Spending my time working in order to travel. Am I being reckless?

LegacyUser

I'm 25. Most people around my age with ambition are at home either climbing the corporate ladder or just finishing up some kinda post-grad or masters course. But not me. I am living a life of work and travel without any real long term career plan and I'm wondering is it reckless of me? I have a college degree and limited experience in that area. But to be honest I only used it as a means to save up to go abroad and have already spent about 7 grand out of the 11 i saved. Travel is what I love to do. I went around Asia for 3 months earlier this year, and now im in Australia working again with the sole purpose of travelling more. I haven't even been trying to build a life in the area im in now because i dont like it too much (although the weather is beautiful). Im just trying to save for my next holiday. I'll have been here 10 weeks in total and already I have another month long trip booked to Asia with nearly 4k in savings from working here to spend. So I'm pretty much spending my time working 2-3 months, saving enough to travel and then taking a month off.

It's exciting and I'm learning a lot about myself (before I done all this I was a socially anxious guy with hypochondria who spent 80% of my leisure time in my bedroom) but I can't help but wonder if I'm being reckless with my time and money. What I have found is that despite the travelling, my shyness issues remain and my health anxiety doesn't magically disappear (although I haven't taken an anti-anxiety med in over 2 months and being around people every day is making me slowly more assertive). At the end of my next trip to Asia I'll have just 3500 euro in the bank and will risk going back to Australia in the hope of finding work for another couples of months. I know most likely I'll return home some time next year with next to no money to my name and sometimes I'm wondering should I be at home doing work related to my degree? Is what I'm doing a common thing? Or am I just being reckless with my time and money by working and then spending all of the money ive saved on further trips? Its what I want to do for now but I dunno if im being silly.

o1s1n

Some may see it as reckless, some may see it as you following your dream and doing what makes you happy.

All that really matters is what YOU think of it all.

Tbh at 31 I wish I'd followed my heart a bit more rather than being logical all the time and trying to get myself set up with a career/house etc.

Pawwed Rig

Is there any way for you to combine working and travelling, for example teaching or aid working?
What are your long term plans? Starting a career can be done at any age although the older you get the more difficult it will be.

AgileMyth

I'm doing exactly the same. Same age as you too. Wouldn't have it any other way. I'd rather be scuba diving in the carribean than working in an office in dublin making a rich man richer.

jopax

Hi op,

To some you may seem wreckless, it just depends on what is important to you.
You could stay at home & save but what does that achieve in terms of happiness, its ok if you are aiming for a goal.
You are very young, & are gaining valuable life experience, you can't put a price on that.
Enjoy yourself, I admire your life choices.

hoodwinked

we tend to live in a world where people over-praise those in education/climbing the corporate ladder...etc to the point people think a big salary and being high up the ranks/wages is the only way to be happier,

people who do things differently tend to get looked down on or pitied for their choices, but as long as YOU are happy about it who cares?

in the past few years i have met so many people starting or changing careers in their 40's as what they studied in their 20's wasn't what they wanted in life. these are people who have been at the top of their field, and now are at the bottom in a new one competing with 20 year olds again so it can be done if you want to do it that way. I also have a friend who lives by working, going off somewhere for 2 weeks/months depending on how far away they are, then he works again until the next trip and i LOVE following his travels online as he looks so happy in those photo's, all the while i know it would not be my thing,(i am not a good travel person) but this is how he is spending all of his life so far and he has no plans to change it, nor would i want him to as long as he is happy.

careers can start whenever but your life is your life, i say live it the way you want and let others worry about their own lives.

gallag

Keep er lit lads, no one lies on there death bed regretting sh12 like this! You will be happier when you do settle and you will make a better husband and father. Remember your generations life expectancy is probably 90-100, also,use suncream.

gline

If you love travelling, its best to do that when you are young, as you are doing. Travelled a bit when I was in my early to mid twenties while working, but I would have loved to do longer trips, so fair play to you. I doubt you will regret it ever. Theres no harm in starting a career later on, when/if you want to settle down.
I also wouldnt worry about spendng your hard earned cash travelling, I mean what else would you be spending it on?
Enjoy yourself, you lucky ......

iusedtoknow

if it is what you love now, keep doing it! It is harming no one. Travel really does broaden the horizons and as someone that has had issues in the past with anxiety, it also does wonders for your mental health, as long as you do it right.

However, as someone who works in a "corporate" job, I travel more now than I ever did...and on the company dime. I usually am able to tack on a couple of weeks on the more exotic trips and do a bit of traveling. Two months ago I was in Beijing for work and tacked on a couple of weeks for travel around Vietnam with a colleague that was from there. In November, I am going to Sydney for a conference and will have 3 weeks holiday, with my wife flying out and we are going to drive from Adelaide to Darwin. Even when I don't tack on holiday time, I spend my non working hours exploring whatever city I'm in - and usually see a different side of it as the local office staff want to show us a good time - for this side of my work Travel, Mexico and Caracas are the most rewarding.

What I'm saying is - it doesn't necessarily have to be one or the other. Some jobs allow you a greater degree of flexibility. One of the contractors that works for my team completes one project a year (around 6 months from end to end) and travels the rest of the time. This year he is spending the Australian summer teaching scuba on the barrier reef. I know that he works another contract at the same time (usually at night etc) but he views it as the end justifying the means.

Sometimes you also have to think creatively to get the best of both worlds.

CaraMay

How long have you been travelling for now and do you gave any work experience relating to your degree?

