5 Reasons Why You Will Never Travel Around the World

1. You focus on saving money now and so you can travel later

I have written about this extensively before. Tell me if this story sounds familiar.

You have recently graduated and are looking for a job. After a month of rejections, you’ve finally got an offer to work in a junior position in a big organization. Even though this job isn’t something you find interesting, you took it anyway out of fear of not having any jobs. Day after day, you continue to work hoping that one day you will be promoted to a senior position or a manager, earning more money, and finally pursuing your dream.

It would have been nice if this plan worked, but most of the time, it doesn't. I have been asking many people why they don't travel more often, and the most common excuse I heard was that they don't have enough money, even though their salaries have almost doubled since they started.

The fact is, as you earn more money, you are also spending more, creating unnecessary obligations like buying a car, a house, etc. Your focus has shifted from spending money on your long-term goal to spending it all on short-term rewards.

Solution: Change your priorities. Cars and houses can be bought at any time and age, and the benefit will still be the same. However, the traveling experience is something that is worth more than anything in the world, especially if you do it early in your life. You will learn to rely on yourself, and the faster you learn that, the better you will be able to cope with anything that comes your way. Traveling is the ultimate life lesson you won't get anywhere else, not even in schools or your jobs.

There is one answer to a question "What’s it like to 'drop everything' and go explore the world?" that I really recommend you reading. It’s insightful and will prepare you for what you will go through if you drop everything today and go explore the world.

2. You believe traveling alone is dangerous and that you need some one to travel with.

If you wait for your friends to come along in your journey, you will wait for the rest of your life, I can guarantee you that. Everyone has their own different agenda, and you can't expect people to be at the same stage in life as you all the time. Some people I know rarely see the world because they believe they will not enjoy traveling alone, and yet they have never tried.

Solution: Sometimes, you just have to say “Fuck it, I’ll do this alone" and travel by yourself. Traveling alone is not that dangerous if you use your common sense. To give you an example, don’t get drunk at a pub alone, try to avoid dark empty streets, and trust your gut. You are better safe than sorry. Planning a trip alone at first can be a little overwhelming, so try to keep your first trip as simple as possible. Try it, and you might enjoy traveling alone more than traveling with companions.

3. "Why would I go to India? It's dirty and smelly"

This applies to all countries that most people don't want to go to. Knowing nothing about a place doesn't mean that you should not visit it. I even encourage you to visit these places so that you can finally fill in the blank. I will be soloing India tomorrow, and people thought I was crazy. They believe that India is a scary and dirty place, and yet they have no experience to back their claims. If you judge a country by negative things people say, you will never go anywhere.

Solution: Use this as an opportunity to prove these people wrong. Forget all those negativities and be open-minded. Accept their norms and culture; don't deny it. You are traveling in a foreign land anyway. No one will judge you, so just go with the flow.

4. You'll do it someday

I can tell you right here, you will never do it, no matter what the reasons are. Whether you are waiting for a stable life, to get rich, or to quit your job, that day will never come. Life will find a way to screw up your plan, and you will always find excuses to put off travel indefinitely. It's like people waiting for the recession to end. It will never end. You will just have to find a way to cope with it to survive.

Solution: The thing is, if you really want to travel, you have to do it now. Create a commitment that you will not be able to back out of later. I did this when I decided to travel alone for the first time. I knew from my past experience that I would eventually back out, so I booked a $250 flight beforehand and all I have to do now is show up. It was the best decision I'd ever made, and now I'm on a traveling spree.

5. You don't want ruin you career

I've never heard or read anywhere that people have ruined their careers because of travel, nor do I see people regretting their decision. Your career will not be ruined. Most modern employers will understand how travel can help improve their employees. Some may even encourage it.

And if your employer doesn't encourage you to expand yourself, then you might be better off working for someone else who cares about your future more. Your experience traveling may even help you get an even better job when you are back home. Employers will always find these unique stories fascinating, and you can always use this as an advantage, especially if you apply for any position that requires leadership.

Solution: First, go on a small trip using a few days of your available leaves. When you are ready to go further and for a longer duration, ask your employer for leaves without pay for a few months. Most employers will have no problem approving this. That way, you will feel more comfortable pursuing your dream.

Do You really want to travel?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.

