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(Not) leaving on a jet plane

Backpacking in the Grand Teton National Park, ...

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I am really, really starting to get the travel itch. I haven’t quite got around to updating my sidebar, but I’ve hit $10k in the travel fund. Meanwhile, it seems everywhere I turn people are quitting their jobs and heading overseas, either for kickass new jobs or just to do the OE thing.

Meanwhile, I love my work, and am not thinking of leaving anytime soon – but a small team certainly makes it a lot harder to take time off in this office.

It looks like over Christmas/New Year’s we’re going to Coro Gold (a huge concert) and spending a few days in the Coromandel before and after. I’d also like 2012 to include a ski trip to Queenstown, and our South Island road trip. I originally wanted to do the latter over Christmas, but T wants to campervan it, and rentals are INSANE at that time of year.

2013, I think, will be the year of the US road trip when we’re both 25 (apparently the magic age for renting cars. We recently went to a brief seminar by a Lonely Planet writer about, well, US road trips, and I think all factors taken into account, it’ll be easiest to do this in two years). As for Europe, I’m not sure when that fits in; that’s probably two separate trips, with one being a honeymoon? Perhaps one could be done late next year – I’m keen to experience a white Christmas. I really do want this to happen, so I’m planning to talk to travel agencies early next year, and hit up the Travel Expo again (that’s where we got a wicked deal for Rarotonga). Now that there’s a bit of money in the kitty, I feel like planning can seriously commence.

It occurred to me last night that maybe it would make sense to do all our travelling in one year. Heck, we wouldn’t even need that long; take off, say, six months, do America/Canada, Europe/UK, and Asia on the way home.

How much would it cost? I have no idea. Married with Luggage (thanks Move to Portugal for bringing them to my attention) seems to be doing it pretty frugally. I’ve subscribed, obviously 😛 We don’t have many contacts overseas, but perhaps housesitting or couchsurfing would be options some of the time. Would either of us be able to work at all? Again, I have no idea – we’d have to look into visas.

But most importantly – would we, would I, enjoy long-term travel? I don’t really know if I would. I’m very much a homebody at heart. Being more or less on the move constantly, I think, would be physically and mentally draining, and overwhelming for the senses. I guess it could potentially be more economical in the long run, as opposed to spreading the trips out over a few years, but I’m just as interested in getting the most out of our travels as simply racking up stamps in my passport (and would it leave us with nothing to look forward to in the future?)

5 thoughts on “(Not) leaving on a jet plane

  • Reply Amanda August 22, 2011 at 17:13

    I know exactly how you feel, I don’t quiet have the savings yet as I keep using them for shorter trips but I really admire people like Married with Luggage who save their butts off then take off an enjoy a year or more of freedom, going where ever their heart desires.

    It’s even harder with a small office and a job you enjoy as the timing can never feel right, that’s the predicament I am in at the moment as well.

    Good luck working everything out 🙂

  • Reply Vera August 22, 2011 at 17:44

    That certainly seems like an ambitious plan, traveling for a longer time. Like you, I’m also a homebody, especially since after a week or so I really start itching to go home and look at the pictures I took… and no looking at them there, just doesn’t feel the same.

    Other two reasons would be money: I don’t have that much put aside, and in my line of work, 6 months often seems like a century when you don’t work. Like you, I love my job, so I probably wouldn’t feel like leaving it for such a long time.

    Dunno, but to me being only able to afford a few weeks a year of holiday, makes things nicer. I mean I’d probably be utterly bored if I were able to travel abroad every weekend or so… but maybe I’m wrong. 🙂

  • Reply Andrea August 23, 2011 at 14:41

    Hmmm i think I would spread the trips over a longer time period, i like coming home as much as I like leaving regularly. 🙂

  • Reply Amber from Girl with the Red Hair August 24, 2011 at 09:47

    After spending three weeks backpacking in Europe I decided that I definitely AM NOT cut out for long term travel. I am very much a homebody and I’m also married to a structured and routine life. Too much non-structure and non-routine makes me grumpy!

  • Reply Miss J August 27, 2011 at 14:12

    We’re also dreaming of long term travel and with our jobs, it would be easy to take 6 months off & still come back to having a job so taking leave for us won’t be a problem. The main problem will probably be our living conditions, if we’re renting there’s no point paying rent for 6 months travelling so we’re thinking of buying first, accelerating our payments while travelling. So far, we’ve been doing pretty well as a couple doing short trips. Our last trip was 4 weeks away in Asia (Phil & Singapore) and it was awesome!

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