Advice

Early February, 1998.

Janet Jackson had just hit number one on the Billboard charts, Bill Gates had just received a pie in the face in Brussels and I had just walked through the departure gates at Christchurch Airport. With a deep breath I clutched my passport, said goodbye to my homeland and boarded a plane to the other side of the world.

I figured I’d be in London for a year or so, take a look around Europe, then return to New Zealand and settle down. That’s what everyone else did, after all.

Life, though, had other plans.

Last week I celebrated 15 years of travel. For the last decade and a half I’ve been addicted to life on the road. Dreaming about it, talking about it, saving for it or simply doing it, it has come to define who I am.

Back then, barely in my twenties and armed with a degree and a guidebook, I thought I knew everything. I didn’t. I still don’t have all the answers – indeed, I never will – but I have picked up a few things along the way.

Here, then, are fifteen life lessons from my last fifteen years of travel. I’m hoping for many more.

I want to travel, but…

…my girlfriend doesn’t want to come with me…

…my family don’t understand…

…it’s a terrible economy…

…my boss promised me a raise…

…I want to go to grad school…

…I don’t have enough money…

…so I’m not going to leave quite yet.

But I’ll do it soon. I will.

I just need a little longer.

Those are all good reasons not to travel right now.

There is always a good reason to put it off, and there will always be a good reason.

And that’s the problem.

Six months ago I walked away from my corporate life for the last time. I’d done it many times before to travel, but last November it was different. I was travelling, sure, but I was also building an online business. I want to live this life forever, and – until money starts growing on trees – that means I also need to fund it.

A fair chunk of both the inspiration and the detailed how-to information that got me over the line came from two sources: Chris Guillibeau’s fantastic blog, books and World Domination Summit, and a few crazy three-day course and ebook sales over the last 18 months. Without these resources I suspect I would never have built up the courage to do what I’m doing, or had the faintest clue how to do it.

“You need more than that!”

My sister looked at me despairingly as I showed her the contents of the small plastic food container I now called my first aid kit.

“What about the latex gloves? You’ll need syringes. Oh, and don’t forget a bandage or two. Stay right there, I’ll be right back…”

A few minutes later I pushed the pile of medical supplies to one side. “Sis, I know you’re a paramedic and all, but seriously? I’m not taking all this shit with me!”

Having carted armfuls of medicine around the world with me in the past – all of which eventually expired without seeing the light of day – I had decided on one simple rule this time around.

Less is more.

Thailand has many things going for it.

It has beautiful beaches, good weather and amazing food.

It has a proud history, friendly people and low prices.

It has scooters.

On the flip side, it also has an interesting set of visa regulations that require most foreigners who want to stay in Thailand for a while to regularly be somewhere else.