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.
Hi! Thanks for the great information. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but I’ve never worked while traveling. My biggest question has to do with work visas/permits. I’m an American and have am currently having quite the time simply trying to get a permit to work in Canada, so I can’t even imagine the red tape for other countries. Was some of your work under the table? Any advice or blogs you could refer me to would be great.
Hey Lindsay – IN most countries, you get the work visa once you are hired for a job. This way, the company/organization that hires you takes care of all the paperwork and the process is quite smooth. There are only a handful of countries that allow you to apply for a working visa before arrival and without having secured a job, and that can be complicated. Although, getting a work visa for Australia or New Zealand is quite easy if you’re younger than 30!
Hi Earl!
I’m from Turkey, I love backpacking, travelled quite a lot, write a travelling blog myself too and appreciate what you are doing. Your style of travelling wouldn’t work for a Turkish or other non-EU or USA nations. Unlike you, we can never get a long visa from any country. We have to collect many documents to prove that we will definetly come back to our country and have enough money/properties and also we pay a lot for visa applications. What we can do is to travel in some great countries who doesnt ask visa, like some south east and south America countries, which is quite fine too.
So if you have any tips for all those whose passports dont allow to travel easy and free, please let us know!
Enjoy Romania, where you seem to be right now!
(I read your interview here in newspaper, nice one!)
Hey Derya – I think you actually answered your own question
There’s no reason why you can’t live the same lifestyle as there are more than enough countries that you can visit on this planet. It’s ok if you can’t visit every country, just get out there and spend time in the ones that you can easily get into.
And with my US passport, I normally have to pay much higher fees for visas than any other country on the planet so that can be a major expense for me…and there are a couple of countries that is easier for you to visit…Russia and Iran come to mind
Great article! I’m curious to how you are able to work in different places without a work visa? Do they just allow you to teach English, etc. with no visa? I know for the cruises it shouldn’t matter since it’s mainly in international waters.
Thanks!
Hey Larry – It all depends…I taught independently, not through an actual language school and so I was able to get away without having a visa, even though it technically wasn’t legal. But in general, if you land a position with a language school or organization overseas, they will take care of the necessary paperwork to get you the work visa. Most countries don’t allow you to get a work visa before you actually have a job so it’s quite standard procedure for the organization to handle it all for you as a result!
That’s simply impressive! Although traveling to Asia is really cheap what you did was a whole new level!
That’s amazing and something I would LOVE to do. how did you go about getting the job on the cruise ship? From what I’ve experienced, is it not too easy.
Thanks!
Hey Sarah – I got quite lucky with the cruise ships as I had a contact person through a friend who helped get me the first interview. Otherwise, it can be quite difficult to get into the industry. I’m not sure if you’ve seen this yet, but I have been helping many others get cruise jobs with this detailed guide of mine: How To Work On A Cruise Ship
Earl – you rock! Thank you.
I’m a full time nursing student and ever since I graduated high school a couple years back, all I wanted to do was travel. I come from successful parents who’ve forced college upon me, so I gave in. Reading your story, sends the most EAGER feeling that I should just pack, pick it all up, and go. It’s my dream, it truly is my dream and you’re living proof that there’s hope I can accomplish my dream. You are an inspiration, I’d like to ask where you would suggest the most?
Thank you!
Adriana
Adriana,
As someone who is married to a nurse and about to begin a year-long travel journey around the world together, I would tell you to finish your nursing degree. It is one of the most marketable careers and one that will actually allow you to travel. My wife has worked all over the country and around the world as a travel nurse and done some awesome traveling in the process. Stick with it and it will pay off.
Thank you for the advice, especially coming from one who has somewhat experiencing what I plan to do! I’ve never considered a travelling nurse.. Looks like you just opened up a whole new door for me to consider! Thank you.
Hi Earl,will be coming down to playa del carmen for a week in january and was wondering about places to eat and points of interest
Hey Mike – There are endless places I could recommend
To eat, definitely try La Fogata, which is an open-air restaurant, perhaps the most popular in town, on Avenida Constituyentes, right next to La Mega Supermarket. Also, I would go to Nativo as well as La Cueva de Chango and my personal favorite, La Dona Mary which is a local, and very well-known, tostada eatery that is open only in the evenings (closed on Mondays). As for points of interest, the town itself is all about the beach, but in the region, you have cenotes, the Mayan ruins of Coba, the beautiful town of Valladolid, the yellow town of Izamal and even Merida is well worth a visit. Too much to do and see down there!
