Hi everyone! Even though I haven't been on this site long, I've enjoyed reading about the many various experiences shown on this site! I wanted to introduce myself, and humbly ask for some perspective on several thoughts I've been grappling with. I apologize in advance if these issues have already been answered/posted before, but I couldn't find anything that was specific to a couple of my issues.

First off, I'm a 38 year old single American male who has fairly limited international travel experience. I've been to Mexico, the Caribbean, and last year, I had an amazing trip to Italy. All of these experiences were your typical, "2 week vacation trip" that a lot of Americans do. Anyway, I now find myself REALLY excited about doing a 12 to 18 month RTW trip! Wahoo!! Maybe leaving in January 2009, or a few months later.

Here's the things I think that are in my favor: I have a good, six figure salary and limited consumer debt (just a car note), so I can save pretty well beforehand (I'm hoping to have $45-$50k to budget for the trip). Being single with no children and a renter, there are few ties that would "hold me back" from being able to go.

Now, my concerns, and where I need some help: I'm no spring chicken, so I'm a little intimidated about quitting a great-paying job, and the lost savings and income potential for a two year journey (factoring in not only the trip, but maybe 6 months to find a new job). Not to mention the lost retirement savings (I have about 120K now, and not planning to touch that). A lot of the stories I've been inspired by on this site seem to be by younger people, who have the idea of doing a "Gap Year" or two before getting seriously into a career, or maybe early retirees who have no desire to return to a traditional working life after the completion of a RTW trip. Not too many by mid-career folks like myself...

I guess I'm looking for some feedback from those who have done a RTW trip at my similar stage, who had to consider similar career/monetary/post-RTW trip issues. Any regrets, thoughts, etc.? BTW, in reading through the tone of my posting, I hope it doesn't convey too strong of a "money focused" perspective on my part, especially to such a traditionally free-spirited audience. I'm NOT married to my job, or a work-aholic, or particularly materialistic, but I'd be lying if I didn't say it's easy to get used to having a nice income, and I want to consider ALL financial ramifications of doing a life-affirming trip such as this beforehand!

Thanks for any input!

Hi,

I've shared about this in another thread but I'd like to reiterate...

38 isn't anywhere near the time to get worried... I was 43 when I went off RTW, and in much the same situation - great job, super career prospects, dire warnings from everyone that I would never find a good job/reintegrate/get back on the ladder...

Not so at all. I was gone three years, traveling on my own. I had $11,000 to start, and worked along the way when I needed to. I found an even better job when I got back.

And I look back on those three years as absolutely the best in my entire life, bar none. It was a humbling, inspiring, learning experience - and someday I'll do it again!

Scribetrotter,

Thanks for the feedback. BTW, Your website may be specifically for women... but I find myself voraciously reading it for great information! Thanks,

Chaz

I feel ya too. I'm in my early 30's and have been working in a field for the past 2 years where I finally got into the groove and started making good money, etc. A part of me feels like I could be leaving something huge behind. Everything is starting to take off just as i'm thinking of taking off for real. On the other hand, most of my friends are pregnant or have just had their first child and although i don't feel the need for kids right now i somehow feel behind the eight ball. It seems like there is this large gang that I can't join in.

That being said one of my personal mottos is that you should always follow your heart. If things do go the wrong way at least you will never have regretted it. After all no one ever lied on their deathbed and thought "I wish I worked more". If you actually visualize that idea then the idea of leaving on a huge trip really becomes a much larger focus and the rat race mentality that we've been trained with starts to really fade away. It is sometimes work not to be a workaholic but you kind of have to train your mentality that you don't need to work all your days to have a good life. In fact, typically when you live off less you are much happier anyway.

My other motto is "anything is possible" which i really, really believe. Thinking that i realize if I go off on a trip that will last for who knows how long, there are a myriad of possibilities and doors that will open that before I would never have known existed.

For me those two ideas really took over my brain and it's kind of like a way of life. If anything is possible then why shouldn't we go out and find out what that is?

Plus you are levelheaded and holding onto the retirement. You know you always have a little nest egg just in case.

Have fun!

You story sounds a lot like mine. I'm 38, had a house, business, etc.

I'm currently 7 months into my RTW trip. Brett Favre is 38.

38 really isn't that old. Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are older. Not having to worry about every penny and eating instant noodles every day certainly makes travel easier. (That being said, you probably want to stay in hostels. You never see anything in expensive hotels)

You might want to talk with your work about taking an unpaid leave of absence. I know of other people who had done similar things. Finding good people is hard for any business. They would usually rather lose you for a year rather than forever, especially if they don't have to pay you for a year.

Are you crazy? I do not know you well enough to answer that but just about everyone I know is crazy so maybe it's not such a bad thing.

On the travel front go for it. I'm in my late 30's and will be 40 when I head off. I'm hoping to bundle all my leave up, take it at half pay then negotiate with work for the remainder of the time as leave without pay.

Not sure if I will go back to that job, that is where the crystal ball is failing!

Go have fun!

crazy? no. brilliant? yes.

You are in a great position to pursue your dream, something far too many people never do.

A little background from me - at 32 yrs old and recently married, my husband and I were in a similar situation (good careers, some savings, no house/responsibilities yet). In order to get time off, we had to quit our jobs but neither of us loved what we did. In my husband's case he was with the same company for 12 years and they warned him he could never come back. In total, we ended up traveling for just under a year and when we returned my husband ended up back at the same company again with small penalties (like starting over with vacation time). I was offered several jobs by former colleagues who pursued me - I had already made the decision not to reenter my field.
Any regrets? Only that I am not yet back out there on the road yet!

