We have been very busy. We are going to go around the world. Many people say they are tied down by work but that’s not true. If you think like that, but would love to go, I have some strategies for you. Also, if you have made up your mind to take a big break, I can explain how you can get ready.
My mom and dad are owners of a company and they decided to give trusted employees a share of the ownership. If you’re an employee, you should keep working until you leave and use your paid break for however much you can and then quit your job. If you have kids, homeschooling is important. Homeschooling is a lot less time, like three hours instead of six, but you concentrate much harder and it is always fit for your level. If you are in college wait till you’re done, take a small loan, and before getting a job, take off!
Think about selling your house. Selling your house can be a good idea to get you money. If you have kids, ask them about it and make sure they are okay with selling your house. If you don’t sell your house, you might consider looking at how much you have and maybe taking a small loan.
It is hard to get rid of your stuff, but if you have a well-organized garage sale you realize how many things you have that you don’t need . Try to sell it all and the items you can’t sell or give to friends and family, pass along to charities.
Planning what you are going to go is a ton of fun! I like budgeting by using the Lonely Planet book series. If you budget, you can go for a longer period and stay at places longer. Southeast Asia is exciting and so is Australia. African Safaris are adventuresome, too. Europe is hard to budget because it is so expensive. South and Central America are relatively cheap. North America would be cheaper than Europe but still is pretty expensive. You can do the rest.
Saving up to go means giving up your normal lifestyle, eating out a lot less, and not going on any vacations. Selling your IPod, IPhone, and IPad is necessary. Don’t sign any long-term contracts that involve paying money. Get a new, fast laptop though. You’ll want to be able to visit websites and type during your big break.
You shouldn’t tell your family until the 4 or 5 month away period. I know, it’s a difficult secret to keep. Keeping the secret is really hard, but if you tell them before you know you’re going, they might ask you to stay here. Selling everything and getting ready to go is hard but it is worth it. After all, once it is over you get to go around the world!
You’re incredibly wise for a 10 year old, Lorenzo – and super lucky for having such adventurous parents 🙂 – I wish I’d known these things at your age! This is advice everyone who dreams of travel but believes they can’t needs to hear!