I was looking out the window , thinking and planning my travels for this year when a friend came by , looked at my computer screen and patted on my shoulder asking “ So where are you heading next?” Before I could answer him, he just fired up next question “ If you love travelling so much , why don’t you quit the job and travel the world?” This was not the first time I was asked this question and I knew it surely was not the last time I had to answer it. You see, travelling the world by quitting the J-O-B has become kind of travel industry norm. Without this stereotype nobody takes you as serious “wanderluster”. So here it is in all honesty “ No, I will not quit my job to Travel the World”.. And here is why..
I love what I do:
There are some of us who are lucky to have a job that we actually love and I am really fortunate to be one of them. I work in travel-tech company that helps me in understanding travel industry inside out. It gives me an opportunity to learn about latest travel trends and actually shaping them. So yes I am passionate about what I do and I really do not see a reason of quitting it just because I love travel too. My job brings me joy, feeling of accomplishment and well the money that I need for travels.
This brings me to my second point:
Money does matter :
Come on , now we will be lying if we say money does not matter. Who does not want to spend days basking in sun and sand on the islands of Tahiti in ocean villas. But can everyone afford it? No. And you surely do not want to worry about dipping bank account balance while travelling. A job gives me that mental security as I know exactly from where my next pay cheque is coming and certainly provides me with “O-P-T-I-O-N-S” . A little financial planning and a lot more saving , helps me to travel the way I want .
And you know what ….
I like my travels to be little luxurious:
Now what is life without a little comfort ? Yes , I like to stay in good hotels ( if not 5 or 7 stars) , have dinners at posh restaurants and even try activities that in general are a little too expensive. My idea of vacation is to have a room with a good view and indulge in luxuries that I don’t tend to enjoy on ever day basis. You might have heard “ Work hard , Party Harder”. This pretty much summarizes how I afford my kind of vacations ;) . I like to work hard because that gives me the flexibility to splurge during my vacations. Had I not been earning , I don’t think I would have been able to afford vacations in Iceland, Norway, Canadian Rockies and India , all in one year. That being said I think the reason I enjoy going to far away places is because I know that I can anytime return to this place which I call “Home”.
I like having a permanent base a.k.a HOME :
My home is my love nest, my comfort zone, my lifeline. No matter where ever I go , or how far I may go , I need to (rather love to) come back to my permanent base. For me relationships and responsibilities are just as important as pursuing career or any hobby.I love the fact that when I return from any vacation , I have people waiting for me to come back and share my stories with. There is absolutely nothing I love more than spending time with friends and family . Having a home gives me feeling of belonging-ness and an assurance that no matter what the circumstances in life will be , I will have always have someone standing by my side.
Too much of everything is bad :
Travel to me is something special. Something that breaks the routine of life. And I would like to keep it that way. I do not want travel to turn into a daily chore. Right now if I ever feel myself dragging to work ( yes Mondays are tough , no matter how much you love your job) , I take a break. A short vacation rejuvenates me and I am back on my life wagon. Full time travel ,with no break , no job and no home base , I am not sure how would I survive. I want travel to remain a trophy , something I get after my hard work. I never ever want to be bored of travelling and for me that means to travel slowly and part-time.
Full time travel is overrated :
Yes everybody preaches to quit job , buy one way ticket and travel the world. I have often heard people saying “ with a full time job , it is impossible to travel”. With all due respect I beg to differ with this ideology. There are 104 weekend days and combine it with public holidays and vacation days , there are enough paid holidays that you can plan and do part- time travel( if we really want to use that lingo). Travel does not have to be other side of the world all the time. I am sure there are many places nearby that you might not have explored till now. All it takes is little exploring and researching and you might find some hidden jewels right at the place where you live.
So dear friends trust me when I say that quitting job and becoming digital nomad is not the only way to travel the world. There is definitely a middle ground between full time travelers and corporate cubicle survivors. For me - I travel the world , the way I want. I am enjoying my life , my way and I am really proud of my achievements in my career. Everyone has their own journey and I certainly do not compare myself ( or wannabe) with others.. If you plan to travel the world , do it for right reasons. Choosing to stick to career and having a home , family friends will not make you inferior or less gutsy than anyone who quits the job and travels the world. So till we meet next time :
“ Hi I am Kanika , a career driven , fitness- savvy girl who believes that a hobby like travel and job can go hand in hand”. And you ?
Do let me know in comments below, what you think about full-time/part time travel and what is your take on it. Thank you for stopping by.
This post was originally posted on TheTalkingTrails.