Travel while you’re young and single
In 2016 I was 23 years old, working as a Software Engineer at Westfield, making north of $100k. After six months, I quit and went on a 2 month back-backing trip across Europe.
I was fortunate to find programming as a teenager and made it my hobby.
When I turned 18, I got hired by a small digital agency to build websites. Next, I joined a startup and got a taste of a different environment. Once that fell through, I joined Westfield to work on the company website.
For a while it was fun. Catered lunch, frequent company events, free parking etc. Everyone in the company was friendly and hard working. I enjoyed working with a larger team, building products that people actually used — I even created a piece of software I am proud of to this day.
Despite everything, I felt that I was losing motivation for two reasons. Firstly, I hit a professional plateau. After some point I wasn’t learning new things and my job became a mundane routine. Secondly, I got a strong desire for travel.
For me, certain ideas marinate in the back of my head until I get an urge to act. Traveling was one such idea. I had fantasized about going to Europe to explore multiple countries, but I hadn't found the right moment. Until, it presented itself in July of 2016. I knew I had to go!
My reasoning was the following: “I’m young, single, I have some savings, and I can always find a new job when I come back. I might not have such a moment in the future again where I have no responsibilities and I’m free to travel.” In addition, I was thinking about going to university (another one of those marinating ideas), so I thought it’d be nice to travel before committing to 4 years of studies. Friends and family didn’t see things like I did.
My parents couldn’t understand how I could quit a high paying job I just got 6 months ago. Why I would travel then, instead of sometime in the future when I’d have even more savings and after I’d gotten my degree. Similarly, my friends were surprised to hear that I was going to abandon my comfortable situation on a trip I could do anytime in the future.
Well, I believed that traveling had more to give me at the time than my job. Besides, I truly thought that it was the best time for such an endeavor. So, I left a suitcase of clothes, a few boxes (tip: try not to own many things in your early 20s, helps you be mobile) and my car at my parents’ and booked a one-way ticket to Greece (where I grew up).
I spend two and a half months in Europe, visited 8 countries and met with close relatives I hadn’t seen for years.
I stayed in hostels where I met all kinds of people from all over the world. Hostels are best for traveling solo because that’s where other solo travelers stay, so everybody has a common goal — exploration! In Iceland, I went on a road-trip with people I had met in the communal kitchen. In Prague, I joined travelers from various hostels on a huge bar crawl, and in Berlin, a few of us explored the techno scene, which is one of the best in Europe.
Coming back from Europe, I felt re-energized and ready to do serious work. Having satisfied the traveling desire (at least for that period), I spent the rest of my savings on studying Mathematics and Computer Science for the next 4 years (I did require additional financial assistance half-way through :D).
In retrospect, taking the opportunity to travel, was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. Nothing compares to learning about new cultures, discovering new places and meeting interesting people along the way! It is an experience I will definitely repeat in the future and recommend to you.
Do not wait for the perfect moment — it will never come.
You can follow me on Twitter where I document my journeys in startups, software development and crypto.
