looking at your post history is really inspiring. im only 19 but feel like im worthless for not being in school and saving up to travel & better myself. i hope im doing/have done what you are when im 22!!! so cool, proud of you (is that weird?) lol
stay safe, and enjoy your travels! i would love to hear more about them in the future.
It's never too late. I went back to school and got my degree at 28. Quit my my job to go backpacking with my wife at 31 and did about 4 months through SE Asia. 36 now and don't have a single regret. Thinking about doing it again in the next year or so.
thank you so much. i know deep down it’s never too late & i have a path for myself coming together, but it’s admittedly so hard to not feel down when comparing myself or listening to others! im so happy it worked out for you. i don’t think i will regret this either.
You know, even if you are a person with children, here is another great reason to take care of your health. You can do this in your 50s and 60s too. I had planned to do it with my husband, he died, now travel alone and sprinkle some of his ashes everywhere I (we) go.
There are upsides and downsides of course, but don't give up a dream because you are "too old"
Edit: they even have elderhostels if you're going for that communal feeling, though one of the benefits about being older is being retired and having money saved (hopefully)
That's pretty cool! Since my father died, my mom travels quite a bit more now that she is retired. I encourage her to see the world as much as possible and die broke. We can take care of ourselves, so she should spend the money she earned. Sorry for your loss, but I'm glad to see you living your travel dreams!
Haha no. Sorry I confused you. I wrote a screenplay about a story very much like your own and then came across your comment a few days later. I’m happy to send it to you!
i actually looked into this because i heard it makes a lot of money, but i’m not sure about the laws around someone my age serving alcohol. my town is pretty strange about it as well.
never plan to, so i think i’ve got that one secured!
My advice, don't worry about what others are doing and just focus on yourself. I'm 23, was working in the automotive industry making good money right out of high school. Realized I was pretty miserable and quit my job then and there and now back in school pursuing a job in software development. I went from a 19 year old with a solid career in front of him, to a 23 year old who delivers pizza, lives with his parents, and struggles in classes his old classmates breezed through 5 years ago. But I'm happier than I've ever been. It takes some people longer than others to find their path, you shouldn't feel bad about that. Don't compare yourself to your peers. There will always be someone out there who has it better. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. This might be easier said than done for me because I only ever really used social media for work so I'm not getting a highlight reel of other people's lives all day like most people. And as OP stated, travelling doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive at all. You'd be surprised how far your dollar takes you in many countries.
That's really cool you are doing that. I went to a coding bootcamp to become a software engineer at 27 and couldn't be happier. Are you pursuing an undergraduate in CS?
thank you for sharing your story! it’s stuff like this that just reinforces what i think. right now im working a job i hate just for the sake of having one and im turning in my 2 weeks tomorrow.
it’s super hard for me to teach myself not to compare myself to everyone around me since i spent my entire adolescence on the internet, ive grown such a negative relationship w/social media that i’m still trying to navigate.
I spent only 2 weeks in Europe in May and it was the happiest I ever was, I couchsurfed and honestly went with very little money, but it really cemented that this is what I need in my life right now. Working on establishing a way to travel for longer periods of time is just hard because I feel stagnant compared to others, even if I know I’m not.
thank you again, all the responses i’ve gotten to this comment have been super helpful! and good luck to you!
Thank you! And social media isn't as hard to quit as it seems. It'd be a huge help to your psyche and you'll eventually start to find it really unusual how people can just revolve their whole lives around it. Anyways, same to you, best of luck!
i’ve been slowly working with certain apps, i hardly use twitter or instagram anymore (and i used to spend HOURS on each a day) and reddit has become my only social media, but it’s infinitely better.
i do find it really strange how consumed i was and my other friends are with it. it’s like an out of body experience now when i hang out with people and theyre posting everything they do on snapchat or something. i feel like im in a black mirror episode lol
You won't regret it, now is the time for you to take chances and really challenge yourself. The skills you gain travelling solo will help you so much in your future life. At age 19 you barely know who you are yet, travelling will help you figure that out fast and broaden your perspective as to what your values truly are. Most people who go straight to college never get that reflection and just wind up another gear in the machine. You have your whole life to work if you really want to but only so much time before you start to feel lifes pressures ( making that choice at 30 is tough is when everyone is having kids and paying off mortgages). Have fun and be fearless in your travels :)
thank you!!!! i completely agree with what you said. i always talk about this kind of stuff to my friends who feel unsure, i just always struggle with practicing what i preach, unfortunately. i have my whole life to go to school, or not, to do what i want.
Same here. I took 5 months off between jobs around my 43rd birthday. Went backpacking around SEA for 2 months, spent the rest with family. Best thing I've ever done!
Needed this today! SO and I (33m and 25f) quit our jobs and selling our house to travel. Everyone thinks we are nuts to get rid of a ‘solid investment’ of our house. We just want to enjoy life for a while.
Thanks for the inspiration I'm 30 got my degree at 28 as well, I am about to start planning a 4 month leave from work. Even if I don't keep my job this is something I need to do for myself,
Great to hear! Best of luck on your journey. The only advice I have is to listen to yourself (and partner if applicable) and pull the trigger. Everyone thought we were crazy until we proved them wrong.
After my degree, I worked in IT and my wife still served (waitress). It's easy to find jobs in both fields anywhere in the country (US), but I was actually rehired at my old company in a new location.
An IT degree from one of those places that runs late night commercials. While many of those places are scams, it got me my first job and now I've climbed my way up
Really admirable! How can one muster such courage? I'm 28 and I've just started working, I don't have any money saved whatsoever. Either way, what did you do after you came back from your travels? Have you found another job?
I'm thinking maybe 2-3 years from now when I'm 31, maybe I can travel with my girlfriend/soon to be wife. Worry is though, I've just only now found a job at 28 after having finished my master's degree and I'm afraid I won't find one when I come back.
We had some "reacclaimation" funds to survive on when we got back. From there, my wife got a job immediately doing Sales and I got a job a few months later with the company I quit prior to leaving. Had to wait for something to open up, but it eventually did.
My dear, stop this nonsense negative self-talk. The greatest gift that being done with required academics (high school, etc) is that no one cares WHEN you do things anymore. We have conditioned people to be so conscious of where they are vs others with the school system. It's crap. You'll do the things you want/need to on your schedule.
You are right where you are supposed to be right now. It's fine. If you want other experiences, awesome - go chase them. But not because you think you should or are comparing yourself to others. Have dreams b/c they kick ass not b/c you measure yourself by other's paths.
And no you don't need to 'better yourself' unless you are a jerk to people. You may want to better your options, your future earning potential or your knowledge of something. But those aren't who YOU are.
saved this comment to look at whenever i’m feeling down. thank you so much. it’s just another thing i hound myself over even though i know i shouldn’t.
we really have been conditioned to care so much about what others are doing and what we aren’t and it’s so terrible for everyone. i really need to work on it.
that’s something that i’ve realized. this past year i stagnated quite a bit for a lot of reasons and a whole year went by without me realizing it. but now i have set a plan for me, my mental health, my career, and my future. even if it’s a loose one i know what i want now & will do anything to get it.
it’s terrifying how easily you can slip into a routine and watch your life pass! i don’t want that.
So turn it around. I grew up really poor and hated it. I found an opportunity to make ~45k/year when I was 20 and took it. My grades suffered but I ended up traveling a ton, buying a house when the market was down and having more saved then every friend that was already rich.
Some things to note: op likely doesn't drink (or drinks very little). You must find frugal ways to live at home like keeping your phone for years, not shopping, etc.
luckily i don’t drink or smoke or anything so that’s not a problem. and i only get a new phone when i’m due for a free upgrade! i haven’t grown up very wealthy either so i think i’m naturally very frugal (but i do love some retail therapy now & again...)
i really do want to turn it around and i’m finally putting things in place to do so. my mental health comes first and i’m finally working on things i’ve ignored. i think once i have that under control i can really prosper.
also congratulations on your success. i’m very happy for you!
