How to be a Full-Time Traveler

A lot of people want to travel full time, but they don't think they can. What if I told you there's a way to try it for a while and see if it's for you? Whether you want to travel for a month or a few years, there are many ways to make that dream a reality.

If you've watched any of our videos, you may know our story already. The short version is that we sold our house in California so that we could travel full time. We bought a vandalized RV, renovated it, and traveled for almost a year. We did this while our house in Oregon was being built.

We traveled the whole country, and it was incredible. It was the perfect amount of time for me, Leila, Kalin, and our dogs. We went from the west coast to the east coast. And you can do it too if you make a few sacrifices. Here are a few things you can do to make your adventure a reality:

Cut your expenses

The first consideration for most people is money. So, you need to ask yourself how you can make financial adjustments. There's always a way. One thing you need to do when you travel full time is to cut your expenses. Leila and I recently went through our business and personal expenses, and we cut out over a thousand dollars of things that we aren't using.

You’d cut a lot of expenses just by selling your house. This would mean no property taxes, house payments, homeowners’ insurance, utilities, cable tv, and other home expenses.

I think the biggest thing that we did was to simplify our lives. We cut crazy expenses out. We're living very simply, but we're living a much fuller life that’s full of many crazy adventures.

If you are already retired, there’s no better time for full-time travel! You already have an income from Social Security and maybe from your job. With that income, you could live more modestly than you would in a house.

Work remotely

So, what if you’re not retired? Living on the road doesn’t mean letting go of your job. Living in this pandemic has taught us that remote work is the future. All you need is a stable internet connection and a computer, and you’ll be good to go.

Ask your employers if you could work remotely. Some of them will let you do it because it will also save company costs. If your company doesn’t allow remote work, you can consider a career change. Of course, this is not necessary if you love your job.

However, if your work drains the life out of you, you might want to consider a career change. Go back to school now for a job that you could do remotely.

Start your own business

Another option is to become an entrepreneur. There are many ways to make money, including online businesses and traveling. Do your research, and you’ll find a business idea that suits your life as a future digital nomad.

Weigh your property options

Leila and I sold our house in California because we were done with the place. I had lived in California my entire life, and there wasn’t much left for me there. Hence our move to Oregon. If you’re not emotionally attached to where you live, you could also sell your house. If you choose this option, try to reinvest the money in another house within two years to avoid capital gains.

But what if you don’t want to sell your house? You can consider long-term and short-term rentals, depending on the duration of your travels. You can rent it out on Airbnb if you’re only traveling for a few months. If you’re traveling full time for over a year, renting your house to a long-term tenant would be more ideal. You can even ask a relative to rent your house.

Decide what to do with your belongings

While traveling full time, we put all our stuff in a 40-foot shipping container and left it at my daughter's place. And guess what, I didn't miss any of it! If you decide to sell the house and all your belongings, that’s more money to live on as you travel. You can also use the money to start your new business if you want to.

Now, the fun can begin

There are two main options for traveling full time. You can travel domestically, or you can travel abroad. You can even do both; the world is your oyster.

The easiest way for full-time domestic travel is RVing, which is what we did. Whether you buy a new RV or renovate an old one is up to you. RV renovation can be a pain, though. Trust me; I lived it.

Although it’s the most cost-effective and convenient, RVing is not the only way to do full-time domestic traveling. Other people opt for hostels, Airbnb rentals, and hotels. RVing is not the most popular travel mode outside the States, but some people have rented an RV or a van to travel to foreign countries, which is a super cool thing to do. If you travel abroad, you are most likely to take the hotel-hostel-Airbnb route.

So, what about your kids and pets?

RVing full-time is not just for empty nesters and retirees. It’s something you can do with your kids as well. Honestly, I wish we had done this when we had all six kids living at home. It would’ve been amazing. You can travel with your kids if they haven’t moved out yet.

If you’re worried about school, you can always homeschool them. I promise you your kids will learn more in six months on the road than five years in any public school I’ve ever seen. They can also make new friends on the road and connect to their old ones digitally.

This is our dog Saphira inside the RV.

Pets are also not a hindrance to full-time traveling. We had these two obnoxious dogs with us for months on the road, and they were great.

You can see Jonesie having the time of her life in the snow.

Your RV is a house, so it won’t be different to having a pet in your previous home.

Life is a collection of experiences. The more diverse and plentiful they are, the more fulfilling your life is going to be. Hopefully, this gives you the courage you need to pursue your full-time traveling dreams.

You can watch this video for even more tips on starting full-time travel: