Talking Travel: Learn How To Live A Work +Travel Lifestyle With Go Seek Explore
Lately, it seems like everyone has been talking about wanting to quit their job, sell all of their worldly possessions, and completely change their lifestyle to travel the world. However, for many of us, this doesn’t exactly seem practical or even appealing.
If you are trying to figure out how to incorporate a life of travel into your 9-5, or discover a way to work remotely to travel and be location independent, then you will want to get to know my friend Ally! Fortunately, in this installment of my new Talking Travel Interview Series, you’ll get to do just that!
Ally is the creator and writer behind Go Seek Explore, a website aimed at inspiring millennial travelers to live a work + travel lifestyle.
One of my favorite things about Go Seek Explore is the fact that Ally totally lives this mission in her daily life-after working in Italy (doing the same travel job I did!) she was able to successfully travel to many places while working full time, before quitting her full-time job to go the digital nomad route. Of the 19 countries Ally has traveled to, 13 of those were from working various travel jobs.
Not everyone has to give up their career, home, or lifestyle to travel the world, and Ally will show you how!
What first gave you the idea to live a work + travel lifestyle?
When I was about to graduate college I was applying to typical 9-5 office jobs my senior year, which is the typical “thing to do” after college. However, about a month or so before graduation I did a speech for class on traveling to Italy, a country I adore and where I did a summer study abroad program a couple years prior.
Looking through those photos gave me this aching wanderlust – I needed to go back to Italy and see more of Europe. But when I ran the numbers with a friend for how much a backpacking trip would cost, the $1,000 in my savings account wasn’t going to cut it…!
I then came across the idea to find a travel job instead, since that would cover most or all of travel expenses…and that’s exactly what I did! It was definitely nerve-wracking to move halfway around the world for a job, (especially since my only international travel experience was studying abroad), but it was definitely worth it.
From there I landed a few other travel jobs around the world, and now I work online so I can work and travel from anywhere.
Can you tell me a little bit about some of the travel jobs you’ve had?
My first travel job was a position doing tour guiding and social media for a student travel company based in Florence, Italy.
I also had worked an international education conference in DC and NYC the summer before Italy, and later worked more conferences in Europe (twice) and China. At that point I had returned home and landed a full-time 9-5 job – the Europe and China conferences were 2-3 weeks long each so I was able to travel and work for those on my vacation time from my other job. It may sound confusing, but I was determined to be able to travel internationally on my allotted 10 days of vacation per year!
After about two years at that 9-5 job and working on my blog and marketing projects as a “side hustle,” I quit that job to move to California and do freelance marketing work for businesses. It wasn’t easy but I love having the freedom to work online and travel without a restricted schedule.
What was the hardest part about living and working abroad?
As a digital nomad, you have to be very self-motivated to get things done. Before I travel I try to schedule and pre-plan as much as I can work-wise so I don’t fall behind. It is easy to get caught up in “vacation mode,” but you have to ensure you keep up on your projects so you can get paid. Finding balance between working and having fun is key!
Hopefully, the online work you do is something you enjoy and are passionate about, so it won’t feel too much like “work.” Currently I’m writing this from a villa in Canggu, Bali, and the view of the pool and rice field makes working in the mornings a little easier. 🙂
My older travel jobs (tour guiding and working conferences) were different as we had very set schedules. There are no days off and you are often working 12+ hours a day, so you have to love it! Maintaining high energy and staying on-task was extremely important. This was exhausting at times but worth it since I loved what I was doing.
When did you first get the idea to start a blog?
I started Go Seek Explore in May 2014. This was a few months after I returned home from my travel guide job in Italy, and my itch to travel was so strong! I was a little burnt out after Italy but it didn’t take long until I was ready to travel again.
Blogging was the best creative outlet for me to put my thoughts, tips, and travel advice out there.
I didn’t really start taking my blog seriously until about a year ago, though, but since I have, I’ve been fortunate to grow a small community of awesome travelers (and aspiring travelers!) and collaborate with some bloggers and brands!
You recently decided to leave your job and move to California (my favorite state!) How are you liking it and what are you doing now?
LOVE it! I grew up in the Seattle area and always wanted to move to California. I’ve always been a summer girl at heart so Southern California is definitely a good fit. I’ve moved around a lot since graduating college so I can see myself here for a while… but who knows!
I freelance for work for different aspects of online marketing: social media management, email marketing, back-end systems, and digital advertising strategy, in addition to maintaining my travel blog.
Do you see yourself living abroad in the future?
Potentially! I really enjoy having a home base to come back to after traveling since I don’t travel full-time. Maybe if I find a new destination abroad that I fall in love with I’d consider moving for a short period (bonus points if the rent is lower than California, haha!) For now I like having a home base in the US.
What advice do you have for millennials who would love to travel more but don’t quite know how?
Make travel one of your top priorities, and stay focused on your goals. You have to be self-motivated and set strong goals to make your travel goals a reality.
Do research about the various ways to travel, and definitely consider working abroad! I have a free starter guide that goes over different ways to travel and get paid, but there is more to working abroad than just the financial component: meeting like-minded people, the unique experience, etc. The benefits to working while traveling are endless, especially if you love the work you’re doing.
Living a work + travel lifestyle isn’t always easy-what inspires you to keep doing it?
My travel obsession! There are so many places in the world I want to visit, and the more you travel, the more you want to keep traveling. I also keep meeting more travelers and digital nomads who constantly provide suggestions to keep the bucket list long!
It’s definitely worth it to create a life where your work supports your passions, instead of just living to work.
What are your travel plans for this year? Is there anything you are specifically super excited about?
I’m currently in Bali for the first time on a travel blogger retreat! It has been a lot of fun so far.
After I plan to travel to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia. It’s a big trip but I’m excited.
My travel plans are up in the air for the rest of the year, but my goal destinations are Mexico and South Africa.
Learn more about Ally and her awesome tips for work + travel on her website, Go Seek Explore, or follow her on Instagram!
You might also enjoy:
- Talking Travel: Meet The Manini Entrepreneurs
- How I Afford To Travel: 1 Year, 15 Countries, And Just $2,000
- How I Spent 1 Month In Greece (Almost) For Free!
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