Am I mad and too old to consider leaving my job and go back packing for a year at 35

shadowcomplex

What do you think folks

With regards back packing itself I have 2 questions

1.How much is the minimum I should budget for?

2. Any advise on the logistics of the trip, should I plan out the whole thing for the year or a few months at a time?

Jonkenji

You know the answer to that question about age, of course it's not too old! If anything it's a good age to really appreciate your adventure, compared to a bunch of 20 year olds spending half their time drunk. It can be as expensive or as cheap as you like I suppose that all depends on the countries and cities you visit and the standard of accomodation you are willing to accept! Good luck!

Idobai

Can't answer budget, time etc without knowing where you're thinking of heading but no you are definitely not too old.

hawkwind23

NO
NO NO NO NO
NO

just do it

Mollyd90

Fair play to you. Id love to do that but I haven't got the guts

Femme_Fatale

I don't think it's advisable unless there's a good chance of you getting a job when you get back. It's nothing about being too old. 70 wouldn't be too old.

It's about having financial security and being established in your career at this stage, which packing up could cause a setback in.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I don't think it's advisable unless there's a good chance of you getting a job when you get back.

I'd rather err on the side of caution as well.

Maybe you might regret never travelling and seeing a bit of the world, but how would you feel if you were unemployed for a long time after you return?

RustyNut

Off you go, that way you can do it again at 45.

How much should you budget for? As much as you can afford and then build the trip around that.

As for plans it's allways good to have one but you don't have to stick to it.

I'm jealous.

Misty Moon

Lots to think about but in general, why not? Some things to think about that you might not bother thinking about if you're doing this kind of thing straight from college:

- Can you take a sabbatical from work?
- Are you renting or do you own a house? If you own, can you rent out your place while you're gone?
- How much stuff do you have and where will you put it while you're gone? Will you sell/donate/throw out most of it? Will you have to pay for storage while you're gone?
- Do you have any life insurance, pensions or anything like that that you pay into regularly? Will you continue to make payments or can you take a break?
- Bear in mind that at 35 you're too old (I think) for most of the year-long working holiday type of visas. So, unless you're willing to work unofficially, you'll be financing your entire trip in advance.
- Do you want to have a 're-entry' fund in place to finance things like a deposit on a new place (if you're renting) when you get back?

When it comes to how much you'll need, well, that's like asking how long is a piece of string. Are there any expenses "at home" that'll you'll need to budget for (like pension, insurance, storage etc.)? Are you still comfortable with sleeping in dorm rooms in hostels or have you reached an age/state of mind where you prefer private rooms or hotels? Can you cook? Will you be able to cook basic stuff in a hostel or will you be planning on eating in restaurants? That kind of thing.

There are loads of blogs written by people backpacking and long-term travelling. I really like Married with Luggage, especially the parts when they first started travelling (just before their 40th birthdays). They have a separate site where they posted their budgets, too, that might be interesting for you.

I don't think I know anyone who has ever regretted going travelling for a year. If you're a bit more settled it might take a bit more thought and planning but it's still entirely possible. I'll be 40 at the end of the year, hope to be debt free in the next couple of months and will be saving like crazy after that. I want to change jobs but might also take a year out to travel first, maybe doing something like WWOOF for a few months. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Poppyy

Do it!

I did it at 29, left a job (which admittedly I was happy enough to pack in) and took off for a year. Now, married with 3 kiddies and am lucky (very lucky!) to get to a campsite in Spain for my hols!

Do it, do it, do it. Best year of my life to date. No regrets!

Best of luck x