Three years ago today I left for Beijing, China to start my trip. Since then, I’ve been to 18 countries and lived at least a month in 5 of them. I saved roughly $15,000 before the start of the trip and have not worked in the US since then.

I’m mostly targeting my family and friends on this but in the last three years, I STILL hear them say things like “when are you going to find a job” or “what are you going to do when you come back?” Lately I’ve heard some of them even think my mother has been supporting this entire trip because it’s impossible that I’m able to travel for this long.

The truth is, she isn’t funding my travels at all. Sure, I get the occasional birthday or Christmas money but that’s about it. It’s not that she won’t, it’s that I don’t want her to. I don’t need it. I’m doing just fine on my own. I’m not rich but I’m okay. So how did I fund three years worth of travel with only $15,000?

I worked and I did it all online.

I know it’s hard to believe with all those beautiful pictures of my travels on Facebook and constantly updating my status from a new country, but yes I do in fact work. I work a hell of a lot. In fact, you’re staring directly at my work this instant.

I live and breath this website and all my other projects. There are days where I hardly see sunlight because I get so caught up in my work. The amount of work I do could never be fully detailed because it ranges in more things than anyone that’s not an entrepreneur could ever understand. I’m forced to take the role of dozens of different job titles that include being an CEO, marketer, programmer, human resources, designer, writer, photographer, public relations, social media, customer service, and so much more. How many roles do you do at your job?

There’s a few sponsored stories, banner ads, and other forms of sponsorship that support this site. It generates an okay income. The truth is though, I make a huge part of my income outside of the site as well. There’s Art of Travel Blogging, Everywhere Connection, our new app Eat The World, and the dozens of freelance opportunities I receive pretty often. So it’s not like I’m running just one site. I have this huge network of projects and making my income through as many streams as possible. Sometimes I wonder how I’m able to keep track of it all but I manage and it works.

When you tell me “are you going to look for work”, it hurts. I’ve worked my ass off on everything you see here. It hasn’t come easy to build a audience of over 10,000 readers (which is bigger than probably many of your coffee side magazines). I’m coming onto four years of running this site. Why would anyone think I’m stopping?

It’s a great job. I may work 8 hours straight without blinking but at the end of the day I walk out that door in a whole new country. I set my own hours and waking up earlier than 9am kills me. If Stephanie and I feel like going to a new city, we just go.

I think one of the biggest issues is that my priorities are different than most of my family and friends. Rather than buying a $1,000 television, I’m spending that on a few months rent in a country where the dollar goes a long way. It doesn’t cost much to travel when you have no bills and the cost of living is much cheaper.

I’m not messing around. I’m building a future for myself and my businesses. I love what I do and I don’t plan on stopping.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. You know who you are!

Three years and still going strong!~

[caption id=”" align=”aligncenter” width=”640″ caption=”Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuad

I’m Not On Vacation is a post from Art of Backpacking

The recession crushed dreams.

Dreams of retirement… or getting rich in the next tech IPO… or even the dream of a better life for your kids.

For my wife and I, however, the recession was different.

It was the best thing that ever happened to us.

And you know what? It can be the same for you.

Why The Economic Collapse Changed Our Lives Forever

Four years ago things were looking rough. I owned two rental properties – both of which were underwater –  was unemployed and desperate for work.

Somehow I landed not one but two jobs: a travel agent during the day and a waiter at a fine dining restaurant at night.

It sucked.

But you what? Those two jobs helped me pay off my debt and save up for our first big trip: a year long honeymoon through Southeast Asia.

That was in 2009… when the economy tanked. Unemployment hit double digits in the US (many friends back home couldn’t find any kind of work) while the housing market collapsed. Gas prices increased. And suddenly day to day life in the US just got a whole lot harder.

Or so we heard.

Adventure Capitalist: A New Way of Looking At The World

Living in Southeast Asia gave us a fresh perspective on life. We no longer spent US$500 on gas each month, didn’t have to pay for car insurance, never worried about monthly bills and stopped giving a rat’s ass about “the economy”.

We lived richer – and spent less – than we ever could back home. We ate out three meals a day, traveled when we felt like it, laid out on beaches, scaled mountains… whatever we wanted to do, we did it.

Now I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking “OK, I get it… Southeast Asia is cheap. So what? At some point you gotta go back, right?”

Well, yes… you do. But traveling puts something inside you… a sense of appreciation for simpler things in life.

You learn to slow down, to hold long conversations with other people (instead of blindly rushing off). You learn to walk more, worry less and lay off the TV.

And if you want to keep this lifestyle at home, you’ll need to make some changes. You’ll need to escape the “rat race” and thankfully…

Traveling Is The Fastest, Easiest and Best Way To Become An Entrepreneur

Travel by its very nature forces you out of your comfort zone. You’re exposed to new cultures, smells, sights, flavors and attitudes which change your own views.

My biggest change was this: I wanted complete control of my life. I wanted to work on things I loved, see the world and never spend another minute in the rat race.

I was tired of working for someone else… tired of traffic jams and overpriced “necessities”… and after a year abroad I realized that if anyone was going to change my situation it had to be me.

The Biggest Opportunity…

Returning home I got a job at Google (still not sure how that happened). But even though it was a truly excellent place to work… it was still an office. I couldn’t go where I wanted or set my own hours.

It was then I decided to start working online.

And let me tell you: there is more opportunity to make money online than anywhere else. Even though I was born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, there were more employment opportunities online.

Why?

Because online jobs let you apply anywhere… and the biggest opportunity is EVERYWHERE.

And the best part is, as you work online (either as a freelancer or full time employee) you learn the ropes. You learn the technologies which enable you to work from anywhere… you learn the discipline to set your own hours and actually get stuff done…  and most importantly, you learn skills which can help you build your own online business.

My wife and I started our own online business which we now run from, well, anywhere. (As I write this we’re in Quito, Ecuador).

Are we millionaires? Not yet… but we live a very rich lifestyle filled with world travel and the ability to set our own hours.

Why the Economic Crash Might Be Just What You Needed…

If you’re struggling financially, I understand. I really, really do. But maybe this is a sign (or put bluntly, a swift kick in the ass) you need a change. A change in location, a change in lifestyle or even a change in you.

If you’ve wanted to hit the road… do it now. Don’t wait. Excuses not to go pile up faster than BS in a bull ring.

And if you need money to keep going, look into freelance work on sites like eLance and Guru.

You’ll find getting paid in dollars (or euros, or pounds) while living abroad pays better, gives you more freedom and creates an epically awesome lifestyle.

So what’s stopping you?

Why Travel Pays Better, Gives You More Freedom and Creates An Epically Awesome Lifestyle is a post from Art of Backpacking

My brother and I will be taking our first ever road trip together to Quebec, Canada this summer. I have zero experience traveling with kids and could use as much advice from you as possible.

He’s 13 year’s old and we’re leaving from Pennsylvania driving north into Quebec. We’re going to Montreal and Quebec City but it’d be nice to see what else there is to do outside of the cities. Along the way, we’ll probably make a few pit stops. It’s a 7 hour or so drive to Montreal.

I’m really excited about this trip. I’ve been traveling around the world for three years and to a 13 year old, that’s a really long time. We get along super well and he considers me the travel expert that has his own business. We’re both gamers so I imagine there’s going to be some paintball involved somewhere along our trip.

I think this is going to be something really great for the both of us. We’ve never done anything big like this together and I’m usually away traveling and just visiting during the summer months each year.

Planning and What I’ve Done So Far

I bought a Lonely Planet Quebec book that he has been highlighting and taking notes on before our trip. I told him that I’m depending on him to do a lot of the research and so far that has got him really excited to find out what there is to do.

We haven’t really planned out how long the trip is going to be but I’m thinking about a week.

Accommodation will probably be mostly in private room hostels.

What advice do you have for traveling with kids? Any activities you know of in Quebec for kids?

I Need Your Help – Traveling With Kids is a post from Art of Backpacking

We did a poll on Art of Backpacking on how much people have spent one year around the world backpacking solo. We received the most votes on below $10,000. It’s possible but I’m not entirely convinced people voted accurately but it’s an interesting number to go by.

Slow Travel Saves Money

What does round the world mean to you? Does it mean going to every continent or just going to two or three? The faster you travel, the more places you go and the more you’ll spend. Is that what you want?

$800 barely gets me out of the South American continent by plane. Airplanes are one of the most expensive parts of traveling but it also gets you to places faster. If you’re only taking buses and trains, it’s a whole lot cheaper but it’s slow. I have no problem with traveling slow and often prefer it but I’ve met people that enjoy jumping city to city by plane. In the end it’s a personal preference but the numbers are there and slow travel will save you money. Since it’s for one year, there’s plenty of time.

Where To Go

It’s difficult to backpack Argentina for $830 a month. Meanwhile, $830 can go a long way in Bolivia and possibly over a month. I’ve been in South America for the last 8 months and its been tricky to budget. While Ecuador can be inexpensive, their neighbor Colombia is not. Uruguay is one of the most expensive countries to visit in South America and yet Paraguay is one of the cheapest. $830 for a month in Uruguay would be really difficult and especially since most accommodations seem to be going at $15+ for a dorm leaving you with only $12 more to spend before you’ve hit your daily budget to stay at the $10,000 a year mark.

Sacrificing What You Enjoy

There’s only so much saving I could possibly do before I start to sacrifice things I actually enjoy. I like a good beer and would happily pay more for a beer I couldn’t get anywhere else. I didn’t realize this when I budgeted my trip to account for things I love to do. I figured I could just live on water and save money. Eventually I got sick of being stingy and started to spend money on things I loved to do while still responsibly spending.

$10,000 for a year RTW possible?

Although below $10,000 won, I don’t think it’s possible to visit multiple continents and consistently travel while only spending $833 a month. If however the traveler stopped at each destination for a month where the dollar goes a long way, then yes it’s possible.

To make $10,000 for a year possible, I think you’d have to plan it out pretty well and avoid countries that may be too expensive, splurging, and definitely traveling slow. A sample itinerary might be Central America then fly to India then fly home.

See: How To Save For Your RTW Trip

A More Reasonable Number

There’s no magic number since it really depends on where you go and how you travel. I’ve seen a whole lot of articles on the internet on how much people have spent in a year. AOB has two of them (Cost Summary of 11 Months RTW and Figuring the Figures: Budgeting an RTW Trip). Through all the numbers that I’ve been seeing, my guess is $20,000 is a good number to go by for a true round-the-world solo backpacking trip. This is hitting multiple continents, staying at cheap accommodations around the world, airfare, and a few activities. Of course the number really depends on how long you stay at each destination. Stay for three months in Japan and watch that number go way higher.

What do you think? Could you travel around the world for only $10,000?

The following article has been sponsored by Easytobook.com

How Far Could You Get With $10,000USD? is a post from Art of Backpacking

As a backpacker, you are engulfed with travel advice on a daily basis. And when it comes to booking airfare, round the world flights are, quite possibly, the most recommended by those on a gap-year and other long-term travelers. What many don’t stress is that they are right for some, but not all backpackers. This article will help you examine your travel plans and decide whether round the world flights are right for your trip or not.

How many countries/cities do you wish to visit?

The most important factor to decide whether round the world flights are right for you is the number of countries or cities you plan to visit on your trip. It might be wise, and money-saving, to overland part of your journey. Do you only wish to visit Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos? Might be better to fly into Bangkok and go overland to Cambodia and Laos. Want to add Delhi to the equation? Time to look for some round the world flights!

How long will you be on the road?

