With long-term travel it’s a whole different ball game. If you don’t plan to go, how will you ever know when it’s really time to leave? You could go on forever just waiting for your adventure to come to you. I’ve fallen into this trap in the past; two years ago, to be precise. I should have just packed up and gone to a far flung place with no idea when, or even whether, I would return. But I didn’t. And so life caught up with me and I managed to tie myself even further with responsibilities. I’m determined not to let it happen again. Those of you who have read my blog will remember my unease at my lack of travel plans at the beginning of the year. Well I can reveal that not much has changed. Which is why I have decided to set myself a deadline, for the first ever time in my life. This deadline will be a turning point – it will be a second chance to do what I didn’t have the nerve to do two years ago; pick up and leave. If I decide I simply can’t do it, or if fate manages to intervene and change my life completely before this deadline then so be it. At least I’ll keep my love for travel in my heart and my mind and I’ll still experience as much as I can.
I had to set a date as well. There’s always a reason to save/prepare longer but in the end you just have to go.
Exactly. I can wax lyrical about it for ever and a day, always finding a reason to save longer or work longer, etc but there comes a point where you just have to GO!
I agree. There does come a point where you should just do it! Life is short.
Have you sold your house yet?
Best of luck to you….look forward to reading more about your upcoming adventures! 🙂
Unfortunately not yet sold the house, Lisa. It’s up for sale so hoping the housing market will pick up now that Spring is near. Once that has gone then I will definitely be setting my sights on adventures!
I set a deadline in September last year for February 28th 2011. Now that date has come. I am overseas on my big adventure.
Before that though I must say I was freaking out thinking that I would not be ready in time. But you know what? Things just get done: even if you are packing at 1am in the morning and then have to catch an 8am flight that same day.
Life has a funny way of making the plans you had not working out the way you where hoping they would. I was planning on taking a long trip for the past 2 years, but twice now I got a virus infection that prevents me from doing anything at all. It’s very tempting to just quite my job and go when the virus is gone again. The situation i’m in now is clearly not that good for my health, so maybe its time for change in enviroment. Set the new date now for September, so hopefully I will make it this time 🙂
Wow, I’m sorry to hear about your poor health situation. It is so sad when we feel really frustrated because we are ready and willing to travel but something quite major is stopping us from doing it. I really hope you get to stick to your new ‘deadline’ though 🙂