You Can Live a “Normal” Life and Travel, Too
I'm not a professional traveler. I do not make a living from taking trips around the world. For a long time, I was not location-independent, either — I was just your average recent-college-graduate, trying to figure out how to balance a small paycheck with my desire to travel as much as possible.
And yet, people often tell me how jealous they are of all my travels. They tell me how “lucky” I am. They say they wish they could travel like I do.
But you know what?
They absolutely can. YOU can, too.
So many of those out there who are writing about travel are professional nomads. Many of them lack a home address, and can fit most of their worldly possessions into a backpack. They flit from London to Bangkok to Sydney and back again, and we “ordinary” people think this is all so terribly romantic and awesome that we convince ourselves that we can't possibly do the same.
We psyche ourselves out and buy into a lot of misconceptions about living a life full of travel. We begin to believe things like:
- You must be rich to travel.
- You must be single to travel.
- You must be brave and outgoing to travel.
- You must be free from responsibility to travel.
We convince ourselves that we can never be one of “those people” because we have a job and debt and a family, and we enjoy having a stable address that people can send Christmas cards to.
But guess what? These misconceptions are just that — misconceptions. You can travel without being rich and single. You can travel without being particularly adventurous. And, most of all, you can travel without completely setting aside responsibility.
Yes, I'm here to tell you that you can, in fact, travel and live a “normal” life, too!
Travel does not have to be a lifestyle for everyone. You can be a businessman or career woman and still be passionate about travel. You can work a 9-5 and still see the world if that's what you're passionate about.
The key is what YOU want.
If you want to quit your job to travel the world, great. Go for it.
But if you like owning a car and your own bed and having a permanent place to call “home,” that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your travel dream. It doesn't have to be an either-or scenario. Believe it or not, you CAN have both!
I'm not going to lie and say it's easy, though. Because it's not. If you have a strict work schedule or a young family or a lot of debt to pay off, it may be challenging to live your “ordinary” life and still manage to fit in travel. But just because something is challenging doesn't mean it's impossible.
Here are some tips for how you, too, can fit travel into your ordinary life:
- Start saving now. It's never too early to start saving for a trip. Even just setting aside $20 per week can go a long way quickly.
- Plan your dream vacation. Even if you won't be able to take it right away, planning a vacation can keep you upbeat about traveling and give you something to look forward to. I start planning some of my big trips up to a year ahead of time.
- Keep an eye on travel deals. Especially if you start planning and saving for a big trip early, you can keep an eye on things like airline and hotel deals. You never know when the perfect one will come along! Signing up for mailing lists from specific airlines, or from travel aggregators like TravelZoo, is a great idea, too, and can alert you to big savings opportunities.
- Make the most of vacation time and holidays. We Americans get a raw deal in my opinion when it comes to vacation time. If your employer isn't cool about letting you work overtime or giving you unpaid days off, you'll have to get creative in order to make the most of the vacation time you have. You can stretch your 2 weeks much further if you plan travel around paid holidays, or if you can elect to work your holidays and save them up for later.
- Don't wait for someone to travel with. Especially if you're working full-time and have friends and family members who are also working full-time, it might be difficult to coordinate a vacation. But that doesn't mean you should forego travel. It just means you may need to consider adding “solo travel” to your vocabulary.
- Pick up new hobbies. For me, starting a travel blog has opened many doors in terms of travel. I've made a lot of contacts, and even picked up some freelance gigs here and there that have helped feed my travel addiction (and my travel fund). But if starting a blog isn't right for you, consider other hobbies that might allow you to get closer to your travel goals. Perhaps volunteering or joining a club could be an option for you.
- Take advantage of all opportunities. Right along with picking up new hobbies, be sure to take advantage of any travel opportunities that those hobbies might afford you. For example, I traveled a lot during college because I joined the marching band. We went to places like Italy and China on performance tours at prices that a college student could afford.
And, at the end of the day…
- Don't make excuses. Any excuse you can make about why you can't/don't travel can be overcome. If you truly want to travel more without giving up your current lifestyle, the first step is setting aside the misconceptions and excuses and going after what you want in any way that you can.
And, who am I to preach all this to you, you ask? Well, currently I'm a freelancer who works from a fixed address in Ohio. Before that, I was a graduate student working my butt off to get my Master's degree. And before that, I was a copy editor working 40 hours per week at a small newspaper. I probably don't have to tell you that I have most certainly NOT been rolling in cash since graduating college. I have to work hard to save up money and make time to travel just like everybody else. But, in the past four years, I've traveled to more than 30 countries.