This factor must be taken into consideration alongside your country/city list. If you only have a few weeks to travel, an around the world ticket might make sense. They allow you to see a lot in a limited time span. On the other hand, if you plan to be on the road for more than 2 months, booking a one-way flight will save you money, as you have the time and flexibility to explore destinations at your own pace, plus be on the lookout for better deals on your flight for your next destination via budget airlines and/or flash sales.

Where are you flying from?

Your home airport and country of your trip’s origin are two important factors when it comes to round the world flights. If you live in a busy hub, say Frankfurt or NYC, it might be cheaper to string one-way flights together. Indeed, how much money you save, or spend, will depend on your route. Do your dully diligence, compare one-way tickets vs round the world flights and decide which is your best bet based on city of origin.

How flexible are you?

Are you a planner or would you rather wing it in most situations? Round the world flights not only work best for those who want a shorter trip and plan to visit big cities, but also to those who have a set itinerary. Why? Round the world tickets offer little flexibility. For instance, they don’t allow you to backtrack (most travel on one direction–eastward or westward).

I still don’t know! Any additional advice?

If you are still unsure, take a look at this bullet list of facts about round the world flights. After reading it, you should have enough information to make an informed decision.

• The more stops on a round the world flight, the more expensive it’ll be.
• A cheaper ticket equals a popular route. Thus, if you wish to travel off-the-beaten path, be prepared to shell out some cash for that RTW ticket.
• Consolidators or “bucket shops” are worth looking into for budget packages in otherwise expensive destinations. What they do is string together one-way tickets, so if you are quite the planner and have time to research, you could be doing this yourself.
• More sacrifices will have to me made, in terms of truly experiencing a culture or skipping a charming small town or two, when it comes to round the world flights. But if your goal is to see as many landmarks as possible across the world in a crunch, a round the world flight is for you.

Have you embarked on a trip with RTW flights?
What was your strategy?

This article has been sponsored by Escape Travel. Top photo: Joel Down, Flickr

Round the world flights: Are they right for you? is a post from Art of Backpacking

George Mallory, upon being asked why he wished to climb Mount Everest is recorded as having replied:  “Because its there”.  Apply this logic to travel and perhaps it goes at least part of the way towards explaining the allure of exploring places that have no place or purpose in the modern world; the religious enclaves, the forgotten principalities, the relics of non existent empires and feudal times.  Why go to San Marino?  Why bend your itinerary and timetable to spend a few hours in Andorra?  Because they are there.  Add to this the fact that people will often put themselves through unnecessary trouble to appear more interesting to other people.

Take my friend Matt for an example.  When prompted about my upcoming Euro trip, he would invariably raise a finger, and with a sparkle in his eye and devious smile inquire:  “Ahh but are you going to San Marino?  Are you going to Liechtenstein?” He would say it with the confidence of a wise and hardened traveler, but he had obviously never been to either, and probably never would.

Perhaps for this reason my friend Chris and I journeyed westward on an overnight train through Austria, through Liechtenstein to Switzerland, at which point we debarked at 6am and caught the first eastbound bus back into Liechtenstein.  Yes, that’s right, Liechtenstein.  Reader, don’t we seem considerably more interesting already?  Vaguely?  Perhaps by some small increment?  Of course we do.  You probably haven’t been there, you probably never will be there, and you definitely shouldn’t bother.  But to reiterate, I have been to Liechtenstein, this being a testament to my interestingness.

I cant speak for others, but I approach places like Andorra, San Marino, and Liechtenstein with a sense of boyish wonder welling up inside me, the sort I rarely feel anymore now that I’ve reached that age where things like Santa Clause, family vacations and county fairs no longer take hold of my imagination.  I don’t know why, but when in Europe I couldn’t wait to see them, despite all the accounts I’ve read of them essentially being simply small and boring sections of Spain, Italy and Switzerland.  I wanted to be the first to see them, to photograph them, and to do something inside their borders.

