Success Stories: Why a 50-year-old pair it sells the whole world to travel
Nomadic Matt: Welcome Jeff! Tell everyone about yourself
Jeff:. I am currently 53 years young, lives in Houston, TX and married to my lovely wife, Tamara. I was raised as a Navy Brat, so I used to travel very young. Our two largest movements us. for three years after Hawaii, and Athens, Greece, for two years After settling in Alexandria, VA, I went to Virginia Tech 27 years ago in the world of corporate America position. My wife and I travel frequently (no children) and enjoy the most different places every time. Our first "big" trip together was started soon after Priceline. In spring 00, we have $ 300 for round-trip flights to Paris, France - and got it! A week later we were engaged at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
What is your great travel inspiration?
For my 50th birthday in 09, my wife planned a surprise trip for us on Easter Island and Torres del Paine in far southern Patagonia, Chile. This trip was in October 09, and it sparked our world travel. After returning home in our normal lives in November, I came home from a run one evening and said, "it can do." We had no plans for such a trip, but we knew we had the means. After a contemplative route planning with a huge world map on our kitchen table, we made the call to the airline "special" RTW office to cash in our frequent flyer miles.
It was mid-November, we would only bought two RTW airplane tickets, and we went on 15 January 2010. In two months. That was when the serious trip planning began, including the creation of our travel blog.
Where did you go on your trip?
We went to South America, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt.
Do you feel that 50 is an obstacle in any way?
No way! Age was never an issue. We may have the age-old concept of "do it while we are young" (to encourage ourselves!) talking about it, but it was not an obstacle in our plans or go or used the experience. We are very active both begin with, and during our almost year we go to a few days.
have your friends and family think you crazy?
You have not seriously we think "crazy", but were as we were shocked they first told. I had been for 16 years in my corporate job and am definitely the more conservative of the two of us. Imagine to say before (or hearing), "we our jobs are to leave by our" stuff "in storage, the rental of our house, so our two cats away (for travel), and in all our frequent flyer miles for two redeeming around-the-world air tickets! "It's a mouthful to say, but almost everyone moves at the end think" crazy "too excited, excited, jealous, encouraging and worried us online on the road to follow.
How did you save money for the trip?
we both had high-paying jobs for years, we are both rather averse debt (not on our mortgage, which was paid by our guests), and we have always made sure to save. We have always traveled, but never deliberately planned long-term for a large world tour. I think it was maybe because I 50 become that we secured one way to go into the decision to the world (type "can do it" Revelation) after a spectacular two-week trip to South America.
What have your travel style? Did you stay in hostels, guest houses, hotels?
All of the above and more. With a lot of frequent flyer miles and consolidated credit card miles for the same airline saved our six primary RTW flights were business class. Some were really sweet, while some ended up as little more than coach, but it was all good. This was the most amazing part of the whole trip, and we sometimes look forward to airport lounges. But we lived all the time from our backpacks. Sometimes I'm sure we looked out of place in the front of the plane with our hiking shoes and T-shirts, but it was fun to be there by the time.
Many older couples and people feel that around the world travel and backpacking are for young people. What would you tell them?
I understand and have heard that, but age is just a number. There are all ranges of age throughout the road and around the world. We have some people who wear older seen as we walk up and down the mountains of New Zealand, as all ages were Mt. climb Sinai to see that sunrise, and there were all kinds only backpacks over airports and bus and train stations , It's a cliché, but you're not getting any younger, so just go for it. You do not plan to go in a trip all the way around the world also. Start small the adventure and let it grow from there. My wife got a T-shirt somewhere down the road that says: ". If you do not go, you will not have a history"
Did you have any fear of your trip?
we have not planned much in advance about to go to the world, even if we had taken it from time to time in words, so that it. Too much time for fear Also tried for years, we have to be followed by a "No Fear" rule that we reminds us how we were to book the tickets. My wife is better at this than me, but we are pretty good overall. We needed to get only plans for the entire logistics of the way we took our trip: furniture storage, house for rent, what to do with two cats, stopping and mail forwarding as file taxes, and other generally mindless things They do not think. Oh, and quit our jobs! The not-so-mindless things like: "What are you in a backpack for contact to live next year?", Was actually a bit easy. We had a couple of shots to get, and Visa (and some medications just in case), but in these two months the real plan, the excitement and Countdown far outweighed the fear.
What was the biggest thing you learned from your trip?
Take your time. Go slower. If more immersed in the new and different. We saw parts of 65+ cities in 22 countries in just nine months. There are no regrets about what we have experienced, but we moved too much. We got a little tired at the end, and came home earlier than we planned in our original route. Our coming home was early an intended surprise was some at the time, and we were glad to be back when we get here, but it was not long after we return that we wished we had stayed on the road !
What did you do when you get back? Was it a big change?
not live out of a backpack or a plane / train / bus in the next week to control was an adjustment. After about four months of home, my wife returned to her consulting work, but I have not returned to corporate work (at our discretion). I have to get a part time job for about six months last year, but we are lucky enough to live a salary. My work does not give us the highly desirable flexibility things easier for long weekends, or to do a week here and there, as we want. One of these things on our list is the top back on the road, at some point in 2014. We have our bucket list of places we have not seen, so now only need once more to grab us and go!
what advice would you give to people who are looking to do something similar?
The three pieces of advice would I would give:
- about language Do not worry - even if someone your language does not speak, at the end it is not very difficult to obtain, by having only show
- you stay in hostels do not worry -. the possibility of private rooms, most of the prices are almost always cheaper -. and the staff are usually very friendly and knowledgeable travelers
- They are not afraid of changes - If you have to, or just want to do something, she was very good not originally planned, was a highlight your journey at the end is
[1945003show] Jeff and his wife, that long-term travel is not only for the young but also for the young at heart. The tips and advice on this website are ageless. It does not matter how old you are, if you go to Paris, we all have the same cost. And I like how Jeff and his wife stayed in hostels. I love to see older travelers in hostels - they have such wonderful travel stories and I like to see how people are pushing back against the faith, the hostels only are young
So , when you think. to himself: "I would like to travel the world, but I'm too old for this budget / backpack thing," let this story you convince and inspire the opposite of traveling.
be the next success story
is one of my favorite parts about this job to do people who travel stories. You inspire me, but more importantly, they also inspire you. I travel in a certain way, but there are many ways to finance your trips and travel around the world. I hope that these stories show that it will reach more than one way to travel, and that it is within your reach your destinations. Here is another example of people who a little later a priority in life made the world travel:
- Like the 70-year-old pair of bucking convention, traveling the world
we all come from different places, but we all have one thing in common: we all want to travel more
Make today the day you take one step closer to travel - whether it is buying a guide, booking a. Hostel, an itinerary, or go all the way to create and to buy a plane ticket.
Remember, tomorrow may never come, so do not wait.
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