The following are questions that have come up as we have planned for and started to travel. We will continue to update this page as more questions are asked. If you have more questions, feel free to contact us.
- How did you get so much time off of work?
We quit our jobs! It may not be the best idea in this economy and we were both sad to leave the jobs that we did have. However, we have had a burning desire to travel and/or live overseas for a few years and wanted to do these things before starting a family and/or owning a house. - How can you afford to travel for a year without working?
Starting in May 2008, we set our mind on saving money for whatever would come up in the future; whether it be for a house, children, traveling, living overseas, etc. We lived on one paycheck and we saved the other for the year. Deenaree taught and worked a second job privately tutoring. We wouldn’t say we lived frugally, we just worked on saving the money that we did have. To save, we gave ourselves a set budget every week for our expenses. It made us think twice about impulse purchases and put our spending into perspective. In circumstances where we exceeded this budget, we made sure that we offset this by spending less in the following weeks. On another note, traveling can be as inexpensive or expensive as you want it to be. It all depends on what kind of traveler you are. Three things that have really helped our trip to stay budget-friendly…1) couchsurfing, 2) traveling during off-peak season, 3) traveling in countries where prices are low. With the exception of Ben’s college loan, we have no bills to pay (i.e. rent/mortgage, cell phones, health insurance, car insurance, car loans, etc.) so this has allowed us to live on our saved money during the trip. - How do you plan for a trip like this?
Perseverance, passion, and lots of research. We immersed ourselves in travel sites, blogs, and connecting with fellow travelers. We created lists for visa information, packing items, things to do pre-trip, and embassy information. We have no doubt that you can travel RTW with much less effort, but we felt that this was necessary for our peace of mind. The most helpful information to know/prepare was visa information for land border crossings and to prepare necessary documents for this. - What are you doing with your house while you are away?
We lived in an apartment during our time in Texas and planned our trip around the end of the lease. We wanted to be mobile so we chose not to buy a house yet. As for our belongings, Ben’s family is using the furniture and all major appliances. Deenaree’s family is storing the rest of their belongings in their basement. - What about all the bills you have at home?
With the exception of Ben’s college loan which we pay online, we have no bills to pay (i.e. cell phones, health insurance, car insurance, car loans, etc.) so this has allowed us to live on our saved money during the trip. Our lease was finished and Deenaree sold her car right before our trip so we do not have rent/car loans. During the first month of traveling, we had some final bills come in from our last days in the U.S. Deenaree’s parent’s address is where the mail has been routed and her parents have been helpful in communicating about any mail received. - How are you getting from place to place?
The first portion of the trip was possible due to airline miles we had earned. We have used ground transportation whenever possible because it is the cheapest option and the best way to see the country. Flights are used to get from continent to continent. We keep an eye out for cheap airfare and exercise flexibility on the cities we fly to/from. - Can we meet you somewhere?
Yes! Currently, we are living in Bangkok and would love to meet you here. We also intend to keep on traveling (although not on quite so large of a scale) so we may be in your neck of the woods. Please check for updates and send us an email at bvoelker@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us. - What next?
Good question and one that we ask ourselves constantly. We stopped our RTW in mid-July to move to Bangkok to start working. We are continuing to see where life takes us, but planning to incorporate travel into our lives as it is important to both of us. Thank you everyone for your support!
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