Leaving life behind? Advice needed

For about the last two years I've been going over the idea of buying a one way ticket to Thailand, travelling around SE Asia and anywhere else I decide on for about a year or until money runs out. My friends and family (and my girlfriend of over a year) haven't been very supportive and think this is a pretty wild idea. I'm fortunate to work in a field with good job oppurtunities so I'm not really worried career wise. I'm pretty sure I would be able to stay in touch with everyone else. The issue with my girlfriend is that she has a young child from a previous marriage and won't be able to go with me. I'm kind of torn because travelling for a long period of time has always been my dream, on the other hand I really care for her and could see myself marrying her one day. I'm pretty sure if I leave things will be over between us. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Oh man, I haven't handled it... but it's looming. I've got a girlfriend of 2+ years who is only 22 and although we're quite serious, I'd be very surprised if she was going to wait around a year for me. She's the jealous type to begin with... me being overseas for a year would be more than she could handle, I'm sure of it.

How I'm PLANNING to handle it?

The way I see it, if I were to give up this dream so we could stay together, I would spend the rest of my life resenting her for it. Every fight we get into will, in my mind, be about the fact that she kept me from doing this.

I very well may be a totally different person when I get back. A year changes people even if they don't leave their livingroom. A profound life experience like this is bound to transform me... and YOU!

Easy to say all this now -- ask me how easy it feels when I tell her about it. :P

Edit: to clarify, I do hope that she'll wait for me and that I can come back and marry her someday if that's still what we both want after that year. But in the words of Wes Nightmare, "Life is too short to waste it on somebody else".

if you and her are meant to be then it'll happen. maybe not now, maybe not in five years, maybe when you're 50 you'll connect again.

a few years of traveling is nothing compared to forever. and if your relationship cant withstand this, then you might not make it to your 60th anniversary.

sounds simple but it's true.

Go explore, dream, discover. things will happen as they are meant to.

PM me if you want my personal story on this. Ive got a good one

I second Wildcat1982 - and can back it up with a personal example as well.

The other thing you have to remember is this: You cannot make her happy, if you are not happy yourself. If traveling is a dream of yours, something that you feel you have to do, then you'll never feel fulfilled unless you gave it a shot. Yes, you can ignore it for some time. But my observation with people who do this is: you cannot live in denial forever.
If you don't go now, one day, in a stupid fight about a trivial matter, you'll say it: because of you I didn't go traveling. And that is that. She'll know it's true. You'll have known it to be true all the time anyway. And you'll never be able to take it back. The bitterness will grow from that little seed.

If you feel like you need to go traveling - do it. If you guys are meant to be, it'll work out. (If not, then it doesn't matter.) And if it does, you'll bring more happiness into the relationship because you did what you had to do.

I agree with the others.
Like you, I'm having some trouble getting my travel plans off the ground as a result of various family complications.
But ultimately you'll have to do what will make your life the fullest.

Seriously, a big thanks to everyone who replied to this. It's given me a lot to consider and its going to be a difficult decision either way. But it is good to know I'm not the only one who has been through this. Again, thanks!

Just an update, oddly enough this came up at dinner last night and she said she would absolutely wait for me, as long as I was understanding about the fact that she's not ready to travel with me long-term yet.

WOOHOO!

That's great to hear! Keeping my fingers crossed that it will work out that way for me too

I know how it feels to be torn between a relationship and the need to go travelling. Took me over ten years before I finally got my chance.

HUGE (the one and only of my life) regret that I did not do it sooner!

BTW, I sold everything I owned and bought a one ticket to Bangkok in Oct 2001 and never made it back home!

You have two options you can go as soon as the monies in place with your girlfriend coming over to see you while you travel around say for a two week holiday or wait until the child is older and go together.
Don't give up your dream, if you go with the first option you can still keep your girlfriend involved by registering with www.getjealous.com there is a message board with this site and it is a great way of keeping in touch with family and friends. Check it out she'll then feel involved in the trip seeing all the photos and can leave you messages.
Hope it works out and the best of luck,
Jean

Thanks for the heads up on the website! Seems like a great way to keep in touch.

My husband & I just got back from a 1 yr RTW and yes, it can be tough leaving loved ones behind...most were incredibly supportive, a few thought we were a bit touched, but all were glad we were following our dreams and doing something rather than just talking about it.
The people who truly love you will support your dream, even if they don't understand it themselves. So go, explore, try new new things, learn new cultures, meet new people. I will guarantee you 100% you will NEVER regret it and will be a different person when you return. I just wish it was me leaving again as it was undoubtedly the best year of my life!