Year being lazy - leaving it all to travel

Spirow

I've been working snce I was 16. I didn't go to college and despite my lack of a formal education, I have been successful in my career, making it to "the top". I have a lot to be greatful for, especially as I have seen many collegues made redundent - many with children, all with responsibilities.
I handed my notice in last week.
I have moved out of my (expensive) city centre apartment and booked a round the world ticket. I leave at the end of June to go to south east Asia, Australia and south America. I am no pioneer. These routes have been done. I guess I needed to post this to make it real. I can't discuss it with anyone until suitable arrangements are made at work. It's a heavy weight.
I have never saved, so cash is a bit of a stretch. After the ticket and Oz visa I will have €5k and whatever I put aside over the next 12 weeks.
12 weeks.
Christ.
I am in my last year for getting an Oz work visa (by the way - the online visa process is top notch. Do not pay an agency to do it for you!!). I think that is what decided it.
There is always "next year". But next year can bring many suprises; just look at the twelve months we have just seen. Before I meet 'the one', before I have children, before I get responsible, I want to have a year to myself. I don't want to be working for the next ten years thinking what ifs.

Any tips?

SunSeaSand

Could have written that post myself, am in exactly same boat and am TOTALLY consumed with all the worries, fears, hopes that you mentioned above.The thing is just doing it- go for it! I'm saying that as I shiver between nerves and excitment! Money is a huge issue I hate to admit. Like yourself- practically NO savings and trying to save between now and Sept. Have never managed saving before now- couldnt afford it- dont know how I'm managing it now. But like you said- how could we look back in ten yrs and say 'Oh I was going to....', would be a killer. I know people say flippantly 'lifes too short' but IT IS- eople overuse that phrase but before you know it you've been working all your life to find its time to move over and let someone younger, more qualified, who has just got back from a round the world trip take over your job......!
Keep me posted re. plans??!!

paddylonglegs

First of all,I would put yourself in a completely different financial frame of mind - you've been getting a steady wage by the sounds of things since you've been 16 so maybe you've always been able to go out at the weekends and buy stuff for yourself? This is just my assumption by the way so correct me if I'm wrong and please don't get offended!

While I was in college I would always have to get money from here and there with part time jobs and might be able to get out for odd pints with mates. While they on the other hand were with a trade and did not see the value of money - they could spend frivolously. I'm not saying that you don't see the value of money but its so easy to take for granted when you have it and its coming in every week. When I went back to full-time education last year for a year, the most difficult and demeaning thing for me mentally was to have to deliver pizzas at the age of 27 in a 1 litre ****-box! This was to keep my head above financial water and to try and save to travel. So now I really understand the value of money. There are loads of threads here on how to save money while saving for traveling and also while traveling, people here will give you loads of advice on budgets for each country - you may then have an idea on exactly how much you need to save.

Saving for a big trip of a lifetime is such hard work but if you can do stuff like going out every second weekend, having mates over for drinks, doing alot of your own cooking instead of going out to eat (if you tend to eat out alot), downgrade your car. You've already got the ball rolling by moving out of your expensive accommodation. It will be so worth it when you are able to do loads of different excursions in all these different countries - I know you say your not a travel pioneer but as an individual its a huge step for someone to take and it will leave you with the richest memories until the day you die.

When you find yourself at home eating beans on toast just so you can save that bit extra to go on a 5 day trek through the jungles of South America, just say to yourself, "its all in the name of traveling".

jackbhoy

We did exactly same back in October, packed in safe pensionable jobs and fecked off, much to frustration of parents etc. 6 months in and money is starting to run low but we have zero regrets. We've had best 6 months of our lives so far and we haven't even made it to Oz yet. If I was back home with shrinking bank balance and no job I probably be sick with worry but my attitude has changed so much that I am scarily unworried.
I am sure that in 20 or 30 years time,if I am back in Ireland, I will have smaller house/car/savings account than my mates but I am more than happy to sacrifice all hat crap for the experiences I am having and will continue to have.
The only tip of real value I can give you is don't overplan, know roughly where you want to go and in what order but leave freedom to linger in places you like and to break from plan and go somewhere you haven't included. We originally thought we'd be in Oz in around late January/early February but we are still proably 6 weeks away as there were places that we just couldn't rush.

Good luck with it and if you have any country specific questions etc please feel free to pm me.

Notch000

fair play to ya, im packing it all in too and hitting the road in May, weird feeling being equally so excited and equally

CiaranC

Fair play OP, Im in the same boat.

Did Canada last year, had the time of my life, back 6 months and Im heading off again. I havent enough money, ill probably starve to death, but **** it!

Kills me looking around at all my peers slogging away, day in, day out. Not for me boyos.

Enjoy.

nitrogen

jackbhoy wrote: »

If I was back home with shrinking bank balance and no job I probably be sick with worry but my attitude has changed so much that I am scarily unworried.

I couldn't agree more. I know some people who are worried sick and have spent all of 2009 so far looking for work, which is the worst job to have.

Best of luck OP. I reckon now is one of the best times to go travelling for a year.

India is cheap and the Euro is quite strong against the Rupee at the moment. It's a fabulous place to explore, observe and chill-out, especially in Kerala. Thailand never disappoints and has adventures that are only limited by the imagination. Laos is dirt cheap and very friendly people.