LegacyUser

ive a years experience related to my degree and been travelling about 5 months now constantly and before that i traelled a bit after i graduated college.

jester77

You could have the best of both worlds. You could work for a company that involves travelling or one that offers travelling benefits. In my 20's I worked for a company where I had an ID90 card, best thing ever.

iusedtoknow

jester77 wrote: »

You could have the best of both worlds. You could work for a company that involves travelling or one that offers travelling benefits. In my 20's I worked for a company where I had an ID90 card, best thing ever.

Oh a friend of mine has that - his wife is a 1st officer for Virgin America, they go pretty much where ever they want globally for peanuts.

These sort of jobs are out there - OP just has to think laterally about them

Undertow

I'm in my early 30's and its been the way I've been living life for the past 10 years! Nothing like it. Work for a couple of years, then take a few months out travelling. Have 1 more major RTW trip left in me before I start 'settling down' I reckon. For many people mortgages are a thing of the past, and overrated. Renting is the way the world is going now!

So if I was you I wouldn't think twice. Travelling, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures is one of the best experiences anyone can ever have. Memories that last a lifetime, and is always money well spent. You can't take it to the grave with you!

Good luck OP, and hope it all works out!

cloudatlas

I think it's awesome and I wish I had coped on and done more traveling when I was your age. Now I have to plan short breaks rather than consistent life affirming travel and since the recession hit I have to worry about staying in employment at my age and having a consistent c.v.

I met a guy on a weekend away who was semi retired who worked absolutely mad hours for 30 years so he could save for a 30 stop trip through Europe and onto Asia and he was very at peace and happy travelling. Follow your dream!

L'prof

Fair play to you. When I was your age I pissed it all up against a wall. If that's what you want to do for now then go for it. Enjoy the next trip.

stickyfinger

Travelling is great, you sound like you're enjoying yourself, you're working and paying for it so fair play to you, nothing reckless about that. Keep going it sounds fantastic!

melissak

Absolutely not wasting your time. Travelling is a brilliant thing to do when you are young especially, not as easy for me now with kids. Jealous!!!

the evasion_kid

Can completely relate op,I'm 35 and in the same boat in fact I can safely say I'll spend the best part of the rest of my life living out of a backpack,I generally follow the same pattern ie: go off travelling,return home,get a job,save and take off again.I'm at the stage were I've amassed a good bit of savings,now I could put a deposit down on a house but after seeing what's happened in this country the last few years its not a gamble I'm willing to take,plus i don't really want to live with that kinda debt hanging over me for the best part of my life...and for what to be stuck in a mind numbing soul destroying job wasting away my better days and to get a bang in the chest someday and its all over..fcuk that.

Undertow

the evasion_kid wrote: »

Can completely relate op,I'm 35 and in the same boat in fact I can safely say I'll spend the best part of the rest of my life living out of a backpack,I generally follow the same pattern ie: go off travelling,return home,get a job,save and take off again.I'm at the stage were I've amassed a good bit of savings,now I could put a deposit down on a house but after seeing what's happened in this country the last few years its not a gamble I'm willing to take,plus i don't really want to live with that kinda debt hanging over me for the best part of my life...and for what to be stuck in a mind numbing soul destroying job wasting away my better days and to get a bang in the chest someday and its all over..fcuk that.

A man/woman after my own heart!

the evasion_kid

Undertow wrote: »

A man/woman after my own heart!

Never made sense to me...at least I know I'm not the only one out there

Undertow

the evasion_kid wrote: »

Never made sense to me...at least I know I'm not the only one out there

Likewise! I'm almost the same age as you, with the exact same philosophy! My parents put pressure on me to put down the mortgage on a house but I absolutely love the freedom of moving place to place. Packing it in after 2 years at the end of this year and heading backpacking somewhere far away for 3 months before setting up camp closer to home for a new stint in a new country!! Wouldn't have it any other way!

bolopapa

Op your life is simply awesome that all!!!!.

sporina

lonewolf332 wrote: »

I'm 25. Most people around my age with ambition are at home either climbing the corporate ladder or just finishing up some kinda post-grad or masters course. But not me. I am living a life of work and travel without any real long term career plan and I'm wondering is it reckless of me? I have a college degree and limited experience in that area. But to be honest I only used it as a means to save up to go abroad and have already spent about 7 grand out of the 11 i saved. Travel is what I love to do. I went around Asia for 3 months earlier this year, and now im in Australia working again with the sole purpose of travelling more. I haven't even been trying to build a life in the area im in now because i dont like it too much (although the weather is beautiful). Im just trying to save for my next holiday. I'll have been here 10 weeks in total and already I have another month long trip booked to Asia with nearly 4k in savings from working here to spend. So I'm pretty much spending my time working 2-3 months, saving enough to travel and then taking a month off.

It's exciting and I'm learning a lot about myself (before I done all this I was a socially anxious guy with hypochondria who spent 80% of my leisure time in my bedroom) but I can't help but wonder if I'm being reckless with my time and money. What I have found is that despite the travelling, my shyness issues remain and my health anxiety doesn't magically disappear (although I haven't taken an anti-anxiety med in over 2 months and being around people every day is making me slowly more assertive). At the end of my next trip to Asia I'll have just 3500 euro in the bank and will risk going back to Australia in the hope of finding work for another couples of months. I know most likely I'll return home some time next year with next to no money to my name and sometimes I'm wondering should I be at home doing work related to my degree? Is what I'm doing a common thing? Or am I just being reckless with my time and money by working and then spending all of the money ive saved on further trips? Its what I want to do for now but I dunno if im being silly.

chances are - if you were at home working in your field you would be miserable, dreaming about traveling…

i don't know how old you are but i guess you are young so you can work all you want when you come back eventually…

and you will have your travels and so much experience under your belt so its a win win…

stop fretting - enjoy living the dream…