1 year 6 months since I started this blog.
How do a traveller gives up his backpack and settle back
in life, work a routine job, and somehow don’t get the urge to throw it all
away and do it all over again? One day when it does happens and I could say for
certain that my exploring days are over maybe I’ll put a post up then but for
now the feet is still on fire.
Saving Up the Second Time
While I have read my fair share of how to save up TIPs
from the internet and find them most helpful but doing it a second time is a
whole new ball game. The first time is the easy part. Life’s saving are there
to be used, unnecessary assets to be sold, things to cut down and get rid off
and lifestyle to be change to save more money.
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| My Lonely Backpack |
Saving up the second time however after coming back
nearly broke the first time when you don’t have any of those extra layers of
fats (i.e. things to burn / sell / cut down) can be challenging. You have
learned the basics the first time so the second time saving should be easy
right?? Not quite so … when there is no sudden plus to your saving for let say
cutting back on Starbucks coffee or cancelling that useless subscription that
you don’t need, and you are already living on bare minimum; suddenly saving
becomes a grinding task
Saving is not going to get faster and there is no more
ways to optimized. Years of saving is needed if you ever want to get enough for
that second trip …. OMG
Temptation of Finding Alternative Cash
This one was real … I was already optimizing my living
lifestyle to bare minimum with the occasional spurge to keep my mind sane … so
what was next? What could I do to speed up the process allowing me to hit the
road a second time? Naturally I started looking for ways to earn additional
income. Was it even possible??? Would that be a clash in interest with my
current job role? Am I even violating any of my obligation to my current job?? The
dilemma was always there while thinking of means to make more cash
Well humans are interesting creatures … if you want
something bad enough you will find away. So I started looking for alternative
income source. Seriously started looking but there is only so much hours a week
one can work his ass off. Nope I taking two jobs was out of the question.
What about get rich gimmicks ?? Investment or even those
work at home with an internet connection marketing which is everywhere nowadays
…. Too bad I was still a wuss when it comes to using internet to make money and
have no sense or rather will not risk investing hard earned save money on a
possibility ….
At present my adventure is under countdown and in exactly
2 years I will have saved enough to kick start a second adventure …. I look at
it this way … every bad decision will delay the departure. Countdown is set but
a bad investment that ties you down can set back that dream a few years. Even a
few months can be a disaster since one can never predict the future and there
are so much temptation out there that the longer one procrastinate the further
the dream will be.
So it happened to me as well … why it took 2 years and 6
months instead of exactly 2 years … well many reasons I would say. Indulgence …
occasional splurge else I would go insane … one must keep his social life
active to stay sane or at lease for me … but more than that I was trying to get
additional income … the only legal way I knew that would not infringe any of my
working ethics or my contract with my company. GAMBLING …
Casino … all the hopes and dreams of a lifetime … if only
that magical $100 and with some skill and some luck maybe.. Just maybe I could
double it … and maybe again just win enough to travel the world another time.
I told myself this justification every time I step foot
into the casino … plus indirectly the casino also serve as an indulgence to
keep me sane … with some hope of setting off early … but oh well 6 months late
is still better than never …
Hope is all there is
I can say this to those who are struggling to lift off
the ground after the first big journey …. Make your choices carefully… it is
easy to settle in and somehow before you knew it you are tied up and are unable
to travel due to obligation but there is always a way, never give up ….
Remember the dream … if its precious enough … one will find a way
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