
December 2009
- Moved to the Caribbean coast of Mexico and rented an apartment in Playa del Carmen, where I spent more time working on my online projects
- Officially launched WanderingEarl.com
September 2010
- Spent 6 months traveling around the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia
April 2011
- Returned to Playa del Carmen (where I am currently living) in order to catch up on work
- Reached $2500+ per month in online income through the sales of three eBooks I’ve authored and through my efforts with affiliate marketing
Right Now
- Planning some new adventures for later this year, including a most interesting 30 day train challenge for the month of September (more details to come in my next post)
- Life as a permanent nomad continues
And that’s all there is to it. The truth of the matter is…
$2500 per month, and even $1000 or $1500 per month, is more than sufficient to achieve a lifestyle that involves extensive travel. It really doesn’t take much. Some teaching English here, some cruise ship work there, some internet marketing in your spare time and VOILA!
And this is only a tiny fraction of the opportunities to earn money while traveling that exist out there. Once you realize this, you’ll also realize that luck, miracles and having an overflowing bank account play no role whatsoever in allowing you to achieve your travel goals.
All you need is the courage to take the first step and a mind that is open to trying new experiences!
Back in 1999, I left home for a 3 month trip to Asia that has still yet to end.
I unfortunately didn’t take the time to read through all the comments…..but Earl, you’re very last statement…..”All you need is the courage to take the first step and a mind that is open to trying new experiences!”
That truly, I think, is why everyone asks “How do you travel around the world with no money?”
It’s not the mechanics of being able to do it that they want to know. It’s the how do you get the courage to do it? It’s not an easy question for you to answer, how does one gain the courage and the faith in themselves that they can do this?
Or any other challenge that they take on? So many people are afraid to step into the abyss, but in my experience….isn’t getting out of bed everyday stepping into the abyss? Isn’t every day you are alive and breathing, and survive the day, trusting yourself and having faith in your abilities to get through that day stepping into that abyss?
We all need to just close our eyes, take a deep breath, and take that first step. No matter how big or small that first step is. We all have the strength in us to do amazing things. We all have the courage to do everything we ever dreamed of or wanted for our lives and those around us.
Yes, it is terrifying to step outside of our comfortable routine. But once you do, oh the possibilities you open up for yourself and others.
Thank you for continuing to inspire people with your courage to trust yourself, and have faith in your abilities. Everyone has that strength and courage within them.
Hey Harmony – That was such a wonderful comment you left, quite motivational in itself! It is all about that first step because once it’s taken, we realize that it wasn’t as difficult as we thought and we gain the confidence to take the next step and so on. Eventually, we taken many steps and we wake up one morning living the life that puts the biggest smile on our face!
All that travelling and you still haven’t been to Africa….?
Hey Kelly – Well, now I can say that I have been to Africa after a recent trip to South Africa
And I’m sure I’ll be back on the African continent at some point this year as well.
Awesome, thank you so much for share.
” Hi! ” from Vietnam, do you know Vietnam ? If you go to Vietnam, call me, good luck to you.
Hey Duy – Welcome to the site! And I have visited Vietnam one time but it was many years ago and I was there for just about two weeks. So I’ll have to visit again to see what I missed!
Hey Earl!
Im new to your website but I haven’t been able to stop reading for the past couple hours.
I have such a passion for traveling and exploring the world just like you are doing.
I am still in high school but dream of buying my first plane ticket out of this town!
Because I am still so young (only in numbers might I add), my family is not supportive of this “reckless and crazy” lifestyle. You encourage me to keep on believing in my dream to travel the world for the rest of my life. Thank you so much for giving me the confidence and determination to do what I have always wanted to! I am exited to hear about your next adventure!
Hey Samantha – That’s the key…staying focused despite those who are trying to discourage you! Eventually, once you start achieving your goals, those same people will begin to support you. Breaking free from the ‘real world’ is a hard concept for many to grasp so it is understandable that people look at such a decision as crazy. But that doesn’t mean you should give up!
Yo dude
Thanks alot for the post, this is a pretty sweet story/guide for what i gotta do. I’m gunna save up some money hopefully around 2000 if i can and start off exactly how you did. Just have one question, how/where do you sell your eBooks? Like say i wrote one, who do you contact or where do you go to post them and make them available for people to buy? Good luck in future travels, Cheers
Hey Stuart – I mostly sell my eBooks on my site…they can be found on my Travel Resources page. Apart from that, you just need to learn about internet marketing, although it all depends on the eBook you were to write and the target audience. There are quite a lot of ways to market such a product, each with their own benefits and challenges depending on what your book is about. you can advertise with Google adwords or on Facebook, you could try and attract affiliates to promote the book for you in exchange for a commission or you could set up your own site and try to sell it directly. Also, many people write an eBook and simply put it on Amazon.com for sale.
