“I worked twelve hours yesterday.” Says Bill proudly as he walks into the office, hoping for some sympathy from his coworkers. Overworking yourself to make ends meet as a result of rent going up or an unexpected car bill is no longer a foreign concept. In Japan, people are quite literally working themselves to death.
Going on an adventure doesn’t have to be expensive. As a matter of fact, you can easily do it for free. Finding the right place isn’t too difficult either. However time, or rather a lack thereof, seems to be the most limiting factor when it comes to being able to go out and disconnect from the stress of everyday life.
The right place
An often overlooked factor when deciding how you’re going to miss a week of work is simply not missing a week to begin with by going somewhere more reasonable. No matter where you live, its likely that there are plenty of great locations just outside your doorstep. The trick is to simply find your inner child and make the most of what you have.
Working too hard to afford it
If you’re working overtime or selling your grandma’s old pottery just to afford the trip, you’ve probably chosen the wrong location. Take another look at your options and consider a more affordable location that’ll leave you with more time to adequately prepare, as well as eliminating the feeling of constantly think about work while you’re supposed to be relaxing. Consider a more affordable country like Tanzania. The great part about visiting a third world country is that you can see the world from a new perspective. You’ll get to know a diverse and unique group of people who live in some of the most beautiful locations on earth, all while staying within your budget.
Reducing clutter
Consider gradually adding the concept of minimalism into your life. This will help you reduce the amount of work you have to do to make it to the end of the day. Whether it be buying a Roomba to clean your floors or simply unsubscribing from mailing lists that pollute your inbox every day, the smallest steps will make a huge difference in the long run.
This can also help you enjoy more of your time abroad. For example, try getting rid of Facebook for a week. After all, you don’t need to spend hours every day constantly scrolling through advertisements that are flanked by your friend’s controversial political views.
Conclusion
If you follow the steps above and spend a bit of time rethinking the way you move through everyday life, you can easily turn your adventures abroad into just another routine “thing,” as opposed to an event you dread preparing for. Imagine not having to do any excessive budgeting or stressing about not having everything packed up and ready a week before you leave. Imagine being able to simply zip up your luggage and get going. With enough foresight, this is definitely possible.