I have yet to come across anyone on these boards or in person that regretted traveling long term, only those who regret not doing it while they had the chance. If you have the opportunity, take it - it may not present itself again. As already stated, if you are established in your career, the odds of gaining employment after your travels is better than those youngun's who don't have the experience & network. Travelling long term is a life altering experience and who knows, perhaps it will inspire you to pursue an entirely new lifestyle.

The only question I have for you is...middle age??? Say it ain't so, I turn 38 in a few weeks! I dont feel old at all!

Everyone, thanks for the advice. Just hearing the experiences has been a big help. I'm just at the stage of really having the idea of doing a RTW trip become real; haven't planned much yet, but a funny story: I'm close to my parents, and while obviously I don't need their "approval" at my age, I was wondering what their reaction would be to my idea. Their first words: "Absolutely DO IT!"

And Quimby, I don't FEEL old either, but you can't fight the reality; 38 IS technically middle age! I guess it's all in what you make of it!

Good luck with everything!

I too am in your same shoes, I’m 34, planned a two year RTW trip two years ago and got a great job offer I shouldn’t pass up and didn’t. It like a lot of jobs was sold to me as one thing but in reality it wasn’t what they said it would be…I’m a corporate web master.

So now, I’m in the same boat I was in two years ago, great paying job etc. and all I think about is traveling and not being here but there…so I’m kicking myself for not following my dreams and thinking more about my pocket book and not fulfilling my dreams – bad choice on my part, lesson learned.

I can assume what ever you do that pays you want ever it is you do, the job will not change that much in the two years you’re gone. Don’t let money get in the way or your dreams, goals or travels and if you have money in the bank for when you return, you have nothing to worry about.

Travel!

Again, I’m selling another property, another vehicle and going through all my items for storage or garbage for the second time. Don’t give up on travel; just put your personal/life goals ahead of your financial goals. You have worked hard for a long time; you can not take your money to the grave…enjoy it. That is why you made it to begin with, to buy things, travel and enjoy life.

An office with a desk will be waiting for you when you return!

-E

I demand that you change the title of this thread. Being in one's 30's does not one make one middle aged. 38 is the new 24, 45 is the new 32, and 50 is the new 18. Did Bill Clinton's presidency teach us nothing?

And, no, you're not crazy.

Add me to the "you're not crazy" column (well, not for this at any rate). There was an excellent thread a while back on this subject which you can find here.

Without going over my story again in too much detail, suffice to say that I'm in the midst of a plan that will, all being well, see me off on my trip in Spring 2009, hopefully for a couple of years or so at least, by which time I hope to have no debts, a paid-for flat which I will let to augment my savings while I'm away, and no great desire to come back to my current career thanks very much. I may do, but I won't have to - my freedom will be established by then - and I hope to find something more interesting to me.

I'll be 41 when I set off, and I'm very much looking forward to it. By the by, I was tempted briefly the other day to calculate how much longer I'd have to save at this rate to retire for good, and although the answer was a pleasing one, I'm not doing it. This is something I need to do sooner than later.

quote:

Originally posted by Continental Op:
I demand that you change the title of this thread. Being in one's 30's does not one make one middle aged. 38 is the new 24, 45 is the new 32, and 50 is the new 18.

Middle aged? That's nothing, child's play.

Just wait till you hit 'mid-life'. That's when the shit really hits the fan. Middle age is the period preceeding mid-life, and after that comes 50something, the new "hold your nose and jump."

You've still got 20 good years left.

I`m on an RTW at the moment and I`ve met loads of people your age. The guy I met on my boat today is 25 years older than me (I´m 22) and he`s about the average for the people I`ve met.
People have concerns about travelling for a long time at any age. Mine is that all my friends will have jobs, one`s even getting married, and when I return I´ll be poor and heading into grad school. You just have different concerns.
Sometimes I wish I´d waited until I had a bigger budget. I`m travelling now on about $15,000. It´s doable but some of the hostels are scary!

Yikes! Since when is 38 middle age?!?!

I feel suddenly old...

Seriously though, you won't know what middle age is until you die so why apply a random (derogatory) term to the age you happen to be?

If you're concerned about being able to re-enter your career (valid concern) what about seeing if you can do some freelance consulting while you travel just to keep your finger in the pot? Not sure what you do so that may not be possible but it's what I'm doing. I'm going to spend the next year turning the classes I teach into online classes which I can sell on my website to keep some cash flowing.

See about getting creative. Talk to your boss (closer to the leave date) and see if you can come back later or something. You never know what'll happen.

The first time I took a break in my career I was 27 and had a great job at a financial services company - everyone thought I was nuts. I came back 14 months later and got another great job, in a different city, in a different industry and had a lot more to offer.

You can figure this out, but I'll say that if you don't do something out of fear you're probably going to regret it eventually.

Good luck!

I will be 37 in a week's time and my last day at work is Nov 2nd. I have no clue what I'm going to be doing but travel is certainly in the plans. I'm not planning too much...want to see what happens. Have to be in the US for couple of reasons...hopefully by Jan I can take off to Europe and India or otherway around. Open ended plan...

The first time I took off for 6-9 months I was 33 and came back to find a great job, great oppurtunity and great people to work with...that was in Jan 2005. When I came back everybody helped me network and they would prodly say " do you know she did this this this". Some will be sceptical but don't listen to them.

More than anything I broke norms and gave some hope to the generation behind me...my 17 yr old nephew throws hints of taking a year off in college and after 2 years his mom is getting used to the idea.Now she even says "ask your aunt"

Having said all this..plan, save, and have enough $$ to return to so that settling back is not financially hard.