This is a post I’ve thought about writing for a long time and now that it’s here, I’m still not sure what to say or even how to start it. The bottom line is that at the time of writing this post, I’m on a one way flight to Colombia. I’ve quit my job, packed up my apartment, and will be traveling for the foreseeable future. So let’s talk about it.
I feel like I have to start with the obvious question: why? The short answer is that I want to. The long answer is that it’s an idea that’s been in the back of my head for more than a decade. It was never something I truly entertained, at least until several months into the Covid pandemic. I was stuck at home and it eventually reached a point where I couldn’t stop thinking of getting back out there and traveling.
It was sometime in 2021 that I decided that I wanted to do take this trip, but it took even longer to actually get on this flight (considering it’s now 2026). There were still a lot of unknowns in 2021 and I knew that when I traveled, I didn’t want to have to deal with all of the Covid restrictions. So I waited and saved as much money as I could.
Then after a few more years of saving and a lot of planning, I finally started taking the next steps to make this crazy dream a reality. It’s been an insane and chaotic few months. Note to anyone planning their own massive trip: don’t leave in January. Packing up your life during the month of December with all of the craziness of the holidays is terrible and I don’t recommend it.
You should also know that no about of preparation can prepare you for the chaos that is packing up your life. It’s not just packing up your home, it’s also saying goodbye and figuring out logistics of the “boring” things like insurance, storage, and phone plans. While I know this trip is going to be a crazy adventure, I’m hoping that things will be a bit less chaotic than the last few months.
Among all of that chaos came the goodbyes. Despite reading plenty from other people who had taken time away from work to travel extensively, nothing prepared me for how hard it was to say goodbye. It’s not just saying goodbye to family who I won’t see for several months, but also to friends and coworkers.
I worked at the same company for ten years and became very close to some of the people I worked with. While I won’t miss parts of work (especially those nightly 2:00 am calls and the seemingly never ending clean up lists), I will really miss the people I work with. It’s going to be very strange not talking to them everyday.
The next obvious question is how am I affording this. Years and years and years of savings. It’s not glamorous, but that’s the answer. And to clear up any confusion: no, this blog did not start generating enough money so that I could quit my job. At one point last year, I thought that I was close to being able to make a little money, but constant changes to Google algorithms and the rise of AI have been a roller coaster and my traffic plummeted.
So I’ll be relying on my savings to see me through this trip. Eventually the money will run out, but I’m choosing to not think about that just yet. Instead, I’ll be traveling on a budget, trying to make my savings stretch as long as possible while also taking advantage of as many cool and unique adventures as I can.
Speaking of the blog, what’s changing? Hopefully nothing. I’ll still be posting, though I can’t guarantee the frequency that I have maintained for the last two years. This trip has been my dream for so many years and enjoying my trip needs to be the first priority. That said, the blog won’t be left behind. I started this blog knowing that I’d want to have it when I started this trip (and I’m so glad I got a few years to figure out a rhythm and a system), so it’s only natural to continue it while traveling long term.
In addition, I have plenty of friends and family who want updates on what I’m up to and this blog will be where that will happen. It will continue to be a mix of my adventures with plenty of advice to help other travelers plan their trips (and probably a few life update posts like this). I firmly believe that travelers should share knowledge and nothing makes me angrier than reading about something someone else did only to find out that they withheld information about how to do it yourself.
So the blog will continue and will be updated with plenty of adventures and travel advice. Just don’t expect posts right as they happen. It takes more time than you may imagine to write, go through photos, and actually post an article.
Lastly, let’s talk about the route because I know that’ll be another common question. As I mentioned, I’m writing this from my one way flight to Colombia, so I’ll be starting my travels there. Yes, I’ve visited Colombia once before, in November 2024. The country is massive and on that nine day trip, I just barely scratched the surface. So I’ll be returning to the country to see so many of the great places that I had to skip the first time around: Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast, the Lost City, the coffee region around Salento, the Tatacoa Desert, and so much more.
In total, I’ll be in South America for about five months, so after some time in Colombia, I’ll be heading to the southern part of the continent and working my way back north. It’s a crazy journey ahead and it’s the longest I’ve ever traveled. Even my study abroad to Ireland was only four months. I’m incredibly nervous for the journey that lies ahead, but I still can’t wait for all of the adventures that are sure to come.
Do you have any other questions? Let me know in the comments below.