Anybody here manage to make money while traveling? If so, do you have to sell your soul to peddle Chinese goods on Amazon? 'Cus that ain’t me.
Just curious because I am getting some wanderlust having never traveled. I’ve barely left my state, I barely leave my town!
I studied some engineering at Uni but left because it’s just so dull to me. I built computers in early childhood and romanticized sitting at a desk coding. I am considering, if I can still use my grants and it would therefore be free, to return for a useless online English degree while I’m traveling to improve my writing abilities and learn more about classical literature. At this point in my life, nothing particularly interests me besides things that you don’t go to college for: traditional woodworking, blacksmithing, luthiery (building flamenco guitars), permaculture… If I could move to the country my life would be dead simple.
Deep down I’m almost seeking discipline and structure to tackle novels I would otherwise avoid, I have a fascination with what people have penned directly from their mind, their time in history, their experiences… Reading novels from the dead feels lucid and grounded. Perhaps I have a desire to couple writing with photography and music. I’ve realized recently I don’t particularly like film. It leaves nothing to the imagination, you’re already given everything. I don’t know… Still soul searching. A little off topic.
Any of you travel and get part-time or seasonal jobs in the places you travel?
This would be tough for me because I’m already a weird loner introvert to begin with in my home country. The closest I get to parties anymore is throwing on headphones and people watching or sitting in nature preserves.
Or, is all of this fantastical? I’m sure the safe bet is just save those big ones before leaving and when you start to feel the squeeze, head back home.
some people take jobs for the opportunity to travel to or with them -
dangerous seasonal fishing jobs
shady traveling sales operations
carnival workers
cruise ship entertainers
touring musicians (usually requires management or a lot of attention to detail)
volunteering with charitable organizations in third world countries
it sounds like a joke but these are all options within the scope of what you’re talking about - otherwise consider being independently wealthy and still constantly dirty and itchy because that’s how a lot of “travelers” get by.
As we were chatting about Ireland earlier, you’ll pick up work on estates doing forestry, farming, woofing I think it’s called? pretty easy to find from spring to autumn in the country here, more market farming than dairy or beef etc. In cities you’ll get floor work in venues/pubs just by asking around, which is a great way to meet people and if you don’t mind the work and don’t make a nuisance of yourself, they’ll train you on the bar too, and then things get much much easier. You can travel Ireland & the UK pulling pints, and plenty smaller places will leave that casual, so no paperwork or tax.
You may also find you’re less of a loner when you’re really alone a lot!
whatever you do, be safe about it, especially if you’re maneuvering outside of your comfort zone. some people are made for this kind of thing, very sociable, find someone to talk to everywhere, genuinely likeable people.
I’d rather just be invisible most of the time, it comes down to personal preference and what you hope to get out of the experience. you can break out of your comfort zone locally and still have a place to shower. you can go on the road and as was just said, experience what it’s truly like to be alone. either way, be prepared, be safe. have fun? yeah, fun works.
Also, if outside of the US is your goal, I’ve heard it’s pretty easy to get a certification to teach English in most countries…
Yea, there’s no problem either way, although I would argue this type of thing is a decent bit easier for the socialites. I too, would rather remain invisible. I mostly want to appreciate history, the natural environments, and the culture (from afar), if that makes sense. I want to photograph it and provide commentary on my experiences. I will inevitably meet people but I can’t claim it’s my intent for wanting this.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I also forgot to mention I am an avid, daily sourdough baker and beer brewer. Hopping into a bakery for chump change is probably not the most difficult thing to do, because a lot of bakeries, even here, struggle to find workers. Brewing local icons is guaranteed to be much more difficult even if staying for as long as the passport lets me.
Bread and beer are two major factors as to why I want to visit Germany and Austria.
Once, when traveling through different countries by train, my friends and I ran out of money. We had guitars and juggling equipment, so we performed on the street and made enough money to get home.
