I have so many people asking me how I was able to uproot my life in Los Angeles to travel full-time. And I am happy to share how I did it!
There is no secret formula to making this happen. I am the first to tell you that it is all relative. It began with a desire, a strong and passionate desire for me. I travelled often, yet not nearly as much to satiate my desire. I saved money as best as I could while living in Los Angeles, however, daily expenses never ceased to deplete those savings.
So I decided to make some changes. At first they were minor, such as cutting back on frivolous spending, gym memberships, identifying better insurance plans, etc. I took an in depth look at what I was spending money on and how I could cut back on certain costs or eliminate them entirely.
Then, I simply mad the decision to leave. To leave my friends, my family, my apartment. It was not an easy one. It was terrifying. But I knew if I didn't make a move in that moment, I probably never would. I have done so many things in the past few years that stretched my comfort zone and I feel that in doing so, I was preparing myself for a bold decision such as this.
I have continued to work in digital marketing as I travel, mainly as a contractor. So I am in charge of my own schedule and communicate with clients even with the change in time zones.
Below, I have outlined my tips on getting closer to making that decision. I know that some of this isn't exactly replicable, but I urge you to do what you can if you find yourself just as passionate about this as I am and was.
- Get into a profession that allows you to be remote
- Learn a skill if you aren’t in a place currently in a profession in which you work be remote
- In the meantime, save money like crazy
- Make a decision
- Sell your belongings. You don’t need them all, I promise you this. (Marie Kondo your life!)
- Move into a studio if your rent is higher than it needs to be. Downgrading should not be a place for shame if you have a goal in mind.
- Run outside/workout at home, skip the gym
- Download travel apps- any and all. (I will provide a list in a later post)
- Save destinations for inspiration on instagram- I do this in my Collections in Instagram
- Make it a reality- Start talking about it, put it out in the universe, it holds you accountable
- Talk to people that have done it, they know a lot and are willing to share
- Join groups: travel, networking (they’re free)
- Learn how to be productive remotely, test it out. Ask your employer for a few remote days a month as a start.
- Don’t over commit, it’s an excuse to stay
- You owe nothing to your job. Loyalty is better placed elsewhere
- Get out of your comfort zone: start doing things you never thought you could do to get a taste of it. Things that scare you
- Find a reason or make one, Travel with purpose. (Philanthropic or 'voluntourism' helps)- For me it was Habitat for Humanity International.
- Get ready to work remote: good computer, back up hard drives, switch to T-Mobile for international plan.
- Do it cheaply! These changes do not need to cost an arm and a leg. There are inexpensive ways to do just about anything if you do your research.
- Have a support system- Surround yourself with like-minded people and people that understand your desire to do this.
- Get appropriate visas at your local consulate weeks in advance. (For Indonesia, I applied for a 60 day visa which renewed itself every 30 days after if I left the country for 24 hrs.)
