Why I Chose to Travel Over a 9-5

I remember being in my second year of University, having to move home due to the Pandemic, and not having any idea of how long we would be in lockdown for. The silver lining? It was an insane Summer - I got into great shape, had an extended uni break with no exams, all while getting, what felt like, free money (from being on the furlough scheme). That feeling of freedom was addictive, and something I couldn't shake throughout my final two years of University.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly when I decided I wanted to head off to Australia but it was around the first lockdown in Scotland.

I remember hearing of the backpackers that were travelling Australia, and how they all had to end their travels and come home early. That must've been brutal - saving up, hyping yourself up to move to the other side of the world, and for it to be over before it even really started. But weirdly, this really made me aware of how many people actually did it. It secured a space in the back of my mind as something I had to do for myself.

So, for my final two years of University, I had it in ingrained in me -I'd finish my degree, graduate, and fly to the furthest place from home to work and travel.

Now, I feel like my reasoning for pushing the 9-5 office job to one side back in 2022 is much different to now. Back then, it was mostly about the nerves - being scared of the unknown, not knowing if I'd be able to make it work. But, once I threw myself into it, that fear turned into something else. Now, I actually enjoy the unexpected. It became addictive. I have lived, worked and embraced the lifestyle of a few places across Australia. And, to be fair, some of the lifestyles weren't great for me - but I learnt a resounding amount.

Why I Wanted to Travel in the First Place

Port Douglas, Australia

Pushing myself to embrace change

As a kid, I was petrified of change. It took a lot for me to throw away any sort of toy or piece of clothing felt like the world was going to end (I'm sure my parents will have some good stories of this). That ended up translating into a fear of trying new things - a moment that I remember vividly was when I was around 10, trying out for a new football team where I didn't know anyone.

Me and my mum, sat in the car, with 5 minutes to go until the first training session, and I couldn't go in. I sat and cried. My mum was trying to calm me down, but I convinced her to drive us home.

No clue what changed, but I ended up going the next week. Played for that team for a full year.

So, why does this matter? it was the first time I can remember where I faced a fear, backed out, then went back and did it anyway. It was probably my first lesson in anxiety and change that, in hindsight, shaped my ability to take on a new challenge.

And how does this relate to travel? Let me tell you.

That moment, small as it was, set a foundation. Even as a kid, I was learning that fear doesn't have to dictate what I do. It maybe subconsciously planted a seed? Showing the younger version of myself that - while it might be terrifying - stepping into the unknown is usually the start of something good.

Fast forward to now: travel is all about embracing that unknown. New places, new people, new experiences - every day is pretty similar to that moment in the car. But instead of letting the fear and anxiety hold me back, I lean into it. Because if there's one thing I've figured out, it's that the best things usually sit on the other side of fear.

So, maybe that early moment wasn't about joining a new football team - it was my first lesson in why stepping into the unknown is always worth it, even if it doesn't go the way I'd like it to. And maybe that's exactly what led me to pursue these years of travelling.

Fear of Procrastinating my 20s

A quote I heard a few years ago - probably while mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, the biggest cause of my procrastination:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

Henry David Thoreau. Absolute gut punch. Makes me question my life every time I hear it.

I had this deep fear of getting older and still having the same dreams I did when I was younger. I couldn't be an old man, wishing he'd at least tried to do more. Scares the shit out of me.

Throughout my final two years of uni, travelling was all I could think about. There were moments where I was so tempted to hold off - saving up, planning things properly, setting myself up for the 'right time'. But, then I thought... why? I could always do that later. Why wait?

The temptation to get a 9-5 was definitely there. It still is.

And honestly I don't think I would hate it. Routine, stability, financial structure - all those things appeal to me. I can 100% see myself enjoying that lifestyle. But what scared me more than the uncertainty of travel was the idea of waking up one day and realising I'd spent years dreaming about it instead of actually doing it.

There's never a 'perfect time' to go. There's always a reason to wait - money, career, comfort. But if I didn't do it now, when would I?

So, despite the temptation of stability, I chose the unknown. I chose the risk. The uncertainty. The possibility of failure. For me, the real risk wasn’t in travelling. It was in never going at all.

The Working Holiday Visa Opportunity

Fraser Island, Australia

The biggest hurdle before travelling - even just for a short trip - was always saving enough money. Cash flows like water when you're on holiday. Which is fair - you're in a new place, wanting to experience everything.

That's what made Australia's Working Holiday Visa a game-changer.

It let me earn money while experiencing a new culture, environment and people. And, I'll tell you, the wages in Australia, in comparison to the UK? Crazy:

• United Kingdom (as of April 2024):

  
  

  • Average Salary: £37,430 (AUD $74,068.94)

    
    

• Australia (as of May 2024):

  
  

  • Average Salary: AUD $100,016.80 (£50,542.49).

