What’s your passion in life?
I’ve spent the last year or so trying to answer that question. Of course, I knew the answer all along, but was trying to ignore it.
Travel.
My life’s passion is to experience foreign cultures. I want to see the people, food, traditions and day-to-day activities that are nothing like my own. That’s what I want to do with my life — go everywhere and see everything.
Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Work Week proposes that we spend several months a year doing just that. This morning, I came across a story of a man, Andy, who’s been perpetually traveling for 10 + years. They’ve done it, why can’t I?
Here’s the clincher. From Andy
“I was bored with life in the United States. I had a successful business. I was making good money, had a boat, two houses. But I was bored. I wasn’t married. I was always waiting for the day when I’d get married. Then one day I just took off.”
Read the 5th sentence again. That’s right, these are single, childless guys. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t condemn my wife and kids for the life I lead. I love my wife and kids.
So, I’ve got a mortgage, two toddlers in school, etc. I can’t pull them out of school so I can go live in Switzerland for 12 weeks.
Tim would berate me for this. “You’re making excuses out of fear. Just do it.” He also suggests I create a product so wonderful it will generate $40,000 in sales per month via an automated, online system. Oh, is that all I have to do? It’s that easy? Thanks, Tim.
I don’t begrudge these guys. More power to them. But it’s not as easy for everyone. I’m just saying.
Dave,
Having a family doesn’t mean you can’t travel. My wife and I share a passion for traveling and we have instilled it in our kids. Both our children were on airplanes before they were three months old (contrasted with me who didn’t get on one until I was 26).
My wife is German, which means we have an excuse to travel to Europe with the kids, but even if we didn’t, I’m sure we would.
My car is a 14 year old Toyota Corolla Wagon. My wife’s is an 8 year old Mazda Protoge. We love to travel, so we cut it in other places like cars.
And you don’t necessarily have to get on plane with kids. You can go to lots of great place right in New England and Canada is in driving distance.
One story: When my son was 2, he liked to push his own stroller. That was fine when we were in a park with open space, but not an airport. We were getting off a plane in London and he went ballistic because he couldn’t push the stroller. Suddenly a nice British lady came over and lead us straight to the counter past a long line of people waiting to clear customs. It was the most timely tantrum of all time. Saved us a huge wait in a long customs line.
Hello. Just to be devil’s advocate here, I just want to say it definitely is harder to do extended travel with kids… but not impossible. We left everything behind, sold our house, sold our cars and moved to France for a year with our daughter when she was 1. She spent most of our time there traveling. It was definitely challenging (and I’m not sure I would have it in me now that the twins are here), but it’s doable. It was also probably the single most amazing part of my life so far. We are talking about perhaps doing a summer in France next year…. or maybe even renting an RV and doing an extended road trip around the U.S. and Canada.
I also read Tim Ferriss’ blog and always think he makes it looks so easy to just…travel…wish I can do the same and not have to worry about rent, food, etc.
Some friends of mine saved up for a year, living off of one income and saving the second, and are now touring the world for a year before one starts law school and the other med school.
I don’t know if my marriage would survive constant travel but I’m pretty sure we would really enjoy parking it over in Italy for a year and taking the occasional jaunt to other countries via train.
Now all I need is that winning lotto ticket…