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This is an unedited blog post from the archives.
I have found that many people want a blueprint of my travel plan, or life in general. They want to know what I did, and they want to see receipts. Maybe they think I’m lying, or even worse, that with a list of executable steps to follow, my process can easily be duplicated. When I decided to quit my career I wanted a blueprint, a map of sorts, searching for a sense of security in my newfound uncertainty. I never found a map and I cannot draw a generic one that will help everyone. The truth is, what I did is much less important than how I thought.
My path was not quick or linear, it was very complex and loopy. Deciding to travel indefinitely was not a matter of mapping out locations and booking apartments. That is the execution phase, but to get there I had to take many different steps in various directions. If you like my blog I’m sure you’ve read just about everything I’ve shared on this platform including why I quit my career. That step alone was very difficult and tumultuous for me, though in retrospect, I now see it as a no brainer. I hated everything about my career besides my paycheck. I hated the uniform, the jargon, the daily commute, the endless meetings, the feeling on Sunday nights knowing that I had to go back in the morning.
I knew I did not want to do this for thirty years, but I agreed that this was ‘life’. Everyone I knew was focused on making money. Whether in the short or long-term, money was the goal. I won’t go into the fact that the six-figures I was racing towards is not a lot of money. I will, however, mention my strong belief that if having a lot of money is your main goal, maximizing someone else’s profits is not the best way to go about it. It took me a long time to get to this mindset, so if you’re reading this shaking your head, I understand.
Life is not about working, money or status. This is not a test run. You cannot live this life to prove something and spend your next life doing what you actually want. This is your only life, so you owe it to yourself to be happy and do what you want. So what does this mean? It means trying! Get outside your comfort zone and try something different, go somewhere different, eat something different! Experience life and get to know yourself, your preferences and your desires. You can’t follow anyone’s path to happiness, you have to create your own!
Of course there are plenty of pessimistic questions running through your head, feeding your fear. What if this happens? What if that happens? You may surprise yourself when faced with these obstacles, as you finally maximize your potential. You can handle shit if you’d just give yourself the opportunity. Trust yourself, create the lifestyle you want. The brutal truth is, there is no blueprint to happiness. You have to create it yourself.
“And, When You Want Something, All The Universe Conspires In Helping You Achieve It.” – Paulo Coelho
My new ebook challenges you to change the way that you think about travel, as it gives you 101 Ways To Travel The World for Less Than $10 A Day.
