Nations of the World

So You Want To Be A Travel Bum?

So You want to be a travel bum? Traveling the world, meeting exotic people in exotic places, with no attachments or day-to-day grumbles of our modern capitalistic consumer world- this lifestyle attracts seriously adventurous people who have grown tired of modern American life.

The apparent ease and carefree attitude of this breed of travel bum is something that must be prepared for and cultured, because not everyone is prepared to get up, leave their job, social status, and circle of friends and family, and set out on an adventure around the world. If you feel that you are the kind of person that can give up the comforts of home and most of your possessions, than get ready to become a travel bum!

Step one of becoming a world traveling, adventure seeking, self-sustaining travel bum is to get yourself a passport. It is amazing the number of people in America who don't already own one. If you do not own one, get one! There is no better motivation for setting out on an adventure than staring into the blank visa pages of a brand new, never been used passport! Trust me, this will get you out the door and on your way.

Step two: Get out of debt! Everyone wants to travel, but none can afford it? Maybe without the car payment, cell phone bill, gym membership, mortgage or rent, and credit card debt, you might have some extra money for traveling? It is amazing how much we spend on the month to month with nothing to show for it. Living cheaply, selling expensive cars and possessions, and rearranging your life to fit into a backpack is a cathartic and purifying experience that will change your outlook on life.

Can't live without that big screen TV? Well, is it going to fit into your backpack as you travel the world? Nope! Sell it and use the money to buy your first plane ticket. Step three: the work dilemma. This is a tough one. there are tons of ways to look at work: some people are defined by their profession, and some people look at work as the means to an end. For me, work is the means to secure money so that I can spend it while I travel. I am defined by who I am and what I want, not what I do. If your profession or career is your life, you have probably stopped reading anyway! If not, maybe you should look into saving your money from your existing job for a few months, leave work on a good note, and maybe they will rehire you when you come back. As far as making money on the road, be positive, inquisitive, and keep your options open and YOU WILL FIND WORK!

If you have wage earning skills here at home than you will be able to earn a wage anywhere and most of the time your wage will reflect the cost of living, so you should be able to scrape by on whatever you are earning while you travel. Another option for travel is to get into some web based business, which can earn you money while you travel. This is a bit more complicated to the beginner, but if you think you can swing it, give it a shot!

Do you really want to be a travel bum? Can you spend time by yourself or in company of some very eclectic, very culturally different people? Can you make new friends? can you appreciate other cultures on their own terms? If so, than the experience you will gain by traveling the world, budget style, will change your life! Get a passport, pay off your debts, save some money, quit your job, fill your backpack with a first aid kit, some comfy clothes and a notebook, and buy a plane ticket to someplace exotic and change the way you experience this world! The world is an amazing and diverse place, but you would never know it sitting in traffic!

reprinted permission form goarticles.com & Zachary Judd loves to travel, hike, surf, and learn about internet marketing and website design. He is planning to travel the world with his girlfriend this september, which will be the first time traveling internationally with a travel partner. He dreams about exotic locations, beautiful tropical surfspots, and spicy indonesian food every night.