Abduljabbar Ali I wanted to travel the world when I stumbled upon the concept of a digital nomad lifestyle on some YouTube videos back in 2020.
This pushed me to start searching for ways to travel the world full time but I didn’t know how to do it.
Luckily I came across a framework that helped me get started to travel even though it wasn’t a full-time thing at first.
Anyone who wants to travel the world and get a taste of how it feels like to be in strange destinations has to be willing to put some work into it.
You can’t just say you want to travel the world when you are not doing anything to get started.
Plan to get where you want is crucial because it’s not something that you might be able to accomplish within a single year.
Some get lucky enough because of the jobs they have, they save enough money for about 6 months, quit their jobs, and then start traveling the world.
I don’t recommend you quit your job immediately and start to travel the world on your life savings. It’s not a good idea at all.
If you want to travel the world when you have no idea of how to get there, this is the framework you should go for.
This is where to start when you want to travel the world;
1. Ask yourself why you truly want to travel the world.
If you want to travel the world the first thing you should do before you work on anything about it is to ask yourself why you want such kind of a lifestyle.
Why do you want to travel the world?
Do you think this kind of lifestyle suits you?
What makes you so thrilled about traveling?
Before you set to do anything about what you want you need to sit down and set your story straight.
You need to think of every side of the coin before you start working on your dream.
Sometimes you might spend your entire life chasing a certain lifestyle and it turns out that it wasn’t truly what you wanted.
You were only chasing it because you saw people doing it at the moment and it felt like something incredible for you back then.
It will be a waste of time and resources. Instead of moving forward, it will only drag you behind.
So, you have to be completely sure that the travel lifestyle is something you truly want.
It’s something you think about every single day, you dream about and it lives within you.
If this is what you feel about traveling the world then it will be easier to achieve it as long as you work for it.
When it comes to getting what you want in life, the first thing that will push you to work for it is your internal motivation.
You have to be sure that there’s something within you that pushes you to want this thing so badly.
If it’s from within you nothing can change to stop you from working on it not even the failures you will encounter during the process.
Deep down you will just feel that one day you are going to make it happen.
When you know why you want to travel so badly, this is what will charge you to keep going even when you feel like giving up.
The journey is not going to be short. You need something that is going to keep you motivated every single day of your life.
2. Start thinking of ways you can earn money to travel.
If you want to travel the world the first thing I would recommend you do is think of ways you can make money to do it.
To be honest, you can’t just wake up and start traveling if you have nothing in your pocket.
I know you probably come across a lot of videos and articles that you can travel the world even when you have no money.
I want to be honest with you about this. It’s not a sustainable way to travel the world and enjoy it to the fullest.
You will only be traveling the world under someone else’s terms and this is not something that will make you happy.
If you want to travel because you want to explore the world, that should be the main thing you will work on.
I am not saying that it’s not possible to travel the world without money. Some people do it but it’s not appropriate and anytime these trips can stop.
But if you know that you are moving from country to country in your terms and means, you will always travel where you want to and not where there are work-away opportunities for volunteers.
That is why I am saying you have to think of ways you can start making enough money to support your trips around the world.
If you have skills that you can share and monetize online to make money you are at a better place to get started.
The only thing you have to do is start working on your online platform right away.
There are so many social media platforms that you can use to make money.
Read also; 5 Ways To Make Passive Income While Travelling
Do your research to find out which one suits you and you can keep it going no matter what happens.
For me, I decided to go with blogging and a YouTube channel because these are the platforms I have been earning money from for a while.
So, you have to sit down and figure out what is going to work for you to start making money.
Maybe you already have a 9-5 job right now that you are working on.
Don’t just quit your job yet simply because you want to travel the world.
You need to be smart about everything you are doing if you want to get it right.
If your job is making you enough money, you should start saving for your first trips.
I will talk more about saving in the next section of this article.
Now you have to figure out ways of making money apart from the main job you are doing now.
You need to have several streams of income if you want to be successful in making your dreams come true.
3. Start saving money for your trips.
When it comes to traveling the world the start point is usually the hardest one.
You need a lot of money at first to get your passport, and visa to book a flight to where you are going.
When you get there you also need to show proof that you have enough money to spend for the days you will be in that country (depending on the country).
Some countries like Nepal will ask you to show your bank balance statement but some will not.
To be on the safe side you also need to have enough money in your bank account even after booking your flight and getting your visa.
This is the part that will force you to spend a lot of money whether you like it or not.