Perhaps I am attracted to their minuscule size, their remoteness, and their unassuming silence on the world stage.  In my mind they had taken on some mythical status; lost principalities hidden among mountains and cloud, unseen and unknown to the 21st Century.  It has been said countless times that had Liechtenstein simply been swallowed up by the Swiss, nobody would ever go out of their way to visit that particular corner of Switzerland, especially when places like Bern, Geneva or the Lauterbrunnen Valley were possibilities.  We had to go.

Chris and I settled on Liechtenstein. Having failed to find the time for San Marino and Andorra, we decided that we absolutely had to make it to Liechtenstein, lest our well earned “travel cred” suffer considerably.  All indications pointed to the fact that the place was decidedly un-traveled by both the back-backer and fanny-packer communities, and our minds ran wild in anticipation.  Again the image of my friend tormented me “Ahh but have you been to Liechtenstein?”.  There was no debate, there was no choice.  We had to go, and we scrambled to hash out a plan that would get us to Buchs, Switzerland where our shady intel told us that one could catch a bus to Vaduz, the capital city of this fabled alpine Shangri-La.  We were going where nobody we had ever known had gone before, a country so remote that it had no train station, currency, army, or postal service of its own.  Yes, that’s right, we were going to Liechtenstein.

Hashing out our plans in the Innsbruck train station, I felt a sense of impending discovery far greater than I had experienced with any other country.  Even remote Ukraine, culture shock aside, had been written about before, its history linked inevitably with that of Poland, Russia, et al.  Liechtenstein as far as I knew had no history to speak of.  Apparently it had been part of the Holy Roman Empire, one of countless small realms, yet as the rest were gobbled up or consolidated by other Empires, and entered the 20th Century, Liechtenstein remained a remote principality, its only contemporary fame resting on its reputation as a tax haven.  I found the idea of such a place intoxicating.

We arrived in Vaduz early one morning, and reader, it really wasn’t all that good.  Walking silently through empty streets, we found that the capital city offered little in the way of photo opportunities.  Reviewing my pictures days later, I found one of Chris sitting on a bench staring into a wall.  That’s just the sort of place Vaduz is.  We spent all of 2 hours in Liechtenstein, of which 30 minutes were idled away in a grocery store identical in name and layout to those in Switzerland, buying food with Swiss Francs.  The remaining time was spent figuring out how to leave.

I suspect that the select few tourists who penetrate through to countries such as Liechtenstein or San Marino know deep down that their time and money is better spent on visiting an additional Umbrian hill town or an extra day hiking in the Alps.  Yet they press on for the sole purpose of saying to others that they have been there.  Like them, I had to go.

Not long after returning home, and on the threshold of leaving for a years work in South Korea, I ran into my friend Matt who, upon hearing I was going to be living a year in Asia, raised a finger and with a sparkle in his eye, said:  “Ahh, but are you going to Port Moresby?  It’s the capital of Papua New Guinea.  You should go!”

Port Moresby awaits.

Because It’s There is a post from Art of Backpacking

An American tourist of no small means rides a decrepit bus, from one impoverished village to the next, the engine threatening to stall whenever the speed drops below 5mph.  The bus, older than he himself, is brilliantly painted in all of the primary colors and adorned with an excerpt from the New Testament.  The seat beneath him lacks springs, his cushion is threadbare, and the metal frame strikes deeply into his leg at every pothole.  The smell of leather tinted in sweat and cheap cigarette smoke fills the air.  When the bus stops, which is frequently, the heat inside reaches unbearable levels, and sweat pours down his face.  Bluish wisps of hot exhaust from the ancient engine waft upwards through fissures in the rusted floor, and hang heavy in the interior, settling into the hollow spaces and mingling with dust from the unpaved road.  Somewhere behind him, among the luggage, a chicken can occasionally be heard struggling in a sack.  The sweat and dust have formed a near invisible veneer on his exposed skin.  By all reason, he is uncomfortable, exhausted and unhappy.  By all logic he is thinking of plush motor coaches, air-conditioned, and with tinted windows.  By all estimates you could be forgiven for assuming this.  But you would be wrong.

