[No Man]

(Original post by Rarrgh)
I have visited every continent twice now. I only have Japan, Sweden and Norway left as places i'd like to visit and i'm still only 18.

Travelling is fun but for me, I enjoy the journey more than the place I end up being. The 24 hour flights to Australia. The weekend stops I've made in Amsterdam and Singapore while waiting for my next plane. The 8 hour train ride through the country. The ferries and buses.

However if i had to choose, i'd choose education over seeing the world. I like being in my room and getting used to places were I am. I'd just rather not be in England.

Even Antarctica?

[Samz]

Yes, in a heartbeat.
But I am not too happy with my life atm and I don't really have anything other than uni holding me here.
If you'd have asked a few months ago I think the answer would've been different.
You only regret the things you don't do. I'd say go for it.

[Rarrgh]

(Original post by No Man)
Even Antarctica?

You never know
okay you got me there.

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

In all seriousness, I have the same feelings as you, OP.

You have something I don't, which is a happy partnership with your GF, so if you want to go travelling you either take her with you, or split up. Or don't go travelling.

Personally, even though I am a mature student, I have no loose ends and can pick up and leave whenever I want. Trouble is, I have no money left now, and my style of travel gives me a desire to stay in good hotels, rather than dirty cheap hostels, so the idea of staying abroad for 6 months is not going to happen, ever - unless I win the lottery.

I watched this video on YouTube earlier, made me very depressed because I recently went travelling solo too, but solo means solo for me at my age, not meeting new people every day like this young guy did. This guy is probably the same age as you, and I guarantee watching this will just make you wish you were doing the same thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzOXGXKY3ZI

Personally, I have had enough of this country too. I dream of a time when I can just get up and go, preferrably to South East Asia, but to be honest anywhere in the world would be good.

I am at a stage where I want to mix my hobby of travelling with a career, such as a travel writer, but I find it difficult to work things out for myself. My current "career" is a prt-time job in Sainsbury's, which I have had for years. I hate it there, I don't fit in with most people there, which makes me an outcast. However, I don't know what my next career move is.

Which makes a 'career break' all the more enticing. I would give an arm and a leg to go travelling now (for considerable months, not just for a few weeks like I have just done) and hopefully I would return a better person for it.

At the moment, I have different outlooks on life to everyone else around me. I go to foreign countries on my own, and land at airports then take cabs in the dark to my hotel despite the fact I cannot speak much if any of the language there. That brings about a huge amount of independence and gives a great status in life, yet I cannot use it to good effect while shelf-filling with a bunch of chavs who only want to play pool at lunchtime in the canteen. For people like them, a holiday means sitting by the pool with the LADS in Faliraki for a fortnight, whereas for me I can think of nothing better than independently exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia from dawn to dusk, with nothing but a backpack, a camera, and a few bottles of water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WuQHicCv2U

Is there any country in Asia not worth exploring for a week or two?

[Baby.Face]

I feel like that sometimes -last summer I spent a couple of months in Borneo and 2 days in singapore, it was amazing. But I also love knowledge, finding out how stuff works (science) ect. I am hoping to spend a gap year travelling - you could try that, at the end of it you might feel the same but its worth a try, kind of like 50/50.

[Malkmus]

Well, if it makes you feel any better... I will sort of be doing this later this year.

Ever since I was in my very early teens, I always had the idea to travel and I eventually did for 3 months around Europe at the end of Uni in 2010 by myself. This was the most inspiring, thought-provoking experience of my life. Travel broadens the mind... cliched bull**** but it's true. Since then, going travelling again or living abroad long-term has always been in my mind and these thoughts have just become stronger and stronger over time.

I am 23, I have a decent job (the job itself is pretty boring but the people I work with are sound and it pays relatively well), live with my girlfriend and am surrounded by good friends I have known for years. I have plenty of hobbies and really strive to get the most out of my life here... but it isn't enough and I don't think it will ever be. I just feel working up the ladder at work, settling down, having kids etc. is the last thing I want to do and the idea of my life taking this pattern over the next however many years is something I won't no part of. I can relate to the majority of what you've just said... I spend the majority of my working day clicking from link to link on wikitravel just simply reading about as many different countries as I possibly can... dreaming of an escape.

My parents would like nothing more than for me to settle down in a good job, get married have kids, etc. etc. They thought I was a little bit crazy for deciding to travel by myself in the first place and I know they were hoping that period of travel in 2010 would kick the wanderlust bug out of my system. But it's not to be, I don't want to be another 2.4 children, 9-5 drone. I want to see more of the world I have already seen, whilst I am young and have little or no commitments. I have no strong interest in making large sums of money - so long as I have enough money to enjoy a comfortable life, whilst doing the things I want to do, I am in a more fortunate situation than millions on the planet. I may not end up rich materially, but hopefully my life will be rich in experience.

