If you’ve been reading my content for a while, you may be wondering if the only way to live the travel Lifestyle is to quit your job. It’s a logical assumption, so I’d like to set the record straight!

If you’re sitting at your desk, thinking “I can’t be a nomad, I don’t want to quit my job,” guess what? You don’t have to!

(PS – let’s debunk the word “nomad” too – this does NOT mean being 20-something, living like a hobo and sleeping in tents or youth hostels anymore. Nomads can be any income level and any age.)

Enjoying Namibia on safari in Africa.

There are so many ways to travel full time. And, in fact, your version may only be a few months of the year, or, one month. There is no one-size-fits-all way to create a travel lifestyle and travel full time.

But, let’s get specific about your job. In this world of remote work, which used to be about sitting in your living room/office at your dining table/desk, you can keep your job, and also, roam the world. (Or, your own country, if you prefer.)

So, the next logical questions is, “How can I keep (or get) a job and travel full-time?” Here are some tips:

Try To Keep Your Current Job

Book a meeting with your boss and ask to create a path to working from anywhere – be that indefinitely, or, if a better match for your company for a specified period of time – perhaps 6 months or a year.

Brainstorm ways your international (or domestic) travel could be of benefit to both you and the company. Are there new markets they want to break into? Would learning a new language and getting a better understanding of another culture help your company expand? Think big!

Explore A Sabbatical

If you have the working remotely discussion with your manager and it’s a no-go, then have this as your plan B. See if you can take a sabbatical. Even if it’s unpaid, the advantage of this strategy is that you know you have a job to come back to. Knowing that your salary and benefits will start up again when you’re back can be a huge relief. And, if you keep them while you go, even better!

Get A Remote Job

If you can’t determine a way to keep your current job or get a sabbatical, start looking for a new opportunity that will allow you to work remotely. There are more and more resources to do this. FlexJobs (www.FlexJobs.com) and Remote IO (www.remote.io) are two of them.

Of course, your network is probably the best place to start. Who do you know that has a remote job? Start talking to them about how they got it, and how you can find out about future job availability, and any networking contacts you should be connecting with.

Start A Business

If you can’t, or don’t want to, find a remote job working for someone else, now might be the perfect time to start a side business. Think about what you love doing, and what you’re great at, and what would make you the revenue you’re seeking to maintain.

While you’re brainstorming, consider the places in the world you want to travel. If you’re staying domestic, you’ll have no visa/work issues. But, when you start traveling, you may need to adhere to immigration guidelines. The great news is that more and more countries are creating a digital nomad visa. You can Google, “XXX digital nomad visa” (where “XXX” = the country of your travel preference.) This way, you can make sure that the company you start is transferable to other places in the world you want to go.

In the end, all you have to quit is your desk!

Take the quiz to find out if the travel lifestyle is possible for you!