Work. Resign. Travel. Repeat.
This has been my method to life for the past ten years. Exactly as the title reads. Work. Resign. Travel. Repeat. It’s chaotic, volatile and unpredictable. The method is simple. Take one year off to travel for every two years dedicated to work. A year to wander the world. Time to learn new languages and discover foreign cultures. To venture into the unknown and seek different experiences.
Crossing suspensions bridges while trekking in Nepal.
But why endure the instability and chaos? Why leave a bi-weekly cash flow? Why pack all that you own into a storage locker? And why separate yourself from everything that is familiar, comfortable and secure?
That’s easy. Because it will set you free.
It will benefit your life and awaken your soul. Push you to pursue your dreams and be a better person. It will breathe new energy into your spirit. These breaks give you a chance to remove yourself from a perpetual routine of 9-5. A routine that causes humans to become complacent, negative, uninspiring souls. Lifeless bodies of energy that we should do our best to avoid, and certainly don’t want to become.
Travelling by long-tail boats in Thailand.
It will give you time to reflect. You will become a more compassionate human being. More understanding of the cultures that surround you. More in tune with the impermanence of life, and more gratitude towards truly living it. Perspectives like these are all gained from experiences on the road. From throwing yourself into the unknown, the unstable and the chaotic. Gained by waking up to a new challenges each day that will shape your attitude towards the world you live in.
And when it’s finally time to tame the wanderlust and bring the travel to a halt, life becomes a little bit clearer. You will return home, settle down, and yes, fall into a routine. But something will be different. You will feel refreshed and renewed, your spirit rekindled. You will return to the routine with a new understanding. It will become something to enjoy, to use as a tool that will allow you to grow and learn.
The travel hiatus will ignite something inside you. You will have the time to reevaluate your goals and pour over endless opportunities. Opportunities that were always there, just a little harder to see before your journey.
You will begin to treat every day like you are someplace new, someplace foreign. You will seek out the best coffee shop, outdoor adventure and friendly local sitting next to you. You will explore your own backyard as if it’s an exotic place halfway across the world. It will be all be so simple. Maneuvering through a routine is easy. Facing every day as the unknown is difficult.
Wandering beach pathways on the Perhentian Islands of Malaysia.
I don’t think I am alone in my method. There are many who live this life as a way to gain perspective. As a way to keep dreaming big and moving forward. To make ambitious goals and strive for better. Most importantly, to keep envisioning the next escape.
It is necessary to take time for the moments between the routine. To allow yourself to break free, explore and wonder. To navigate the world with reckless abandon, get lost, and be challenged.
It is this that will enrich your life.
