Ironically, I am writing this post from a hotel in another state, but this isn’t the travel I am talking about… Currently I am traveling for work, all the planes, hotels, and hassle, with none/very little of the fun and relaxation. What this post is about is taking a trip or vacation on my own terms. I don’t know about you, but for me long stretches of no travel gets me irritated. Me being who I am, I get bored rather easily, and living in Charlotte makes that a lot easier…I hate waiting to travel.

So here I found myself in somewhat of a travel rut, due a couple of life changes. I recognize my ruts may be different than other people’s ruts. There was a Myrtle Beach trip again recently, but, it has been more than three months since I have visited another continent. I know you are crying for me, but no need to start a GOFUNDME page for my travels just yet, I am finding ways to cope…

Even though you are concerned about my lack of travels, don’t worry about this blog. First, I have plenty of locations in my pocket to keep writing. Secondly, I will be waddling around another location soon enough…I have come to realize life gets in the way of travel at times. There were two major changes in my life that are hampering my wanderlust. To begin with, I am distracted by this new addition to our family. A new puppy is great, but he is really an Arsehole, and hates to be alone. I want to wait to leave him by himself, unless of course, I give into temptation and drop him off at the nearest kennel, for now, I will coddle him a little while longer.

Secondly, I have a new/exciting job that makes long trips seem a bit more difficult, hence the work trip I am currently on. There are a lot of great things about getting a new job, but a lack of PTO isn’t one of them. I have to be more strategic about my trips. Regardless of the reasons why you can’t travel, all are short lived and solvable.

Reasons Why You Can’t Travel

This site isn’t targeted to 20-year-old with a hacky sack and a Bernie Sanders sticker on his cardboard box, going from hostel to hostel in Indonesia (although they are more than welcome to visit). I write from the perspective of the person wanting to travel, but also living a normal life. I get it, obviously, there are many excuses reasons why you can’t travel.

1. Lack of Money – Probably the biggest reason people give me for lack of travel, is money. Everybody is in a different situation, but I think money is the easiest to solve. Still it may take saving a little longer to go on that dream vacation, which can be draining while waiting.
2. Job Obligations– This is where I am at, I need to actually make money to afford to go places. Sometimes making money eats away at your time. Like money, time is a valuable resource that travel consumes. People once called me a PTO wizard, I can stretch my days off like no one else. Of course it may mean going to the office with the bird flu, but I digress.
3. Family Obligations – Maybe the comrades at your kids’ school tell you when you can travel. Maybe you are taking care of an elderly parent, there are plenty of responsibilities that get into the way of traveling. Just know where to draw the line between obligations and a freeloading cousin who sleeps on your couch without doing the dishes.

Whatever the reason, if you are like me, staying in one place too long can be depressing. The important point is no situation is forever, there is no need to give up on travel. Don’t turn into one of those “I’ll travel someday or when I retire,” type of people. Life is too short not to visit other places, get your plan going now.  If seeing the world is a priority, then it is vital to have a focus going forward no matter the circumstances. While the wait between trips can be long, there are ways to alleviate this situation.

How to Survive Long Stretches of Not Traveling

It is funny how life changes, although I loved new things, I didn’t start travel until about 7 years ago. I used to not travel outside my neighborhood. In present day, if I am not traveling at least twice a year I start to get grouchy. Considering now, I don’t even have tickets/hotels room for my next destination I am a bit more than irritated. Having said this there are things I can do to pass the time.

1. Get My Mind Right– I need to remember that this is a short-term situation. I will be traveling again soon, that is who I am, and it’s in my blood. I need to keep perspective in order to keep from going crazy.
2. Take Care of Myself– I make no secret about the fact that I eat like a slob when I am away. If I continued that when I was home this blog wouldn’t exist. That is because my fingers would be so fat that I would hit three keys at a time, making it impossible to type. Breaks from travel helps me regain my health and fill the coffers a bit. This can be said about my savings as well. Contrary to popular belief I don’t have a goose that lays golden eggs. I actually save, quite a bit for my trips. Not traveling helps me replenish my money as well as clears my arteries.
3. Read/Learn About Travel – This will help you learn about other places and help guide you to where you want to go. I religiously watch travel shows and read guides in search of the next best place to visit. Below are some ideas:

                                                                              

