Original article is here, written by Chelsea Fagan.
This is an open reply to why I disagree and feel the article was blankly assuming many, many things about "younger" people who travel. I'm 29 and choose to prioritize travel over other expenses (houses, TVs, clothes) and things like settling down to start a family. That's my choice, not a privilege, as the article suggests. I don't think the article paints a fair picture of all of us out there exploring the world.
These are my opinions; I understand not everyone will agree and that is ok. I just felt compelled to reply to Chelsea.
***
Dear Chelsea,
Everything you do in life is a choice.
You choose your friends.
You choose your job. You choose to travel.
You choose to save money so that you can travel, or you spend it on other things.
In your, article, '"Why Don't Worry About Money, Just Travel," is the Worst Advice Ever,"' I read yesterday, I was annoyed and felt that you blankly assume that anyone who travels is privileged, because of your internet acquaintance.
First off, with her being an acquaintance, how do you know she comes from a rich family? Do you know her intention for travel? Do you know if she is frivolous with her money? Do you know if she has scholarships for her Master's? The picture you paint sounds more like assumptions than actual knowledge of who this girl is.
"The girl in question posts superficially inspiring quotes on her lush photos, about dropping everything and running away, or quitting that job you hate to start a new life somewhere new, or soaking up the beauty of the world while you are young and untethered enough to do so."
As someone who also posts encouragement and inspiration via social media channels, like Instagram, I took this personally.
I know what my intention is on social media: to encourage and inspire. I don't get upset when others don't share my love for travel, and definitely do not look down on them.
How do you know that your friend isn't also trying to do the same? Since you didn't share her handle, we don't know for certain the verbiage she is using, but I highly doubt she is telling people they suck because they don't choose travel (yes, choose).
Yes, there are trust-fund kids who do get to travel often. Lucky them.
Moving on...
"...someone who has had the extreme privilege (yes, privilege) of getting out there and traveling extensively while young is not any better, wiser, or more worthy than the person who has stayed home to work multiple jobs to get the hope of one day landing a job that the traveler will assume is a given."
What makes you think that is the intention of your friend? What makes you think that is the intention of seasoned-travelers? I know that's not the intention of myself. I do find that I have a harder time relating to people who have not traveled, but that doesn't mean I think less of them or more of myself.
This blew my mind the most:
"...nothing about your ability or inability to travel means anything about you as a person."
Are you kidding me? Did you read what you wrote?
Just because someone is "saddled with more responsibility," does not mean they are less capable of travel. That is making an excuse for the people who don't know how to budget or do without in exchange for travel (if that's really what they want). If someone really wants to travel, they have to choose to. They do not have to be privileged to travel. They can eat at home, carpool, and learn how to plan travel efficiently if they truly have the urge to travel.
"They are learning what it means to work hard, to delay gratification, and to better yourself in slow, small ways."
You know what is most interesting? My desire to travel is why I know how to budget money now. My desire to travel is why I took a leap of faith and started my own business.
I've never worked harder in my life, and I have never grown more.
"Everyone needs to forge their own path to financial independence and freedom."
This, I can agree with. My path is not your path, and neither is the girl you're writing about - yet you are quite obvious with your judgement on her path. (Which is why I'm writing this article).
To sum things up, Chelsea, I think you probably did not mean to come across the way you did in your article, because you are making huge assumptions and lashing out at someone who is living their life differently than you would. The fact that you start the article of by telling us this girl is an internet acquaintance was a misstep, because you clearly don't know her intention, or her as a person.
You cannot assume that everyone in this world wants a good job, to buy a house, or have a huge nest egg. Some of us are ok with having enough to get by, and many of us choose experiences over having nice things or a stable financial future. This makes us resourceful, so that when we do get stranded in Southeast Asia, we can figure out what to do.
Like I said at the beginning of this reply, everything we do in life is a choice. I chose to drive home drunk 6 years ago, get a DWI, go completely broke, struggle for a long time (all the while dreaming of travel), and quite frankly, if I had read your article during that time in my life, I probably would agree with you, because I was in a "why is this happening to me," victim-mentality state. Side-note: my parents have never paid for anything in my life once I turned 16 and got a job to pay for my car.
I chose to turn my life around by making better choices, everyday. I had to take each day at a time and now, here I am, able to travel whenever I want on my own dime, because I chose to be here. I have lost friends, have moved away from loved ones, and spend lots of time alone. Could I go back and get a Master's? Yea, sure. Could I get a really great job somewhere, so I can buy a house? Yea, sure. But I don't want to.