It will be hard for you to pull this through if you have so many financial responsibilities to handle back at home.
That is why you need to take the approach of saving money for your trips because you can’t get the entire amount you need within a go.
If you have several income streams it will be easier to save lots of money within a short period.
Read also; 11 Ways To Save Money While Travelling
So, let us talk a little bit more about saving money for your trips.
Read also; 11 Creative Ways To Save Money For Travelling
When it comes to saving money you need to be earning first. If you earn enough money to take care of yourself financially and the people you care about every single month and a balance is left, you should start saving money.
You have to be realistic if you want to travel the world. The truth is that you can’t save a lot of money for your trips when you can’t even take care of yourself financially.
How will you save money when you are starving? You have rent to pay and other bills to clear.
It doesn’t mean that if you want to travel the world you have to live your life like you have borrowed it from someone else.
Don’t let the dream you are working on turn your life upside down instead of making it better. You can’t help anyone when you can help yourself.
So, ensure that when it comes to saving for your trips the life you are living is worth looking at.
If you are having a hard time clearing your bills saving money will be a tough thing for you because your entire income will get cut by your monthly expenses.
You will need to make more money for you to take care of your current life and be able to save enough for your future travels.
That is why I started talking about thinking of more ways you can make money.
You need several income streams to be able to make enough money to travel the world.
Some of the income streams for now should be active while others passive ones.
Read also; 5 Ways To Make Passive Income While Travelling
Having several income streams will make it easier for you to save more money for your trips.
Another thing to note, you should also cut down the cost of things you need right now if you want to save more money.
You need to take control of your money-spending habits. Be frugal for now because you are working towards something bigger.
If I were you, I would try to live the minimalist kinda of lifestyle to reduce the expenditure which will enable you to save more money.
This kind of lifestyle will also help you on the road because you will only be traveling around the world with the things that you need.
You will always travel light because you don’t have lots of clothes and unnecessary things with you.
As you are saving to travel around the world you are also getting ready for this lifestyle.
This is the only way you will save more money for your future travels. If everything goes well you can be traveling full-time at the end of the first year of saving.
But if you want to travel full-time you need money to keep coming in. I guess this is the part where I talked about having solid passive income streams.
Let us dive deeper into the passive income part.
4. Pick a passive income platform and start working on it.
I have to be honest with you if you want to travel the world full-time, you need money to keep on coming in while you are traveling.
Most of the successful travelers in the world didn’t just start traveling full-time out of nowhere.
They had a plan that they followed which got them where they are now.
I earlier told you that if you want to travel the world let it be on your terms and means. This is what will make your travels sustainable and you won’t have an issue with anyone.
You don’t depend on anyone to fund your life and travels except you.
This forces you to focus on making streams of income that will get you where you want to be.
Even after you have saved enough money for a year that will kick start your travels around the world, this amount of money will at one point get exhausted.
If you have no backup plan you will end up going back to your hometown with a tail between your legs.
You will have to start from zero again. Imagine you sold everything to travel the world and now you are back to your country with no idea of where you should start.
That’s why it’s a must you have passive income streams that will make you money while you are traveling the world.
Read also; 5 Ways To Make Passive Income While Travelling
The passive income streams don’t don’t have to be an online platform. If you have a house you can set it up as an Airbnb unit to make you money while you are away.
You can set up businesses and let people work on them while you are busy exploring the world.
But if you are not in this position, you will have to pick an online platform that you will work on to make more money.
If you can start a blog (it doesn’t have to be a travel blog) you can start working on it early enough and after the end of 1 year, you will have a sustainable passive income platform.
Blogging is not completely a passive income platform because you have to put more work into it before it makes you a sustainable income that will keep refueling your trips.
Start your blog and dedicate yourself to it if you want it to work. Create articles like your life depends on it.
Trust me, people make lots of money off their blogs. I know several travelers who make enough money from their blogs to fund their entire lives and the trips they take around the world.
When your blog is established and you are getting a lot of traffic you can make so much money from it.
You can create info products and sell them on your blog, you can earn money through the ads on your website (Mediavine and Raptive are the biggest ad companies that pay better), and earn money through affiliate marketing, sponsored articles, and brand deals.
The above are the multiple ways you can earn money from your blog once it’s established. This means you have to dedicate everything to it.
You need to sacrifice your time and take it seriously from the first day you launch it.
Handle it as a business and not just a hobby. If you love writing and sharing your experiences this will be easier for you.
