Why I Ditched London To Travel The Globe

Sat in silence on a bare mattress. Staring into an empty wardrobe. All my possessions stuffed in an old black suitcase, and one thought racing through my mind.

“This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

I was miserable before moving to London. This city transformed my life. My first book was about how brilliant London is. Click here to get it for free.

I’d found a job I enjoyed. A super-fun circle of friends. A fresh romance which felt like fireworks. Why would I give this up to start from scratch?

My whole life packed in a suitcase… Follow my travel adventures at joeelvin.com

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The call to adventure

The catalyst for an outrageous lifestyle change is often less than subtle. A break-up, being fired, the loss of a loved one.

I was influenced by less dramatic circumstances…

  • My job writing for a well-known personal finance magazine was becoming repetitive.
  • London house prices were becoming increasingly obscene.
  • My Australian/Kiwi housemates (who would always speak with glee about travel) were forced to emigrate.

Meanwhile, my passion for writing about escaping your comfort zone and chasing adventure became stronger. I practiced what I’d preach wherever possible, booking epic solo holidays to Las Vegas and Barcelona.

I’d read books about the travel adventures of Bostjan Belingar, Regev Elya, Rachel OZ and more. I’d meet (and briefly date) tourists in the middle of round-the-world trips. After they left, I’d watch their Instagram Stories with envy. Every week on our What Are You Afraid Of? podcast, we’d discuss how the best life experiences are also the scariest.

It eventually hit home that I should embark on my scariest life experience yet.

It would start in November, so I’d have time to finish my #30AdventuresBefore30 challenge and box for the LWCB middleweight championship. London would be miserable, wet and cold by then…

How do you quit your job and travel the world without feeling like an idiot?

It’s November 1, and I’m sat on the Eurostar to Amsterdam still pondering the answer to this question.

Truthfully, I don’t know. The solution doesn’t appear to be online either. So, I’m going to document everything I discover about this topic. It’s going to be a blast finding out…

The ultimate goal is to turn these discoveries into a book! I’ve self-published two books already and I can’t wait to get started on this one.

You’ll find the occasional blog post here, but the sexiest, juiciest, most bookworthy travel stories will be saved for my email list.

Email subscribers will also get instant access to my free downloadable checklist: 122 Awesome Tips To Help Your Smash Your Travel Adventures

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