Even though I didn’t ask the question, I love the answers. This blog got the traveling bug going in me, and I’ll be spending 9 days in Playa myself here in mid to late January also. I can thank you Earl for the interest in Playa, as well as another blog I found via google about a traveler who spend a week or so in Playa. Being I live in Florida, the flight is cheap, as is Playa. If I enjoy myself nearly as much as I think I will, I’m already planning about 2 weeks in May or so when the water should be nice and warm.
Hi! So I am going to be graduating high school in about 6 months and have been thinking about traveling for a while. So what would you suggest would be a good first step into doing this or a good place to start? I have read a few blogs/ articles but I don’t really know where to even start lol so any time of help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance
Hey Yana – The first step should be to decide on what your goals are for your travels and once you determine this, it will help make clearer the actual part of the world that you should start off in. And this leads to being able to figure out expected costs as well. And if you can figure out which country or countries you plan to visit then, when you search online, you can find much more specific information about how to travel in those places. This will make a huge difference as otherwise, just looking at endless travel articles can be a bit overwhelming
This is inspiring. I’m taking off for Prague in exactly 9 months. Thanks for the information!
That’s great to hear Trevor! I love Prague myself and certainly think that’s an ideal place to begin an adventure…
Earl you rock man !! I love traveling and hope to more in future however I am now married to my wife who I met whilst in Java and we know have 2 young girls so may put on hold to ensure some stability !
Thanks so much Roy! Getting that stability seems like a good plan but I have a feeling that your traveling days are quite over either…so I’m sure you’ll have some more adventures eventually.
Have a safe New Years!
Thanks Earl I really do hope my / our traveling days are not over just going thru a different chapter right now !! You stay safe and all the best for 2012 hope to bump into you one day in future somewhere out there !!
Hey Earl! My friend and I are from Canada and really want to visit California in July for the month (we’re 20 and want to rent a place near the beach on our own, preferably Hermosa). We’re looking at expenses and they all seem overwhelming! Its unbelievable how long you stayed in those places with so little in your pocket. What kinds of places did you stay in? And do you have any tips for the two of us? We’re really trying to make it happen. Thanks in advance!
Thank you for sharing your story, I always admire people who carve out their own path…and I thank you for your encouragement that you have given freely to others who wish to carve out a similar path. I notice you’ve been to India too, which is where I currently am. I like your observation that the reason you travel is freedom…check out my site whch I have just started over the last 6 months…thats exactly my theme is !?!
I am very inspired after reading this article….it is really amazing. i belong to pakistan and i am also very found of travelling but you can understand it is very difficult to take initiative. i have also not much money to travel i wish that i could also manage like you. please give me any tip or suggestion that i could overcome my these problem and start to enjoy my passion.
You are the best I really enjoyed reading your article. One should learn from your way of handling the things travelling, learning, never giving up you are an inspiration to me.
Regards, Sunny from Toronto, Canada
Thanks so much for visiting the site Sunny!
Thank you so much for this article. It inspired us — and we’ve become bloggers. We hit the road running, beginning in China in April.
Hey Lane – That’s so wonderful to hear!! April isn’t too far away at all and I’ll be sure to check out your site as well!
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I’ve found it — the article I’ve been searching for.
I’m a twenty-something, part-time working, only sometimes student, trying to figure out what I “realistically” want to do in life, when all I know I truly want to do is travel. Travel anywhere and everywhere. However, the only thing I ever hear from my family and friends is how expensive it is, and how “you can’t make a living travel the world – that’s what vacations are for”. This crushes my traveling hopes, but I dream of it regardless. Reading this has opened my eyes to the possibilities that lay before me. Making money as you go, staying with friends around the world (I have a few here and there), and saving up that money for your next adventure is really the only way to accomplish what I want in life. Thank you so, so much for the article as it has inspired me to chase my dreams.
Earl,
I noticed a few times you worked on cruise ships. I am lucky enough – thanks to a healthy police retirement fund my dad got for 32 years of loyal service! – to have been on a cruise in the med. I got talking to one of our ‘designated waiters’ who we became very close to over the 2 weeks. He was making an absolute fortune out of this and it meant his family back home could lead basically a luxurious lifestyle (by his homelands idea) off the money he raised for them. It got me thinking it would be a great way to save money up, unfortunately being at university it is impossible for me to dedicate myself to any of the British contracts on offer as they all stretch either too far to make me miss the start of my semester or too early so I run the risk of missing exams.
But staff seem treated like kings on these boats. All the waiters are specifically required to eat the highest standard of food to make recommendation later on to those travelling and get the best beds on the ship (bar the top top money classes of course!).
Of course getting on a cruise also means you get a small glipse at different parts of the world. So staying in great beds, well fed, good money and travelling. Seems a dream even if the work is very long hours too. Would seriously suggest this to any budding traveller.
Well done and happy travels good sir!
Phil.
ive been touring through travel vids and blogs and this is the first article ive read on your site and WOW! While ive travelled alot of the world, ive never been brave enough to stay and work at a place that i loved (even though ive been offered work). this awesome article is defiantly changing my view thou =) just quit my job (again) and am booking one way trip to asia (4-5 month), so ill defiantly be reading all your blogs while im itching to go =)
-Dave from Ottawa
This site is great. The information you provide is wonderful for all of us (including those of us who enjoy traveling on a budget!) I’m interested to know how difficult finding apartments are on your travels versus staying in a regular hotel. I will visit your site to follow your future trips.
Where do you get ideas on where to go though? My husband and I will typically visit TripAdvisor or Travel Explosion to get some idea of what countries seem interesting.
Anyways, thanks again and keep up the good work!
Hey Barbara – Thank you for commenting and following along! As for apartments, it’s quite easy actually and usually I do a quick search online, ask some locals if they have any ideas, contact other travelers who have been in the area before and even check out sites such as AirBnB to see what’s being offered there. And almost always I end up with several good options.
As for ideas, I simply go wherever interests me. There is not a single country I wouldn’t travel to and so I don’t mind where I end up usually. But often times I’ll hear about a particular destination from another traveler or maybe through an article I read online and then that’s my next destination! But your methods are perfect as well as it’s always great to hear what others recommend and to get some new ideas for your next adventures!
I’m very new to your site and I found this post wonderful! I’m a junior in college now (Global Studies and History/Political Science) but once I leave there will be no settling down, I want to live a nomadic life very similar to your own! Thanks for the info and inspiration. (:
-Christina
Thanks for reading Christina and I look forward to interacting with you some more on my site!
Hey Earl,
I just stumbled across your page and I’m so glad I did! Your life from here looks like a dream to me. I’m currently studying Travel and Tourism in the UK and I’m eventually looking into getting into the industry. Hopefully my job will allow me to travel at the same time!
Is there anywhere you haven’t been yet that you’d really like to go?
Thanks for the awesome post, Gemma.
Hey Gemma – Thanks so much for visiting the site! As for your question, there are plenty of places that I’d really like to go. In fact, I want to go everywhere! But at the top of my list right now is Central Asia and more of Africa, both regions that I hope to get to at some point this year…
Great article! I always wanted to be the nomad you are! The last line of your article, ‘All you need is the courage to take the first step’ is the bare truth. Good luck for the future adventures!
Thanks for visiting R.S. and yes, once we are able to gather the confidence to take that first step, we realize that it’s not so difficult after all
If I didn’t have a family at home, I’d love to follow in your footsteps, your travels and lifestyle sound amazing!
Now it’s just getting the spine to do it…
When I grow up, I wanna be just like you. I’m 60 and can’t find a job here in the U.S., so I’d rather just become a vagabond. I have two questions: how do you afford housing? Do you stay in hostels? Also, what do you do about health insurance. These may seem mundane questions, but when you’re used to a certain level of comfort and may have unforeseen health issues, they become important.
Hey Stevan – Thanks for the comment! Basically, I work online and so I’m earning an income just as anyone else does. As for housing, these days I generally stay in budget hotels as I prefer the privacy and comfort of a private room in order to get my work done. But I also stay in hostels from time to time as well and don’t mind them at all. As for health insurance, I have proper insurance from the US and then I typically purchase travel insurance in case of any emergencies while overseas. In the end, the combination is not as expensive as one might think.
buddy, this is awesome! i am currently 2yrs into my nomad life and enjoying it immensely:)
reading this, reassures me that my nomad life will continue…thanks!
might see you out there one day:)
Hey Kate – I do hope we meet up somewhere at some point…then we’ll both motivate each other even more to continue!
Hi Earl,
Thanks a lot for such impressive and amazing story! This is really awesome! But I have one question. As you know, when you are in relationship, you don’t get to travel too much. So, I wanted to make sure if you had a girlfriend or you were married at that moment and anyway traveled? Did you?
I’m currently a student and I’m planning to work after receiving my BA, just wanted to know more.
Thanks!
Bob
Hey Bob – Thanks for the comment! As for your questions, I have never been married but I have had a few long-term girlfriends over the year. It’s not easy to maintain such a relationship as you pointed out but somehow we managed to last a long time with a combination of living together overseas, traveling together and occasionally traveling on our own. It’s not the ideal situation for many people but there are ways to make it work. It just takes some creativity!
Thanks a lot for your reply! I can only say one thing! You are amazing
My father used to tell me, you need to study, work and get a good job so your job will send you overseas, but here is another way. Now my goal is to study and graduate successfully and travel! You became my motivator! Thanks for that!
I am currently an undergraduate and have done multiple study abroad opportunities and they are some of the most amazing experiences, however my biggest issue is finding cheap flights. How do you do it? As a college student I don’t have a lot of money, what would you suggest?
Thanks
Hey Leah – Cheap flights are not so difficult to find. You just need to be flexible and check out as many different sites as you can, including those for budget airlines that don’t normally appear in the major searches such as Kayak.com. If you don’t have set dates or even a set destination, you can often find great deals that will take you as close as possible to where you generally want to be.
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Earl- this artical inspired me so much! ive always love traveling, and ive been to a few places, but reading this made me realize that i just need to go do it and stop waiting around for the “right moment”. im online buying a plane ticket to sydney right now. all thats left to do is pack my bag
thanks so much for writing this!
Hey Cami – That’s great news! So did you buy the plane ticket??? I hope so!!!
Hey, im only sixteen right now and ive lived in new orleans my whole life but just recently my parents and i were transfered to africa where i lived for a summer and traveled there and for the past year i have lived in at an international boarding school in switzerland, and have been doing a lot of traveling and as much of a nomadic lifestyle as i can. Stories like your and other people’s really inspire me to live like that. Its has been a dream for me almost my entire life.
I intend on traveling around europe with a friend one of the coming summers on foot and by train and i really want to live as much of my life as i can nomadically. but im not really sure where to start… Like, what kind of major should i get in college to help me with this? how do i pack? and just all thing like that. You are really an inspiration to me and if you could get back to me i would really appreciate it!
ps. your a boss!
Hey Andrew – Thanks for looking through the site, I really appreciate it! As for where to start, there’s no one right way to prepare yourself for extensive travel. You should major in whatever discipline interests and excites you the most. There’s no major that will benefit you more than others and if you study what you love, then you will realize the benefits of following your dreams in life and you’ll be much more inclined to start traveling once you’re finished with school.
And believe me when I say that all of the questions that are probably running through your head are not nearly as important as you may think. For example, whatever you pack, you’ll survive and the more you travel, the more you’ll learn what things you should or should not take with you…it’s all about learning through experience
Wow Earl, You are really courageous man. Your brief 12 year history is fascinating. I wish I could be like you, but I fear too much and on top there are fear of my parents letting me go. (Yes i read the fear article) I can travel for short term, but cant imagine myself living in those countries.
I was wondering if you have articles on what are the basic skills someone should have before travelling. i.e driving, athletic, ability to teach, language skills, Swimming [I cant swim to save my life
] etc.
Hey Abdullah – I don’t have any specific articles about the basic skills one needs simply because it doesn’t matter. There are no requirements at all to travel
You just need to be open-minded, that’s the most important thing. Apart from that, whether or not you can drive or swim plays no role at all…
Very impressive Earl! Well done. Just goes to show – the dream is totally doable!
