Travelling vs long term relationship
Discussion
hondafanatic said:
Just go. I’m 39, mortgage up to hilt, ok car, mrs, two step-kids...I really like my life but if you were my mate asking that question at your age I’d say go for it.
I would second this, I always did the sensible thing, I got jobs during the summer while at Uni, went straight into work when I finished. I regret not spending time travelling and would say just go for it.The best advice I was given, when sat at Heathrow before going away by myself for the first time, was 'Whatever happens, you're only 24 hours from home'.
The world is a small place these days, with the internet and so many flights to different places. Yes start in Oz, because its nice and easy, but then go to other places after that. Bali, China, Thailand, NZ etc. Do what you want to do, and see what you want to see. Stay in Hostels and you'll meet all sorts of people from all over the world - listen to the interesting ones. Everyone has a story to tell. You'll get the opportunity to do all sorts of amazing things, and although it doesnt change you, it does massively expand your world and it gives you a different perspective on things.
The worst part about travelling is that when you come home all your new facebook friends are still putting up photos of what they're up to, and that doesnt stop any time soon. Solo travelers tend to be an interesting and slightly different bunch, once you've done it you'll keep going back to it time and time again. Ive been doing it for 8 years, on and off. Even though I now have a 'proper job', house, mortgage etc, I still find 2 or 3 weeks a year to take my backpack and go somewhere new.
You'll probably always wonder what if, whatever you do. The 'one' is only the right girl at the right time. If you've wanted to go for years, then you better go and find out.
The world is a small place these days, with the internet and so many flights to different places. Yes start in Oz, because its nice and easy, but then go to other places after that. Bali, China, Thailand, NZ etc. Do what you want to do, and see what you want to see. Stay in Hostels and you'll meet all sorts of people from all over the world - listen to the interesting ones. Everyone has a story to tell. You'll get the opportunity to do all sorts of amazing things, and although it doesnt change you, it does massively expand your world and it gives you a different perspective on things.
The worst part about travelling is that when you come home all your new facebook friends are still putting up photos of what they're up to, and that doesnt stop any time soon. Solo travelers tend to be an interesting and slightly different bunch, once you've done it you'll keep going back to it time and time again. Ive been doing it for 8 years, on and off. Even though I now have a 'proper job', house, mortgage etc, I still find 2 or 3 weeks a year to take my backpack and go somewhere new.
You'll probably always wonder what if, whatever you do. The 'one' is only the right girl at the right time. If you've wanted to go for years, then you better go and find out.
Edited by Condi on Thursday 26th October 20:22
Another vote for go here. You will not regret it.
You'll have to excuse the following cliches but I had a couple of years travelling and it was the best thing I've ever done.
Your opportunity could be gone tomorrow so don't f
k about, get it booked. SE Asia is easy for a lone traveller, Australia even easier.
You'll have to excuse the following cliches but I had a couple of years travelling and it was the best thing I've ever done.
Your opportunity could be gone tomorrow so don't f
k about, get it booked. SE Asia is easy for a lone traveller, Australia even easier.Do it OP. Take her with you or don’t. The travel might kill off the relationship anyway because it’s not for everyone the backpacking thing.
I headed off with mates some 13 years ago and type this laying by my tropical pool in Thailand!
It may well have its ups and downs but it’s the glory of ride that’s important not, nessisarily the destination. (That sounds lame but it’s true)
I headed off with mates some 13 years ago and type this laying by my tropical pool in Thailand!
It may well have its ups and downs but it’s the glory of ride that’s important not, nessisarily the destination. (That sounds lame but it’s true)
don't take her with you. If you're in a couple most of the people you meet just kind of disregard you a bit... it's a singles paradise... not a fkfest as such unless you want it to be, but certainly an awesome way to meet a lot of people. This spoken from someone who took his ex (I say EX) travelling with him.
kfest as such unless you want it to be, but certainly an awesome way to meet a lot of people. This spoken from someone who took his ex (I say EX) travelling with him.Go now whilst you have the chance. When you've got a mortgage, kids, cars, commitments its far far harder to do it. I should have gone and didn't. Luckily I've got a chance to travel with work now and I'm traveling through Europe quite regularly, causing all sorts of challenges at home though.
If you don't like traveling you can always bin it off and come home.
If you don't like traveling you can always bin it off and come home.
One-way flight ticket to Bangkok.