1. Take Short Trips – If you can’t go to South America, go to the closet city within driving distance. If you can’t get a week off, take advantage of the weekend. Sometimes all you need is to break out of your routine. A quick drive and an Air B&B can provide this.
2. Be a Tourist in Your Town – Ok, my town happens to be Charlotte, no one wants to be a tourist in this town… but even Charlotte has some things to do in it. Most people don’t explore their own cites nearly enough. I tried this recently, visiting one of Charlotte’s best attractions, the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It reaffirmed how terrible the city is, but it got me out of the house. Hopefully you live in a better place and this piece of advice is relevant.
3. Plan Your Next Vacation – Even if you don’t have the money, plan your trip. If you have no time, plan your trip. Figure out where you want to go and make it happen. With a plan in place you have something to look forward to, which is half the battle. Taking the time to map out where you are going next and more importantly how, will solve a lot of problems. None of the things I discussed above can’t be solved once confronted.

Conclusion

Maybe I am writing this for myself as much as anyone, given the distance between trips. Life happens to the best of us, but I won’t let it stand in the way of seeing the world. My next destination:Croatia. In the meantime, I will continue to save and invest to ensure a future life of travel…

The post What to Do While Waiting to Travel appeared first on Man in Flight.

Most of us can’t spend our days on the beaches of Vietnam writing, we have normal (possibly soul sucking) jobs and responsibilities. Depending on your circumstances you may have a family, bills, mortgage or a million other responsibilities that keep you grounded. So, I ask myself is it possible to be a world traveler while holding down the “standard” life?  I feel strongly that if you desire it, world travel is possible for anyone, no matter their time constraint, fiscal constraints or other obligations.

I am a travel blogger (apparently), yet I have a normal life, wife, home, office job etc. Up until five years ago I really didn’t leave the country as an adult.  This all changed when I had come to the realization that I was letting my life fly by. So, I made a decision (with some coaxing from my wife) to see the world. In the last five years, I have visited close to 20 countries and I traveled well. I usually hit 3-5 new countries a year. This combined with many shorter trips exploring my own country, the United States. 

I know that is nothing compared to Joe the camel rider, but it shows world travel is possible if you put your mind to it.  I will describe the keys to world travel when you have other obligations. First there are some good things to not living a completely nomadic life.

Benefits of Being a Part Time World Traveler

1) You can reset physically: If I travelled full time I would be so obese I would need a rascal within 3 months. When I travel I treat my body like an old tire.  I eat like crap, drink like a fish and I don’t rest well. My health would be nonexistent if I was a full-time traveler. Some might say, “well you wouldn’t eat like that all the time”. To those people I respond, you have no idea how little self-control I have. If it is new, I am eating (or drinking) it. Being home lets me get my diet back in order.

2) You can reset Financially: No need for me to get eaten by fleas in a hostel, I am staying at the Intercontinental or Sofitel. Not travelling ALL the time helps me save more so I can really enjoy the trips when I do get away. I don’t think twice about spending money on a blowout meal when I am away, because I have been saving for it.

3) You get to have a sense of home: Friends, home, family (if you’re into that) can all be yours. World travel doesn’t have to be a choice between experiencing different cultures and having a home life. You can have both, which I will demonstrate.

4) A sense of anticipation: One of my favorite things about travelling is the anticipation of the trip. Leaving the grind behind and getting ready for an adventure is an enjoyable part of going away. I can’t speak from experience, but I feel those that travel nonstop must lose some of the thrill. I love turkey (the food) for example, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year with excitement in anticipation of eating pounds of it.  If every day was Thanksgiving, I don’t think my turkey cravings would last.

This is all great but how can a normal person become a world traveler? World Travel might seem out of reach, for the 9 to 5ers, but it is possible. The main thing to do is manage your most import resources: that is money and time.

Commitment to World Travel 

1) Commit to travel– This seems like a no brainer, but it surprised me how many people say one thing and do another. One blog I like, Nomadic Matt, describes this situation perfectly in this article . It describes a girl who wanted to go to Ireland, but who he believes will never make it there. What is funny, I hear this story a lot. I work with someone who is probably in her late 50’s that told me she has always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. To that I reply, no you don’t (not to her face). I understand money and time are an issue, but if you truly committed to driving to the Grand Canyon, you would easily have gotten there.

Tip #1 Commit to world travel or stop talking about it.

2) Get Your Passport: I hope most people who wish to see the world have a passport, but I am always surprised about all those that don’t. If you are one of them, stop reading and get your passport, I’ll wait. Good, you’re listening to me or not… I’ll just pretend you are.  If you don’t have a passport expect to spend the next 5 years watching Anthony Bourdain wondering how much fun travel is.

Tip #2: Get the tools you need, starting with your passport.

Managing your Resources: Time

Set Priorities: I don’t have time to travel is a B.S excuse for most people. The average person watches an average of 77 days of television a year. Of course, you can’t fly to Europe for 4 hours at a time, but it does demonstrate a point. People waste their most valuable resource, time. You can find a couple of days to piece together to at least get a 5-day weekend now and again. Even if you can’t spend two weeks in Asia, you get a 8 hour flight to Ireland and spend four days there. Use that TV time to get caught up at work to free up your days. I am sure ABC & HBO won’t miss you for a couple of nights.

Tip # 3: Use your time wisely

Take Your Vacation: I read somewhere that the Americans let 658 million vacation days go to waste. The idea of my company getting one more hour of my time than what they pay me for makes me cringe. If you’re letting your vacation go to waste, you need a wakeup call. Why the hell would you let time off you’re entitled to disappear? Do you think the company or stockholders will leave you in their will if you work more than you need to? You will not get a pat on the back, you most likely won’t even get a thank you if you waste your paid time off. 

Also, don’t give me this “I have too much work to do” garbage. I don’t know you, but I know you won’t remember that useless spreadsheet or pointless meeting in 5 years. But you will remember the week in South Africa or the trip to a Greek Island.

Tip # 4….I repeat, Take your damn Vacation.

Don’t Play it safe: I like Vegas (I don’t love it, but it is ok) I also like the Bahamas. If I only had a week and a half, I’m not going to Vegas or the Bahamas. I am going to Prague or Costa Rica or any of the number of places that have a wow factor. Everyone I ever talk to about travel think they are living it up by going to Vegas. To me it is somewhat boring, commercialized and expensive. You can get to Rome for the price of a good hotel and airfare to Vegas. You will also save $5000 in gambling fees.

Tip # 5 Mix it up

Managing Your Number #2 Resource Money

Take care of the Basics: One of the biggest reasons people give for not being able to travel is money. I understand everyone situation is different, but most people have their priorities out of whack. If becoming a world traveler is really more than a pipe dream then it is time to get your spending priorities in order. I can (and eventually will) discuss all the ways to save money, use credit card points and come up with deals to travel cheaply.

Unfortunately, none of these mean anything if your financial house isn’t stable. Look at where your money is truly going, do you have a $250 cable bill? Are you going out with your friends three times a week? I assure you those Jalapeno poppers at AppleBees are not going to create the memory that a trip to Cuba will create. Although, eating at Applebees does create its own horrific experience that can be remembered for a lifetime. The point is if possible, cut out the unimportant to make room for world travel.

Tip#6 Spend Carefully

Get a part time Job: This might sound like obvious advice and may be easier said than done, but it circles back to what I mentioned about time management. Since you already cancelled cable, you aren’t wasting time watching Nickatnight reruns, so you might as well put that time to good use. Uber driver comes to mind, but there are ways to earn a little extra at home if you have kids to watch or other obligations at home. Freelance writing a couple of hours a night can bring in a little something, and it only takes a little a night to build a nice world traveler fund.

Tip #7 Get a Part Time Job to Start a World Travel account

Be Flexible and Persistent: I usually have at least 5 places in mind when planning my next trip. I then get obsessive, searching for the best deals night and day. I get a better chance of scoring a great deal, given my flexibility. This is how I was able to get two round trip tickets to Istanbul ,along with a 5 star hotel for less than $1500. I am guessing that a near civil war and a pending vote to hire a dictator didn’t hurt my chances of getting a deal, but I digress.  Deals are out there, one-day airline tickets will be $500, the next day $1000 and back and forth. If you are looking at a bunch of spots, you’ll find something you can afford.

Tip #8 Vary Your Destination

Knock out two (or more) countries in one shot: I try to schedule at least a day layover in different country when I go away. This way at least I can check off a lot more places. It also saves a ton on airfare. Some might say you can’t really experience a country in a 20 hour layover and that is fair.  If you plan right and never stop moving, you can see a lot of the biggest things. Even better you get a feel for a place you may want to spend more time in further down the road.

Tip #9 Plan multiple destinations

These are just some basic tips to hopefully inspire you to start (or continue) your traveling journey. Once you get over the fear and mystery of travel you can make a commitment to do so. If you are anything like me your first trip overseas, it will be like a hit of crack (I assume) …you’ll always want more. All you will be able to think about while wasting away in the office is finding your way back to another destination. Or, on the flipside, you can look back when you’re 75 and say, I always wanted to go to (fill in the blank).

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