And I'm doing it all while still living a “normal” life.
If I can do it, so can you.
Are you also a person who lives a “normal” life but still manages to travel? Tell me about it in the comments!
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Since graduating college in 2005, I have found myself working in health care. I choose to work PRN (as needed) so that I can take chunks of time off. I am averaging taking one month off every nine months or so. I work a lot when I am home because 1. I love my job, and 2. It allows me to save money to go somewhere new. There is some risk to working this way ie I am always the person called to not come in if it is slow so that the full-time-ers get their full hours, but for me, the risk outweighs the rewards. I can have my ‘normal life’ where I have a job, a stable place to live, a cat, ect, AND I can have my travel life too….I am leaving 26Dec for Eastern Europe for three weeks. For me, it seems like such a short time; for my co-workers, it’s ‘how can you be gone THAT long?’
Good for you, Michelle! That’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about here – leading a “normal” life, but still finding a way to fit travel into it.
Have a great time in Eastern Europe! I just spent quite a bit of time there this summer and really really loved it.
My significant other and I are planning some extended travels for next year but up until now we’ve just been maximizing opportunities and holding down regular jobs. I like that not all travel blogs are run by location independent people. 🙂
You’d be surprised at the number of travel bloggers who don’t travel full-time. Though, the majority do, I think. Good luck with your extended travels!
I have been thinking all of this for quite some time now. I love it when these synchronicities happen.
I have a job, freelance so I don’t work full time but that’s not always by choice. I do manage to travel even though no paid vacations. It’s as you said, not easy, the mortgage payments still go on, but I live for it.
If you love travel a lot, you find a way to make it happen! At least, that’s what I always tell people who tell me they wish they could travel as much as I do. I’m sure you completely understand!
[…] often people tell me that they wish they could do what I’m doing. Well guess what? They can. So can you. If you want to travel but currently aren’t, it’s probably because you’re hiding […]
[…] often people tell me that they wish they could do what I’m doing. Well guess what? They can. So can you. If you want to travel but currently aren’t, it’s probably because you’re hiding […]
I really like your approach to travel! I actually set off about two years ago on an adventure where I was determined to live abroad. But after a year, I realized that I wanted those comforts of home as well. It’s true that there seems to be a gap between either just staying home or giving up everything you own and living life out of a backpack. You’re doing the in-between and I like that. I definitely want to start finding a way to find that balance… of home and exploration. Thanks for starting this site and I’m definitely going to check out more! 🙂
Thanks so much, Erika! I’m glad you can relate to my in-between style of travel. As with most things in life, it’s all about balance! Here’s hoping we both can strike one. 🙂
Good article! Like you, I have seriously itchy feet – travel is a passion and I’m not happy unless I have somewhere I’m planning to go to (Up next: Thailand, Norway and Sweden in the next 6 months).
I haven’t made up my mind yet if I want to be one of those romantic and awesome people who “lack a home address, and can fit most of their worldly possessions into a backpack, flitting from London to Bangkok to Sydney and back again,” or if I like the idea of not living out of a suitcase (it gets tiring) and having a place to really call home, but whichever way I swing it – I will always be looking for ways and opportunities to travel.
There’s always a way – it just comes down to the choices you make.
Happy trails!
You are so right, Peggy – there’s always a way. And it sounds like you’ve figured your way out for now! Happy travels!
Inspiring post and thank you for sharing.. I drool reading the tales of those full time travelers but sadly there are priorities in life that need to be consider. That’s why thumbs up to your post! Indeed we can still quench our travel thirst even we keep our 9-5 job!
Cheers!
Thanks, glad you liked the post!
I just found your blog and I wanted to say I love it! I am also not a professional traveler, but I love to travel! People say the same thing to me and how jealous they am of my trips. I am definitely not rich, but I feel that is what I want to spend my money on! I save and I am not staying in 5 star hotels.
I’m glad you found my little corner of the Internet, Virginia! Welcome! It’s great to hear of another passionate traveler who lives a “normal” life! 🙂
Nice post, I agree with what you have to say. The only thing that anyone needs in order to travel is a genuine desire to do so.
Thanks! Glad you agree.
Wow, what a well-written article! Everything you say is so true…if you make travel a goal in life, you’ll find ways to travel. I am similar to you in that I have a full-time job (and actually a 2 year old too) but have always managed to travel!