Tuk tuk to Khao San Road
Walk into the first hostel you see and pay your $5 a night
After about 3 days you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about. It's full of people in _exactly_ the same boat as you and before you know it you'll be sitting in a bar drinking Chang beers and planning your bus trip to Vietnam with a Dutch guy named Dirk
Tuk tuk to Khao San Road
Walk into the first hostel you see and pay your $5 a night
After about 3 days you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about. It's full of people in _exactly_ the same boat as you and before you know it you'll be sitting in a bar drinking Chang beers and planning your bus trip to Vietnam with a Dutch guy named Dirk
Stay, marry the girl, have some kids, a mortgage.....do the right thing......
......then spend the rest of your life wishing and wondering, what would have happened, what could have happened.
I went of to see the world when I was 29, never regretted it for one moment, though I was nervous, scared as fk before I went. I stayed away 12 years before I finally moved back to the UK.
......then spend the rest of your life wishing and wondering, what would have happened, what could have happened.
I went of to see the world when I was 29, never regretted it for one moment, though I was nervous, scared as f
k before I went. I stayed away 12 years before I finally moved back to the UK. At the age of 45 I split up with a very long term (15 years) partner. This is nearly 5 years ago.
Decided I would go off for four months. Resigned my job but was offered a sabbatical instead.
Booked a one way ticket to Indonesia and packed 30kg of stuff into an ex-army Bergen and my carry on.
Learnt to ride a scooter, went snorkelling in amazing oceans, bribed some police, shared bathroom with a snake for two weeks, got taken to a club in Tokyo suburbs by a girl I met in a bar who turned out to be quite a celebrity, eat sushi at Tokyo fish market, stayed in a traditional hotel in Kyoto, caught fish in Vietnam, went to a mud bath place, went down a very dodgy cave system in Thailand, rode an elephant, met a great crowd of Vietnamese students in a club in HCMC, nearly got in a punch up with a Chinese guy in an airport lounge somewhere in China, climbed a volcano, shared a packed lunch with a very pleasant wild monkey, rode a scooter over a very narrow bridge that collapsed a year later killing 20+ people, met people from lots of countries...drank a lot, eat amazing food, took 10 flights ended up flying back from HK to UK.
Arrived at Gatwick on a cold late March day....waited for a, delayed, train towards London. A coffee had just cost me £3.50. Stood on the platform and thought “fk this”.
I now live in Bali.
Decided I would go off for four months. Resigned my job but was offered a sabbatical instead.
Booked a one way ticket to Indonesia and packed 30kg of stuff into an ex-army Bergen and my carry on.
Learnt to ride a scooter, went snorkelling in amazing oceans, bribed some police, shared bathroom with a snake for two weeks, got taken to a club in Tokyo suburbs by a girl I met in a bar who turned out to be quite a celebrity, eat sushi at Tokyo fish market, stayed in a traditional hotel in Kyoto, caught fish in Vietnam, went to a mud bath place, went down a very dodgy cave system in Thailand, rode an elephant, met a great crowd of Vietnamese students in a club in HCMC, nearly got in a punch up with a Chinese guy in an airport lounge somewhere in China, climbed a volcano, shared a packed lunch with a very pleasant wild monkey, rode a scooter over a very narrow bridge that collapsed a year later killing 20+ people, met people from lots of countries...drank a lot, eat amazing food, took 10 flights ended up flying back from HK to UK.
Arrived at Gatwick on a cold late March day....waited for a, delayed, train towards London. A coffee had just cost me £3.50. Stood on the platform and thought “f
k this”.I now live in Bali.
Juts go.
I've been your age in a serious relationship and it didn't work out. I'm now 27, have made a good chunk of money from a property purchase and am starting to get itchy feet in my current career, and am seriously contemplating taking 6 months off and using some of that money to see the world.
No one ever seems to regret going travelling, but plenty regret not going.
I've been your age in a serious relationship and it didn't work out. I'm now 27, have made a good chunk of money from a property purchase and am starting to get itchy feet in my current career, and am seriously contemplating taking 6 months off and using some of that money to see the world.
No one ever seems to regret going travelling, but plenty regret not going.
SpunkyGlory said:
Juts go.
I've been your age in a serious relationship and it didn't work out. I'm now 27, have made a good chunk of money from a property purchase and am starting to get itchy feet in my current career, and am seriously contemplating taking 6 months off and using some of that money to see the world.
No one ever seems to regret going travelling, but plenty regret not going.
