Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself. – W. C. Doane
Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. – George S. Patton
Preparing for my trip around the world personally is possibly the most difficult. Not only for myself, but also for the people around me. When you have an established life (and in my case children) there are certain things that have to be done prior. Now many of these things may not apply if you’re a young college student or single profession but I’m sure some of these stories and tips will be applicable in some way to you situation.
FAMILY
My biggest concerns were involving my boys. I had to make a decision on if this project was the best thing for our relationship at this point. Now quite a few people reading this may also be single parents and have issues with their ex. I get it. If you want to live this lifestyle you need to FIX IT not for your sake but your child’s. Parenting isn’t perfect. You just have to try and not mess up too bad. With all else said and done this project is for them. The world will be totally different when each turns 18. Exposing them to the world is one of the best things I can do as a father. Also, for those that don’t think you can travel with children, check out Caz and Craig over at yTravelblog and their beautiful daughters.
TIP: Ensure you have a new will and your life insurance is paid up. If you can, get the life insurance attached to a trust. That way, debt collectors can’t touch it once you die. You can also have a bit of peace knowing your family is taken care of after you’re gone.
Friends
Long term travel can strain friendships. The fact is you’re not there. Many of your friends will want to do something similar to what you are but can’t for whatever reason. Be careful not to make them feel bad. It’s easy to get excited about your trip and talk about it constantly. But think how that might be affecting your friends. Not only are they losing you for an extended period of time, but they have to deal with the fact they can’t do the same. The best thing to do is involve friends. Use social media and unlocked cell phones to keep in touch so they know you’re thinking about them. Posting pictures on Facebook is fine but take some time to actually write them. A little effort goes a long way. I’ve involved my friends by letting them help me build my itinerary and planning short trip meet ups. I’ve convinced three friends to meet me around the world. It not only makes them part of the fun but gives you a piece of home when you may be getting worn out.
Significant Other
Well this is tough. I’m not the best person to give relationship advice but I’ll try. Leaving someone you care about behind is tough. Many of the same points I made in regards to friends apply here as well. The question is do you stay together or move on? You both may get lonely. You may meet other people that share your passions. You may grow closer together. You may end up hating each other. I believe it depends on how strong and honest your relationship was before you left. If it wasn’t, now is the time to become 100% open because things are going to get serious fast. Sometimes in life the best thing to do is let things go. That includes relationships. Long distance relationships are hard but not impossible. Skype and unlocked cells make staying in touch simple. It just takes some effort. Stay tuned for more real world musings on this subject.
Mental and Physical Preparation
Long term International travel is physically demanding. This isn’t to say that a person that isn’t in shape shouldn’t and can’t travel. But being healthy doesn’t hurt and in my opinion makes everything in life better. Prior to deciding on this project I was already on a weight loss plan. After leaving the military I had ballooned up to about 240 at 5”11. In the military I was around 190. I started by cutting out all fried foods, most sugars, and spreading out my meal. Six small meals a day with something green at each. I dropped to a consistent 198 in three months with diet and exercise.
Cardio is the key to life. I run three miles three times a week and a mile and a half two days a week. On the light run days I lift weights with Saturday being a full heavy weight day. I lift for tone and utility rather than size. Training for backpacking is like training for any other sport. You need cardio endurance, a strong back and core, and strong legs.
Mental preparation is a personal journey. Be true to yourself while being open to new ideas and experiences. I have very strong opinions and ideas but I try to be open to those being challenged. Things you see and experience on the road may be brutal, amazing, and terrifying. Many cultures around the world don’t believe in anything that you believe in. As a person of color, a female, or gay/lesbian your experience may be different even more so. For example, a friend of mine that is a young African American woman was treated like a celebrity when visiting Asia. Asked to take pictures and allow people to touch her hair. On the opposite end, homosexuality is still illegal in 60+ countries including Egypt, Morocco, Singapore, Malaysia, and UAE.
My favorite mental preparation has been language learning. I LOVE learning and studying different languages. YOU DO NOT need to learn another language if you speak English. Most of the world speaks English as a second language so you are pretty well ok. With that said, YOU WILL miss out on some amazing experiences and opportunities. In today’s internet age you can learn ay language for FREE. I’ll be doing a post soon on my favorite programs. I’m intermediate in several languages and am currently learning Spanish (again). The crazy thing about language (for me anyway) is if you don’t use it then you lose it. My Farsi was on point when I was in the class and after. Two years later…..not so much.
TIP: NEVER PAY FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING. There are more than enough free sources out there.
Not matter what you do to prepare know that your life is about to change. Get ready for that. It’s the first step in becoming the new you because long term travel will change you if you allow it.
