There comes a time when many face the ultimate decision: pursue a career or postpone it for the open road?
For those looking for a job, a career, a mere direction in their lives, travel can seem like a meaningless distraction-a money-sucking way to delay those awful first few years in the working world.
When I got out of university, I was obsessed with finding the ultimate job in my career of choice. I paced the living room floor of my parent’s house nightly, raving like a maniac about interviews and resumes. They absorbed my frustrations and then meekly suggested I travel instead.
“Travel?!” I asked, wild-eyed. “Travel? Then, I’d come home and do what? Huh? What then?”
Within a month or two, I’d landed an internship, and then another. After that, I got a real job. After five months there, I hopped to
what I considered the ideal position.
Life Catches Up With You
I’ve now been working solidly for more than a year, but because of my position hopping, I won’t be able to cash in any vacation days for a good six months.
My mind now wanders back to what everyone said about taking my spare time and filling it with a trip somewhere, and let me tell you, it isn’t fun confronting the harsh reality of your own decisions.
One very uncomfortable and unfortunate thought sits at the back of my mind and resurfaces on every bad work day:
You should have gone traveling when you had the chance.
It’s true the opportunity will always be there, but not without potential for ruin by sticky grown-up details such as job contracts,
family responsibilities and financial stability.
As time passes, age creeps up upon you, and before you know it, your ability to sleep in a hostel, wear the same underwear for three days and haul a backpack through six countries has evaporated.
And when you’re stuck in one place, your travel fantasies become all the more graphic, making it hard to get excited about a day of fact-checking and proofreading.
Solace In A Daydream
I find myself browsing last minute flights to Cuba and signing up for newsletters about backpacking trips through Vietnam. With jealousy, I pour over the travel albums and videos of friends and colleagues, wishing I was next to them on that Thai elephant.
But dwelling on your stationary status will only encourage you to hate where you live. Travel doesn’t have to take you across the globe or even across the country.
Even the smallest efforts to distance yourself from what you call home can reduce the desire to quit your job, sell your belongings, close your eyes, stick your finger on a map and go.
As a journalist, I travel on a daily basis. Twenty kilometres to the recycling plant. Six kilometres to City Hall. Sixty kilometres out on the water with the Coast Guard.
I’m trying to expand my coverage, but my bosses will only let me go so far.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep planning that trip to India, and the one to South Africa after that. I’ll also invest in a blow-up doll to place at my workstation while I’m gone.
Allison Cross is a journalist who lives in Nanaimo, BC. While she enjoys undertaking communication of all kinds, she has a focused interest in print media that addresses culture trends, travel and youth rights. Visit her personal blog.Have you ever had to make this choice yet? How did you decide? And do you ever regret your choice?
About the Author
More By This Author
Related Posts
10 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Another great technique to rediscovering your own city is picking up a guidebook. Not only is it kinda fun to see how the “outside” world recommends attractions and sites of interest, it’s also a valuable way to find ideas for places you forgot about or never knew existed.
↵ -
My girlfriend and I have been escaping real work for almost three years now. So far, so good, but the reality of it will catch up with us eventually I’m sure. When we talk to friends at home who are getting married, putting together a down payment on a house, or positioning themselves on the fast track to career success, it sounds like we’ll be playing catch up for years. But a good friend and fellow long-time escapist (since returned to get things going) had this to say in an email recently: “Nobody over the age of 65 has had anything but great things to say about my choices. That is not insignificant.” I guess we’ll have to check back in once we start living like we’re in college again when all our friends have great jobs. Until then, we’re not complaining.
↵ -
Thanks for the encouragement folks, and the personal stories. I’m a notorious worry-wart, so the idea of quitting my job just to travel would send me into a frenzy.
But – I live on Vancouver Island, a destination international travelers visit quite frequently, and I know very little about. So I figure, why can’t I be one of them?
↵ -
Allison –
I’m a worry-wart too, and was quite naive when I went to Europe with friends after college. I remember my Dad didn’t know what to make of my plans to delay finding my first job for, my gosh, 2 months! He came around with my Mom’s help. The freedom I experienced on that first trip was unforgettable (and addictive some may add)!
I told them about my plans a few years ago to quit work later this year to travel for 1-2 years. Again, it took time, however now they’re quite supportive and curious. My impetus to quit my current job (of 4.5 years) is to be in control of my fate after losing my last job to a company-wide layoff.
↵ -
Hi Allison!
Lots of good wishes for a wonderful career! I really like the way you have spoken your mind and only wish that it could prove to be of good help for all those who are in confusions like this.
Kindly share something more related to your job.
Thanks
↵ -
Wow yeah I am also thinking of quitting and start enjoying soe travek roudn the globe… but the security… the money.. the job. How do you deal with that . Just let it go I think ?
↵ -
Can you believe that I have the same thoughts every week since I started working, 4 months ago?
In my last 2 years I traveled a lot in Europe, as being a member of a student organisation. Now I got a job in Paris (I am from Romania) and I miss traveling already. The good thing is that each weekend I can go around France and discover new places. So, while working in a foreign country, one can use the weekends to travel and use the motivation for that during the week.
Sometimes I’m wondering why many people who have top positions in companies don’t start a business of their own? In this way, you can at least travel when you like and make money in the same time. It’s a lot to discuss on this topic, but I would like to know some opinions of some people in this situation.
By the way, I am going to see some nice castles tomorrow
↵ -
I have picked this up a couple of years later. When I was 17 I was being pushed into a 5 year contract and my biggest point of resistence was “I will be 22 when i complete the contract and much too old to travel” Needless to say I did the contract and have travelled, I am now 58.
You are never too old to travel and in fact a friend who owns a backpackers hostel said the demographics have changed and there are many 40 to 55 year old backpackers. So pack your bags and get on the road.
You mention South Africa, come here you will love it. It is English speaking every where, the currency exchange rate is in your favor and you can experience everything from city life, wonderful beaches to wildlife game parks.
↵ -
This is so true, I’ve just graduated and know so many of my friends who can’t understand why I’m abroad. I wish they could read this!
Vicky
↵