My main piece of advice is, bring a small backpack. I recommend 18L, seriously! Lay everything you want to take on the bed, and divide it by half. You can buy everything when you need it, for a tenth of the price.

Spirow

SunSeaSand, paddylonglegs, jackbhoy, Notch000, CiaranC, nitrogen - thanks for the encouraging words!
Nitrogen - I will be going for the smallest bag I can get! I don't want to be humping loads of crap with me

I have decided on Thailiand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Loas for 3 months then down to Singapore and across to Australia for 6 months; coming back through South Ameriaca over the last 3 months.

I have nowhere near enough money for that. The ticket's booked.

I'll scrape by in SE Asia and get a job in Oz to keep me going. I am not sure what I should be looking to see in each of the countries. I think I will take a month on a beach to decide what I am going to do.
That's the bit that really intrests me - how will I handle having so much time with so little to do. I've been time poor most of my working life (mostly filling it with unimportant things like work).

Now I am going to be poor poor. Still, I'll have lots of time to worry about that on the beach.

SheroN

Spirow wrote: »

I've been working snce I was 16. I didn't go to college and despite my lack of a formal education, I have been successful in my career, making it to "the top". I have a lot to be greatful for, especially as I have seen many collegues made redundent - many with children, all with responsibilities.
I handed my notice in last week.
I have moved out of my (expensive) city centre apartment and booked a round the world ticket. I leave at the end of June to go to south east Asia, Australia and south America. I am no pioneer. These routes have been done. I guess I needed to post this to make it real. I can't discuss it with anyone until suitable arrangements are made at work. It's a heavy weight.
I have never saved, so cash is a bit of a stretch. After the ticket and Oz visa I will have €5k and whatever I put aside over the next 12 weeks.
12 weeks.
Christ.
I am in my last year for getting an Oz work visa (by the way - the online visa process is top notch. Do not pay an agency to do it for you!!). I think that is what decided it.
There is always "next year". But next year can bring many suprises; just look at the twelve months we have just seen. Before I meet 'the one', before I have children, before I get responsible, I want to have a year to myself. I don't want to be working for the next ten years thinking what ifs.

Any tips?

Myself and the girlfriend are heading away in July. I know how you feel. The two of us are leaving cushy safe pensionable jobs.

Maybe it's a simplistic way of looking at it, but if the worst comes to the worst I think in twenty years time you'll regret not taking the year out to see the world more than you will sitting on the dole for 6 months when you get back.

There are other factors at play in my case (as I'm sure in everyone elses!) besides the recession and all the doom and gloom. I'm approaching 30, I think the chances of me doing something like this after I hit 30 and after I've bought a house etc diminish greatly. Responsibilities make such an adventure next to impossible.

zoey48

Spirow wrote: »

I leave at the end of June to go to south east Asia, Australia and south America. I am no pioneer. I guess I needed to post this to make it real.
I have never saved, so cash is a bit of a stretch. After the ticket and Oz visa I will have €5k and whatever I put aside over the next 12 weeks.
12 weeks. ...
...
Any tips?

Just back from a 6 month around the world, I focused mainly on Asia, Oz, NZ and some South America and bits of USA.

Some of the most important tips I can think off on the top of my head are

• Bring a fairly large rug sack and make sure it almost empty as clothes are cheap in Asia and that where you should stock up.
• Get you shots before you go
• Get your insurance before you go (the cheapest may not be the best)
• Dump your mobile's sim and pick them up as you go, skype was very useful but bring a skype usb that you can plug your headphone into
• Plan your short jumps around Asia a least week in advance and use the local budget airlines
• Eat like the locals (In cambodia I got dinner for 1 dollar on the side of the street)
• Pack lite I carried some things all around the world and never wore them once
• Bring photo copies of your id and bring more then one Card Visa/Laser
• Use banking online to transfer money into your cards do not just leave it all sitting in the account waiting to be use/stolen
• Make a plan what you can spend each week and budget
• Asia is cheaper then Oz or NZ
• South America is not cheap and flights are very expensive
• Stay longer in cheaper places Asia versus South America
• Learn some Spanish for South America and find out where is the best places for your budget. Peru and Boliva are pretty cheap in comparision to Argentina
• Don't trust the guide books as regards prices they are always 20% or 40% under the real price
• Enjoy the experience it will be well worth it:D

Is the 5k just what you budget to get your to Oz?

Oh one other point that I missed, it was too late when I seen that Tesco are the cheapest credit card for cash withdrawls outside the EU and may be cheaper then your laser card. Worth checking as it was at least 1% cheaper.

http://www.itsyourmoney.ie/creditcardcomparison

Spirow

Thanks zoey48;Great tips!!
Loads of people have said to pack light; I think I am going to go for the 18L bag that nitrogen recommends - if it cant fit in that then I dont need it.
I mean, how many pairs of pants does one person need.

breadmonkey

18L! Fair play nitrogen. I packed extremely lightly and still needed a 60L, though I did have a pair of hiking boots.

vinylbomb

breadmonkey wrote: »

18L!

Are you for serious?

Christ, I brought the bare minimum, and I got a 65L bag. Still had to ship 35 KILOS to my end destination too!!!

vinylbomb

Also, you wont be that lazy on 5k. Hate to bust your bubble, but that will do you 4 months in South America. And thats it. Maybe 6-8 weeks in Sydney.

Asia you could go for ages on it though.