After looking closely into teaching english abroad in various countries over the last couple of years, I am almost certain I will be applying for jobs in South Korea shortly with the view to moving out there later this year. This will allow to save some money whilst working abroad and give me a good base to travel the rest of Asia before potentially moving to do the same in South America.

[Ano1]

(Original post by Olibert)
I booked a one way ticket to Australia and am going to work and travel for a few years. Get a TEFL qualification, divemaster etc...

Are you going there on a tourirst visa or do you already have the work visa set up?

Im doing something similar with a 1 way flight, but will only have a touritst visa, then find work at that specific location

[Olibert]

(Original post by Ano1)
Are you going there on a tourirst visa or do you already have the work visa set up?

Im doing something similar with a 1 way flight, but will only have a touritst visa, then find work at that specific location

Working Holiday Visa. You'll need one if you plan on working.

[laseine]

it's all i think about...


talk to your girlfriend, see how she feels. you are still young, you have your WHOLE LIFE ahead of you... postponing it for a few years shouldn't hurt. you don't need to have kids now.

[laseine]

(Original post by Vindobona)
I chose a career that involves travelling the world. Tourism.

what do you do?

[Bellissima]

(Original post by abbyheat)
I dropped out of a top 5 uni to spend 7 years travelling and working abroad. No regrets at all.

how much did you have saved up? what did you do for work? how did you get work, just turn up? how did you afford flights/transport?

[laseine]

(Original post by Isambard Kingdom Brunel)
my style of travel gives me a desire to stay in good hotels, rather than dirty cheap hostels, so the idea of staying abroad for 6 months is not going to happen, ever - unless I win the lottery.

that is so limiting... while i'm not one to turn down a 5* hotel, the best holiday i ever went on involved camping and staying in hostels. i didn't enjoy the camping but would do it all over again in a heartbeat. you'd be surprised... it's worth it. hostels were alright too.

[Vindobona]

(Original post by laseine)
what do you do?

Well I'm still at the beginning of my career to be honest
I've applied for the TUI Travel graduate scheme which is an 18 month programme with 5 different assignments globally. So basically you move to another place every 2 to 3 months.
Other than that, I did a 6-month internship in Canada at a destination management company. Part of my work involved doing site inspections, i.e. trying out different hotels and activities all across the country to see if they're worth selling to the customers.

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

(Original post by Vindobona)
Part of my work involved doing site inspections, i.e. trying out different hotels and activities all across the country to see if they're worth selling to the customers.

My dream job is to try out hotels, or review them.

Is there any entry requirements? I am educated to 2.2 level but its in an irrelevent subject, not leisure management or anything like that.

[Vindobona]

(Original post by Isambard Kingdom Brunel)
My dream job is to try out hotels, or review them.

Is there any entry requirements? I am educated to 2.2 level but its in an irrelevent subject, not leisure management or anything like that.

No special requirements, about half of the people in the company didn't have a degree. But the work was still 95% desk-based though. Employees only get sent on site inspections a few times a month, and sometimes not even that (e.g. during high season). It's mainly about negotiating good rates with the hotels and selling rooms to travel agencies, not so much about testing the hotels.

Sounds like a really cool job to review hotels on a full-time basis, as in sleeping in a different hotel every night. But I have no idea how to get into that :/

[Pi!]

In a heartbeat.

[abbyheat]

(Original post by Bellissima)
how much did you have saved up? what did you do for work? how did you get work, just turn up? how did you afford flights/transport?

I had about £400 from a part time job and a return ticket to Oz (Thanks to Mother - that's the only handout she's given me really). Rocked up and joined every recruitment agency going. Spent a year there, a year in NZ and a few years in Southeast Asia. I'm basically a bit of a gobby cow so I just talked my way into jobs. They've always been office type jobs rather than bar work or whatever so they've paid reasonably well. Apart from a few stints in call centres that destroyed my soul. Came back in 2009 to start a degree, finishing next month, off to do a PGCE and then away I go again!

[sophiemay20]

Without a doubt, yes.

[rockrunride]

Tough call.

I love travelling, always have done from the age of about five, but perpetual travel goes against what I'm trying to aim for in life right now: a suitable career and income, success at competitive athletics, and a capacity to continue attending Premier League football. I'd love to drop everything and cruise round South America for a few months on end, but I've neither the time, the money nor the focused willpower at this stage.

Maybe in a few years with proven job experience and a bit of money saved up.

[winning11]

oh yeahh i would