In the “real world” we get into routines, have a schedule and plan out our upcoming days and weeks ahead. This is the world we live in and without practice or experience it can be a challenge to break free of these restraints.
Imagine booking a one way flight…
Where would you go? For how long? What would you do? These are questions that I was presented when I booked my first one-way flight to Mexico. My family wanted to know when I would return. My friends wanted to know how long I would be in a certain place. People wrongly assumed Mexico was my sole destination. They didn’t realize that Mexico was merely my starting point for a long-term backpacking trip down into South America.
There are different types of travelers.
Some people travel for vacation, some for adventures and some people travel as a way of life. I travel as a way of life. Since studying in college, I started designing my career so that I could work while traveling. I held a number of jobs, everything from working on farms to chartering fishing boats and waiting tables top put myself through school. But nothing took hold of me like working on a computer.
My travel is random but also methodical. It’s designed to be adventurous but safe. Spontaneous but thought out. It is organized chaos at it’s finest. It’s similar to starting a business when you have years of experience starting businesses. Sure, there are risks…but you’re aware of how to mitigate those risks and have backup plans to your backup plans in the event that something happens.
We live in a different world today.
Gone are the days of working at a company for 20 years. Gone are the days of long-term career security. Today, people change careers an average of 3 times in their lives. Additionally, tasks are being automated…if not by computers, then by lower cost labor. Before you think of these things of negative, realize the opportunity first. While the stakes are high in modern careers, critical thinkers and creative minds are rewarded very well. No business and no computer can create the agility and creativity behind a human mind. The human experience cannot be duplicated by a machine…yet anyway.
You will wake up one day and your time will have passed.
I used to say “I’ll plan my trip next year”. Finally, after 8 years I realized next year had gone by. I missed countless opportunities to travel because I was concerned about money and security…two things that are essentially illusions in today’s economic world. Money and financial security are managed by the economic gate-keepers of today’s world. That is fine. They can have it. I will by busy enjoying every moment I possibly can.