But if you are not a person who likes writing then you can choose the video platforms to work with.
I have seen so many travelers making a lot of money from their YouTube channels. I believe you can do the same.
I am talking about YouTube because it’s something I am doing. I don’t have a TikTok channel or any streaming platform I’m using.
With a YouTube medium, it’s simple if you don’t like writing. It will be better if you open a travel channel where you will be sharing your experiences as you travel the world.
In this way, you will be able to earn back the money you spend during your travels.
The money you saved and kicked off your traveling won’t get lost because the more you will be spending it moving from one destination to another the more you will be making it through the content you will be making.
I would advise that you start working on your YouTube channel before you start traveling full-time so that when you are set to go, you start earning from the content you create.
With YouTube, you need 4000 watch hours and 1 thousand subscribers to start earning fully on YouTube.
But with 3000 watch hours and 500 subscribers, you can start earning partial from the membership, super thanks and chats, and connecting your store to your YouTube channel to sell your products or services.
When you know that you can early fully on YouTube that is when you should start traveling full-time.
As long as you are on the road traveling and exploring you will always make videos.
You don’t need to have a fancy camera to get started. Use what you have right now. Your smartphone can get you started, that is how I got started.
There are also several ways of making money on your YouTube channel, which are;
- You can earn money from the ads displayed on your videos.
- Through sponsorship and brand deals.
- You can sell your products on your YouTube channel.
- Affiliate marketing is another way to make money off other people’s products.
- You can earn money through memberships.
- Your subscribers can donate to your channel to support your travels.
- Super chats and super thanks can also add up to a little bit of money to your account.
- You can sell your courses on your YouTube channel.
Once your YouTube channel is established it can be your entire business module.
You just have to give it time and work on it tirelessly.
Once it’s all set up you can keep traveling the world even when your initial savings are exhausted.
I believe now you get why it’s important to work on your passive income platform.
Though these two (blogging and YouTube channel) aren’t purely passive once you set them up they will keep making money even if you take one month off from working on them.
5. Set realistic goals for your travel plans.
You want to travel the world. This is just a general term.
It’s just like when you say that you want to have a better life. You aren’t specific at all.
In which way do you want your life to be better?
It’s just a general term. The same goes for traveling the world. You need to be specific when you say you want to travel the world.
You have to sit down and plan how you want to travel the world. If have the means don’t just go out without a plan.
Read also; Solo Travel 101: Why Planning Is Essential for New Adventurers
You need to plan everything before you take off.
Ask yourself these questions before you make a plan to travel the world;
- For how long do you want to travel the world?
- Do you want to travel the world solo or with someone you love?
- Which countries will you start traveling to?
- What are the things you need to have before you start traveling?
- How do you want to leave your current situation back at home when you kick off your travels?
The above are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you start planning your travels.
They will guide you on how to tackle everything so that you don’t feel overwhelmed when you are already on away flight to Nepal, the Philippines, or Indonesia.
You need a strategy that will give you a sense of direction when you are traveling so that you don’t waste time and money along the way.
Planning how you want to travel the world will help you have a systematic way to get everything right.
Make a goal of how many countries you want to visit in a month and be realistic.
Don’t say that you want to visit seven countries within a month. You won’t be doing anything other than getting in and out of flights in different countries.
Your aim should be to explore these countries you visit, meet people, gain experiences, learn about the culture history, and language, and try new things and foods.
That is why I said you have to be realistic when it comes to the goals you are setting up.
Don’t set up goals that you know deep down you won’t be able to work on.
Let it be a goal that you can achieve, make it easier for you to travel smoothly around the world, and give you the satisfaction you are seeking.
6. Start by traveling within your country.
If you are traveling solo I would first recommend you start traveling within your country.
I bet there are so many amazing places you haven’t been to in your country.
The main reason why I recommend this is for you to gain some initial experience when it comes to travel.
When you can comfortably travel to the most chaotic cities in your country and manage it swiftly without issues this will give you the confidence to travel further.
Like for those who are already in Kenya. If you live in Mombasa first start by traveling to Nairobi and see if you can handle getting around there.
Your first initial trips within your country will help you gain knowledge on how you can handle yourself in different countries.
It will also help you get rid of the fear when you start traveling solo.
Read also; Traveling Alone For The First Time? [Your Ultimate Guide]
If you start traveling in your country if anything goes wrong you will be able to pull back and set everything right.
You need to get rid of fear and be comfortable moving from city to city exploring.
