Binge traveling v.s BEing a full-time traveler who takes it slow…

When we started our non-stop travel adventure we thought it would be fun to change locations every few days. We stayed in a place for 2-3 nights, then jumped on a bus, grabbed a trusted driver that was recommended to us, and be off to the next place. It was literally non stop! We like to call this binge traveling. Which pretty much means you try to go to as many places as possible, see all of the sights, and do all of the adventures.

This was NOT sustainable since we plan on globe-trotting well into the future. PLUS… If you have an online business or are freelancing it’s nearly impossible to get any work done. We figured… If this is going to be our lifestyle, there has to be a better way. So we started moving a lot slower so we could really soak a place up, get to know the locals, and immerse ourselves in the culture. Which we love! Now we stay in one spot for 2 – 4 weeks. This has been a way better strategy for us because it is way more cost & time efficient.

Here’s something to think about:

Every time you move its gonna cost time or money. Not just traveling one place to another, but also getting acquainted with the new surrounding area & the place you are staying. Sometimes it takes a full day to travel, and settle into your new space. Then you are too pooped to work.

We like to unpack, so we aren’t living out of our bags all the time. You are always moving into a new home. Every new kitchen has different tools or a lack of tools… Plus a new layout. It’s a lot to get used to.

NICE places to stay in… Opinions may vary…

When you travel non stop & bring your work with you… Comfort is a must. There is nothing worse than trying to get your work done so you can get to the beach sooner, but you’re distracted because you’re not comfortable. One of our biggest recommendations when finding a good Airbnb is to read the reviews. Most people will be pretty honest. Brian + I believe it’s our due diligence to BE honest in the reviews we leave, so we expect others will as well.

Something to consider:

Not everyone will have the same standards as you. A couple of places we have stayed looked beautiful online were in awesome locations, were the right price but had a funky smell. A picture doesn’t tell you that. The owner will likely not tell you that… Which leaves it on the shoulders of the reviewers. We have had this same disappointing situation happen at hotels too. So it isn’t just an Airbnb thing, and we certainly don’t mean to detour you from using Airbnb because they have been our number one!

Reviewers will spill the beans in most cases, and they have saved our butts many times. Read this article to see what we look for, so you can have the best Airbnb experiences.

Being “homesick”…

The thing that has really been getting us lately is having a space that is ours, so we know where everything is, and have all of the things we need with us. Brain + I travel with carry-ons, so there isn’t room for a real yoga mat, blender, or a pair of sharp knives for cooking. We do travel with a pair of clippers to cut Brian’s hair & trim his beard. Shoot I even figured out how to cut my hair with them, which was initially kind of scary, but I had to figure it out because I couldn’t take my fancy professional scissors unless I check them. (Not happening!)

Creature comforts are definitely something we really miss, which isn’t always available in the places we stay. This is certainly something you need to know. We bought 2 blenders along our travels and ended up donating them to places we stayed. Some places have had yoga mats for us, but we found these little sticky bottom towels that we now use. They are ok, but you can’t beat a proper yoga mat.

Thus why we have been researching van life! The best of both worlds. We can keep travelling and are able to have a space we love with the things we need. More on that in many upcoming articles.

Healthy food is not always an option…

This was really hard for me when we started traveling through Central America. Most places didn’t have gluten-free or vegetarian options. Most of the time all I could eat was rice, beans, tortilla, and cheese. Which didn’t leave me feeling vital. I would ask for a salad and they would bring me a couple of leaves of head lettuce, and a slice of tomato. Yikes! I had been a vegetarian for 7 years, but eventually, I caved because I noticed when Brian ordered meat he was often getting a veggie side. That was a way healthier option, so sometimes I opt for meat. So your diet may not always be optimal.

Most of the time we cook vegetarian or vegan, but I have realized I don’t like to label myself anymore. I eat what makes me feel good, and make the best decisions I can. Whenever we arrive somewhere we always look for a local market or ask our Airbnb host to point us in the right direction. We love supporting locals whenever we can, and we also love loading up on fresh fruit & veg! If you are worried about getting sick, white vinegar & water is an awesome way to clean your produce. Just google it for the ratios. Every country we have been to so far has vinegar.

Internet is completely unpredictable

We have had some sketchy internet connections, and sometimes nonexistent. Which can be pretty frustrating when building a business online. While living on Útila Honduras we bought sim cards for our phones and used the phones as a hotspot. That worked ok… BUT you could only buy 2GB of data at a time. We were eating through our data lightning fast, as we tried to upload videos consistently. In Mazunte Mexico… Though going to the beach every morning was the best, the internet made working practically impossible.

There are a few solutions:

• Get a sim card and use it as a hotspot, just make sure your phone is unlocked & has a sim slot.
• Save your offline work for the times you will be in remote areas. (We like to write, edit videos, or record videos)
• Batch content, and get ahead of yourself so you can go off the grid for a while.

You’ve gotta make money somehow…

If you want to travel to be your full-time lifestyle… You gotta figure out how you are going to make money. We have met a few different types of people.

The Saver Uppers…

These are the people who save up for a while, get a good nest egg, so they can travel non stop for a year or more without worrying about working PERIOD. Often they are keeping to a tight budget, and seem to be on the move fast. Nothing wrong with this style of travel, it just wasn’t for us. Plus this is simply an observation we have made from people we have run into along our journey. Sure… If you saved enough money, you wouldn’t have to worry too much, but at some point, you would run out of cash.

Freelancers…

This is an awesome option for people who have cool bosses, who don’t mind you working from anywhere. Some people we have met do a weekly video call to check in with their team, and their company is totally fine with them working remotely. A lot of people we know will work as a freelancer, and start a biz on the side. This is a great way to get your entrepreneurial journey going, so you have cash flowing in to support your own endeavors.

Entrepreneurs…

For us, this was the ultimate freedom. We wanted to create our own schedule, not have to clock in, meet deadlines, or report back to a boss. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it wasn’t something we wanted anymore.)

We wanted to make our business model as simple as possible so we could BE where we want, whenever we want. That’s why we chose digital products, so we wouldn’t have to worry about inventory. Our T-shirts are print on demand so we never touch them. (See how simple it is to set up an online t-shirt store… We did it in 24 hours)

Over the past couple years we have found that entrepreneurs who are globe-trotting full-time are the happiest because their days are truly theirs. The only problem… YOU are the boss. No one else is going to hold your feet to the fire to make sure you do the work.

Is traveling full-time for you…

We would love to hear what you think in the comments. If you are contemplating doing this with your love or solo, and you have questions let us know. We are happy to help you make a good decision.

Need help getting your business to a point where you can travel with it full-time? We’re happy to help you in the Tribe. You can even kick the tires for a week, and see if it’s a fit for you before you make the commitment. With your membership to the Exclusive Tribe For Entrepreneurs, you will get access to all of our eCourses, the BEAP community, and our monthly Campfire Q&A’s where you can get your questions answered live.

We are excited for you, and can’t wait to see you reach your goals no matter what they are because we believe everyone deserves to live life on their terms. BE Where you want, when you want, together!