Why I did not quit my job to travel the world

Quit your job to travel the world – I heard this a lot. Quitting your job to travel the world sounds like a dream. Traveling the world is an ultimate goal. Hats off to those who have traveled and being able to fund themselves while on the road. It’s simple to quit, but it’s not easy. Quitting a job is not about being brave and getting out of your comfort zone. Drop everything and travel the world, In short, live your dreams! But, Why I didn’t quit my job to travel the world despite thousands of blogs encourage me to do it?

Because quit your god damn job and travel the world is so cliche 

The idea of quitting your job to travel the world sounds like the coolest thing to do. I’m sorry to break this off to you but you still have to work at some point to sustain that kind of life. Honestly, I can’t afford to quit my job and travel the world. The best way for me is to travel as much as possible whilst maintaining a 9-5 job.

Because there is no such thing as quit your job and travel the world

It’s hoax. The truth is, it’s quit your job, travel the world, find a job on the road to be able to sustain the life of a travel. I’m not against those people who travel the world to quit their jobs, in fact, it’s truly inspirational. What a big leap but, It’s not glamorous all the time. No one can just quit and travel the world just like that without funds or a sustainable income. If there is, everyone already quit their jobs and board the next flight to, I don’t know, paradise in Thailand?

Holiday vs Full-time Travel

I don’t like working while traveling. When I travel, I like to enjoy, explore, and be in the moment without work distractions. I like the idea that I’m being paid while on holiday because it’s one of the benefits of having a 9-5 job. Sometimes, we forget about this benefit because we romanticize travel so much.

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Traveling is a privilege. 

I am a Filipina. Having a third world passport limits the number of free visas. Let’s face it, Visa Applications are a pain in the ass. A stable job is a must in order to let the immigration officer know that you will return to your home based country. Most people say it’s not luck that took them to those places. I say Luck is part of it. These people are so lucky they’re passports let them travel to 100+ countries with free visas. We, Filipinos struggled with the visa applications. Don’t fool yourself. Just because people are doing it, doesn’t mean you have to. We don’t want to be caught living abroad illegally. Not everyone can travel. Factors to be considered are money, family obligations, disabilities, debts, and other things. I am quite lucky to be able to travel once in a while because I have a stable job and quitting is a terrible thing to do. The truth is, everyone doesn’t have this kind of opportunity. A career is something we should be grateful of.

 

I think that everyone should quit their job and travel the world so they can see that this is not the answer.

 

 

Long-term Travel is not for me

Traveling is fun, but if I will do it for too long, it’s pretty exhausting! The longer I am on the road, the more I get sick of traveling. Like, I need a goddamn break! Perhaps, sitting in front of the TV watching my favorite TV shows. The places don’t look charming because you get to see it on a daily basis. You’ll get tired of meeting and saying goodbye to people. There was a point where I am tired of answering this question “Where are you from?”. Most of them do not know where The Philippines is and I have to explain myself. God, I hate that question! People often say you’re so lucky to be able to travel that long. You must be rich and you have an exciting life. It is exciting and fulfilling but, I can’t stand long term travels anymore. It sounds very appealing at first but trusts me, you’ll get bored out of your mind.

 

Sometimes, I love staying in Luxury Hotels

Who doesn’t?

 

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It’s not about quitting my job, it’s about changing my job

When I quit my call center job in the Philippines, I worked as a Virtual assistant while traveling around the Philippines in the hope of completing all 81 provinces but guess what, It didn’t work for me. I feel like it’s not freedom at all because you have to work your ass off in order to sustain the life you ever dreamed of. Luckily, while basking in the beautiful island of El Nido, an offer to work in Malaysia changes everything. Living in a new country, learning a new culture and exploring new places – something I really want!

 

Full-time Travel Blogging is not easy

This is probably every travel bloggers dream including myself. To get paid for doing what you love. With thousands of blogs sprouting on the web every now and then, Travel blogging or any niche for that matter is becoming more competitive over the course of time. Starting a blog does not mean you will earn money right off the bat. The truth is, you don’t get money from blogging, you earn by making blogging your business. Ebooks, affiliate links, guest posts, advertisement and the list could go on and on. Not to mention, you have to generate tons of traffic on your blog! You’re more likely to invest your time, money and effort to be a professional travel blogger.

 

I like looking forward to upcoming vacation/holiday

There is something exciting about planning your next trip and that’s another reason why I did not quit my job to travel the world. I am thrilled with the new experiences that are waiting for me down the road. Travel is more fun when I plan ahead. Sometimes, It doesn’t come out exactly as what I have planned for, and that is the beauty of traveling. I have learned so much each time I traveled and it continuously forces me to break my routine and travel to places I have never been. Disconnect temporarily from the 9-5 job and enjoy ME time. I find joy from escaping an ordinary day at work because it allows me to de-stress myself and more importantly, find myself and come back a better and a progressing person.

 

I crave familiarity, routine and mundane days

As much as I love looking forward to vacations, I also crave for the things back home. I longed for my comfortable familiar bed, that cozy coffee shop where my friends and I sit all day on weekends, that same Uber driver that takes me to work, that emails from my work inbox, those crazy housemates, or that cute guy at the gym. Being away from work and family makes me appreciate the people and the life I have back home. It literally makes me run back home as soon as I can. Traveling makes me a better and a happy person. I constantly plan my next trip. #wheretonext

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Quitting my job is not the only way to travel the world

Gratitude is one of the main factors why I didn’t quit my job. I love where I am now. I created a lifestyle of travel and I am always thankful that I am in Malaysia for a lot of reasons. Cost of living is cheap, international and domestic flights can be inexpensive, everyone speaks English, the multi-cultural country where Muslim, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism are practiced freely, food is great and it’s not far from home. I love that I can make use of my weekends, short holidays, and long weekends around Malaysia. Whether it’s finding something new in the heart of the city or some time off at Malaysia’s preserve rainforests, hidden beaches, and even highlands.

 

I love spending and traveling with Friends and Family

I travel solo most of the time. I don’t know about you but spending quality time with friends and family during travel beats all of my solo trips. I love nurturing my relationships. The need for connection is embedded in my system. I prefer spending meaningful connections with the people I care. I love spending weekends with my friends be it out of town or just finding a new cute coffee shop in the city. I find it very exciting each time my family and I takes a vacation. Creating travel memories with them matters to me.

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Balance is essential for me

I love traveling. God! Nothing can stop me from traveling. If you have itchy soles like me. YOU will FIND a WAY to TRAVEL no matter what, how, when, why and where you are in the world. It’s just a matter of priorities. Running away from real life is not going to fix your problems. Balance is essential. Travel at your own pace, on your terms, and on your budget. There is nothing more beautiful than rewarding yourself a trip to “insert ultimate destination here” from that hard earned 9-5 job.

There is no secret or magic formula to travel the world. The reason why I traveled so much is because I have a work that funds it. I did not win the lottery. I did not come from a rich family in Negros where money is handled with pickaxe and spade.

I WORK.

You can’t just pack your bags, travel the world and only expect blissful moments on the road. There will always be challenges on your journey, so before you drop everything on a whim, Think. Twice.