The man does not care that his cushion is practically missing.  He has not sat down in 6 hours and he relishes the chance to do so now.  He does not notice the smell, for he himself has not bathed in 2 days, and even then, it was merely a quick dip in the ocean.  He is eying the ticket woman who moves lazily down the isle collecting coins and chatting with the locals.  The bus struggles on, the aching engine seemingly kept alive by the collective will of the riders.  When the bus struggles up a steep slope, they mouth silent encouragement.  Some stamp the floors or strike the sides as if urging on a dying horse.  When the bus breaks down, they sigh as one, yet sit quietly in the heat and settling dust as the driver dismounts and disappears under the hood to make adjustments with a hammer.  In the stillness the air is stifling.  Finally the bus coughs and grinds forward amid an explosion of cheering.  The driver wipes the sweat from his brow and throws a knowing glance over his shoulder, treating them to a grin.  The man smiles to his fellow passengers, strangers no longer, united in the uncertainty of travel.

As the revived bus gathers speed down the reverse slope, the cool air begins pouring through the open windows.  At first it comes in tantalizing rivulets, teasing and flirting with bare skin, but with acceleration it cascades rearwards, washing over the passengers and blessing them with relief from the heat, from the exhaust, from the dust.  Cool air on dripping sweat momentarily provides a contentment that cannot be measured or bought by any currency created by man.  The man concentrates on the coolness.  He disappears in it.  At this moment he begins to love the dirt, the dust, the smell of the exhaust, the noises of the chicken and the curses of the driver.  The struggling bus is his dear friend and its stinking passengers his colleagues.  He cant and wont imagine being anywhere else.  He would not trade an hour on a sleek climate controlled bus for 3 hours on one such as this, even if both were free.  For five minutes he is in ecstasy, then the motor coughs, shudders and the bus coasts to a stop again.  This time the man doesn’t take notice of the driver as he curses and stomps off the bus.  He is too busy contemplating the candy bar and warm can of beer in his backpack and guessing at when and where would be the ideal time to indulge in this vast treasure.  A motorbike overtakes the indolent bus, and dust floats gracefully through the windows and settles all around him.  He does not notice.  As the driver coaxes the engine back to life his thoughts shift again.  He has just realized that his stop is next and there is no chance the fare collection woman will reach those in his seating section before then.  His heart races and his mind stutters at the prospect of what wonders he can surely buy in the village market with the money he now won’t be handing over for the bus ride.

Everything is perfect.

The “Chicken Bus” is a post from Art of Backpacking

I am an independent traveler, through and through. I enjoy crafting my own itineraries, sorting out my own accommodation, braving a foreign bus station and waking up some mornings and deciding to do nothing but sit in a sunny park all day. That’s the joy of traveling on your own: everything you do is your doing, including the missed connections, the overpriced dinner, the aching feet and ensuing headache.

Even though I love traveling on my own, sometimes I love taking a break and placing all the responsibility in someone else’s hands. I kicked off my first-ever solo backpacking trip around Europe with a 10-day Contiki tour: it eased me into traveling on my own, and opened my eyes to what I loved and hated about group travel. Since then, I like to supplement my trips with day-long tours—especially on bikes or Vespas!—and the occasional short cruise.

Signing up for a day-long bicycle tour of a new city or opting to find holiday cruises to enjoy a country’s beautiful archipelago is a brilliant way to see all the sights with fewer headaches and many new friends.

Meeting new people

I met one of my favorite travel buddies on a bike tour in Munich in summer 2009. We’ve since taken on the Great Ocean Road, beached it in Sydney and tasted wines in Margaret River—and we’re planning on tackling the ultimate American road trip this summer. Even if you don’t meet your new BFF, group tours can be an awesome way to force an introverted solo traveler into potentially fun social situations. I’m totally guilty of hiding behind my laptop in hostel common rooms and sticking my nose in a book in cafes, but group tours have a way of fostering small talk and bringing like-minded people together.