I used to sail a lot as a teenager. Once I considered crewing a sailboat – the owners wanted to take it from Portugal to Australia, so it would have been several months of traveling, but they covered food and expenses. Sleeping obviously would be on the boat. I didn’t do it, because other things came up, but I often wish I had.
I’m realizing as I type this that none of my stories are all that practical unless you can sail, play guitar, or juggle.
I’d avoid the English teaching route unless you’re prepared to get a proper qualification. It’s a crappy industry.
Big question: where in the world do you want to go? Work possibilities are v different in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, SE Asia, North Asia, Australasia…
I play guitar. I’m currently learning Flamenco. Most of my woodworking hand tools have been gathered for building wooden boats. I live in Florida so fiberglass boats are the standard due to saltwater. Maritime history with wooden boats is concentrated in New England.
As I said, if it isn’t collegiate and it’s a skilled trade, there’s about a 99% chance I’m interested in it.
This is not to stick it to the man, I just can’t help it. It’s how my brain works, I like doing things that provide immediate tangible results within physical reality.
Maybe the guitar thing could be a good backup plan? If you’re stuck, maybe you can put an act together and perform in public places? I haven’t done that in decades though, so I don’t know how well that goes these days… Maybe some places require permits and stuff. There’s also the matter of safety.
busking will get you arrested in some places, that’s true.
safety for you and your instrument, and the burden of traveling with a full scale guitar could be brutal. ukelele or guitalele could be a good alternative
does beat juggling count as juggling though? because I can’t do that either way.
The Continuum-Mini was made for busking! I often set up with Grateful Dead backing tracks on the street and just add random sounds which horrify and amaze people.
You might ask yourself why you can’t move to the country and extricate yourself from your current situation. You may discover some uncomfortable answers, or you may simply find you don’t have any answers yet because the answer is waiting for your action to reveal itself.
If you long for the country, then the country needs what you have to offer.
I would echo the advice to find work on a farm. If it was anything like the place I worked, you may feel as if your illusions are being beaten out of you by the sun and wind, and perhaps even as if you’re being slowly consumed by the land.
But you will discover things about yourself you never thought possible. You will learn how harsh the earth can be, and how wonderful some experiences can be.
There are also forestry jobs. I had one lined up, but a death in the family occurred. They will likely not hire you from the government applications, so you might contact individuals or show up in person.
What about an apprenticeship? I believe the nature of money and goods and the valuation of work is shifting, and it’s our efforts and mindset that will prove whether it be for better or worse.
I can also say that you’ll likely not find your answers on a forum or from any sort of discussion, though it can be helpful to verbalize and share.
It sounds like you’re in for some interesting days ahead. May you find what you need, even if it isn’t what you expect!
Unfortunately, I don’t feel like relocating from Florida, truly, I like it here but it’s unable to provide me with the lifestyle I seek since I am not a millionaire.
Florida is being built up, and when this happens, as it is happening EVERYWHERE, the rich come in, drive up real estate prices, and kick the locals out because they can no longer afford it. There’s absolutely no way my family would be able to afford the house they’ve lived in for decades in the current market.
50 acres in the middle of nowhere Arizona for about $30,000… 1/4 acre in a Florida suburb for $500,000 with nothing on it just like the land in Arizona.
Edit: And due to this, I do not remember when, I made the transition from worrying about homesteading to looking into one-bag travel. We all gotta go someday, I’m not going to sit around anymore waiting to live. Every period of history has had their peasantry, I’ve read enough to know I have absolutely nothing to complain about. But again, there must be a transition from meager stagnation to a form of thriving. If traveling doesn’t provide me what I seek, maybe it will unlock the opportunity homestead.
The point is, I think, that doing this might help me lessen my worries of trying to grow my own food, care for my own chickens, supply my own electricity… At least for now. I long to feel the mist and breeze along the Irish coast’s cliffs.
I figured I would check out some experiences from travelers and non-Americans. Nobody can take a step in my shoes for me, but hearing actual experiences from others can provide insight to reality.
