Don't Wait Until You're Too Old to Travel the World
Travel Inspiration and Encouragement for The 50 Plus Crowd
Years ago when I told my mother about my idea to sell almost everything I owned to travel the world I expected her to say I was absolutely crazy.
She was a child who survived the Nazi regime in World War II, endured the brutal conditions of the Australian outback as a teenager, faced many incredible hardships as a young wife, and battled breast cancer in her late 60s. After everything she’s been through, her mindset the past 20 years has been about playing it safe and not taking any unnecessary risks because danger is around every corner.
Yet I was caught completely off guard when she told me and my wife to go.
There was 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, and that as we got older, it would be much harder for us to do the things we love to do like hiking in the mountains or playing in the ocean.
And she’s 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?
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The idea of working your ass off for fifty years, then taking time to enjoy life as a retiree, is dumb and outdated!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.
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 as to whether 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 is a long shot, especially in today’s economy. The chances things will get better doesn’t look promising right now as more of us struggle to keep up with the price increases, interest rates, and other forms of corporate greed that will only make the rich get richer.
Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have enough money to live on. I really hope you do.
But what if you don’t ever get to fulfill your traveling desire because times are much harder in the future than right now? All those hopes and dreams are lost forever. I think you should consider an alternative.
Hit the open road now while there’s still time!
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 by downsizing your needs, working from the road, and spending money on experiences instead of stuff.
It’s not 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, and I’m able to do it because of what I said above.
Not a bad way to go for someone barely smart enough to survive high school.
Donetta and I decided years ago we’d rather risk everything to fulfill our nomadic dreams and passion for travel than be a couple of old people talking about regrets. We’re so thankful we did!
For those of you over 50 who talk about some day, it’s time to shit or get off the pot.
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 they own by making bad decisions.
Please don’t wait until you’re too old to travel; experience the ride of a lifetime now.
Where there is a will there is a way.
If you want some help or ideas, you can always reach out to me.
It’s your choice.
What are you gonna do?