No worries, mate

Every once in a while, it is glorious to hand the decision-making power over to someone else—preferably to a local expert who knows the ins and outs of the area. It’s nice to have lunch served promptly at noon instead of waiting for my stomach to grumble at 11:58 a.m. and then start a hunt for a restaurant or street cart. One of the best things about my Contiki tour was staying in actual hotels: I opted for Contiki to set me up with a roommate, and it was super luxe compared to the cheap hostel dorms I crashed at the rest of my trip.

Less freedom

Sometimes on a bike tour, I’ll spot a brilliant sun-splashed square, an adorable café, a shop with a dress than I simply must try on: but I can’t stop, because I’m with a group. It’s even more intense on longer, more intense group tours: your itinerary is packed solidly, with limited “free time” for you to explore a city on your own. Depending on your comfort level and personal travel style, you’ll either love or hate this: take that into account when picking a trip.

You can’t choose your friends

As a solo traveler hopping on a group tour, you just have to cross your fingers and hope that the other people are cool. If not, you don’t have a best friend or significant other to turn to—and it’s hard to be anti-social when so many of the activities are group-based. Plus, there’s always “that guy” on a group tour: the weird one who everyone is hoping they don’t have to share a room with (I almost always end up getting stuck with him).

I’ve had some awesome group travel experiences and other that were less than stellar: it all comes down to the stars aligning for a cohesive group, a helpful and fun tour guide and having an open mind. Of course, sunshine and cheap beers don’t hurt either.

What’s been your experience with group tours? 

Group travel for the solo traveler: is it worth it? is a post from Art of Backpacking

There’s so much opportunity online, it’s ridiculous. There’s no longer a need for an office for many jobs and people are simply working from home or on the road. Some positions are in more demand than others though and obviously depends on your skill sets. It does take awhile to learn but the payoff is fantastic if you have a passion for it.

Now with software like Skype or Google Voice and Hangouts, you can have an entire conference meeting and never meet your clients or boss in person.

Programmer

I’m a self-taught programmer. As I continue to learn, I realize how much opportunity is out there for me. I started selling my services on Art of Traveling.

This is one position that I feel will never die and will always be in demand. Especially now with mobile development of Apps becoming so popular, it’s a great time to learn. There’s so many resources on getting started too.

According to Salary.com, the median expected salary for a typical Programmer I in the United States is $54,160. Depending how well you market yourself and how much experience you have, you could earn a whole lot more being independent and taking jobs on your own. Or you could just create the software yourself and sell it.

Interested in getting started? Try Codecademy or Youtube and start learning. I found a lot of the video tutorials are by teenagers that know more than I do about programming!

Graphic Designer

I hear it all the time from other travel bloggers looking to redesign their logo or entire website. There’s a huge market out there for graphic designers. I design WordPress Thesis themes and its worked great for me.

Hop & Jaunt is a good example of two travel bloggers who design for a living. You’ve probably seen their designs on other travel bloggers and perhaps never noticed (Twenty-Something Travel). Never Ending Voyage is another good example.

The Key Is To Sell Your Services

Whatever it is that you’re good at, sell it. Are you good at SEO, social media, or writing? Create a profile for yourself with your own domain and start looking for clients. The first few clients you’ll end up spending more time than you thought. As as you get use to the job, you’ll start to work more efficiently.

As I travel around the USA, I plan on using Skillshare as well to host my classes.

What do you do online to keep you traveling?

Two Great Jobs To Have Online and Work On The Road is a post from Art of Backpacking

Not as many backpackers are passing through Uruguay compared to some of the other countries in South America. I’m not sure why either. It’s a small country but has so much to see and do.

Renting a car either at a city or outside of the city is a popular tourist activity in Uruguay. There’s loads of car rental places in every major city. Since the country is small, it’s an easy, short, and pleasant drive to each destination. Each major city along the coast only takes 2-3 hours to get to from each other. The benefits of driving is obvious, you get to stop whenever you want. There’s small beach towns all along Uruguay’s coast and the roads are in perfect long-distance driving conditions (assuming you take the right roads).