Plenty of options
I’ve been thinking about (and constantly putting off) travelling for a while now. I’ve been to Hawaii, a few mainland states and and a lot of Europe but I’ve never been away for more than a few months. I think, after reading your webpage I might finally be able to pluck up the courage and start some extensive travelling. Did you go to college? I’m sorry if that is too personal.
I have a very rough idea of where I want to go, or at least start my journey. I was thinking of teaching English in Japan or else the Galapagos. I’m 23 years old . I know it may sound stupid but I’m afraid of what my friends and parents will think. I just feel like I need to ‘find myself’ and see the world before I become entwined in the gears of life and start my career or further my education.
Hey Killian – Thank you for commenting! I did go to college myself and I actually just wrote a post about whether or not it is important to have a degree before traveling. You can read that post here: Do You Need a University Degree to Travel Long-Term?
Apart from that, it’s natural to be afraid of what others will think because chances are, they will think you’re crazy
But that shouldn’t stop you if it is something that you really want to pursue. At the end of the day, if you need to find yourself, you need to go out there into the world and find yourself. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for a long time!
wow. this is just the information i need to get started. thank you so much. i hope everything goes well for you in your future. i have big plans of traveling the US once im done with college and saving up a bit. im looking forward to continuing reading this blog. thanks again!
Hey Heather – I certainly wish you the best with your travel plans for the future as well! If there’s anything I can ever help out with, just let me know!
Hey Earl,
I just “stumbled upon” this particular post on your site, which is exactly the step I am at in my traveling lifestyle…how am I going to afford it?!! I’ve been investing and working on this for a few years and my actual set out date to leave the “real world” is sometime between Aug and Sept of this year…gunna be hard to quit the good paying, but boring job I have!
The first poster, Harmony, nailed it on the head…and I think seeing how many opportunities came up for you, as well as my confidence in myself just reaffirmed how strong my convictions are!
My actual question for you is about women (and if you have already posted about it, please just link me!)
I am a 24 year old, white, American woman…I’m well read and I understand cultural differences as well as someone reading but not experiencing can at this point. BUT MY BIGGEST FEAR AND HOLD BACK is how other cultures may see women. Maybe this is an American culture thing and I am worrying because of news stories or what friends have said and everyone will just be accepting? But you hear about less respect for women or rape or kidnap…and not all of it has to be bad, some cultures may just have different gender roles I could break on accident. So with all your travels I was just wondering…do you have any thoughts or tips for a traveling women? Do you think your experience would have been very different had you been a women?
Strange, sorry…I feel like this may come across sexist, but I only mean it as an honest concern and question…
As an add on…same thing but non gender specific:
Have you ever broken a cultural taboo…was it a big deal? Do you take the time to study where you are going next first so you know the general feeling of that area?
Hey Tamara – That’s certainly a valid question and my answer is simple. The world is a much kinder and safer place than what we gather from watching the news. Yes, there are cultures that treat women differently than what we may be used to but with things such as kidnap and rape, if you use the same common sense you use at home, the chances of it happening to you are also the same as at home.
I’ve met endless solo female travelers over the years, whether in Latin America, Asia, Europe and even the Middle East (which will be a huge surprise…take Syria for example, every solo female traveler I met there was shocked at how little they were bothered and how easy it was for them to travel around on their own as a woman). In the end, don’t let this fear hold you back as you’ll soon realize that your fear does not match the reality of how life really is in the majority of the world.
As for breaking a cultural taboo, I’m sure I did this a few times, probably more, but it’s never been a big deal to the point where I dwelled on it for more than a minute. In general, I do study up on customs and traditions before traveling somewhere new, just so that I don’t make any major cultural mistakes. But apart from that, as long as you are smiling and it is clear that you are interested in learning about the local culture, few people will ever fault you for making a mistake considering they know you are a foreigner.
Just study a little and again, this fear will quickly disappear once you begin your travels!
omg man you are a legend!
here is my way to travel :
me : hey papa im going to travel put some money to my bank account
papa : here is ur money 30.000$ and last thing when are you coming back ?
me : donno! when i run out of money i guess ..
True Story!!
This is just amazing! Lucky you. I always wanted to travel the world, I’m still 20 but I think I shouldn’t waste my time saying it’s still early, I would love to start now but university is in the way. Another point, I’m not an American and I need visas everywhere, so it won’t be easy. I think I will start with Europe next year!
Thank you so much for the advices provided here. Written down.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your adventure!
Hey Tarek – Great to hear from you and I think you have the right attitude. It may not be easy but you’re not going to let that stop you anyway!!
Definitely not! Than you for the reply.
