“You’re SO lucky that you get to travel the world!”
“Not everyone can just drop what they’re doing and hop on a plane like you do.”
“I want to some day, but I haven’t had the chance to travel.”
If I got a dollar for every time I heard these sayings in one form or another, I’d have a plane ticket to Bora Bora bought and paid for!
Everyone has an excuse for not traveling. Many even have animosity towards me for doing all of the traveling that I do. I sense the negative vibe in their tone and how they say things like, “We all aren’t you, Will. We cannot just up and leave.”
Well guess what? YOU CHOOSE TO NOT BE LIKE ME! There, I said it! Better yet,
YOU CHOOSE NOT TO TRAVEL THE WORLD!
Here is the thing, people, it really is easy to travel. You just have to want to travel. You have to want to travel more than you want that big screen TV. You have to want to travel more than you want that new carpet. You have to want to travel more than you want to spoil your children with lavish Christmas and birthday gifts. You have to actually WANT to travel.
We all make decision about what is more important to us. To some people, new carpet is more important that a trip to the Guatemalan rainforest. To some people, a 60” TV is more important that a trip to Germany to experience the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market). Guess what, that’s OK. It really is, but, I am tired of hearing that you can never get the money to go on a trip that’s worthwhile. The truth of the matter is that I also want a 60” TV. I want a new car. (Especially since I just sold mine to move to Brazil.) But I want to travel MORE! I choose to travel over those other things.
I make dedicated decisions on where I work (so I can have time to go off and wander), what I buy, what I save money for, and what I do with my saved money.
I choose to travel the world.
So, when you think that you don’t have time or money to be like that person that you’re jealous of, the one who always seems to be going somewhere cool, remember that it is because of your decisions that you are at home. You’re actively choosing other things in life over traveling. If you really wanted to do it, you would!
Tip: If you have an opportunity presented to you that sounds worthwhile, take it! Figure out everything else afterwards. Don’t let life’s opportunities continue to pass you by. It’s better to end the day with experiences than it is to end the day with regrets.
Worldwide Huff 
I completely agree! I get tired of people trying to make me feel shameful for taking the time to travel. I work really hard to save the money, and it’s a priority to me, though, and they just don’t get it. You’re absolutely right, it’s a conscious choice, and one that I would make over and over again in a heartbeat!
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Exactly!! I hear excuses all the time and I also hear people trying to tell me how I “should” live life.
I make conscious sacrifices to be able to wander around places.
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Love this article. Exactly how I feel. I’ve just come home from a 5 month trip and the first thing people are saying to me is ‘Well I saw all your photos on Facebook,’ or ‘the whole town knows about your trip’, in a negative tones. Then only half of those actually manage to actually ask how my trip actually was. Being around negative people is draining! Great article. I’ve just written one that I think you would like too. It’s called ‘Are you someone who works too hard? A reflection of life’s little decisions.’ It’s quite similar to some of the points you make but a little different as well. Take a look if you are interested, here’s the link:
http://youtheworldwandering.com/2014/12/09/are-you-someone-who-works-too-hard-a-reflection-on-lifes-little-decisions/
Thanks for a great read and for making my day a little brighter 🙂
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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
I’ll for sure read yours! I look forward to it.
I for sure see trip animosity a lot.
It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who perceives it.
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I have to disagree, I want to travel more than I want to pay my student loan, but it doesnt work that way, doesnt it?
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I travel extensively. I’m a single mother who made a choice to become an international teacher specifically so my child could see the world. I have experienced trip animosity to the fullest, especially as a single mom because people assume I should be living in a shack trying to figure out how I’m going to make the rent every month. To some extent I agree with you but I also think this philosophy can be very dangerous. After having been abroad for three years, I have a less “gung ho” mentality about the whole travel movement. I waited for the right time and age of my daughter to take the plunge, so I fully understand the importance of just making it happen and but I’ve also met a surprisingly high number of people abroad who probably should go back home or who probably should have said “I’m jealous of your lifestyle, but I can’t just pick up and leave.” From their own telling, people who routinely neglect responsibilities that they should be handling at home because they’re more focused on traveling. If everything is settled and people are just making a choice not to leave because of poor money management or fear, then yes, this article totally applies to them, but sometimes the people who say they can’t just pick up and leave are making the right decision and they may be jealous but let’s cut them a little slack..
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