Quit Work To Travel

I’m not closing this blog, but I’ll be at ambient most of the time.

By now, those of us who have been following the story in the news of James Kim and his family heard the sad news today that the body of Mr. Kim was found. This is a tragedy that is made even worse by the fact that Mr. Kim left as his survivors his loving wife and two beautiful children, and during the holiday season.

It seems clear that in coming weeks, there will be many questions about this case, but one question hinted at by Eliot Van Buskirk is “where were the helicopters a week ago?” Buskirk is a long-time friend of Mr. Kim and his family and he indicates that Mr. Kim’s family and in-laws were forced to pay for the search helicopters on their own.

When one looks at the amount of money wasted by our government, forcing private citizens to pay for search and rescue operations of their loved ones is a crime and someone should be held accountable.

There are also important lessons for travelers who plan to drive to remote places in the winter. The first rule is ALWAYS stay with your car. It is a sad truth that this would have kept the Kim family alive and together. Nobody can blame Mr. Kim for the decision he made because it was made to save his family, but the odds of finding a car in the wilderness are much greater than an individual.

Also, bring plenty of warm clothing, food, supplies, and flares. Make sure your tires and your car are in good shape. For more information, the Washington State DOT has more information on safe driving in winter.

Please consider donating to the families of James and Kati Kim to help pay for expenses during this difficult time.

In the last few days quite a few of my friends have talked to me about their jobs. I knew that one friend of mine, M_, works at a casino. He seems to do pretty well, and I asked him how he liked it.

He said “You know. It’s a job.”

I asked him if he would rather do something else. He said he would. But when I asked what that would be, he replied “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

It’s funny how many guys I talk to say the same thing.

They all sense that there is something out there more fulfilling, more grand, but they don’t know what it is. And they are comfortable enough with the money they’re making now that they don’t want to give it up and try to find out what exactly it is they would rather do.

Whatever it is, it probably wouldn’t pay as well.

And that’s the way the story seems destined to end for so many of us.

Want to know something odd?

For those of us who live in modern states with all the comforts you could imagine, it is getting increasingly more expensive to maintain our lifestyles. That means we have to work more, and it usually means we have to work more at jobs we don’t hate but don’t love.

And the reason it’s becoming so expensive to live?

Because everybody else is making the exact same decision, the same sacrifice. People look around and they see everyone else working so hard to make money that if they stopped working their comfortable, unsatisfying jobs, it would be like stopping to tie their shoes while running away from a charging bull.

But what would happen if we all decided to stop?

What if we all just said “We’re not going to run that race anymore”?

It probably won’t happen, but I still believe that even if you have the burning desire to do something more meaningful, or even if you have the burning desire to go find out what that something would be, that it is your duty to yourself and to your loved ones to go out and find it. If you truthfully admit to yourself that the only reason you don’t quit work and start living now is because you’re afraid of what you will do for sustenance, you, more than anybody else should go in tomorrow and put in your two weeks notice.

I’ll make no guarantees about your safety, provision, or future success. But I learned at an early age that there are no guarantees anyway. Life is better when it’s a collection of friends, memories, and experience.

Security can sometimes be your worst enemy. Freedom can be just as dangerous, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun.

There was a Jewish custom in the Old Testament of working for six years and resting for the seventh. This is a useful model for us today, and it’s a custom that I have decided to adopt for myself. People in many walks of life do this sort of thing when they take sabbaticals.

Work can be positive and negative. Hard work is a powerful tool for achieving success, and one of the rewards of that success - however you measure it - is the opportunity to take time away from it and see the world. So, whether you’re planning to take a year off from school, quit your job, or plan your retirement, it helps to understand the cost and issues you will face - when you leave and when you return.

How can you quit work to travel?

Often the hardest part is finding the best way to quit work. Notice I didn’t say “quit your job.”

The reason I didn’t say this is because I’m not only talking about a job.

If you live in a Western country - especially in the United States - it’s important to understand that we live in a machine. And the machine doesn’t like it when we try to leave. It makes it expensive for us to try. First, there are the costs that you don’t think of: health insurance, immunizations, storage costs, and last minute emergencies.

In our last two weeks in the States before we left on our year-long trip, my wife and I had a series of agitating, somewhat expensive events. First, I got a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign. I actually did stop, and I hadn’t had a ticket in years. Then our car was hit by another car in the parking lot. One small thing after another seemed to crop up. We were monitoring our budget carefully and every little thing that happened chipped away at the length of our trip. Fortunatleey, we were able to get away without incurring too much expense. But the lesson is clear: leave a little padding in your budget for unexpected emergencies both before you leave and while you’re traveling.

