I’m just a regular person. I’m no longer a study-abroad student with the luxury of living on another continent because it costs the same as my school tuition. I’m not a nomad who sold all my possessions and dipped into my retirement fund to take an open-ended vacation. I’m not an entrepreneur who decided I could work for myself from anywhere in the world.
I’m a recent college graduate with a full-time, corporate job and 15 days of paid time off (7.5 of which can be carried over each year). Yes, I travel a lot for work, because I decided I needed a job that involved travel. But I also don’t get to choose where I go, which means I’ve spent 75% of the past year in rural Indiana. 🙂
A lot of people tell me how cool they think it is that I travel so much – or at all – but what I want everyone to know is that they can travel, too. It’s a decision; it’s not something that happens to you. If you really want it, you have to make it a priority.
When I decided to take my first international trip in nearly 3 years last October, I had to be deliberate. I saved up 10 PTO days and ensured that taking two weeks off wouldn’t affect my work commitments. I socked away $50 from my paycheck every week. I had to plan. But damn it, I decided to go. And so I did.
My parents, my co-workers, my former teachers all tell me the same thing: they would like to travel “someday.” They aren’t sure when they’ll get around to it, but they wish they could take trips like I do. They’re jealous of the experiences I’m having. I try to tell them that they can do the same thing, if they just make that decision.
Anyone can do this. You can do this. You can start small. Plan a trip for a year from now. Schedule it around a holiday to save some days off. Save a little money. Start looking for deals. Do some research. You don’t have to depend on those nomads with Instagram-perfect lives and a seemingly-endless supply of cash. Those of us “regular-people” travelers are here to help you.
Do you agree with me? Do you think making the decision is the hardest part about traveling? What would you want to know before taking your first major trip? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
Originally Published on May 24, 2017.
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