Writer Focus — Travel Edition

Hey Bartender; Give Me Another One of those Singapore Slings

June new writer focus — Travel Edition!

At my house the countdown is on for the day when my wife quits her job and we pull up stakes here in Washington to adopt what I have begun to refer to as a “semi-nomadic” lifestyle.

We are approaching the 15-month countdown mark, however recently we have been discussing a potential option of bumping things up by six months and departing next March (rather than September).

Either way, the clock is ticking inexorably towards the moment. We have allowed that we will probably spend winters in our vacation rental home in Gulf Shores Alabama but will vacate each March to travel the globe while renters come and enjoy the sun and sparkling white sands of Gulf Shores for the summer months.

So, I have been doing plenty of reading and research on a lifestyle that has us living in different regions of the world for at least half the year. I have found that some of the writers new to the Illumination publication have some wonderful insight to offer in that regard, so I want to share that with you!

Right now, my wife and I have the concept of settling down more permanently somewhere in 6 or 7 years as our backing narrative. Mostly because that is the mindset we have been working with for many, many years. (It is changing though…)

New Writer Focus (on Travel!)

So, in many ways we are looking at our coming adventure as something of a “gap (few) year(s)”. That is why this great article from Shrita Pathak jumped out at me about when faced with the possibility, do you take a gap year?

Shrita finds herself still in Spain, after deciding to do just that and heartily recommends chasing your passion whenever it calls. She asks the reader, “Do you need to take a time out?”

Yes. Yes, I do:

Next is a piece from Diane Lee about how summer is bringing out a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation for her extended time in Vietnam. After three years there, Diane had decided it was time to move on to a new destination, when Coronavirus struck and kept her hunkering down in place.

Read how Diane has gotten her groove back (or at least nearly) and is learning to appreciate some of the things she loves about the country all over again here:

As an added bonus, Diane also penned a piece last year that reminded visitors that showing up on your expat friend’s doorstep under the guise of a visit to catch up, when what you really want is a free tour guide, is pretty darn rude and annoying.

Of course, we have to make exceptions for family, right?

Next, and of particular interest to me is an article from Shawn Forno that precisely lays out the costs for traveling about the globe full time. Shawn’s profile has a bunch of other great pieces on everything from travel gear to how to avoid “souvenir creep” on the road. Definitely good stuff to check out there.

But a great starting place to help plan your next jet-setting exploit is his article on the costs of travel, and where he reveals his “boring secret to full-time travel”. Shhh, just don’t tell anyone after you read:

And finally, one more piece to help corroborate the traveler’s budget. Larisa Andras provides us with her story of setting out with a one way ticket to Portugal and 3,000 Euros in the bank.

Larisa outlines her budget and spending priorities as well as providing us with some excellent travel apps that no nomad should be without. She doesn’t know where she might be headed next, except that she knows that it isn’t going back home:

Let’s Make a Connection

As I like to do with all my new writer features, I want to tie in someone that has been writing on Illumination for a little bit already. Julia E Hubbel’s idea of adventure might be a bit more rustic than what the rest of us might want to tackle, but it is certainly inspirational to read about her journeys.

In this piece, Julia writes about how a person knows when it is time for another adventure. Whether it is your inner goddess that whispers in your ear, or the pull of the unknown speaks to you in another voice, you are going to want to read about how to know when to answer the call here:

The Big Ask

The other thing I like to do when I feature new writers is ask that they shine the spotlight forward. Whether they write a story promoting other writers, push out links on social media, or just read and interact tirelessly, I ask the writers I feature to spread some love out to other writers that inspire them.

The power of collectivism and collaboration is amazing and real. You can really make another person’s day by seeing the value and beauty in their work. So please, take some time to support and promote another writer.

Help a Fella Out

If you feel the call to drop the mundane and strike out into the world, or at least like reading or writing about it, then feel free to tag me in. Tag me in your travel pieces or drop me a note on Slack if you see a great story about travel.

I would definitely be up for another travel feature if I found another set of stories.

Thanks for reading, I am enjoying getting to know all the new writers on Illumination!

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Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.