Why I Packed Up My Life to Move Abroad

Travel is incredibly personal. Some are ready– some remain untouched from its grasp, content to remain at home and live comfortably.

This, however, was not the way I wanted to go; I knew from a very young age I wanted to see the world.

When I was a child, each day felt like it was the same. The same dull routine that just continued to recycle and spin in a circle, leaving me wanting more. It was not that I had a terrible childhood; rather, it just lacked in excitement and felt quite lonely, not helped by the fact I was an only child who moved schools a lot.

Senior year of high school is when the travel bug officially had me.

I distinctly remember the moment it triggered in me. It was after watching the Netflix show Master of None. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, I would recommend they go watch the first two seasons immediately as it is genuinely beautiful.

The first season is great in its own right but the second is a masterpiece of filmmaking. With outright homages to classic Italian movies from the 40s-60s, it portrays Italy as though it were magic. From rolling hills to sharp, jagged mountains, from farmers markets to Aperol Spritzes in outside bodegas, it is a fantastical land of hazy pleasure and lush beauty.

More than anything, it felt intensely romantic. I knew I had to find a way to remain there longer than just the average tourist. This idea is what originally hooked me. It made me realize there is untold beauty elsewhere besides just the United States and I had to get out there and find it.

So I made a promise to myself: when I was old enough and able to travel, I would live a life of adventure and animation; each day would be different and full of mystery and intrigue. No longer would I feel like the star of Groundhog Day. I had the power to change my fate and I had every intention of doing it.

In the meantime, I set to work charting a feasible plan of my future hopes and dream travel destinations and how to make it happen. It moved slowly, but my life gradually began to traverse along the path I created based on the sole aim of traveling.

In 2019, I had the luxury of going for my undergrad at the University of Florida and things finally began to click. I had enough scholarships and grants that, by senior year, I was able to take a year off from work to focus on school. In between classes, I began to expand my adventures.

I took a practice run to Miami and other weekend destinations to see how well I could travel without the help of my parents. It turns out it was actually much easier— who would’ve guessed!

I was not reliant on their wishes and desires, we didn’t have to stay at a hotel with free breakfast in the morning and I could go to nice restaurants without fear of their impatience toward a 20 minute wait at the host stand.

Miami, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, Atlanta, Charleston, Orlando. I began flying through the biggest regional East Coast cities faster than I could save up for them.

Each month held new surprises and possibilities and I was flooded with a passion and drive to see more and more and more. It gave me an excitement that I hadn’t felt ever before and, of course, soon I began to crave even bigger trips.

I needed to get overseas; I had to see Italy and the rest of the Old World.

Unfortunately for me, my borrowed time was soon to run out.

I was approaching my last semester as an Undergrad and would have to either get a real job again or continue into higher education. The money I had saved up was dwindling and I didn’t much enjoy the thought of taking out loans for a Master’s degree so I subconsciously understood my year of freedom was soon to be cut off.

All of my friends had received internships in their tenure at UF, a route I had chosen not to pursue and one, consequently, that left me without many job offers. I decided I wasn’t ready for a big-boy job, I had to find a way to make my international gap year become a reality.

Luckily for me, and unluckily for my mother, my dad, of all people, found the solution for me.

He sent me an ad on Facebook for a ski lodge in Bavaria, Germany that was looking to hire Americans.

This “ski lodge” was actually Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, a hotel run by the Department of Defense for military personnel or active duty members of the Armed Forces, staffed by 20-somethings who just wanted cheap lodging and good travel opportunities.

The deal, according to the ad, was a free flight and free lodging in return for a fifteen-month contract of work in a department of their choosing. I jokingly applied for it one day bored during class and was astonished to wake up to a call the very next morning from their HR director looking to set up an interview with me.

Half-asleep, voice cracking, my girlfriend still snoring next to me, I answered the call and confirmed a second interview in a few days at 7:00am. Germany is six hours ahead of East Coast time, making this the biggest hurdle a drunk college student could face: waking up early.

Fast forward to a few days later, the interview was very straightforward– the questions revolved around “do you have a passport” and “are you willing to work abroad”. Of course, my answers were yes across the board and, all things being equal, I was hired a week later.

The paperwork for DOD contract positions is insane and, luckily, I had another six months to complete it while I finished school and packed up my life. The timing was perfect and I graduated with my degree in Communications and was allowed a month to decompress before heading out. The rest is history.

Helpful Tips for You

My circumstances for traveling were very special, I was able to live long-term abroad and save up money while I plotted my next destination. I don’t expect everyone to be able to take this same route as it is a rarity to find opportunities like this abroad.

But for anyone looking to see the world, I recommend finding seasonal jobs or even “volunteer” hostel jobs that are willing to work with you in terms of paying for your work. It makes things a lot easier and a lot more permanent if a paycheck flows in while living in the country of your dreams.

That’s not to say volunteering sites like Worldpackers, WWOOF and Workaway aren’t a great tool as well, but I believe they only sustain travel for so long and can often be quite toxic based on my friends’ experiences.

I still believe however you choose to travel, it will be a rewarding experience regardless. If you feel that travel bug biting, the best thing you can do is listen to it and find a way to execute your plan.

By cutting down on clutter, avoiding excess spending and remaining goal-oriented toward travel, you will find it’s actually much easier to accomplish than some people make it seem.

Budget traveling is very attainable — even comfortable — these days and there is more than enough resources to help someone on their path to financial freedom and long-term travel.

While my blog will help with this, I still recommend listening to professionals speak about it so you will be better equipped when you are ready to take that first step out the door and into your new life.

Dave Ramsey and his podcast is a great place to start, even if the advice he gives is simply logical and common sense.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”

St. Augustine

Even if you cannot or do not want to travel to another country, find ways to see something new around you— to live more dynamic and engaging lives. At worst, you spend money and don’t like it; at best, you find a new home.

If you feel that travel bug biting, listen to it and let it take you where it will. Have the courage to try something new, even if it’s just for a second