Love this post, and many others on your blog!
And this goes for anything in life, not just travel. If you want something and you make getting it a priority in your life, chances are you will make it happen!
That is so very true. Have you ever seen the You Tube video (actually there is a book now too) called “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch? Not travel related….but he talks about goals. Similar theme to your post here….and both very well-written 🙂
Nope, have not heard of that video (or book), but perhaps I should check it out! I’m a very goal-oriented person (if you couldn’t tell already), and I think more people should be!
I’d highly recommend it. Here is the link to Carnegie Mellon’s You Tube page with the video:
http://www.cmu.edu/uls/journeys/randy-pausch/index.html
And the site for the book:
http://www.thelastlecture.com/
“Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them.”
Excellent post and excellent site!
I have been thinking to start a travel blog & have been following a couple of travel blogs… Most of them of full-time travelers, people who leave their day job for traveling…
Though the blogs are awesome & full of wonderful photos, travel tips; they scare me… because I get a feeling that the only way to quench my wanderlust, is to leave a job and go onto full time traveling.. that I can’t maintain a balance between travel, family & work.. that the only people who can successfully travel are people who are single with no debts, no responsibilities…
But today, while reading other blogs I came across your site.. and must say that it’s awesome.. in this post you have listed all my fears & how to overcome them… Thanks for a wonderful post….
I have a question.. how can you earn with your travel blog.. didn’t understand that…
Hi there! Welcome to the site, and I’m so glad to hear that this post has helped assuage some of your travel fears.
As for your question about how you can earn money from a blog, it’s usually done through advertising, or selling e-books or other products on the site. It’s hard work, though, and very few people make enough to live off of!
very true, its an uphill battle to earn a real wage off a travel blog, but it can be done. many bloggers also run affiliate sites on the side to make the real cash! but again, it takes time…
Yup, it takes a lot of time! I do make money off this blog now, but not really enough to live off of. And that’s fine with me! I don’t think I’m cut out to be a permanent nomad, anyway.
Thanks for the great tips, especially the one about being open to travel solo! Many people I know complain that despite having time off or a flexible employer, their friend/partner/spouse can’t schedule time off. I think they are missing out by not venturing out alone–you can move at your own pace, no need to compromise!
I also love Pamela’s ‘Adventure of the Month’ tip, and that’s something I try to do too, even if not always planned out as such. I just get itchy feet if I don’t make the time to see or do something novel every few weeks!
I feel like a lot of people just assume that they can’t travel solo – that’s it’s too scary or daunting or something. But there are ways to do it that make it easy, such as joining a tour group of other solo travelers if you’re worried about going it alone.
I completely agree with everything you have said. I’m also a “normal life” traveler. I’d miss my dogs terribly if I lived as a nomad. Maybe some day, but not now. To fill in the gaps of international travel, I started what I call “Adventure of the Month”. Sometimes they are just being a tourist close to home, but it’s still an adventure. Blogging has helped me keep travel a top priority. I’ve already been to Belize this year and have a road trip through Canada and Alaska in May, Galapagos in August, and the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu in September. I don’t have firm plans yet, but am hoping to go to New Zealand, Australia and Fiji over Christmas and through January (using my holidays).
So as you can see…I live by your advice and I’m with you…it works!!! Great information and motiviation.
I love your “Adventure of the Month” idea! I’ve actually tasked myself with something similar — to try and go SOMEwhere at least once every 5 or 6 weeks, even if it’s just somewhere close by. It’s difficult to do some months (grad school is more work than a full-time job sometimes!), but I’m going to have a lot of amazing adventures this year — all without quitting a job or sacrificing my “normal” state of living. 🙂
Sounds like you are going to have some amazing travels this year, too!
Too true! I found myself nodding along to everything whilst reading this! I’m still a student but have used the (very much extended!) summer breaks to indulge my travel bug. Working hard alongside uni work to earn the money has been hard but definitely worth it! Thanks for this post – a lot of people think ‘travellers’ are people who are constantly on the move, or people who go away for extended amounts of time. Whilst these are obviously travellers, I think people who find time here and there to travel should definitely be given more credit!
If anything, travelers like you and I have to work twice as hard to make travel a reality! When all you do is travel, it’s easy to just pick up and move on to a new place. But when you’re in school or have a job, it takes a lot more work! But I’ll keep at it if you will!