2: Go Long: Throwing a Perfect Spiral for Long Term Travel
In this episode…
Going off of recent experience preparing for a year traveling Europe, Carson and Nicole outline everything you need to know to pull off your own long-term travel adventure.
Show Notes
United States of America Passport Information can be found at travel.state.gov. If you are from another country and want to help us expand our resources, please send us a link to your nation’s passport website through the contact form.
Takeaways:
Social Interception: Do your research before notifying friends and family. Work your way up to the more difficult conversations. Two possible strategies for telling Nervous Nellys about your plans are A) to tell them you’re going to do something bigger and crazier than you actually are, and so they’ll be relieved when you tell them your real plan, or B) to start small and work your way up so each step doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Most importantly, stand your ground.
Documents: these will be specific to your destination and your home country. Make sure to do your research, and be aware that acquiring documents can be a long process. Visas vary. There are 142 countries you can visit visa-free with a US passport—length of stay varies. Digital Nomad visas are becoming more common. Types of visas include: online travel visa authorization, an embassy visa, or a visa on arrival, or a visa may not be required depending on the destination
Packing: Aim for a balance between practicality and fashion, but lean towards practicality. Try to stick with similar colors and neutral shades so you can mix and match. Keep in mind what you can plan to buy at your destination in order to save space and weight. Most importantly, bring money—anything you might forget can be purchased in a pinch. Also, accept that you can’t be prepared for every eventuality, and it might make sense to leave some things behind that will only be used once or twice.
Cultural Preparedness: Some cultures are more accepting of visitors not speaking their language than others. Try to learn “please,” “thank you,” and “hello” at a minimum. Living in another country long term is much more satisfying and rewarding when you speak the language, so we highly encourage you to study in advance and study hard! Tipping varies from country to country, so make sure to do your research. Also look into customs regarding transportation, crosswalks, and escalators. Most importantly, pay attention to what the locals are doing and follow their lead.
Life-shift: Many people will probably have to quit their jobs in order to pursue long term travel, but pursue your options. There are sometimes opportunities related to your career (traveling nursing, volunteer organizations like Doctors Without Borders, the Peace Corps) or your company might be willing to accommodate you (through a sabbatical, shift to remote work, or promise to re-hire). When you decide which things to keep and which to get rid of, consider the cost of storing the item against the cost of replacing it later on. If you have property, house-sitting can be a way to eliminate concerns around property care and upkeep costs.
PDA (Preemptive Disaster Aversion): In my experience, everything that can go wrong most likely will not, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Do your research. Make sure you have travel insurance and an emergency fund. Notify the embassy or consulate that you’re in-country, so you’ll be notified if there’s an emergency. Most importantly, remain calm in a crisis and be aware of your surroundings.