Tips to Prepare for a Year-Long Trip

Have you ever thought about travelling for an extended period of time, beyond the 10 day vacations that most of us long for each year?

For some, a prolonged adventure may sound easy, going away for a year, travelling around the globe and meeting new cultures. But, is it really that simple? Saying goodbye to the life you had, trying to find a solution for your job, storing all of your belongings?. If you have any plans for a year-long trip and don’t know what to pay attention to and how to organize everything take a look at the following tips.

Let’s start with the most obvious problem – your job. Getting a sabbatical or taking a whole year off from your job is (probably) out of question, so what are the options that you can consider? First of all, there is the option of quitting your job, which isn’t easy, and definitely not for everyone. If you’re 100% sure that you won’t have problems finding another job when you get back, or you know that your current company will take you back, then this might seem like a good idea. If you’re the owner of your own company, things are a bit easier – you can do the monitoring of your business from any corner of the world, and leave the most important tasks to an employee that you trust the most, making them the CEO for the year. Just know that travelling for a whole year doesn’t mean not working – you will be able (and probably willing) to work remotely, answer to different emails and have video conferences regardless of where you are. The final option is working online – you can always find freelancer jobs that you can do from your home or hotel room. Bear in mind that not working for a whole year will significantly affect both your wallet and your mental health (not working for a long time can be pretty dull and monotonous).

As far as your house is concerned, make sure that you store everything. First of all, you need to make sure that you sell everything that that you don’t need for the following year or give it to someone who will need it. The best option would be to pay someone to regularly visit your house and make sure to check everything’s in the right order, take care of your plants or your yard if you have one. The best person for the job would be a member of your family – you can also invite them to live in your house for a year without paying rent and offer to pay for the bills. That way everyone wins – you will have your house taken care of and they will live in the comfort of your home, basically for free.

Travelling for a whole year is not a small thing, so make sure that you have your insurance (even though you are supposed to have that even if you’re travelling for a couple of days only). There are two ways that you can insure yourself – either for a certain amount of time (term life insurance) or forever (whole life insurance). Bear in mind that they don’t only differ in the duration, so what you need to do is compare the types of insurance and choose the one that works better for you. Pay attention to the cash value of each, the renewability and all the benefits. This is not a small thing to choose, so think carefully. You will be gone for a whole year, and you really need to make sure you are properly insured.

Related Article: Travel Insurance That Insures For COVID-19

Now that you’ve managed to solve the big issues of your year-long trip, it’s time for the packing essentials. Think carefully of what you really need for the following year, less is more. Also consider chargers, phones and all the other gadgets you will be needing.

You won’t be able to travel easily with three or four suitcases, so you need to pack right and pack minimal. Make a list of all the countries that you will be visiting, and choose the type of clothes accordingly (The New York Times has a great article on this). Also, have something in your suitcase for all weather possibilities – ranging from shorts and swimming suits to jumpers and jackets.

Remember items are readily available in most (not all) of the places you will visit so no need to panic if you can’t bring everything with you.

Lastly, just remember to pack responsible. Here is a list of some of The Altruistic Traveller’s favourite responsible travelling items. 

Even though it sounds like a super exciting idea, travelling for a whole year and being absent from your work or your house is definitely not an easy thing. You will have to plan everything in advance in great detail. Good luck, and bon voyage!