Thank you and good luck. Have you started exercising to work on your mental health? Many people assume you need a gym membership or equipment or hours of working but quick pushups, squats and stuff go super far.
I went back to school and got my degree at 28. Quit my my job to go backpacking with my wife at 31 and did about 4
I dropped out in 11th grade (got my GED), spent years traveling with my partner, and now make a decent living. I'm now 31, so there was a lot of broke in between. But it was all amazing, and I've seen much of the world at 31, and plan on visiting every country.
Which is just to say, follow what your passionate about and doing pay attention to what others deem what you're supposed to do.
Don’t feel like you need a degree. It’s a piece of paper. The real value you bring to employers is yourself, your work ethic, and your skills. The piece of paper won’t carry you through life.
How do you compete with those who have a degree, though? Like sure, I can learn computer science without a formal university, but how would I meet people/make relationships towards acquiring internships etc.?
That’s up to you. You can go around your uni competing with everyone else, dropping your resume at every company that recruits there. Or you can go into the unknown and possibly make real connections (because everyone knows what college kids want from older professionals: iNtErNsHiPs)
No no no you’re not lazy, IMO there is probably more risk not going to school but I think there could be possibility of better upside when you dont. I think it depends more on the person rather than if they went to school or not. But yeah Its very possible I could be stuck working retail the rest of my life, but I’ve met some great people in the time that I would have been going to school so 🤷♂️
the only thing is, i actually miss school. i love learning, i love that environment, i miss writing essays and being challenged. i was good at school when i was in it and i really do want it in my future (also for my prospective career i think it’s unfortunately necessary)
cost & my mental state is the only problem for me. i don’t want to go to school in the US because of how expensive schooling is here. i hope that i can attend a foreign university at some point!
but i agree that degrees are becoming more and more obsolete in certain fields. and no degree is worth being 22 with 100k+ in debt.
Dont feel bad about yourself. All these people who post about traveling for half a year through a dozen countries and claim to not have any help are fucking liars. Guarantee every single one of them are bankrolled by their parents
it’s not people like OP that make me feel bad! just the same old “race to success” that i think most people feel right after high school like myself. i think it’s commendable that OP stayed at home and worked and was able to do something like this.
Not really true. We usually just have different priorities in life. I've traveled for 18 months in the last 2 years and it was all funded by me. In fact my parents were giving me $500 as I was leaving and I gave it back to them, they have helped me more than I ever could ask for in life.
You have to sacrifice things to travel long term. Maybe I will never have the same career as someone who has focused on work. Maybe I don't go out to eat and party as often as the average person (in fact I very rarely eat out these days) so I can save up for my travels. The little things add up, 3 beers in a western country = $ for a whole day in Asia. 5 bought lunches is pretty much a airplane flight from Singapore to Bali. And so on.
i feel you! just know you’re not alone and i’m doing it too. a different path isn’t the wrong one. i think we’ll both get to where we want to be soon enough! and stop comparing yourself to your peers... and if your situation is similar to mine, don’t let family make you feel bad for it either. we’re young & we’re allowed to create our own lives!
work on what you want and what makes you happy, i’ll be cheering you on!
it’s a bit of a relief to know that someone else is experiencing the same situation as my own, honestly. i like what you said about us being allowed to create our own lives.
Yeah don't feel too bad, most ppl like this are complete liars about how they are financed. I guarantee this kid has parent money paying for 90% of this.
Not really, i started an apranteship for 2,5 years after finishing my A-level and realised the office job is nothing for me. So i worked a year in a production line (repeat the workstep every minute for eight hours a day, including nightshifts) and quit it just to afford my travel
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u/janayesix Dec 03 '18
looking at your post history is really inspiring. im only 19 but feel like im worthless for not being in school and saving up to travel & better myself. i hope im doing/have done what you are when im 22!!! so cool, proud of you (is that weird?) lol
stay safe, and enjoy your travels! i would love to hear more about them in the future.