You Don’t Own Your Belongings
They actually own you. I moved out of my last house and got rid of all of the furniture. I also got rid of almost all of my books, movies and other miscellaneous items. Most of the electronics brought good money through ebay but a lot of the things I owned didn’t. Those special items that you think are so important… nobody else thinks so.
I’ve already traveled for over a month with only a carry on so I knew that I would make it. Its sad to think how much money I wasted on moving companies dragging all of this junk with me for the last decade. If you still think that you are different let me ask you this.
Would you be able to up and leave your house with one suitcase and never come back again?
I didn’t think so.
I have and after over nine months on the road realized that I don’t need much. The stuff I need is easily replaceable.
Relationships Matter
Every time you move, you meet new people. Every foreign locations will rip you off unless you have some help. I’m grateful for all of the people I have met that make each one of my new destinations easier to adjust.
When in doubt ask about the internet speed.
Our Way Is Not Always The Best
We like eggs and bacon in the morning, they like sausage and beans. We drive on the right side of the street and others on the left. We count in inches and they count in centimeters. We overdose on oreos and they overdose on MSG or fish sauce. Neither way is better… just different.
Travel is Overrated
I actually hate travel.
My last flight went something like this:
“Let me through, I got a premium seat”
“This is not going to work for the next 5 hours. I can’t believe I paid for this. Can’t even get my legs straighten out”
“Excuse me. How much do I have to pay to move into business right now?”
“Yes. I’m moving now. Thanks.”
If you can design a method so that I can get from one place to the next immediately then you will have a customer for life.
Once I get there, I am not moving for at least a month. Slow travel is where its at.
Routines Are Meant To Be Broken
This is awesome in case you feel stuck in anyway. Nothing gets your creative juices flowing like moving things around or taking breaks. I used to work at nights now I work in the mornings. I actually like to get everything done before noon and leave the afternoons open. Only if I feel like it will I do a bit more work in the evening. Knowing that my tasks for the day are already completed makes this easier. I also stopped with to-do lists as I never actually finished them. If somethings is not working for you… switch it up. Travel forces these changes and that is a good thing.
Stomachs Adjust
I new a rapper from NYC that used to travel around the world and eat nothing but burgers. He couldn’t stand any other food. I used to think this way too except it wasn’t burgers. That is until I read the book about being anti-fragile and realized that the stomach needs variety. I like to rinse my mouth with the local water as soon as I get to the new location. Let my body figure out what to do with the new enemies.
The World Is Smaller Than You Think
I often run into the same people in different countries. There’s almost no place that I can think of where I can’t get to in less than 48 hours. I compare this to binge watching The Wire (which is the best tv show of all time btw) and before that would be over… I can be virtually anywhere. Also I can find a Snickers bar in any place on the planet.
Small Things Matter
A hard mattress, hard pillow, lack of curtains in the bedroom and noisy neighbors can cause numerous sleepless nights and that will catch up to you. I still think of you Saigon… and hate you.
The English Language
We have it so easy. We could be speaking one of the other 100s of languages that nobody knows. Most of the world knows some of the words and will point you in the right direction.
A Healthy Cash Flow Trumps Money In The Bank
I love residual income and especially if its mostly passive. This means that I don’t need to work more than a few hours per week to keep it going and have time to enjoy life and build up other income streams.
Saving up to travel sucks. I can name a few people with over a million in the bank scared where the second one will come from when this one runs out. If you have a healthy cash flow then you are truly free. Less than $5,000 per month will do almost anywhere.
