How the Free Spirited, Nature Lovers and Wandering Gypsies afford their travels.

The world beyond what I knew seemed like the biggest most elusive mystery to me as a young girl. Often I would see backpackers, bohemian gypsies and travelling musicians come through the small town that I grew up in. I was enchanted by their free-spiritedness, stories of the world and adventurous tales of their lives. So as many do, I aspired to travel the world to create some stories of my own. With time, I grew to realise that might be harder than expected! So, I went to University and studied a degree in Japanese, hoping to become a tour guide in Japan one day. But I later realised that the work ethic and opportunities would be far from what I imagined as a child. So I dropped out and followed in the footsteps of the nomads I’d admired so much. I asked them the secrets to their travels and they whispered to me the opportunities they

So how do the nomads afford to travel year round, without year’s worth of savings and hard work? Here are five ways the free-spirited, nature lovers and wandering gypsies can afford to live a nomadic life.

 

Work Exchange/Volunteer.

 

Workaway great way to learn new skills, get experience in different fields, learn new languages and even break into different career paths. It is an easy way to travel cheaply, usually, the only cost you need to afford is getting there. Volunteers give about five hours of work on the weekdays and keep their weekends free for adventure. In exchange, your host will usually provide all accommodation, food, and experiences for free.

 

The beautiful thing about Workaway is that the opportunities are so diverse! You can expect anything from helping Monks build monasteries in Thailand, maintaining Llama farms in Prague, teaching yoga at resorts, to living in the Madagascar islands, managing hostels or renovating tree houses.

 

The possibilities are truly endless and even more so if you have skill sets that you can apply!

 

Here are five reasons too check out workaway.

 

One of the leading work exchange sites out there, with almost 30,000 opportunities worldwide.
It only costs $29.00 USD to start an account that is valid for a year, which goes to maintaining the quality and quantity of the site.
It is easy, trustworthy and user-friendly. With information about the required visas for every country.
There are reviews from other people just like you. So you can get a reliable idea of what it is like.
There are workaways available in almost every country you can think of!

 

WWOOF

 

One of the more well-known ways for green thumbs and nature lovers is wwoofing. Which stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. It is an organization dedicated to connecting volunteers with organic farmers worldwide. It aims to promote educational and cultural experiences in exchange for non-monetary rewards. Such as free accommodation, food, training or farming experience. So if you are passionate about helping build a sustainable, global community, this is one of the best platforms to find opportunities on and connect with like-minded green thumbs and animal lovers abroad, developing friendships that could last a lifetime!

 

Five reasons to check out Wwoofing.

 

It costs average $30 USD per a country to join for a year.
You will enjoy eating diverse, organic and fresh food daily.
Learn farming and agriculture techniques that could sustain you in the future.
Be surrounded by like-minded people with a passion for nature, health and animal life.
Join a cause that not only benefits you but the local and global communities.

 

Au Pair

 

Au pairs are typically young women who travel to different countries and stay with host families in exchange for housework and childcare duties. The host family will usually provide all accommodation, food and usually pocket money too. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, they even offer to pay for flights and visas! The great thing about travelling as an Au Pair is that you are truly immersed in the culture, family life and language. In fact it is one of the best alternatives to paying to learn a language.

 

Five reasons to become an au pair.

 

You will be fully immersed in the culture and lifestyle.
It will be a prime opportunity to study a new language or refine your skills.
Most au pairs receive an allowance, so if you budget right, you could even save money and travel even more!
Gain a unique insight into different parenting techniques, cultures and lifestyles.
For solo travellers, it can get pretty lonely at times. So au pairing can be a great alternative, where you will likely make family like bonds in countries across the globe!

 

There are a lot of different au pair sites out there, so it is worth doing a little research to find one that is based in the country you wish to visit. But here are three sites to get started. The only downside is signing up fees can differ a lot from site to site. Sometimes it is free, other times it can cost $650 to just get listed. But typically the more you invest, the more likely you will find a good family with good benefits and a long term arrangement.

 

https://www.aupair.com/

https://www.aupairworld.com/en

http://smartgapyear.com.au/

 

Teaching

 

Teaching abroad comes in many different forms and places. Such as teaching at a high school or volunteering at a monastery or interning at a university. There are endless opportunities when it comes to teaching English. As there are so many people interested in learning! Usually, it is best to invest in a TESL certificate or have a university degree which will likely land you a job you can even get paid for!

But, if you are just looking for monetary rewards, there are also a lot of opportunities to gain experience out there as an English teacher. For example, Vietnam has an endless need for English teachers, that they are usually willing to teach you how to teach, while providing most of your food and accomodation! But it is definitely worth looking into visas, work permits and what is legal and not legal in certain countries.

 

Another way to get experience and gain a feeling for how it is before you leave is teaching online. Platforms such as DaDaABC or VIP Kid. An added bonus, if you work with them for awhile, they actually offer you a TESL certificate too.

The great thing about teaching online is that you only need stable internet to work. So you can work while travelling freely! It’s a popular way alot of digital nomads use to live in other countries.

 

Here are five reasons to check out teaching abroad or online!

 

It is a good way to learn the local language and join in with the community.
There is a never ending amount of opportunities to teach English!
It is a good way to earn money while you travel and experience what it is really like to live there.
Teaching kids, adults, and locals a new language, not only feels great, it will help broaden their opportunities in the future.
It is a skill that can last you a lifetime, and it isn’t something that is likely to go out of demand anytime soon.

 

Here are a few sites to check out for people interested to teach in person.

 

https://www.goabroad.com/teach-abroad

https://www.gooverseas.com/teach-abroad

https://www.teachaway.com/teaching-jobs-abroad

Or if you’re interested to teach online.

https://www.dadaabc.com/teacher/job/
https://t.vipkid.com.cn/

 

Freelancing Online

 

This is directed more at people with skill sets like graphic design, social media management, marketing, coding or creative writing. But can be applied to people that are fluent in two languages, motivated self-learners or entrepreneurs.

 

There are so many jobs popping up online, that it is a great way to gain a location independent source of income while travelling. These people are usually referred to as digital nomads. This form of travel is trending exponentially. There is so much information and networking opportunities popping up, that there are likely to even be meetups in your area worth checking out.

 

Five reasons to check out freelancing online.

 

If you are an aspiring writer, translator or designer. This is a great way to break into the industry and earn some quick cash.
This could not only benefit travelling opportunities but future career options too.
It is one of the best ways to gain hands on experience with new projects, clients, and industries.
There are tens of thousands of jobs popping up daily, so the opportunities are endless.
You decide how much you work, who you work for and how much you charge. Isn’t that the best type of freedom?

 

Here are two of the main freelancing sites worth checking out.

 

www.freelancer.com.au

www.upwork.com

 

Conclusion

 

Once you set foot abroad, with no end destination, you truly discover a life of a different kind. It reshapes us from the inside out. From the cultural customs to the newfound memories and experiences that ignite our heart and mind. Filling them with aspirations and values unbeknown to our former selves. It shows you a side of yourself ordinary life never could! Like our own personal quests, we will face many trials and tribulations but once we learn to break through, we will discover a priceless treasure, new found perspectives and a chest full of memories to satisfy a lifetime. That is what makes it all so worthwhile.

If you are truly passionate about your desire to travel and willing to put in some hard work, then the world is your oyster. There are so many opportunities abroad and online that it is hard to not stumble upon one that aligns with your experiences or desires eventually.

 

To the brave wanderer taking their first steps on the path of nomadism, I wish you luck in your endeavors and leave you with a final quote, in hopes to feed the wandering soul within.

 

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

— St Augustine.

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