Finding Your Career Focus on The Road

 

Many people who long term travel have jobs or careers waiting for them at home. I was not one of those people. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science, which I soon realised I probably wasn’t going to use. I had worked in a law firm as an assistant and quickly learned it was not a position I was likely to return to. 

I had no idea what I wanted to do.

Many travellers, like me, set off in a bid to explore the world and to find some long term direction. They’re a bit lost, so they solve it by getting really lost in far flung places. 

Throughout high school, friends and family told me not to travel until I’d studied, because I’d simply never return to formal education, which of course would ruin my job prospects. While I’ll never regret studying and getting my degree, I still wish I’d listened to my instinct and gone traveling fresh out of school. 

 

There are so many things travel teaches you about yourself and the world that you can’t learn while at home. It shows you the bigger picture and affords you the opportunity to think about your future with that in mind. 

Whether you want to go home and start a business with the assistance of equipment finance, or you want to go to university and study your passion, or you want to pursue teaching, travel will allow you to focus a little more on your long term goals. 

For me personally, my current “job” evolved through my travels. Originally I worked as an au pair in the Czech Republic and English teacher to fund my travels. I did that for six months and thoroughly enjoyed it, but knew that personally it was not a long term career move for me. 

It was here that I started my travel blog and pursued my love of writing in my free time. 

So I traveled some more and eventually was an au pair for a few months in Madrid so I could explore Spain, Morocco and move west across Europe to Istanbul, before flying home. 

During this time I started some freelance writing, which soon became full-time work. Working for yourself while traveling is really the ultimate lifestyle, because you can find a balance between earning money and then spending it in countries that are much cheaper than your own country. 

Now I’m fully self-employed, balancing freelance writing with other online projects. It was never the career I studied for, or worked towards, but it became a reality because of my travels. 

So if you find yourself questioning your life or your career choices, I think travel is the perfect solution. If you come home no clearer about your career, well at least you had a great holiday.