5 reasons why you should quit your job to travel in your 20s. #5 was my biggest motivation.

Last week, I talked about why you shouldn’t quit your job to travel when you are in your twenties.

Most of the feedback I received applauded me for bringing out the ugly side of the truth. Thanks! But sorry I have to burst that bubble and bring out the nice side of the truth too.

Let’s check out the pros of quitting your job to travel as a 20-something:

1. Your pay is insignificant enough that it doesn’t hurt to leave your job

Money is always on the top of my mind so it’s #1 on this list.

Let’s face it, unless you have climbed really high up the corporate ladder or you are a CEO before you hit the 30 mark, your pay is probably insignificant. (Or maybe it is just me. Ok. I think it’s just me.)

Anyway, it’s easier for you to leave your job now for a long trip than 20 years down the road when you are earning $10,000 a month. Imagine giving up all that for a year trip. I’d tell you not to do it too.

2. You have the energy to do so

You are in your twenties and this is probably the fittest you will ever be. You can manage a monstrous backpack and trek the Inca Trail to see Machu Picchu with only a tiny feeling like all the bones in your body are crumbling. (Not that I’ve done that before, or ever will.)

If you shelf your travelling dream to post-retirement, imagine how much harder it is to walk that 2 kilometer stretch of pebbly road to reach the Rose City of Petra in Jordan. (Very hard, trust me, I was there with a cruise ship of elderly folks.)

You have the energy to do it! Why wait until you’re 65 years old to go see the world?

3. You don’t need to spend a lot

Yes, it totally contradicts #1 in my last post but hear me out. As a 20-something, you can skimp on food, accommodation and transport because your poor body hasn’t reached its limit yet.

The things I’ve done to save money on the trip aren’t that extreme but I’ve stayed in hostels in a room for 12, cooked in hostels, took public transport and visited many free sites.

Compared with paying more for comfort such as taxis or hotels, you can save a lot more but still enjoy my trip.

4. You don’t have a lot of responsibilities

As a 20-something, you likely do not have a family to support or a house and car loan to finish. Well, at least for most 20-somethings I know, those processes will come later in life.

That makes this period the best time to go out and explore without worries.

The only thing you might worry is your student loan so make sure you take care of most of that before you leave.

5. Not doing it is the worse option

After I posted my last blog post, a friend asked if I regret going on my trip.

I thought about the jobless months and the anxiety that followed. Then I thought about how happy I was on the road. In the end, my answer to her was that I didn’t regret the trip as I would have been much more depressed if I did not do it.

If you are hesitant about quitting your job to travel for that big trip, think this way:

Are you able to cope with questioning yourself daily: “What would happen if I did quit my job to travel?”

For me, that thought would haunt me forever so I did what I needed to do. Sure it wasn’t all smooth sailing but I enjoyed being able to achieve my biggest dream.

If travelling around the world has always been a dream for you, just know that you can do it and you have an example right here. Stop dreaming, make it a reality.

Quitting your job to travel is not for everyone

As with last time, I want to note that quitting your job to travel is not for everyone, especially those who don’t care about travelling.

You need to give something up to achieve another. So if your lifeg oal is to be top of your career by 35, have a loan-free house by 40 and have a soccer team of kids by 45, then quitting your job to travel in your twenties does not fit in this plan.

But if you life goal is to go around the world at least once, see different culture, eat lots of exotic food, then you really should start your trip planning.

You have to make your own decision. It doesn’t matter if other people doubt you. As long as you don’t doubt yourself, that is the way.

Further reading

• Why travel the world? from Live Learn Love
• Why you should travel the world in your 20s from World of Wander Lust
• 7 reasons to travel the world solo in your 20s from All Women Stalk

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