Albert Einstein once said, "So in order to travel, first you must be willing to change your beliefs to readjust your life so that it is heading where you want to go, not stay in the same place and expect it to change itself."

Further Reading for Inspiration

Looking for more articles to help inspire you to travel more? Here are a collection of articles you might like:

• Hiking to the Everest Base Camp is one of the most memorable epic moments of my life. Here's a long-read piece about my experiences hiking the Everest Base Camp: On My Way To Everest Base Camp.
• Ever wondered what it's like to travel the world on a third-world passport? Check out: Traveling The World On A Third World Passport.
• Here's why I always celebrate turning a year older with a hike: Climbing Kilimanjaro On My 33rd Birthday.
• Are you currently planning a trip around the world and looking for cheap countries to visit? Here are the 13 Cheapest Countries To Visit in the World.
• Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
• Looking for the most beautiful travel blogs to follow? Here are the 24 Most Beautiful Travel Blogs to Follow.
• For adventurers and backpackers out there, here are the 10 Best Adventure and Backpacking Blogs You Should Follow.
• I truly believe that we need more Asian representatives in the English-speaking travel blogging industry, especially for blogs about Asia. Here are the Top 10 Kick-Ass Asian Travel Bloggers To Follow.
• Did you know that you can travel without leaving your couch? Here are the 8 Great Travel Books You Should Read.
• For the best travel videos to inspire you to travel even further, here are the 20 Most Creative Travel Videos of All Time.
• If you are looking for travel vloggers to follow on Youtube who aren't cringeworthy, check out: 10 Best Travel Vloggers to Follow On Youtube.
• The best way to improve your photography skills is to learn from the best. Here are the 10 Best Photography YouTube Channels to Follow.
• A photo is worth a thousand words. Here are the 25 Most Beautiful Travel Photos I Ever Took From Around The World.
• Ever wondered what it is like to be a travel blogger during COVID-19? Check out: Being A Travel Blogger During COVID-19 - What Is It Like?
• Looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations to visit this year? Check out: 8 Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Destination to Visit.
• Can't travel internationally for the time being? How about traveling in your own country? Here are the 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel in Your Own Country.
• To find the most inspirational travel quotes and captions to go with your photos on your Instagram, check out 34 Short and Unique Traveller Quotes for Instagram.
• We often hear bad stories about locals from travelers, but what about the other way around? Here are some of the Notorious Stories Of Terrible Backpackers.
• If you lost your bag while you were traveling, here is how to deal with the situation: My Bag Was Stolen In Germany.
• Have you ever felt that you do not belong in the place you were born in? Read this: Where Is Home? - My Quest In Search Of Where I Belong.
• People often preach about how important it is to live in the moment, but sometimes, that may not be such a good idea. Here is The Problem With Living In The Moment.
• Want to embark on your first solo trip but not sure where to go? As a long-time solo traveler, here are my favorite places based on real experiences: 10 Incredible Travel Destinations for Solo Travelers.
• Solo traveling is not for everyone, and even though I love it to death, it is not always flowers and sunshine for solo travelers. Here are the 10 Things I Hate Most When Traveling Solo.
• Travel friends come and go, but that may not be such a bad thing. Here is why you should embrace your travel friends: A Life Of Brief Encounters.
• Hiking is life. Here's why: One Year Of Incredible Discomfort - 10 Things I've Learned From Climbing Mountains.
• Here's why having no plan is the best plan: Magical Things Happen When You Have Nothing To Do - The Art Of Doing Nothing.
• Is life getting you down? Here's why you can't always blame life for everything: Life Doesn't Suck. We Are Just Suck At Living It.
• Want to know why I chose to travel alone? Read this: We Travel Alone, NOT To Be Alone.
• For a meaningful solo trip, you need to share it with someone. Here is why Happiness Is Only Real When Shared.
• Traveling is no longer for the rich. Here is why: "People Think I'm Rich".
• The Himalayan Mountain is one hell of a teacher. Here are the 7 Life Lessons The Himalayas Taught Me.
• Want to travel alone but scared that you might get bored out of your mind? Here is How To Enjoy Yourself And Have Fun While Traveling Alone.
• Want to start traveling solo as well? Here is What It's Like to Travel Alone.
• Here is a simple story on how I started traveling: F*ck It, I'll Do This Alone.
• For more inspiring articles like this, visit my Inspiration page.