So I'm not.
Because that's my choice.
I understand why you wrote the article, and what you may have meant, but you also came across extremely one-sided and presumptuous.
Last Thursday, I hopped in my car and drove out to Omaha to see one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Conor Oberst, play a show. There is something sentimental about seeing one of your favorite bands in the town they are from. I saw Sigur Ros in Iceland in 2012, and that was incredible!
Driving from Denver to Omaha is about 8 hours, if you don't miss an exit. I missed an exit, so it took me about 10 hours. Skip driving through Kansas, trust me.
The drive to Omaha is flat and full of bugs. My car is still a bug-graveyard because I have not yet taken it to get washed. I suggest loading your phone or iPod up with an audiobook or use Audible.com, like I do. I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's, "Kitchen Confidential", which is read by Anthony, so that makes it 1000x more awesome. I also finished listening to Amy Poehler's "Yes Please," which is also read by the author. It is hilarious, and I love Amy so much more than I already did.
So, what can you do in Omaha in 24 hours or less? Plenty. Now, you can absolutely do all of the things I have listed in pretty much any city, but I LOVED the vibe in Omaha. It's relaxed, laid back, and easy-going. Even the music scene lacks the pretentiousness of many other cities, like Dallas or Denver. I get really nervous talking to people in the music-scene, because 1) I am an introvert, so people drain me and I'd rather hide, and 2) I feel like I don't know as much about music as others know. I don't know what year a certain album was pressed, or the name of the latest garage-punk-rock band (by the way - there are so many now, I just can't keep up. I'll stick to The Black Lips, Beach Slang, and Thee Oh Sees, thanks).
Ok, back to things you can do in Omaha in less than 24 hours!
1. Go to a concert
I went to The Waiting Room to see Conor Oberst play. It's a great venue on Saddle Creek Dr. which is also the name of indie label, Saddle Creek Records. If you follow the indie music scene, you've definitely heard of this label, home to many awesome artists like The Good Life, Cursive, Icky Blossoms, Azure Ray, and The Faint.
Even though Conor was on his self-titled tour, he did treat us with some old Bright Eyes songs! Here is Method Acting:
Oh my goodness - Omaha might have the comfort food situation down better than Texas. (Yes, I said it).
I went to Wheatfields in East Omaha and had Lobster Cake Benedict. It was amazing! When I travel, all healthy, picky eating goes out the window. I believe it's part of the journey to experience the food places have to offer.
Downtown Omaha has plenty of awesome brunch spots, but this seemed like the gem. I will have to go back and check out the other places next time!
Visit Omaha gifted me with passes to the Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's botanical gardens. There are over 100 acres to walk through, or you can hop on a golf cart trolley. They have an herb garden, a cactus garden, Japanese garden, and much more. There are also some amazing animal sculptures by artist, Dan Ostermiller.
I took these photos with my iPhone 5S:
These photos with my Canon T3 Rebel DSLR + 24mm / f2.8 lens, which is great for close-up macro shots:
4. Spend more than 24 hours in Omaha!
So, I feel like I didn't get to spend enough time in Omaha, which is why I'm going to go back very soon. I had to get back to Denver for an art festival I was helping out with, so I did not get to stay the entire weekend.
A few things that are on my list for my next trip to Omaha:
I usually keep my posts short-form, but this topic is incredibly important and new to me and I have tons to say about it. I hope whoever reads through the whole thing enjoys it, and leaves me feedback in the comment section at the bottom!
***
The day I quit, I decided I wanted an obvious sign and the first song on the album, "Cassadega," by Bright Eyes came on during a Songza playlist I had going in my ears at work.
The first part of the song is a recording of a woman speaking, and the part that completely made me well up with tears in my cubicle (because I knew what it meant), was the following:
Don't give up hope on yourself.
Just be patient about the process - about how things are unfolding.
Why are you afraid to start?
I think you should go.
I think you should go.
About 30 minutes later, one of supervisors called me into their office to chat about some issues that had come up the weekend prior on one of the social media channels I was in charge of. Details aren't important, just know that being a social media manager is a insanely difficult job -- a delicate dance, if you will, & most people you work with won't understand everything you do.
The next thing I know, the following words released from my heart to my brain, and then came to life in my tear-choked voice:
"Well, here's the thing - I'm giving you my notice today. My last day will be February 28th."
And that was that. A month later, I left an incredibly secure job, I left a secure paycheck, secure healthcare, a secure 401k -- but I was 100% ok to leave it.
My first $20 after being self-employed!