So there are three important items you need to consider when quitting work:

1. Health insurance

If you live in a country where quality health care is provided to everyone at a reasonable cost, consider yourself lucky. I live in America, where despite our many blessings, we are sadly the only leading nation not to provide this basic benefit. You have to be employed at a company with enough leverage to make your premiums affordable. If you aren’t - for whatever reason - covered by a comprehensive insurance plan, make sure you get good coverage before you leave. If possible, try to get a plan that covers you wherever you travel.

If you are a female, absolutely get a plan that has maternity coverage, even if you have no plans to get pregnant. My wife and I were not planning to conceive last year, but we did, and getting coverage was a pain because it was considered a pre-existing condition.

Remember, in almost every country in the world, without good coverage, you can’t afford to get sick or injured. Hospitals use phrases like “having a right to be ressucitated.” Do you know what that means? Money. Do you have enough money to guarantee your right to be alive. That’s the world we live in. Protect yourself. Even a premium of a few hundred dollars a month is worth it.

2. Savings and Debt

Rule # 1: No debt. If you are in debt, don’t even think about quitting work until you’ve worked to pay it off. Debt is a parasitic worm that is destroying our society. Don’t let it get you.

Rule #2: Figure out how much you need to leave, how much you need to sustain yourself while you’re away, and how much you need to come back and re-enter daily life.

Depending on where you will go during your sabbatical and how much stuff you have to store, how much it costs you to leave could be minimal, or quite expensive. When we left, we ended up spending about $700 on immunizations, $1600 on our initial plane tickets, $400 on our health insurance for 3 months, $120 for our first month of storage, and close to $500 on luggage, sleeping bags, clothes, supplies, and transportation to the airport.

While you’re traveling, I recommend that you buy your plane / train tickets along the way. But it’s probably safe to average about $5,000 / month / person in transportation costs, and $800-1000 / month / person in living costs. This includes accomodation, food, and entertainment. If you’re used to living it up then your costs will obviously be much higher.

Finally, when you come back, you may have a hard time finding work again. Figure out your monthly budget at home and plan for at least three month’s worth of savings to cushion your re-entry. You’ll burn through it quicker than you’d expect.

3. Returning to Work

Did you like what you were doing before you left? Did you leave on good terms? If so, you might consider taking a leave of absence instead of actually quitting. If you’re ready for something new, use your time on sabbatical to think about your new life when you return home and use the creative energy and courage that you’ll doubtless store up to propel yourself into something new and better.

So what does all of this have to do with quitting work? Everything. I talked not just about the best way to leave your job, but how to more easily extract yourself and re-integrate with wherever you call home. And more than anything else, wherever you call home is as much about as providing a home base for your work as it is a haven for your life.

Happy travels!

1. Human Powered Aircraft

You’ve seen the old pictures and read the old stories about ill-advised human powered flight. Images of feathers and melting wax come to mind. Times have changed. There is Germany’s Velair, Japan’s Team Birdman, and the USA’s Raven.

2. Land Rowers

These suckers are becoming quite common in parts of San Diego.

3. Footbikes

We’ve all seen the standard kick scooters that 12 years olds use to harrass our shins with in crowded shopping malls. But check out the footbike. These pedal-less bikes are designed for racing and the pictures on the site make me want to join in.

4. Rickshaws

Still common in Kyoto and other touristy cities of Asia, Rickshaws are a remarkably versatile way to transport couples around. Get an incredible workout while you’re at it.

5. Pedicabs

Perhaps the modern equivalent of Rickshaws, Pedicabs can also be seen in downtown San Diego (where I live) and all over the world in modern cities popular with tourists.

6. Human Powered River Gym

Mitchell Joachim’s idea for a human powered river gym is a fantastic idea. I’ve often thought of how much energy could be harvested by turning gyms into generators. This idea takes it a step farther and actually lets you go somewhere while you’re at it.

7. Human Powered Helicopters

Human Powered Helicopters (dot org) monitors the ongoing progress of a variety of takes on foot choppers.

8. Skateboards

Not exactly novel, but skateboards are perhaps the ultimate in transportable transportation. If you’re planning to spend any time in an urban environment and you need a quick, eco-friendly way to get across town, this might be the perfect way to go.

9. Folding Bikes

I personally like the styling of Dahon Folding bikes, but as a whole, this industry is maturing nicely. Folding bikes are much lighter and smaller when folded down than they used to be, and affordable too.

10. Legs

Next time you think about driving that half mile to the convenience store to get some milk, think again. If we, in America anyway, spent more time out of our cars and on our feet, we wouldn’t have so many problems with our health. So get out there. And while you’re at it, think about how you city / neighborhood was designed. Is it walker friendly? No? Do something about it!