The first thing you’ll need to consider is your budget and how much time you want to have driving the coast. One day rentals are limited on distance and not worth it unless you just want to explore a single city. Your best option will be to to rent a car for multiple days. From Punta Del Este, it cost me $50USD a day for two days. It’s expensive for one or two travelers but split between four and it’s a bargain. Compare that to about $12~ for one way bus ticket at a city 2-3 hours away (Punta Del Este to Montevideo perhaps). At four people, that’s nearly the same price as renting a car for an entire day. We met two wonderful people at a hostel in Montevideo that joined us and made the car rental much cheaper. Ask around the hostel if you don’t have enough people to go along with you. Cheap holidays to Uruguay are possible with some planning.

Stephanie taking a picture in our golf cart ride through Colonia

You only need two hours in Colonia with one of their small golf carts to see most of the city and the coast line. It cost me $25 for two hours.

Our drive started in Punta del Este up to Punta del Diablo then back down to Punta del Este. You can start in Colonia if you’d like if you’re coming out of Buenos Aires but I found the east side of Uruguay more interesting compared to the south side for driving. The company we used is called Punta Car in Punta del Este across the street from the bus station. You can walk right outside the bus station and hop right into a car.

Dropping a car off in another destination is rather pricey. For me it was going to cost $150 extra to drop the car off in Colonia instead of Punta del Este.

Colonia de Sacramento

On our first day, we stopped at a few places including Jose Ignacio. Our final stop was at Punta del Diablo where we stayed for the night. If we had known Cabo Polonio was just as beautiful, we would have stayed there instead probably. On our second day, we stopped at Cabo Polonio, Agua Dulce, Castillos, and La Paloma. We had no idea Santa Teresa was supposed to be nice but I had heard others say they recommended it.

La playa de los Dedos

On your drive up from Punta del Este, you’ll see sites like:

• The roller-coaster bridge.
• Jose Ignacio: Stop here for a little while. Small town beach. Not much to do but it’s great for pictures. Roads are only a few blocks.
• La Paloma: Small but developed beach town. Nice little stop for ice-cream, restaurants, casinos, etc. You also have the option of staying here for the night.
• Cabo Polonio: MUST SEE! Will probably be the highlight of your roadtrip. Park your car in the parking lot and take a big trucks over to the main beach. You will not be able to bring you car. Beautiful scenery. The town is also really great. The area can be a tiny bit expensive because it’s so far out of the way. I definitely recommend staying here for the night.
• Aguas Dulces: Another small beach town. Not much to see or do but can be a good rest stop.
• Castillos: There’s no fuel for awhile so fill up your tank here. Turn into the town and ask a local where you could get fuel. There’s a few places. It’s a small and cute town.
• Punta del Diablo: Hippie beach town with great parties and atmosphere. Lots of accommodation.
• Parque Nacional de Santa Teresa

I drew out a map for others to use. I noticed there isn’t any info online about driving the coast. Hope this helps someone else preparing for their trip.

Ride to Cabo Polonio Beach

Tips

• If you’re going north from Punta del Este and immediately past Laguna Garzon, it’s all dirt roads for a long time. Do NOT go this way if you have a small rental car. When you arrive at Jose Ignacio, turn onto Camino Sainz Martinez and go onto Route 9.
• There is no bridge at Laguna de Rocha. It’s impossible to cross. Don’t do the same mistake we did.
• If you have a small rental car, don’t try to drive on the sand even if it’s just a little bit. We got stuck in the sand and had to wave down locals to help us push the car.
• You won’t find many restaurants along the way. Bring some snacks, drinks, and prepared food.
• Fill up your tank whenever possible. You won’t find many options for fuel. From Punta del Diablo to Castillos, there’s no stations and that’s a 40km ride.

Cabo Polonio Beach

The following article has been sponsored by TravelSoon and written by me.

Guide To Driving The Coast of Uruguay is a post from Art of Backpacking