I have a question about Europe! How much does it cost -at minimum- to go to 8 European countries in one month (probably January-February)? and is Eurail pass good enough for a backpack-student traveler? If not, what’s the best -and cheapest- way of transportation?
Thanks in advance.
Thank* (English isn’t my mother language)
Hey Tarek – If you plan to travel to 8 countries in one month, then a Eurail Pass would definitely be the way to go. It will not only save you money (especially if you are a student) but it will save you a great deal of time and hassle. You won’t have to worry about booking and paying for your tickets in advance.
As for visiting 8 countries, that is a lot in one month, especially if you are in Western Europe where the countries are larger. It’s possible but will involve quite a lot of long-distance train rides to get from one country to another. In terms of money, you would probably need $1500 (which includes the cost of your train ticket) although, if you travel around Eastern Europe, you could survive with less money as things are cheaper in that region.
Hey Earl – Then Eurail pass it will be! Thanks. As for the 8 countries, they are all in Western Europe, but on my plan, I have lots of sites to visit that are on the borders between some countries, which makes it easier, I guess.
And as for the long-distance train rides, there is an advantage of it, I don’t have any problem sleeping in public transportations (used to it since I take them a lot for long distances in my normal daily life). So, I can take long-distance train rides at night from one city to another (Munich-Berlin or Paris-Geneva for an example). And as you said, it’s possible!
Eastern Europe is a bit hard for me, since not all of it’s countries are in the Schengen Agreement. Only few, in fact. In the future, maybe!
Is there any other ways to stay in contact with you other than here? since I’m planning my tip to be in January-Februray NEXT year, and since I have lots of things to ask about! Any other possible ways?
I never knew “StumpleUpon” could be useful this much. Lol!
Hey Tarek – Feel free to send me an email through the Contact Me page on my site. I’m always more than happy to reply to any emails I receive!
hello Earl ! I was wondering how you promote your e books and if you could give me some tips about writing one of my own? thanks tons and love your page btw
Hey Ezra – Thank you for the comment! Your question is actually quite a complicated one as there is a great deal of stuff involved with creating your own eBook. It would take dozens of pages to even begin to explain how to make it happen. But I promote my eBook several ways…they are available on my blog (Travel Resources), they each have their own website and other people help promote my eBook on their websites as well. Those are the three main methods I use.
If you have more specific questions, just send me an email and I’ll try my best to provide the information you need…
check out Eritrea..near the redsea..beautiful coast and ppl–you will have a good time
Thank you so much. It puts ‘travel for a living’ into perspective.
WOAH! Your beyond inspirational and I love your website!!!
Thank you Tori
How do you deal with the cost of insurance? are you insured or do you have a safety net in case things really hit the fan either medically or from a evacuation standpoint?
I ask the question as I have spent more time traveling in the last 5 years then I have spent at home and I am always dealing with ways to find out how to get cheap affordable insurance with such a low income.
cheers
@Jbusacker – I am insured as I pay for medical insurance back in the US. Before I did this I would always take out extensive travel insurance instead. But having the insurance in the US gives me more peace of mind just in case anything serious ever does happen. And I’ve found the cost to be quite affordable for good coverage.
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It was quite interesting to read about you travels. I have always wanted to travel the world but I envision that I should be filthy rich to do so. However, your example has made be rethink that I should have a lot of money to travel. I am from Nepal and it is good to know that you have been there as well. I wish you all the best for your upcoming travels. Stay safe and take care!
Thanks for that Rashmi! And I’m glad that this post helped you realize the opportunities that actually do exist out there. As for Nepal, I’m loved my visit there and it is definitely a country I would love to visit again
Good read, Earl.
I feel a lot from your last sentence; I always wanted to go to Japan back when I was studying at college (I’m from the UK so I will have been around 17) but never had the courage. Surprisingly, I met my current fiancée who happens to be from Japan here in the UK.
Since meeting her I didn’t care how much money I had in the bank (I had limited funds since being a student) and just flew over there. I didn’t have much spending money after paying for the flight, but you don’t need spending money when you can explore other cultures. I happen to have the best memories from being in Japan and I’m always at my happiest then; money doesn’t even cross my mind.
I enjoyed this post, as I can relate to it a lot. Thanks for the share!
Hey Luke – Interesting how life tends to unfold! And that is always a point I’m trying to make….you don’t need much spending money to have rewarding travel experiences. Paying for an entrance fee to some sight does not guarantee an incredible experience. But talking to and interacting with locals, almost always does!
Have you seen a “A map for saturday”? very cool traveling documentary…. I kinda want to travel but it is a bit difficult when society puts so much pressure on getting a college education and a white collar job.
