Step five: practical matters
I like sayings, so I can’t skip this subject without saying: the first blow is half the battle! This suits really well on this topic. The practical matters is not the most fun step of all seven, but there are some things you simply have to take care or thinking about before leaving – like visas, vaccinations, travel insurance and getting rid of your housing.
Housing situation
Let’s start with the basics: a house! You probably have a roof above your head while reading this article. Luckily, then you’re one of the more fortuned ones in the world! Handling the housing situation is one of the biggest obstacles for people to overcome when going on a world trip especially if you own. Some feel completely tied down, but having an owned house doesn’t mean you can’t take a world trip. It’s just a bit more difficult, so you need to work harder and find a creative solution. The important thing is to explore your options.
Click on the button below to read more about these options.
'The key is being prepared and planning early on in the process'
Getting rid of your stuff
Now we talked about handling the housing situation. While thinking about it and the further planning I took a look around and noticed some things. Lots of things! I took a look at my closet full of clothes, so much I could start my own clothing shop. And I sure do have a lot of crap in my house. Panic sets in: what to do with all these stuff!? Well now is your chance to start anew…..
Click on the button below to read more about how I got rid of all my crap.
'Sacrifices must be made when going on a world trip'
The pet dilemma
If you are both a travel lover and a pet lover, this provides a problem. Sometimes you simply have to choose one or the other, as a world traveler doesn’t mesh well with owning pets. It’s something travelers need to keep in mind, as it’s not fair for your furry friends for you to leave for months at a time. This was one of the hardest parts for me. I lost a lot of tears leaving my cat behind. My cat is not fond of traveling. After a 5-minute drive he gets sick, poor fellow. So bringing him with me, even with a Van-lifestyle of traveling (like Willow the van cat – @vancatmeow) is definitely not possible.
Click on the button below to read more about the pet dilemma
'Quitting your job gives you all the freedom!'
What to do with your job?
So the plan is ready; you know where you want to go and when, you made a budget and you fixed the housing situation. The next step is making a plan what to do with your job. For some this part is easy. If you’re one of the many people using a world trip as a way to get out of the career you dislike, just simply quit. But not all long-travelers started traveling because they hate their job. There are plenty of people out there traveling who actually love their jobs, plan on returning, but simply wanted a break. If you are one of these people, then it’s time to start planning how you can keep your job while still traveling the world.
Click on the button below to read more about the options
'Make sure you know the visa rules prior to arriving'
Researching your Visas
Well, now the boring – and pain in the ass – part?…Visas! It’s not that difficult but not that fun either. But you don’t want to miss out on a specific event due to an unexpected long application process. It is important to check and do thorough research before you leave. You might even choose to cross some countries off your list due to strict requirements or expensive visas, like China. Make sure you know the rules prior to arriving. For most country’s you don’t need a visa for a stay of less than 90 days. When you do need a visa most country’s ask for the same documents. You want to know which documents?
Click on the button below to read more about how to get your visa.
'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'
Get your immunizations
This is perhaps a big decision to make, and it’s rather confusing. Hepatitis A and B are the only nearly universal vaccinations that most all travelers need. After that, it’s all a matter of where you are going and how much of a risk you want to take. Some countries say they require proof of certain immunizations to enter, but not all of them routinely ask for this proof. Since most of these are very expensive and the landscape is continually changing, it’s good to do some up-to-the-minute research
Click on the button below to read more about immunizations.
'Insurance. Can’t live with it. Can’t live without it.'
Travel insurrance
Insurance of any kind is never a fun subject to research and think about, but unfortunately it’s a necessity. Like vaccinations, this is quite a divisive subject, and there is definitely not one correct answer to this question. Many people never bother with travel insurance, and other people would never travel without it. Most of this has to do with your own personal situation, who you’re traveling with, comfort level, and risk-taking ability.
Click on the button below to read more about travel insurrance.
'Just do it'
Automating your bills
While there are certainly some downfalls to all the technology available to us today, it sure does help the long-term traveler, especially when it comes to staying on top of finances at home while off gallivanting the globe. Even if you’re a personal finance geek and budgeting fiend, you’re going to want to have your bills and budget streamlined and automated as much as possible while traveling. First, for simplicity sake, and also because you don’t want to have to deal with money issues while in another country which might possibly involve you just trying to verify that you are really you, just in a tiny town in Cambodia on a crappy Skype connection.
Click on the button below to read more about automating your bills.
'Home isn't a place, it's a feeling'
Residency
Deregister from your place of residence is not something you need to think about if you’re traveling for a couple of months, but when you travel for more than 8 months changing your registration at the municipal is something you’ll need to deal with. There are some consequences of a deregistration from the municipality. It can be an advantage or a disadvantage. It just depends on how you look at it: it can save you money but it will cost you money in the future. A deregistration had consequences for your insurance, pension and house.
Click on the button below to read more about deregistration place of residence .
Special thanks to Bootsnall.com for all the guidelines and information on how to plan a round-the-world trip!