Years ago when I told my mother about my idea of selling everything to travel the world, I expected her to say I was absolutely crazy! And I was caught completely off guard when she told us to go.

No hesitation. No concern. No guilt.

My mom was actually excited for us because she had lived a life of travel herself and had the opportunity to experience so many incredible adventures. Her only regret was not being able to do it more because my dad unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51. Their future plans and time together were cut short.

I’ll never forget her telling us to live our lives now because we never know what tomorrow will bring. She also said that as we got older, it will be harder for us to do the things we love to do like hiking in the mountains or playing in the ocean.

And she’s absolutely right!

Ironically we spend a majority of our lives working so hard to achieve a level of financial success in order to retire and travel some day in the future - when we’re older and have discretionary income to spend - but that’s when our bodies and energy levels are slowing way down and our desire to be closer to the doctor supersedes our sense of endless adventures.

Of course that’s if we make it that long.

With the average life expectancy being 76 years of age and all the horrific diseases and tragic events we face in this country, some day may never come.

So why give our best days to wishful thinking for the future?

My mom is our biggest fan for us traveling and living our adventure. We’re so grateful for her encouragement and advice. ❤️

The time to enjoy the open road is right now.

The idea of working your ass off for fifty years, then taking time to enjoy life as a retiree, is dumb and outdated!

Why should we dedicate all of our attention to building a future while not living in the present? Why do we believe the best things in life should come at the end?

I know there’s a sense of responsibility here. We have to make money, pay the bills, and hopefully save whatever’s left for down the road. But then some of us will do everything right only to never get the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

There is another way.

You don’t have to be retired or wealthy to travel the world. You don’t have to wait until you’re some golden age to live your adventure. You don’t have to follow the outdated ideal of the American Dream.

All you need to do is decide.

Decide if you’d rather gamble on the ever-changing hands of fate or gamble on yourself by taking a leap of faith now before it’s too late.

Think about it this way.

Retirement and living comfortably for most of us as we get old is a long shot in today's economy, and the chances things will get better doesn’t look all that promising, especially as we struggle to keep up with price increases, interest rates, and other forms of corporate greed robbing us of every penny.

Hopefully you’ll be lucky enough to have enough money to retire on.

I know I won't.

So if you don’t ever take the chance to fulfill your traveling desires because times are hard now, do you really think the chances will be greater as you age? If it doesn't, all those hopes and dreams will be lost forever.

I think you should consider an alternative.

Hit the open road now while there’s still time!

The road life is never a dull moment and never a regret.

The Semi-Retired Life is Great Too.

Instead of putting everything on hold for some day, you could choose to take an unconventional approach to traveling right now.

Downsize your needs, work from the road, spend money on experiences, and live fully in the present. It’s not gonna be easy but it’s worth it.

At age 54, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a semi-retired lifestyle for the past four years, all the while visiting some of the best places on the planet. I'm able to do this because I work as I travel. All of my business ventures are online and all I need is a WiFi connection.

That's not a bad way to live!

Donetta and I decided years ago we’d rather risk everything to become digital nomads rather than be an old couple talking about regrets. So far there are none!

You are not promised tomorrow and there’s no guarantee your future will allow you to do all you hoped today. I’ve seen plenty of people die early deaths from things they couldn’t control or lose everything by making bad decisions.

Don't wait until you're too old to travel. Experience the ride of a lifetime now.

Road Life Magazine is here to guide you.