Want to travel the world full time like I do? Prepare to be uncomfortable.

On October 14th, 2015
BootsnAll

Nearly nine years ago, I made the most drastic decision of my life. I walked away from 36 years of corporate life to pursue a career as a travel writer and photographer. I remember very clearly the day I left the U.S. I was exhausted from years of working 70 hour weeks and excited to start a new phase in my life, but most of all I was terrified. Although I’d traveled all my life, like most Americans, the majority of my international travel had been to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean; I’d only truly been “overseas” once in my life. For the next six months, I would travel alone through 16 different countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Me at Los Angeles International Airport in 2007, waiting to take off  on my six-month round-the-world trip. I was exhausted and scared of what lay ahead.

Terrible photo of me, taken with my laptop camera at Los Angeles International Airport in 2007, as I was waiting to take off on my six-month round-the-world trip. I was exhausted and scared of what lay ahead.

Things went wrong on my very first night. After checking into my budget hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I asked the desk clerk where I could find a wifi connection. He pointed me to an Internet cafe down the street, where I happily plinked away on my laptop for a few hours. Shortly after midnight, I headed back to my hotel. The street I stepped out onto bore no resemblance to the one I had walked just a few hours earlier. Metal doors had been rolled down over the fronts of all the businesses, including my hotel. After a few moments of panic, survival mode kicked in. At worst, I would need to spend the night in another hotel and return the next morning to retrieve my luggage. Fortunately, the owner of one of the few shops that was still open came to my rescue. He pounded on the door until a bleary-eyed night watchman rolled up the door to admit me. At that moment, I knew that everything was going to be fine. I realized there was nothing to fear, that I would always be able to work my way through any challenge that presented itself.

Vietnam was unlike anything I had ever experienced,, but I adapted quickly and embraced the experience

Vietnam was unlike anything I had ever experienced,, but I adapted quickly and embraced the experience

More concerning was the financial aspect of what I was attempting. With limited savings at my disposal I chose the cheapest possible accommodations, staying in $5-10 per night hostel dorms where cockroaches were more common than bunkmates. I chose places that included a free breakfast, ate as much as I could, and sneaked rolls and cheese into my pockets for lunch. For dinners I hit the local bakeries, existing on slices of quiche or pizza. Unable to sustain a mortgage payment, I sold my house and moved into a small apartment, but soon I was traveling more than I was home, so three years into my journey I gave up my apartment as well. My fallback was family and friends with whom I could stay if necessary.

I had no home base, no furniture, and few possessions, but I still couldn’t let go of my car. For eleven months each year, it sat on the street in front of my friend’s house in Atlanta, waiting for my annual holiday visit. Two years ago, I arrived back in the States to find that the tires had rotted away from sitting in the sun. Six-hundred dollars and a set of new tires later I decided to sell the car as well. Finally, I was a complete and true digital nomad who would travel the world full time with no home base.

“Humans are remarkably versatile creatures. We can get used to almost anything. After nearly nine years of traveling, what once seemed daunting and scary has simply become my norm.”

Getting to this point was a process. With each step, I became more willing to let go of material possessions and what others would call security. Prior to my initial six-month trip, I purchased an around-the-world flight, booked every hotel in advance, and prepared a multi-page document with lists of what to see and do. Nowadays, I do no research. I book a one-way ticket to whatever continent I want to explore and book one or two nights in my arrival city, then spend months traveling around by bus, train, ferry, or shared rides with no pre-planned itinerary. I stay in one place until I’ve seen everything of interest, then decide where to go next. My accommodations are generally booked the day before I arrive in a new destination.

My 25" Eagle Creek Tarmac roller board suitcase, with packing cubes to organize and make the best use of the limited space. What goes in here has to cover climates ranging from the tropics to arctic freezes.

My 25″ Eagle Creek Tarmac roller board suitcase (4-wheels are a must!), with packing cubes making the best use of the limited space. What goes in here has to provide for climates ranging from tropics to arctic freezes.

I’ve become an expert in the art of packing. I live out of a 4-wheel 25” suitcase, wearing the same clothes, week after week, month after month, and carry 25 pounds of equipment on my back. Though my travel blog has become one of the top 100 in the world, the money I earn from writing and photography still does not allow me to travel in luxury, so I lug my suitcase up and down staircases in Metro stations rather than take a taxi. My back and shoulders sometimes ache from the weight I carry, but spending lots of time in Southeast Asia means I can get a massage for just a few dollars.

When people hear what I do for a living, most say I’m brave, but I’m not any braver than the next person. I just know that traveling without an itinerary is not only possible, it is preferable. It allows me to go where I am invited, or to check out new and exciting destinations that other independent travelers tell me about. I’ve learned that finding a room with only a day’s notice is no problem, and that I can even arrive in a city with no reservation and easily find a place to stay.

Me, just a few days ago, at Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia, a happy and healthy seasoned world traveler

Me, just a few days ago, at Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia, a happy and healthy seasoned world traveler

Concerns about traveling in places where English is not spoken have also disappeared. Not only is English spoken almost everywhere in the world, I have become an adept pantomime artist and, in a pinch, Google translator works wonders. I have a great sense of direction, but even if I didn’t, my smart phone app with GPS pinpoints my exact location on a map. My ability to solve problems on the fly, to be flexible, and stay calm have served me well. I have even learned that it is OK to ask for help, and to accept the kindness of strangers with humility and grace.

Humans are remarkably versatile creatures. We can get used to almost anything. After nearly nine years of traveling, what once seemed daunting and scary has simply become my norm. This life of perpetual travel is a dream come true for me, regardless of the discomfort and constant challenges it presents. But it’s definitely not for everyone.

Ready plan your Round The World Trip?

When Barbara Weibel realized she felt like the proverbial “hole in the donut” – solid on the outside but empty on the inside – she walked away from corporate life and set out to see the world. Read first-hand accounts of the places she visits and the people she meets on her blog, Hole in the Donut Cultural Travels. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Image: Dennis van de Water (shutterstock)