I’m sure a lot of people tell you that you lead an amazing life. What you’re doing right now is what many dream of but have no courage to experience! What I want to ask is this: from your experience, how possible is it to do all this with a spouse or a boy/girlfriend?
Thanks and keep inspiring people!
Hey Bowie – Thanks for the comment and I can say that’s it is definitely manageable with a spouse or girlfriend, assuming that partner wants to travel as well! But there are many couples out there living this lifestyle, such as UncorneredMarket.com and NeverEndingVoyage.com. And those are just two of dozens and dozens. Of course there will be some unique challenges but any relationship has challenges in the end
I’m thinking about doing the same thing, but teaching music instead of english
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Hey Earl!
I am absolutely fascinated by your entire journey.I was hoping to know more about the ” teaching jobs” that i can take up while traveling to Europe this summer.Was it like a paid internship sorta thing?
and U’r an inspiration Earl..Good Luck!!
Hey Shruti – Thanks for the comment! My teaching experiences were not paid internships. I actually just advertised my teaching services at a university in Thailand and taught my students in an informal setting. Here’s some more about how I set this up: http://www.wanderingearl.com/how-to-fund-your-travels-with-creativity/
Good luck in Europe!
Hey, it’s an interesting read.
That being said, no offense, but some of your math does not fit. You got TO Thailand and survived through 3 months (at $150 a week by your own calculations) on $1500 and still had $500 left before taking a job as an English teacher.
Others are implausible. You saved $2500 working as a substitute teacher in 2 months in Boston for example.
Others, aren’t something just everyone has available (a friend in Los Angeles that will let you stay at his house rent free for two months).
So I’m just wondering what you’re not telling us. Was there a source of income from elsewhere?
Hey JC – Thanks for the comment, although you were completely wrong with every single one of your assumptions.
First, yes, I arrived to Asia with $1500, traveled around Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos for just over 2 months and then began teaching in Thailand. Yes, I had $500 when I started teaching. I taught for 6 months and left Thailand with $300 to my name. Not sure what the issue is here. It was my first trip, I was on a super-tight budget and I stuck to that budget. It was also over ten years ago when prices were much cheaper than they are today.
And again, yes, I did save $2500 as a substitute teacher in Boston. The pay at the time (I don’t know what it is now) was remarkably high for those who were willing to substitute in inner city schools.
As for having a friend in Los Angeles, first, when I say I lived with a friend, I rented an apartment with a friend. We both paid equal rent. I was not living for free.
Sorry to disappoint you but next time, it might pay to ask questions before reaching your conclusions
What kind of education do you have and was a college education required for when you taught english?
Hey Braxton – I have a Bachelor’s degree from university. And considering that I taught English on my own and not through a language school, my education wasn’t important as nobody actually hired me. But if you do plan to teach through a language school overseas, in general you would need to have a college degree in order to get a job. They don’t care what the degree is in but they want to know that you finished university and have that extra education.
Hi Earl!
I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and it’s gotten me excited for my trip this spring to India. My friend has a contact there and I’ll be able to teach English at a monastery in trade for food/board for about 2 months. Any advice on the trip? I haven’t been there before and any shared past experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Kevin – You should be excited about your India trip!! It will be a life-changing experience I’m sure. I’m not sure if you read my post “Why Every Traveler Must Visit India” but that’s a good start. Apart from that, I have over two years of experiences in that country so I’m not even sure where to begin. But if you have any specific questions at all, please feel free to send me an email and I’d be more than happy to help out as best I can!
It is great that you can make such a trip for a long time! well, unlike you claim, it is not possible for everyone to make a trip like that. For example, it is nearly impossible for me. If you do not have a US, Canadian, UK, NZ, AU, or EU passport in this world, it is IMPOSSIBLE to travel without money! Do you know why? Because we need VISAS! To get the visas we need thousands of documents including bank account details, papers that show you are working for a company, or you are a student, flight tickets exactly the dates that you ll go back to your country and tons of other legal documents to prove that you are not a possible immigrant. This whole process is against HUMAN RIGTHS! We do not have the equal opportunity as you do. That’s why we want no VISAS in the world.
