Travel is all about finances.
You see, the exact same trip can be taken very different ways by two different people. One might travel luxuriously – the other, on a budget. One might spend all their earnings – the other, tries to spend only what savings were put aside for that venture. Which means, as far as feasibility is concerned, the first step to traveling more frequently for longer means accepting the fact that how you may see yourself flying around the world might not be the reality your bank account can afford.
So since our travel experience is based upon our numerical standings and you’re looking to up your travel time, here are some incredibly beneficial options that can help you.
• Change The Way You Travel And Volunteer
Volunteering is an excellent way to travel more frequently for longer.
As a volunteer, you’re automatically expected to stay for a certain length of time. In exchange, you’re given a bed, a meal, and time to spend in your destination of choice.
Of course, that’s depending on what it is you’re volunteering for. Workaways, for example, usually require at least 1 month of your time, and they always provide you with days off. Meaning if you have a 4 day workweek, you’ll get 3 days off in return. With these free days, you’ll be connecting to the place on a much deeper level than you would’ve passing through. With time to take full advantage of all the touristic activities your heart desires. Or going where the tourists aren’t -creating a more authenticate travel experience.
Volunteering requires work, but the exchange for quality time in a location of interest is priceless. Especially if that location is providing you with some other personal/educational/networking gains. So think of this one like a personal investment on top of providing a positive social service.
A volunteer program I highly recommend:
• Work And Then Travel
With opportunities like work and travel, you’re going to be putting in a lot more hours of work.
This is because you’re applying for some hard labor job that the country (like Australia) has a hard time employing with its own citizens. Hours are long, work is tough. Pay is good, but the payoff in travel is what it’s all about.
Countries like Australia pay so well, so that in return you’ll hopefully spend that money traveling within their country. Many people, though, save that dough and use it towards a long Asiatic vacation after their contract is over. Some people are able to travel up to 6 months across Asia after the work has ended. It’s an excellent way to afford travel because you’re literally working to save up for it. And what better reward is there than that?
To travel more frequently, for longer (I’m talking like 1-1.5 years) you have to be willing to invest some time and energy. And work and travel is an excellent way to go about doing that. The downside is that there’s an expiration date – meaning most countries require you to be under the age of 30. If you’re of ago and you’re considering, apply and act fast!
• Save Up Time Off
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s not that easy of a task to save up time off, especially if you’re coming from the US.
As North Americans, we’re considered to be one of the most vacation-deprived countries in the world, receiving only 12 days vacation per year. 12 days won’t exactly allow you the opportunity to travel more frequently for longer, unless you’re in an area like the service industry or your boss is European and respects the 25-30 day vacation rule.
But if you are working in the service industry, this option is much more easily accessible for you. As long as you work hard, you’re responsible by showing up on time, coming in when they need you, never complaining, getting along with your boss, yada yada… basically being the ideal worker in your environment, it’s going to be much easier to sweet talk having a few weeks vacation off. Think of it like a locally-based work and travel. You have to first put in the work, and then gain the reward afterwards.
This opportunity for travel is perfect for my hardworking service industry folk. I worked in a restaurant many years and the great thing about it, especially if you’re in a chain in a university city, is that there are plenty of coworkers willing to take your shift while you’re away. So you’re easily replaceable.
• Work Remotely
Working remotely just means finding something that will allow you to work from home.
This option has some major benefits, especially in the form of travel. This is because working remotely makes it easy to move for more frequent travel adventures. Or to stay, if you find a particular destination you want to be in for a longer period of time.
Now, if you don’t have a remote job yet, here is a list of the top 14 remotes jobs available in 2022. You’ll find jobs from translators to writers to accountants and even software engineers. As a current part-time English teacher, I’ve been able to work remotely since the coming of Corona. I started in teaching Brazil and after returning home to care for my grandmother 24/7, I was able to continue online classes and still generate a small income. That income helped me to save up for my return to Brazil one year later.
Even if you’re not working remotely yet or you feel you aren’t skilled in areas that remote work requires, if you’re a native English speaker, you already have the skills you need! So if you’re an American English speaker or have an American accent, you are in high demand, my friend. And if you find the right language company, you will have no issues getting remote work as an English teacher. Or…
• Teach Abroad
Teaching abroad is one of the easiest ways to be able to travel abroad and still get paid, especially as a native English speaker
Because you already have the skillset you need, you basically only need some personable skills to work with children and the job is yours. The downside to this one is that it does usually cost quite a bit upfront. The upside is that depending on the program you choose (that is, where you choose to teach), some programs are willing to pay for your flight costs. Plus you can usually make pretty good money teaching abroad. Depending on where you are, it can be even much easier to put back a little nest as well that you can travel with later.
This option isn’t for everyone, because you kind of need to get a long with children to make it an enjoyable experience, but if that’s not a problem for you, you should definitely give this a go.
A teach abroad program I can highly recommend:
