Traveling for a long time has many advantages compared to short vacations. First and foremost, you get to maximize the expensive plane tickets that you purchase. Also, you get to immerse yourself in a community since you’re not pressured to hop from one destination to another quickly. You have the privilege of time to linger in a place for as long as you want. That means the friendships you develop are richer and deeper. You do not only get to know a place intimately but the people that inhabit it too.
However, to pull off long-term travel, you need to have enough money in the bank. If you’re not a trust fund baby, that might be a challenging feat to overcome. Alternatively, you can save a travel nest egg and be off to your first destination. To earn while traveling, you may pursue jobs that require a specific skill set. Here are our recommendations.
English teacher
There are two routes to this job. You can choose to work either as an online home tuition English teacher or an English as a second language (ESL) teacher. The former does not entail a very stringent screening process. So long as you are a native English speaker, or someone as proficient in the language as a native speaker, and you are enthusiastic enough to conduct hour-long classes for learners in different stages of English proficiency, you’ll get hired fast.
As for the latter, the screening process might prove a bit more rigorous. However, you can expect better pay too.
Yoga instructor
Have you been practicing yoga for a long time? Have you perfected all those positions from basic like the cat pose to advanced like the crow pose? If you answer in the affirmative, you have a potential income source once you decide to travel for a long time.
Picture yourself living on an island with a thriving backpackers community. Your fellow travelers could be your clients. You get to earn teaching people something you’re passionate about. And your job’s great for your overall wellbeing, too.
Diving instructor
If you are an accomplished and licensed diving instructor, the world is your oyster. Whichever island or beachside community you pick from the map, chances are it needs a scuba diving instructor. That means you can fund your long-term travel while enjoying your favorite pastime.
To make the most of your big adventure, linger in some of the must-dive destinations. Include places like Savusavu in Fiji, La Paz in Mexico, and Bodrum in Turkey to your itinerary.
Massage therapist
Before you depart for your long-term travel, get a massage therapist certification. You have many options as to what kind of massage to master. There’s Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, and aromatherapy, among others. To improve your chances of getting booked as frequently as required by your expenses, why not master at least three?
Once you start giving away massages, build rapport with your clients. Do well, and you’ll get repeat bookings. You may also receive referrals from happy customers.
Bartender
Party destinations do not run out of bars that operate till the wee hours of the morning. If you have that party soul that can’t get enough of late-night happenings, might as well get paid while doing your thing.
There are very few requirements to becoming an excellent bartender. You need to know your booze. You have to enjoy having small talk. And you must know basic arithmetic so that your cash register does not come up short at the end of the night despite a dozen of free shots from customers who enjoyed your extroversion. Surely, you can pull those things off.
Hostel staff
Most hostels would willingly hire a traveler. If you find yourself in a hostel with the exact vibe you’re looking for, ask the management if they have an opening. You might be given a front desk job. Yes, you’ll be able to exchange epic travel anecdotes with the guests that’ll come and go.
This list is in no way comprehensive. In fact, you have a lot more options in terms of jobs you can do while on the road. The key to landing one that you will appreciate doing is knowing your passions and skills. There’s no point traveling long-term if the job you do on the side to fund your expenses causes you unnecessary stress.
Your goal is to have as much fun as you can. And learn about life and the human condition as much as you can. Ideally, the time you return home, you’re a much better person than when you left.