Hey Seyhun – Thanks for the comment! And while I understand what you wrote, you even said yourself that it is ‘nearly’ impossible. It is not impossible as almost every country on the planet has at least a handful of other countries that its citizens can travel to without too much of a problem. And you don’t need to visit every country in the world to be a traveler. You can do the same thing I’m doing while traveling around your home country or a couple of other countries as well.
Also, the point I always try to make is that once you do start traveling (traveling ANYWHERE), you will discover new opportunities that will change the course of your life. You never know who you’re going to meet or what you’re going to learn and where that will all lead you. As soon as you use the word ‘impossible’, then it does become ‘impossible’ but there are plenty of people out there who have done things that many once thought was not possible to achieve.
Earl, thank you. I’ve been searching for information for a long time and you finally hit it right on the nail. Blessings to you.
You sure love traveling to Middle East. Cheaper i guess??
Hey Kanwar – I love traveling to the Middle East as much as I love traveling to Asia, Latin America, Europe or anywhere on the planet for that matter. And the Middle East really isn’t that much different in terms of costs than many other parts of the world…
Hay Earl, Just wanted to say you are living the dream. My wife and I are working on taking the dream to travel around and reading your message gives the faith that it can be done. Good luck and have fun.
Hey Danny – I’m glad to hear that you’re heading towards the dream as well! It can definitely be done and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise
Hey! Hi!
You are in Romania? What cities have you visited and plan to visit here? I live in Constanta (a big port in Romania, at the Black Sea). Loved your article. it gave me some ideas.
There was a guy from Turkey that had the same problem like me, regarding visas, and right to work in a foreign country. Maybe I’ll go to work after I’m finishing college, next year, in the summer. I’m going to college more because I had to do something and I didn’t really knew myself. But this last year was full of personal “revelations”. I realized what I really wanted to do. But until I’ve red this post, it seemed like it’s impossible to attain it.
Thanks for the hope and ideas you send people through your site!
Hey Iulian! Yes, I am in Romania, currently staying in Bucharest visiting some friends. I have not made it to Constanta yet and will probably wait until it gets a little warmer
As for the life you want to live, there’s always hope. Even though you need visas to many places, there are still many places you can go. I just met a Romanian guy who traveled by motorcycle from Romania to Mongolia and back again, visiting 12 countries along the way and now he is heading to South America as well. It can happen if you stay focused!
Earl, wow, stumbleupon just brought me to you, and I must say I am inspired. It has basically always been my life goal to travel everywhere I could possibly manage, including, yah know, everywhere you’ve been! And I have always fretted about figuring out where the hell the money would come from. You just gave me some great ideas, and I have a few more brewing in my head. I am glad to know there are people out there living my dream who aren’t independently wealthy or some other nonsense. I will be right there with you, soon enough. And I just found a new website to follow! Thanks, man.
Hey Tori – Glad to hear you’ve found some good ideas here and the reality is, there are thousands of opportunities out there to earn money. It just takes some creativity! And I appreciate you following the site. If you ever have any questions about anything, please let me know!
Like many other readers I linked here from another travel site. Love the nomadic idea but my case slightly different. I’m 58 years old. (Life Happens.) Most of the articles I read are aimed at a much younger demographic. Do you encounter older travelers among the “Restless Youth” or would I be a bit out of place in a hostel or sleeping on a train? Thanks for your time. “Keep on Trucking”
Hey Randy – While there is a lot of focus on younger travelers, you certainly wouldn’t feel out of place while on the road! I am constantly meeting travelers of all ages, whether in hostels, budget hotels or any form of local transportation. And the beauty is, travel unites people to the point where age doesn’t matter at all…travelers are much more interested in interacting with other travels, no matter what the age, and learning from them.
So even if you’re outnumbered by younger travelers, you’ll be just as welcome and will be able to have experiences that are just as rewarding!
This post is awesome. I love how you actually wrote out everything you did to show everyone that it’s totally possible to travel – you just have to make it a priority. I’m glad I randomly found your blog! I’m looking forward to any new stories you have.
Thanks for commenting Diana and I appreciate you following along with the blog!