Security is comfort, and comfort make us lazy and complacent.
I have no desire to have a secure, comfortable life. I want the challenging, gritty, curse-worthy, life -- because, damn, I feel alive when I'm having a hard time.
Let me tell you what though: the life I have now is much harder. I have to handle so much on my own, and learn how as I go. I have had to get over my fear of talking on the phone. I have to approach people if I want work. I can't just rely on someone to find me on social media.
Which brings me to another thing that needs to be mentioned:
**Edit: I think it may have been confusing to not mention the brands that I DO work with, who have found me because of social media. These companies are incredible and they didn't just send me a copy and pasted email to get in touch with me. They connected with me personally, got to know me, and are great to work with. So here they are: I work and collaborate with some amazing brands: Teton Sports, ECCO Outdoor, BoldBrew, Mountain Hardwear, Yonder & Outdoor Women's Alliance, just to name a few of the brands who have helped my personal brand amplify, and get me to where I am today. Whether it was an awesome social media internship (Outdoor Women's Alliance), or the opportunity to connect with an incredible marketing team to interview for a job (ECCO), these brands have been BADASS to work with!
Guess what: you can't just tag brands on Instagram and use their hashtags and expect them to come begging you to work for them.You'll get free stuff, but free stuff doesn't pay the bills. Also, the bubble is bursting and brands want to work with people who put really great stuff out there - but for free, because there are so many of us. Don't work for free if you want to make a living from your photography, writing, etc. Plus, when you work for free, it devalues my work when I ask for pay. Say no to brands who don't want to pay you, but want photos, blog posts, and shoutouts on social media in exchange for a $100 pair of shoes. They have marketing budgets. And don't be flattered when you get approached by a brand - it's someone's job to source out influencers on social media who will work for free. Sure, you get to say that you have worked with _________ outdoor brand, etc., but they probably have an influencer-finder platform like Social Native, and are looking for people with more than 1000 followers on Instagram who post a lot of hashtags about the outdoors. Not all of them care about you on a personal level.
I realize I could be calling myself out here, and yes, a couple years ago when working with influencers was fairly new, I worked with many brands, for free. Now, I don't. If you see me promoting a brand, it's because I really believe in 1) that brand as a company & love their product, 2) they are paying me, 3) I have an incredible relationship with them and am happy to promote. It's not because I am greedy, it is because I simply don't have the time to talk about random brands who send me things if they are not paying me, or I just won't use or wear what they have sent me, even if they paid me.
A photo posted by Tiffiny Costello✈️❤️ (@tiffinyepiphany) on
Social media is amazing (hello, it's how I pay the bills), but like I said: the bubble is bursting and you really have to stand out and have more to offer than photos and the ability to hashtag. (i.e. start.....a blog!)
Ok, back to how I am making things happen in my life:
I get a lot of people are asking me, "how are you paying your bills?" "How are you able to afford to travel so much?"
Chicago 2015
Tokyo 2014
Bali 2014
Grand Canyon 2014
San Francisco 2013
It's actually very simple, now that I've been doing it for a couple of months. In addition to being entirely independent - 29 with no family to care for (yet), here's how I've been managing:
1. I don't spend money on what I don't need.
I have stopped buying new clothes; I just don't need new clothes! I am not a fashion blogger, so I can get by with what I have. :)
I have stopped buying shampoo and toothpaste (I am making my own).
I don't buy alcohol - oh my GOSH you save so much when you're not buying drinks!
I make my coffee at home.
I work at home, which saves gas.
I buy fresh produce, not packaged crap. <---guess what you're paying for when you buy packaged food?
I do yoga at home.
I run outside; gyms are a waste of money in Colorado.
I rarely eat out.
I pay cheaper rent and utilities by living with roommates.
I charge what I am worth. <-- this is the big one. Right now, I am making good money, but not being overpaid. I am working for what I believe I am worth, based on research I have done and self-assesments of the skills and quality of work I bring to the table.
Next week, I have a blog post talking about my methods of cheap, frequent travel. I can't wait to share!
2. I have learned how to budget & learned how to STOP worrying about money.
Living paycheck to paycheck for my entire life, I never learned how to budget, because I never had enough money TO budget. I just paid whatever bills I could pay with each paycheck and then spent the rest.
Now that I am being paid more and taxes are not taken out, I have to be incredibly careful with my money, but not in a worrisome way. I just plan better. I have to consider the fact that I need to pay taxes every quarter. I also have to consider that I might not have enough work in a few months, yet the bills will still need to be paid.