Hey Sam – I have not seen that documentary but I’ve now added it to my list of one’s to watch! Thank you for the recommendation!
Hello Earl,
honestly this is the first time i hear or read about you but i have a small experience to share with you, it’s as harmony said, paraphrasing, it all lies in having the courage to take the first step. i am a grad student and i was living my life slowly and easily in Lebanon my home country, but now im writing from Pakistan. 2 weeks ago my instructor came to me and he said do u want to travel to pakistan for a collaboration project and i said yes and here i am now. im not saying that im planning to live the nomadic life u are having but im just saying that it really took me a big leap of faith to come here alone to a country where i know no one and for a project by the time i came here was unknown. Now i miss my friends and family already and cant wait to get back to lebanon but three weeks are still ahead of me. I have to say also that im not having a really entertaining time because the project im here for is taking all my time, but it s good to meet new people and travel to new places and if it happens again and i were to travel another trip like that i will for sure go but next time i will plan it more to have some time to see the country im visiting.
thanks again for sharing your experience. Oh and no need to mention that if u havent visited lebanon yet please do and when u do u can contact me and i would be more than happy to be your guide.
Hey Martin – Sounds like you are getting a little taste of the traveling lifestyle over there. It’s not always easy and it always depends on your situation, but just because Pakistan might not have been the most rewarding experience for you doesn’t mean that another country will be the same. But you don’t have to travel either and only should travel if that’s what you feel you want to do
And I have visited Lebanon before…but if I do make it back there again, I will certainly send you an email.
awesome job you got there!
i, myself, been traveling for over 10 years now. working as a quality control inspector for a japanese company. my work base is here in fiji island.
i happen to stumble upon your site and caught my attention that you’ve been around great places and yeah, did i say that your job is awesome?
wish i could do the same but the problem would be visa matter as i am a filipino passport holder which is too cumbersome to acquire visa from other places that i (we filipino) would like to go to.
i am still in a process of reading your whole site, BTW.
more power and happy traveling, man! keep safe!
Thanks for the comment Rodel! And even though it is more difficult to obtain visas, there are still plenty of countries that you could visit. I know of a few Filipinos who are living a similar lifestyle to mine, traveling all over the place. But for now, living in Fiji is not so bad at all
Earl, I have to ask you. What has your love life been like the past 12 years?
@MozhetBeats – My love life has been normal
I’ve had a few long-term girlfriends over the years and I meet a lot of people everywhere I go. There are definitely some challenges when it comes to love and travel but every relationship has its own challenges in the end!
Great question MozhetBeats, I was wondering the same.
Earl, you just put a post about the things we are trying to accomplish so we can inspire each other. That is the one thing that holds me back, not having a partner to go on the journey with. I am passed my mid-30s and it is not so easy to me to make a decision to pick up and go, but there is a certain point in my life where if I don’t have a significant someone I’m just gonna go. That certain point is when I finish paying off my student loans and my mortgage. I’m working on paying them both down in the next 10 years, that way I can generate some revenue by renting my condo and have a place to come home to and not have the student loans as that thorn on my side.
My goal is to be a missionary. I am a Christian and I’ve been a missionary in the past, it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. So when I’m done taking care of my debt, I want to go out there to the world and serve those who are in need.
Hey Nina – I believe that we never know when we’ll find the right person and so there is no reason to just sit around waiting. We should be trying to achieve our goals in life regardless. And besides, if we are out there doing what we love most, the chances are greater that we will meet someone who thinks similarly to us and who we connect with at a much higher level. Just because a person travels doesn’t meet they can’t meet people, fall in love or enter into relationships!
Earl, you are truly inspiring! I have done little traveling in comparison to you. I have traveled to the Cancun area several times and just recently to PDC (as well as some Europe travel for business and pleasure). I am so interesting in go back to PDC for a longer period of time. Are you still living there?
I also feel like I am getting too old to just pick up and leave. I am 31 have a great job and in the process of ending a marriage but I am really interested in a change of life. I agree with other posters and being a young, blond, American woman on her own, it does make me nervous at times. In my past travels, I have met a lot of people in the same situation (traveling alone) which helps. I would love to chat with you more about PDC, and how I should go about moving on my dream before it’s “too late”
Take care!
Hey Crystal – Too old?? I’m 34
And being a solo, blond female traveler really is much less of a deal than you would think. The world is much safer than we imagine and you’ll find an endless number of solo females out there doing the very same thing I’m doing. And I’m willing to bet that almost all of them would encourage you to make the change as well!
As for PDC, I’m no longer living there. It’s actually been about 8 months since I left and I’m now spending time in Eastern Europe. But if you have any questions about PDC, just send me an email through my “Contact” link above and I’d be more than happy to help out as best I can!