As a traveler, for some reason, people usually associate me with wealth and freedom, which is something I aspire to have, but I am far from being rich nor do I have plenty of free time.
On the surface, it may seem that the lifestyle I chose came easily, but in truth, it was years of work, fighting against norms, and, in the end, taking the leap of faith and choosing myself.
I came from a society where people worshiped big companies as the only path to wealth and freedom. I know this because I used to be that person. I tried to get into big companies like Microsoft just for the sake of decorating my resume, hoping that it would propel me in a better direction. I used to work until 2 AM for a promotion I never had. As you may have guessed, those did not go well, and I ended up feeling burned out in my early 20s! Now, I'm happier than ever before. I work on my businesses while traveling the world one country at a time. What changed? How can you do the same? I asked myself this question, and here's what I did differently:
1. Priority
I know what makes me happy and I prioritize it
Yes, priorities are what will allow you to live your dreams. I prioritize everything I do. I put my priorities on experiences over material gains, long-term goals over short-term rewards. Instead of spending my hard-earned money on a cup of coffee from Starbucks every day, I save up, drink normal coffee, and use that money to travel. Setting priorities will help you control the urge to spend money on unnecessary items like these and instead spend on something that will make you a better person, like traveling.
What you can do:
Before you can put your priorities on the right things, first you need to know what you want to do in life. This is very important because when people prioritize the wrong things, it is usually because they do not know where to put them in the first place. Find time for yourself and explore within. Learn what you like/dislike through experimentation and work towards that.
Before I started traveling alone, I had no idea if I would enjoy it, but the concept of going wherever I want whenever I want has always inspired me. So, one weekend, I decided that I will travel alone to Cambodia, and I haven't stopped since. You will not find yourself if you play it safe and never risk anything. Find yourself and prioritize your life around your happiness.
2. I work hard for my freedom
I write, I run businesses, I exercise 3 days a week, I do freelance work, and I travel
It did not happen overnight. It all began with me working as a full-time designer and learning everything I could to be independent. I even went further and researched a way that I could adapt my design skills into a career that is location independent. I started writing blogs regularly at the beginning of last year, and now I've written multiple guest posts and generated a good amount of extra income to fund my travel. I even built BucketListly (merged into this blog) and Travelistly around traveling so that I could make a living off what I love most.
What you can do:
Know what you want and work hard for it. If you know that freedom plays an important role in your happiness, try to work out a way in which you can make a living without sacrificing freedom.
Here's what I did differently:
- I know that travel and freedom are important for me, and so I researched through several travel blogs and observe how they make a living while sustaining their travel lifestyle.
- I combine what I specialized in (design, development, startups) with the location-independent career path and align my goals and actions towards it.
- I work days and nights, weekdays and weekends to built my 2 startups, to practice my writings, to create content for this blog, and to market my businesses (And people think I have plenty of free times).
You can do the same even while you are working full-time. You just need to divide your time correctly and leave room for your passion to grow. If you are passionate enough, you will not have any trouble waking up early on weekends and working your ass off so you are closer to what you want than you were yesterday.
3. Own less, do more, be more
I own fewer things than most people.
I currently do not own a car or a house. I don't "invest" in things that will not make more money than they cost. Hell, I didn't even own a laptop throughout 6 years of my studies (Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Master's degree in International Business). Only when I think I can make money off my computer, will I buy it.
People tend to buy more as they earn more, and it is almost impossible to dial that back. I, on the other hand, diverted all of these expenditures to my travels, which, in turn, helped expand my worldview and improve my decision-making.
What you can do:
Don't create unnecessary commitments that will hinder your agility as a youth. There's a saying, "Own less and live more". Live by these words and invest more in life experiences, not things. Experiences will stay with you either as a lesson or a fond memory you could relive forever, whereas material things will expire and their value will decay over time.
With fewer commitments, come more opportunities. You can now move to anywhere in the world and travel as far as you can go worry-free. You will no longer have to keep track of your debts because you have no debts. Who knows, you might settle, have a family, and enjoy every day of your life somewhere in the middle of Europe.
No, I am not rich!
I'm no richer than anyone I know. I'm even considered pretty cheap to some of my friends. However, when it comes to living life to the fullest, it's all about how I utilize my money, my time, and my energy. If you correctly channel these three elements towards what you aspire to do, you will soon find yourself in the midst of it.
If you found this article helpful, please do share it with your friends and family.
For full disclosure, I sold my first company (MyColorscreen) 2 years ago, and you may think that I was able to live like this because I have this money in the bank. However, in truth, during my 10 months of traveling around Asia, I did not use a dime from my savings. It did provide a safety net, though; I will not argue with that. The fact that I only spent money I earned from my work says something about how you could do it too.
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 is 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 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 that 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 travel, here is how to deal with the situation: My Bag Was Stolen In Germany.
- Have you ever felt that you do not belong in a place where you were born? 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 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.
- 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, please visit my Inspiration page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
13 Comments
I loved your experience and learnt alot. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Great article! Thanks, Pete! Been to Georgia (the country) yet? :)
Such an inspiring read. Really happy for you Pete!
Great article!
I really appreciate your work, is like what I want to do with my life, have enough money (not be rich, just have the necessary) to travel around the world.
You helped me alot, thanks Pete.
I wish I could have half of his inspiration. It was 100% inspire when we talked but then it drops to 20% when I went back home. Hope to have another chit chat real soon, to spark me up :P ,, Nice article - love reading yours.
"Own less, do more, be more" Could not have said it any better! Thanks for this inspiring article :)
Cool! Inspirational words Pete. I can find myself in this text.
Man, you are Inspiring!!!! :)
Thank you for posting something so inspiring :) Seeing what you wrote kind of give me another light/perspective on what I can or should do rather than working from 9am to 12am - 2am on a normal basis.
However how do you actually do it? I am from a Chinese family and when I tried explaining this to my family, they got so upset.
How do you get past that barrier?
Well written. Exactly what I think and this is what I've been living for the past 3 years. Keep inspiring, Pete!