Despite being able to earn money while on the go, the visa allowed me to travel at my own pace. Before starting my Working Holiday Visa, the idea of immersing myself in a new way of life was so exciting to me.

Having the freedom to choose when and where I wanted to settle and try find work was such a freeing feeling. The ability to pack everything up and move to somewhere new was so easy to do in Australia - if I didn't like somewhere, then move. Australia's East Coast is designed for backpackers, and, while being extremely overpriced at parts, it's made for travelling with ease.

Before the visa, I wasn’t sure if long-term travel was realistic. But this Working Holiday Visa gave me time to figure things out. It gave me the chance to live in a new country, and lifestyle, without constantly worrying about running out of money. It would have been stupid not to try.

Why I want to Travel Now

The Freedom is Addictive

When I first left home to travel, I didn't fully grasp what I was getting myself into. I remember thinking how weird it must feel to have the freedom to move wherever and whenever you wanted - like, how do people just decide to pack everything up and go? But once I actually had that kind of free will and started using it? It was game over.

There is something about knowing you're not tied to a place that changes the way you see the world. If I wake up tomorrow and don't like where I am, I can leave. If I want to settle somewhere for a while, I can. If I want to live by the beach, I can. That constant ability to choose? That's what gets me.

I get that this lifestyle isn't for everyone. There are things you give up. Like, stability? Don't have it. Long-term career progression? Haven't thought about it. A proper five-year plan? It changes every week. But swapping this for lifestyle for a predictable routine? Nah, you're alright.

And it's not just about avoiding the 9-5 grind - it's the realisation that day-to-day life can be lived so differently if you want it to. My evenings would be spent driving home in the cold, miserable Scottish rain. Now? Me and the Mrs take our dinner down to the beach and watch the volleyball matches in front of the sunset. It's the little things. Right now, this kind of freedom is what keeps me moving, and I don't see myself giving it up anytime soon.

The Challenge of it All

I've realised that some of the more challenging experiences I have while travelling, have come to be the best stories.

One of those stories were on a 24-hour bus journey from Laos to Hanoi, Vietnam.

I decided to take the sleeper bus for this journey over flying. Because why not? Got on the bus in the evening, expecting to arrive the next day. After waking up at around 6am, the bus was at a stop. Thinking nothing of it, I fell back asleep. A few hours later, we were in the same spot.

Tried speaking to other passengers. All Laotian. No one spoke English. Went to investigate. A huge lorry had tipped over. Class.

When I say it was blocking the road, i mean about half. But not enough for the bus to get through. And, because we were in the middle of rural Laos, this road was on the side of a mountain. One side had a small ditch. The other? It was a steep cliff face.

The bus couldn’t get through, so the locals came up with a plan. Reverse the bus, fill it with rocks from the roadside, and use them to patch up the ditch. Madness. If it went wrong, we’d be completely stuck or tip over.

I didn’t want to just stand around, so I joined in. Carried big rocks from the bus to the ditch. The Laotian men pointed where to throw them. I launched a boulder exactly where they told me to. Mud went everywhere. Covered me. Nothing more humbling than a group of people laughing at you when you don’t even speak the same language. All you can do is laugh with them.

Ended up finishing our makeshift road. Bus somehow made it through. The journey took around 35-hours in the end. I spent an entire day on that bus. Slept twice.

Moments like that are so memorable to me. Things I'll never forget.

I arrived at the hostel in Hanoi completely exhausted, looking ridiculous covered in dry mud - but I wouldn't change a thing. Looking back, it's those memories and experiences that remind me what I'm doing. That unpredictability allowed me to connect with locals in ways that I couldn't have imagined.

It was a testing experience. I could've allowed myself to be miserable the entire journey but I didn't see a point. I couldn't control any part of that scenario so why let myself get down about it. It's moments like this that make we want more.

Turning Travel into a Lifestyle

After heading home after my first year in Australia, I realised I hadn't actually documented much of the year I spent there. I made a promise to myself that I'd at least try to document things a lot more. It started with getting into photography. It changed the way I travelled for sure. In Asia, the camera came everywhere with me. You start looking into the smaller details.

I always kind of wanted to make money for myself, rather than working for someone else. And if I could do that while travelling, that's a huge win.

I've seen people build a life around writing, video creation, and remote work. It made me think, I could do it. But the difference between the ones who do well, and the ones who don’t is down to consistency. If I want this to be real, I have to treat it like something real.

That’s why I’m committing to posting often. Not just for fun, but because I need to document this part of my life. If I don’t, it’s like these experiences never happened in the same way. Writing, photography, and sharing my travels are things I enjoy and want to improve on. So I will.

I want to look back and know I did everything I could to make this lifestyle work. No half-arsed attempts. And that's what I'm going to do.