BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey Guys

Just curious.... I do a job that is totally brain-numbingly boring and repetitive and I spend most of my day distracting myself by dreaming of the day I will be able to quit and travel the world, living life to the fullest and experiencing everyday.

However, I worry that this is just an unrealistic escape fantasy, after all when I get back from travelling I may end up in the same crappy type job. But I want to know, if I maybe move my focus into finding a job I love to go to, maybe my deperate need to travel will be somewhat abated?

What are your experiences?

Thanks!

This is what I think. I think you'll always have the desire to travel and the itch/passion to explore and see the world, no matter what job you have. If you have that itch right now, I think that's a part of you. But I also think if a person is very unhappy/bored with their life at present, of course they're going to want to escape it and I agree, the person would likely come back to a similar situation after traveling. I think if you did have a job that was more fulfilling, while you would still want to travel, it wouldn't be such an act of desperation, and it probably wouldn't consume you. Just my thoughts, based on my own experiences.

I totally agree with Eowyn.
If you need to travel then go do it. But of course a shitty job will remind you each day how much better it would be not to be there where you are now. Whereas a job you like will remind you everyday that travelling is great, but you also like to be there where you are then. You then have the choice of making a compromise you can live with, or ditching one thing you love for the other thing you love. I prefer the first option (the compromise between two loves, not the shitty job).

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Does doing a job you love abate the desire to just go out & travel for long periods?

yes

I'm more skeptical. Unless you have an amazing job, like a journalist or writer, that sends you all over the world, I tend to think that all jobs - however great they are at first - are doomed to become routine after a while. And that's the keyword - ROUTINE.

I travel to escape routine. When I travel everything is new and when I stay in a place so long that it starts to become boring and routine, I move on. I can't think of many jobs that offer this.

Of course, it also depends on where you are working and who your friends are outside of work. I live in Minnesota and I think I have a decent job. However, Minnesotans (apologies to those of you out there, I'm sure you're not like this if you travel) have got to be the most boring people on earth. They don't make eye-contact, they are uncomfortable with conversations that aren't as bland as the food they eat, when they do talk it's predominately about TV and sports, and they don't seem to have any curiousity to explore the world outside of their office and home. This is a stereotype but the exceptions are few and far between (once you're in the corporate world anyway, college wasn't so bad).

So I go through life thinking about the next trip or wondering when I'll get a job somewhere else - preferably outside of the U.S. or, at the very least, somewhere outside the Midwest.

I'm also the kind of person who likes a lot of physical activity and, again, that can be hard to get in any corporate job. When I'm traveling though, I can walk around all day exploring.

Finally, traveling allows you to constantly meet new people in a relaxed environment. How many jobs offer this?

I agree with MichaelC, a lot of people here in Texas are like that, ESPECIALLY the surfing population. As a surfer I tried to band with others on dreams of exploration and just rough, hard camping. Ferel style. Most of them balk at my ideas, and prefer to fly in or drive through Mexico to 1 or 2 surf spots, hang for 2 weeks, then leave. Thats all they care about. sad

I currently have 2 jobs (2nd one ends today THANK GOD). One I love because it is working in the IT field which is my true obsession. I can tell you it still doesnt clear my head of leaving, selling all my posessions except some clothes and a surfboard, and just taking off. I dont think about it maybe as much, but I still daydream quite a bit. My 2nd job, thats another story. I hate being there every second that Im there. I have actually gone as far as drinking a little before I go in so I can muster the strength to not tell another customer to fuck themselves. (I only drank once haha and it was great). Whenever things are crazy in the second job, I have developed a habit of staring out the windows, into the world. Where I really want to be. My manager has talked to me about it several times, but thats my little escape and there is nothing they can do to take it from me short of firing me.

You seem to be stuck like me. A job you love helps, but for me, that nagging feeling is still there in the back of my mind.

Thanks for the feedback guys - much appreciated.

Right now the dream of travelling is very strong. My biggest problem is that always look at things from every angle and try and think of all possible outcomes, which usually means I end up paralysed with fear of what might happen if I make the wrong decision!

But right now travelling is not an option, so I am going to work on getting a more satisfying job and will keep you posted if or how long it keeps me distracted for!!

Cheers

i HATED my old job. (search on old posts in the corporate wasteland from 2005, if you really wanna know.) i came back from traveling, worked a part-time job...was missing traveling....

and now i'm working the job of my dreams. i work for a feminist org as a librarian and i LOVE IT! my coworkers rock, my boss is awesome, my work is interesting...

i miss traveling heaps, but doing something you love makes life SO much better...it's not only tolerable, at the end of the day, i say, "wow, today was great."

Man, Cherie, I'm sooo jealous! How'd you land your job?

I am currently stuck as well. Even though I work for amazing people, the job itself is pretty repetitive and mind-numbing. I find myself constantly day-dreaming about extensive travel (this drives my husband NUTS by the way). The good news is, I am planning on quitting before our much delayed honeymoon in August. After that, I have no clue what to do. I'm contemplating going back to school to teach English (see my discussion thread for more on this)but I worry I won't like it. I definitely need to find a nice balance of work/travel and I think teaching might be it!

I'm at a job I hate, and think about travel all day at work (like right now, when i should be working, but here I am...) I get 21 vacation days this year and am allocating every last one of them on travel. I'd quit, but i'm working on a master's degree that I should be finished in December. After that I should be able to get a job I like (maybe even love!).

I think that once I have a job I like/love, I'll still have the urge to travel, but I won't feel like everything I do in between travelling is miserable and just 'killing time.' That sounds depressing. My life isn't that bad! I still have a good time when i'm not at work.

Turn it around- you dont need a job, you need the funds to support your travel addiciton. I have 3 days left of my "professional" job and hope to never work again in an office. maybe a bit casual work and maybe an online business but never like this again. Look at home many $ you need to support your lifestyle and then figure out how to acquire them - investment property worked for us but your mileage may differ

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when I get back from travelling I may end up in the same crappy type job

i know exactly what you mean. i keep setting my sights on menial-don't-mean-anything jobs so that i won't feel bad about leaving to travel, or being at the job for such a short time. but i'm realizing now that it's better to find a job that you feel fulfilled doing, and that you're happy with. then that's all icing on the cake to saving up the money to travel. there's no point in making yourself suffer, ever! (and i'm saying this to you as well as to me

i hope you find something else that isn't so mind-numbing dull, something that you find joy from, and good luck with travel aspirations, regardless.

Never really had a job that I loved so I can't say...

Become a teacher, that's my plan. Of course, don't do it JUST for the travel, but it could help

I spent a number of very good years living and working in different countries while teaching English.

It's a great way to really experience a different culture, and if you're teaching adults, it also gives you a great way to hang out and socialize with the locals.

Even if you only do it for a few years, it can be something you'll like back on for the rest of your life as having been a great opportunity to grow and learn.

quote:

However, Minnesotans (apologies to those of you out there, I'm sure you're not like this if you travel) have got to be the most boring people on earth. They don't make eye-contact, they are uncomfortable with conversations that aren't as bland as the food they eat, when they do talk it's predominately about TV and sports, and they don't seem to have any curiousity to explore the world outside of their office and home.

This is something Iv'e noticed here in Charleston also. Very little eye contact, very reserved, very little sense of humor, conversation, when it does occur, centers around sports, and not much of a desire to venture out of this area. Being from Socal, it's very foreign to me. I don't understand where it comes from. From their upbringing I suppose. Man, Iv'e probably offended someone...sorry in advance...