How Long Does It Take To Travel The Entire World?
If you’re from the USA, Europe, Australia, or another passport-blessed country, you have an incredible opportunity to travel today.
Flights are cheap and getting cheaper, your currency is powerful, and almost all countries welcome you so long as you pay a visa-processing fee.
This ‘Grand Tour’ is about your education, confidence, independence, following your dream, and becoming your own person far from the influences of today.
Traveling the entire world takes about 5 years, according to my estimate and experience. Generally speaking, I’ve spent 1 year per continent on my trip around the globe.
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2015 – Asia
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2016 – Mexico & Central America
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2017 – South America
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2018 – Africa
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2019 – (Planned) Europe
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2020 – (Shhhh… Secret!)
The only person I know who spent almost a year in Antarctica was my Dad, but I assume this won’t be the #1 destination for most of you. (The penguins aren’t there most of the year anyway!)
5 Years Is A Long Time
What are the main reasons it took me so long? (I’m not even visiting every country.)
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Finances – Money makes the world go ‘round. At least, it makes you go around the world. When I started traveling, I was broke. Almost laughably, I didn’t dream of taking flights and I didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket home! Generally, staying in 1 place saves money.
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Time To Work – Traveling leads to lost time. I am not going to research e-commerce products efficiently while on a bus or in the station, nervously wondering who wants to steal my computer when I run to the bathroom. Unexpected delays may mean missed Skype meetings, and you’re not sure where your next Wifi connection will be.
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It’s Exhausting – Sprinting around a foreign country for a 3-week vacation is manageable, but keeping the pace for a 3-year marathon isn’t. It’s lovely to seek out a coffee shop with a beautiful view of the valley, and then actually return every other day for a few weeks.
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Get To Know People – It’s rare to build close friendships with strangers while traveling, not like the friends you’ve known for years. But, seeing someone every day for 2 months is enough time to build trust that isn’t there after 2 days. (You don’t start brainstorming new business ideas together until week 3!) With more time, you’ll actually remember them (perhaps decide you’d like to work with them) rather than simply forget them in a sea of faces.
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Language Learning – Every day in Mexico and Central/South America was an opportunity to improve my Spanish, a skill I knew I wanted to learn and a practice that often left me exhilarated post-conversation. If you’re learning a foreign language, you may want to spend more time in 1 location or region, rather than skip off too soon.
Is Traveling The World For 5 Years Worth It?
Ask me once I’ve been everywhere. Today, the answer is most definitely Yes.
The alternative to being in a different place all the time is to be in the same place all the time. Today, when you can build a business, talk to family, and learn anything from anywhere, and when travel is so accessible, and when you don’t have kids to feed… why would you choose the former?
If I had a tip for someone considering a global trip, it would be this:
“Don’t return to any one place until you’ve been everywhere you want to go.”
Maybe, consider returning home to hug your mom for Christmas, but every other time I’ve turned back is because I’m either settling for small comforts, or trying to settle into a relationship that is painfully at odds with my goal to eventually continue traveling.
“I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know if I’ll be back again…”
At times this trip has been difficult and frightening. At others, passionate and exhilarating.
If you are considering this type of journey… Yes, it has been very, very worth it.