Very true. When did you last hear somone say that they regretted having gone travelling ?I've been your age in a serious relationship and it didn't work out. I'm now 27, have made a good chunk of money from a property purchase and am starting to get itchy feet in my current career, and am seriously contemplating taking 6 months off and using some of that money to see the world.
No one ever seems to regret going travelling, but plenty regret not going.
Mr. Nice Guy said:
I feel like the whole travelling thing would be better as a couple than alone, but I have only begun to think this since we split up.
I am virtually slapping the back of your head - I went travelling and it was bloody excellent, met loads of interesting people - the only people who I met who weren't having a good time were couples.Go and go on your own - it forces you to meet new people which is half the point of travelling
I started in Oz then went to SE Asia - Oz was a comfortable place to start but wish I hadn't bothered - a $1 in Oz goes way further in Asia and I could have extended my stay by a month longer but for that two weeks in Cairns and various Oz places
You are also in a very fortunate position where you are a) young b) single c) financed and d) career break - this wonderful aligning of the stars happens once or twice (if lucky) in your life FFS, which is why you shouldn't listen to any of this boring crap:
andy-xr said:
I'd wait for more of a conclusion to the g/f thing
I think you probably need to figure out if there's a future there
I'd also wait for more security on the finances
The job's the thing stopping you doing a lot of other stuff, like socialising and having a relationship. Find a new job then have another look at things.
GO!I think you probably need to figure out if there's a future there
I'd also wait for more security on the finances
The job's the thing stopping you doing a lot of other stuff, like socialising and having a relationship. Find a new job then have another look at things.
Edited by Adam B on Monday 30th October 11:13
I'm going to be controversial here, and say....JUST GO! ;-)
There are some amazing places out there, and some amazing people to meet. You really won't get the chance to do this again, if your life follows a fairly conventional path of marriage/mortgage/kids etc. Now is the time! Blink and you'll miss it.
IF you come back, you'll have incredible memories, be a more rounded individual, and all your current worries will seem ridiculous.
Book that ticket, commit to it, and you'll have an absolute ball.
Can recommend Thailand and Vietnam as good places to start. Puts you pretty central for onward voyages, massive back packer scene, stunning weather, stunning food.
You lucky bugger.
Edit: PS. The cliche YOLO could not be more appropriate here.
There are some amazing places out there, and some amazing people to meet. You really won't get the chance to do this again, if your life follows a fairly conventional path of marriage/mortgage/kids etc. Now is the time! Blink and you'll miss it.
IF you come back, you'll have incredible memories, be a more rounded individual, and all your current worries will seem ridiculous.
Book that ticket, commit to it, and you'll have an absolute ball.
Can recommend Thailand and Vietnam as good places to start. Puts you pretty central for onward voyages, massive back packer scene, stunning weather, stunning food.
You lucky bugger.
Edit: PS. The cliche YOLO could not be more appropriate here.
Edited by cbmotorsport on Monday 30th October 11:07
Conversely on the couple debate...
I went travelling at the age of 25 with my then GF of only 6 months. It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing having been on holiday to Thailand that Christmas. We thought, fk it lets go. So we handed in our notice and flew to Bangkok at the beginning of November. Did Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam. Then went on to Australia and ending up in New Zealand. We actually planned on staying in NZ for some time but managed to get confused with visas so that wasn't to be. Camper van around NZ at the end of the summer was my favourite part.
Best 8 month of my life. Completely solidified our relationship and we met some great friends on the way who we are still in contact with now 8 years later.
This is completely irrelevant of course to the OPs post and point.
If you're still here and haven't yet booked a ticket, please get on with it. If you want actual travel advice I suggest you start another thread in the travel section...
I went travelling at the age of 25 with my then GF of only 6 months. It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing having been on holiday to Thailand that Christmas. We thought, f
k it lets go. So we handed in our notice and flew to Bangkok at the beginning of November. Did Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam. Then went on to Australia and ending up in New Zealand. We actually planned on staying in NZ for some time but managed to get confused with visas so that wasn't to be. Camper van around NZ at the end of the summer was my favourite part.Best 8 month of my life. Completely solidified our relationship and we met some great friends on the way who we are still in contact with now 8 years later.
This is completely irrelevant of course to the OPs post and point.
If you're still here and haven't yet booked a ticket, please get on with it. If you want actual travel advice I suggest you start another thread in the travel section...
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