Our Dream Travel Around the World Begins

We began dreaming of a round-the-world trip in 2015, and over the past 8 years, that desire has only grown stronger. We even were considering to do it in early 2020… but now, we’re finally making it happen!

Last year, we embarked on a 4-month sabbatical trip to Europe, but this time, we’re aiming for an even more extensive adventure. As of now, we don’t have a fixed duration or detailed plans; we’ve simply got our one-way tickets to Europe. But as the title of the post indicates, we plan to cover a lot more ground!

Of course, there’s a ton of planning and considerations involved. Both of us have (had) jobs, our son is 2.5 years old, and we needed to make sure our finances are in order. So, as usual, to answer all the burning questions, we’ll structure the rest of this post in a FAQ style.

FAQ

What are you going to do with your jobs?

Last year, we both took time off, and then went back to our jobs. This time around, we decided to quit our jobs instead, and have open-ended travel plans. Our jobs do not allow remote part-time work, and even if they did, traveling with a toddler is already a full-time job! Besides, we have long wanted to take extended break from work, and hit the reset button.

Who in his right mind quits his job to travel?

Well, I do agree that this is not that common. Many folks work until retirement (usually until 65+), then embark on their adventures. But that’s a long way off, and who knows if we’ll reach it, let alone be in good health to travel? Seize the moment. If you have a dream, don’t delay it.

Why can’t you just take some vacation instead?

Travel and vacation are not the same thing. We are not taking a vacation. Vacation is about stepping away from work to relax and recharge. The way we travel is nothing like that. We travel to live in the moment, to step into novelty and uncertainty, and to embrace the adventure. We travel to break out of routine, and expectations; to feel young and spontaneous again.

How about the finances? Aren’t you worried about not getting a paycheck?

As Rolf Potts put it elegantly in Vagabond’s Way: “All too often, we postpone our deepest travel dreams for fear that we cannot afford them, when in fact the freedom to travel isn’t the result of a hypothetical sum of riches: It is the result of a conscious decision to use whatever money we’ve saved up to create enough time to make our dreams happen.” I couldn’t say it better, if I wanted to.

Where are you planning to go?

For now, we have planned to do 6 weeks in Europe: We’ll start in Frankfurt, rent a car, go to France through Luxembourg, visit Alsace region, and return the car. We will then head to Hamburg for a short visit, and then fly to Crete, and spend a few weeks island hopping and visiting Athens in the end. The rest is not yet fully planned.

You are so lucky to be able to do this!

We are fully aware how privileged we are to be able to quit our jobs, and travel the world. It’s a luxury that many cannot afford, and even among those who can, not everyone can do so for other reasons. However, traveling the world isn’t solely about your bank balance; it’s also about prioritizing it over other things, simplifying your life, and managing your expectations. If your main focus is on buying bigger houses and fancier cars, you have to forget about quitting your job to travel. Make no mistake, traveling does require money, but it might not be as expensive as one might imagine. Many people have explored the world on a smaller budget than you might think.

How do you travel with a toddler?

Last year, our son was only 14 months old when we embarked on our 4-month-long travel. He was in diapers, teething, couldn’t talk yet, and wouldn’t mind jumping off the stairs - head first. Now he’s two and a half, communicates quite well, we trust him a lot more around stairs, and he is potty trained! Things are pretty good, with the occasional “terrible twos” moments, but nothing too dramatic. We’ve decided to bring his stroller with us on this trip after some debate; we figure it might come in handy. If he outgrows it during our travels, we’ll happily part ways with it. Overall, we’re hoping for a smoother trip this time around, especially since he understands the world around him a lot better.