Comments on: When Travel Affects Your Job

By: travelminx

travelminx — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:01:11 +0000

Scribetrotter, that’s really impressive. What were you doing for the UN?

By: Scribetrotter

Scribetrotter — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:46:28 +0000

I think I’ve done most of the above…

Find a job with travel perks: I’ve worked as a travel writer, journalist, with NGOs and with the UN – all of these have involved travel.

Work while you travel: on my last b-i-g trip (3 years long) I wrote freelance articles along the way, worked as a typist, as an interpreter, and as an English teacher. The first year I was out of pocket, the second I broke even, and the third… I made money!

Save up, quit your day job and simply head off: I saved for a year before going on that 3-year trip – and those savings saw me through my first year of travel (Cape to almost Cairo). I quit the day job, got rid of the appartment and car (and most of my clothes) and took off with a backpack and a one-way ticket.

Create a passive income: I’ve started a website, which I hope will be the beginning of that passive income.

And it all works! The trick is to want to travel badly enough, and to be free enough to do it. It’s harder if you have a family, though not impossible – I did meet several families who packed up the kids as well as the backpacks and took off for a year or more, with all that home-schooling work it entails.

I’m not on the road right now but the temptation is there, lurking…

By: travelminx

travelminx — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:14:14 +0000

Hi Paul,

Sounds like good advice!

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:29:01 +0000

If you’ve got an employment history that shows only short-term jobs, it’s probably worthwhile looking at contracting roles instead of permanent positions. Employers looking for contractors don’t usually care that you’re not going to hang around longer than six to twelve months. And as a bonus, you don’t need to feel guilty when you leave

By: Richard Callaby

Richard Callaby — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:30:21 +0000

Well I kind of work as a consultant and my job is to travel to client sites so I travel for a living. When i am intereted in seeing a place I simply schedule some days before or after a job and then check out the city. This is really good for exploring the U.S. bur right now my goal is to explore Europe so I am trying to expand my company into the overseas market. It really helps if you have highly marketable skills that are in demand.

As far as creating a passive income I would not rely on a single source. Always diversify your income sources as that will create a nice steady stream of income. Also creating joint ventures with others in your field or niche is a great way to help each other out.

Creating and selling ebooks or courses is a great way of earning a passive inocme. It really depends on your expertise and if there is a market out there for you. It takes time and dedication to build up passive income sources. For instance I have one website that is finally making me money after a solid year of hard work. Now what I have learned from that experience I am funneling into other websites.

By: travelminx

travelminx — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:09:52 +0000

Hi Chris,

Yeah, it takes time, I think, with trial and error. If anyone reading has mastered it, please, we’re all ears!

Where do you think you’ll go first?

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:03:34 +0000

My work history is also a little schizophrenic; I just can’t seem to stay interested in one thing for more than a year.

My fiance did finally give in to my pleading that we take an extended trip for at least a couple of months next year. The only catch is that one of her conditions is that we have some sort of passive income.

And like you said, that’s much easier said than done!