As you are traveling within your country you will also realize what you need to make your trips complete.
I told you earlier that you have to work on your passive income platform early in advance.
If you are a YouTuber you will start documenting the travels within your country and grow your channel before you start traveling overseas.
I built my YouTube channel (Abduljabbar Ali) by starting to document my hometown (Mombasa, Kenya).
I finally managed to monetize the channel fully on 27 November 2023. As I’m writing this article, I am making a few dollars from my YouTube channel.
Though I have not started to travel full-time (working on it right now) I know when I start going abroad I will have my YouTube channel ready to make me more $$.
As for the travel blog, you are reading right now, I’m writing about the destinations that I have been to within my country.
With time I am sure it will grow to be the platform that will enable me to reach my goal (traveling full-time).
Right now (2024) I left my hometown (Mombasa, Kenya) to Uasin Gishu County in ELDORET, living on my own off the money I am making from my other (lifestyle) blogs.
If you want to travel the world, gain the first experience and gain the first audiences from your country. To do that you need to explore your country.
I know it may not be as exciting as traveling abroad but this is the starting point to get you where you want to be.
Now you know why you need to start traveling within your country before you decide to book a flight to your dream destination, take note of what I am about to share.
7. Pick a cheap dream destination first.
I assume you have now traveled within your country to several cities and documented as much as you could.
If you feel you are comfortable and ready to start traveling abroad, this is what you should do; pick cheap dream destinations first.
I know you are pumped to travel since you have been working on this for almost 2 or more years.
You may have the cash to book a flight to the USA right now because you saved so much money and you feel that you can manage exploring the States.
Don’t make this mistake! It’s an expensive destination for you if you are not making enough money you are probably going to be drained within the first few months.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you spend more cash than the money you are bringing in.
If you are making more money than you are spending at the moment you are good to go.
But if you know that you can’t do that right with the passive income platforms you are working on, don’t travel to expensive destinations.
You need to pick cheap destinations first before you start going to the expensive ones. This will help you spend less money while traveling, grow your online platform, and make more money.
Read also; 11 Ways To Save Money While Travelling
It’s like you will be preparing yourself for what is to come.
Some of the cheap destinations I would recommend you start with when you are traveling abroad for the first time are these;
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Kenya
These destinations will give you a kickstart to grow your online platforms, gain more experience with traveling around the world, and save more money in the process.
You can also take your time to do thorough research about the country you are visiting to know what you should expect when it comes to the money you will spend when you are there.
You are almost where you want to be now.
After you have chosen your destination it’s time to prepare yourself to get there.
Get a passport, visa, yellow fever injection (vaccine) if you have to, and any necessary documents you need and get your flight there.
Your journey started a long time ago right now you are just flying higher. Get a one-way ticket and don’t look back because this is what you wanted all along.
Read also; How To Travel Alone But Not Feel Lonely
8. Go bigger if you love it more.
You have to keep exploring new places, meet new people, try new foods, learn the culture and the language of the places you visit, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself too.
Now that you are on the journey, you are on the right path, you are exactly where you should be.
Remember, I told you that you need to have a plan of how you are going to explore the countries you visit to the fullest.
Follow your plan and keep pushing.
As you are traveling ask yourself how you feel about it. Observe how you handle yourself on these trips.
Is it still the same thing you wanted or have the priorities changed along the way?
If it hypes you and gives you a reason to wake with a smile every single day on the trips you take, this is exactly what you want.
Keep it going and make it bigger. Now you should even plan to visit all the countries in the world.
This world of traveling will open so many doors of opportunities for you, build you as an individual, and be a public figure all over the world.
You wanted to travel the world, now you are doing it.
You accomplished your goal, now set other bigger ones you will always work on to achieve as you grow in the industry of traveling niche.
Lastly…
The tips I have shared in this article are practical. If you do trust the process no matter how long it takes, you will get there.
I am not telling you that you won’t come across challenges along the way. You may be closer to where you want to be and suddenly something comes and crash you down.
I was closer to reaching my goal of working with Mediavine to start making big money to travel the world, but my website crashed within a spur of a second during the Google 2024 March update.
Imagine your entire business module being burnt to the ground when you have nothing else to rely on.
It happened to me, but here I am working on this travel blog in the same month of March that my lifestyle blog got burnt.
Don’t give up on your dreams as long as you still have the energy to work on them.
You will travel the world full-time one day! Just don’t give up no matter what happens.
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