You can also setup goals with future dates, and it will pull money each day from you "safe-to-spend," balance, until that goal is fulfilled. I LOVE SIMPLE SO MUCH.
Now, here's another thing: I am in credit card and student loan debt. Guess what? This does not mean I can't travel. I used Credit Karma to keep track of how I'm doing credit-wise (you can pay off little bits of your debt each month and your score will still shoot up about 10-15 points, FYI), I overpay as often as possible, and I don't fret about how huge my student loan balance is. Currently, those puppies are deferred, so I'm not paying on them. Yes, interest is still stacking up, but when you look at the big picture, aka LIFE, they will get paid off one day. Right now, I have the option to pause paying on them and get the rest of my finances stable and experience life without worry.
Go get your experiences, now. You will regret not doing that. Don't let debt consume you. It's taken me quite some time to mentally not worry about my debts - but that doesn't mean I am just letting them go unpaid. I do believe "karma" trickles into your finances, and I have also found the more I give, the more I get. My relationship with money has changed from, "I never have enough but I want as much as possible," to, "I just need enough to get by & not worry."
I tip, always. I overtip, often. If I feel compelled to tip 75%, I do it. Having an apathetic attitude towards money has really helped me stop worrying about it. Also, I was a bartender/waitress in the past, so I know how much it means to get more than 20%.
Also, the amount I charge for my work is the value I put on my work and the value a client will get delivered to them. When you work for free, doesn't the quality of your work diminish? Clients who want to pay you what you are worth understand that they are going to get good work. Trading work is fine too, but I would keep those situations short-term. For example, "can you design a logo for me and I'll audit your social media channels and show you some tricks?" I wouldn't schedule or manage content in a trade - that is too time consuming and the bulk of my paid work is managing content on clients' social media channels. Coming up with creative strategies and campaigns are my favorite part of my job, but right now, management pays the bills.
3. HUSTLE.
Things will not fall into your lap. Quit thinking that's how everyone who has made anything of themselves has done it.
Quit thinking others are lucky and that's how they got to where they are.
Quit thinking others are more fortunate.
Quit thinking, "they got their big break."
Quit sleeping in.
Quit procrastinating.
Quit planning and start doing.
Quit thinking you don't deserve your dream life.
I'm currently listening to Amy Poehlers' autobiography, "Yes Please," and she even talks about the fact that she didn't get to where she is easily. She had to put years of work as an unpaid/underpaid improv actor before auditioning for SNL.
So far, I have not had to look hard at all for any of my freelance work. I've gotten work from connections from past jobs and people I meet. I'm even talking to a guy I met in the Chicago airport about a big campaign he wants to hire me to manage. Networking and confidence are key in the freelancing world!
Another thing I have done is asked small businesses, "who manages your social media?" and sometimes they have a full-time person and sometimes they don't. I have business cards on hand and am always ready to hand one out.
Because my work is not full-time, I always have to be searching out new work on the horizon. I won't tell you how I do that because then you would be my competition. ;)
4. BELIEVE
If I didn't think I could take on the world, I don't think I would be trying to start a business, travel, and inspire others.
I truly believe I can take on the world. So I am doing it, starting with myself. If I can conquer myself, meaning, if I can learn how to love myself, believe in myself, nurture myself and daily recreate myself, I can take on the rest of the world.
A couple years ago, I got my yoga teacher certification, and although I am not teaching yoga, the lessons I learned from that training changed my life. I learned how the brain worked when habits are formed and created. I learned how thoughts direct everything in your life, down to the aches and pains your back has. Beyond thoughts, your breathe is everything.
What do you really want in life? How do you want to affect others? Where do you see yourself when you let your mind wander?
Have you started to shape yourself into that life? Are you ready to trek down the path of being brutally honest with yourself about your faults and strengths -- and then be ready to change them all in exchange for your dream life? Anthony Bourdain as a quote about travel, that pretty much sums up how I feel about chasing my dream life:
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”
I moved to Colorado in March of 2014, leaving behind an incredible boyfriend, family and friends. Driving away was one of the most painful and sad things I ever did, but now, a little over a year later, I am exactly where I dreamed of. I'm working for myself, traveling often, and have seen beauty in nature, people, and in myself.
If you dream about it, do it.
If it scares you, do it.
....and this is how I'm doing it, at least for now. <3
***
Are you working and traveling? How are you doing it? Got any specific questions for me? Comment below!
“The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving.” - Elizabeth Gilber; Eat, Pray, Love.
