Travel is an adventure, to say the least. At its core, travel involves moving from your home to another destination. Travel can also encompass constant motion from one place to another. However you like to move throughout the world, it is good to know that you have options to see things differently. Continue reading for ideas on how to change up your travel experience.
Invest in a Campervan Conversion
Campervans are the ultimate answer to travel freedom. Compared to purchasing a prebuilt recreational vehicle, you can do what you like with campervan conversions. Create a cosy refuge from wherever you choose to call home each night when you pull off the road. Or opt for an office away from home by building a small work nook.
Campervans offer freedom and flexibility. Your destinations are only limited by whether there are roads to take you there. They are ideal for off-grid living, especially when you want to get away from the daily rigours of work, work, and work some more. Since campervans offer seemingly endless ways to customise their interiors, you can make your new home or home away from home into a versatile living experience.
Become a Digital Nomad
A digital nomad is well-suited to an adventurous lifestyle. You get to work and play wherever you happen to be at any given time. You can outfit a campervan to fit your travel and work requirements or hop on an aeroplane to the next city. Becoming a digital nomad offers a lot of flexibility for when and where you can work and how you get to experience the joy of travelling.
It is important to note, however, that any digital nomad who is successful in their lifestyle of choice is either independently wealthy or works to maintain their travel preferences. In addition, it is highly likely that they do not work part-time, unless they frequently travel to countries with a low cost of living. They are probably working 40 hours per week to fund daily life. All things considered, they are generally able to work very flexible hours so they can work around their travel schedule.
Watch this video to learn about one couple’s experience in becoming digital nomads, including the ups and downs.
Look for Seasonal Work
Seasonal work is another great way to see the world in a non-traditional manner. Many countries around the globe offer jobs to foreign-born workers to come in and help with crop harvests. These jobs may vary from picking fruit off trees in the fall to planting seeds in the spring.
Sometimes the companies will even pay for your transportation and housing, but only offer you a small stipend to live off of while working for them. Research is your friend. Thoroughly vet every company or farm and review government policies and laws before engaging. It is also important to note that these types of jobs, while rewarding, are also usually physically taxing, and you will get dirty.
Work on a Cruise Ship
Cruise ships are microcosms of the world. There are traditional cruises, branded tours, options for adults-only, or ones for multi-generational families, and everything in between. If cruising around the world and stopping in different ports sounds like your idea of a good time, consider looking for jobs on board a reputable cruise liner.
Make no mistake, you will work, but depending on your job description, you may have a considerable amount of free time to lounge on the ship or disembark at every port, just like the regular passengers. Pay close attention to the job description and employee handbook, benefits, and guidelines before applying or accepting a position, so you do not find yourself in an all work and no play situation when you pull into an amazing port of call.
Volunteer Your Time and Skills
Choosing to volunteer your time and skill set for the benefit of something or someone other than yourself is noble. If you are lucky enough to be able to combine your altruistic efforts and travel into one fell swoop, you may have found something perfect.
There are an abundance of volunteer tourism websites and companies available to help you find the ideal match of charity and location. It is absolutely vital that you conduct thorough research and do your due diligence before making any initial contact to ensure the company or charity you are interested in is legitimate. If you cannot find much information online about either of them, move on quickly. If you have an odd feeling after initiating contact, cut ties fast and keep looking. There are so many opportunities available that with some dedicated research, you will find a good fit.
Teach English Abroad
If you are a native English speaker, you may be eligible to teach English in other countries. The opportunities can range from private tutoring for ages spanning from preschool to older adults to teaching in a classroom full of students in a formal public or private education institution.
The eligibility requirements will likely vary and probably include visas and other government-mandated paperwork. Background checks are a necessity, as well. Some countries or institutions will only hire people who have worked in education or have a teaching certificate or something similar, while others may have less stringent requirements.
The benefits of teaching English in a foreign country are many. You get to live in a local community instead of only visiting the tourist hotspots. The cultural exposure you will experience cannot be matched, as you will be living and working amongst the locals, so you will truly get to see how they live, what they eat, and what they do in their leisure time.
Wherever you choose to travel, try changing how you see the world. Look for unique ways to transport yourself, like in a converted campervan that perfectly suits your style with all the amenities of home. Find different ways to work and experience travel and living in a whole new way. You may never go home again.