NO, I am not having a relationship crisis, or any real crisis for that matter.
I just need to go.
Three months ago, I left my job for the cautionary freelancing world. So far, it's been feast, not famine. I'm paying bills, going on trips whenever I want, and still juggling numerous accounts and learning to organize and manage my life in a professional way.
However, with this freedom to go anywhere, I find myself wondering why I'm staying put more often than not. Don't get me wrong, I love Colorado, and am so excited to spend another summer here, but after that, I need to be on the move.
Photo: Laurie Tewksbury // Mt. Evans
I feel like I have waited my whole life to do this, and I have finally created a situation for myself where I am able.
Let me pause for a moment, by the way, and speak on the topic of how lucky I am to do what I do:
Lately, I hear, "you're so lucky!" from people when I tell them what I do for a living. Luck has nothing to do with where my life is right now. There is nothing lucky about how I've figured out how to break away from the 9-5, learned new skills to create a career for myself, and pushed myself into burning midnight oil & waking up early instead of sleeping in to make things happen. I knew that I wanted this, and knew it would mean having to create a, "no turning back," attitude for myself.
Which meant waking up early and not sleeping in until 10am anymore (yeah, sleeping in is 10am for me now).
When you wait for things to happen to you, you have no choice but to settle for whatever comes your way.
If you want the dream life, don't think dreaming about it will get you there. That is definitely step one, but you're going to have to work incredibly hard -- harder than you probably ever have in your whole life. I'm putting in longer hours, having to really think outside the box, and am challenged everyday in my job now.
But I love it. Every second.
I also have many seconds where I wonder what I have gotten myself into...but those pass quickly!
Ok, back to my Eat, Pray, Love situation:
My solution to ease the feelings of needing to move around I have is simple:
Pack up.
Go.
In August, I will be throwing all my things into storage (or selling them), finding someone to sublet my place in Golden, and then head to Louisiana to take my cats, Wizard & Howl, to stay with my sister. After dropping the cats, I'll head to Texas to be with my parents and boyfriend for a couple of weeks until I depart to...
From there I will go to Bergen, Norway >> Stockholm, Sweden, >> Helsinki, Finland.
I'm using Traveller's Point to make a visual map of my plans, as well as CreateTrips to create a list of things to do so I can manage my time well while I'm visiting new countries.
Those are the flights I have booked so far. I'm building this trip little-by-little. I'm using Skyscanner to find the best deals and being flexible with my dates, which really makes a different. (No airline credit card points here - I am rebuilding my credit and don't qualify for the good ones yet).
My intention is to romp around Europe for the month of September, if not longer. I'm going to be writing, working and blogging while I am there, which is the whole reason I have chosen this life of freelancery (I just made that word up - and it's oh, so perfect).
Because I work in the industry of online digital marketing, you bet I already have a #hashtag for this thing created: #TiffinyDoesEurope.
I'm pretty scared, but I know if I don't do this, I will always want to. So here we go!
Where should I go? Should I avoid anywhere specific as a solo female? Should I take a rolling carry-on or a 40L backpack? What tips do you have for me? I'm new to long-term travel! Comment below!
One of the reasons I moved to Colorado was because of the incredible scenery I would see in photos on Instagram, as well as the people who were constantly on the move, constantly outdoors, and constantly challenging themselves.
So it is not a surprise that I am now finding travel inspiration on Instagram, and I've got 10 of my favorite travel & adventure accounts to share with you!
Do you have any favorite travel Instagram accounts or blogs I should be following? Be sure to share them in the comments!
Brooke is 23 and has traveled to over 50 countries - mostly solo. This girl is an incredible inspiration because she keeps things real, is always on the move, and has the best blog! As an aspiring travel blogger, I am learning a ton from Brooke!
Passion Passport is a great account to follow for international inspiration, an engaged community and they also host some awesome Instagram Challenges with amazing prizes. I mostly just love getting severe cases of wanderlust when I see them pop up in my feed.
Tiffany Nguyen is awesome because she shares my name, but also because she takes ridiculously beautiful photos! Her photos are very outdoor-centered, so you can also get some outdoor inspiration from her feed.
Liz is great to follow! She is a female travel blogger, and was recently featured in an article on BBC Travel about how she quit her job for full-time travel (FYI - it doesn't happen overnight). I also love following her on Snapchat (youngadventuress).
Melissa Hie has the most yummy Instagram feed: travel + food?! I'm in heaven. I love when I see her photos in my feed because I not only get hungry for international food, but also love to check out what's going on in the scene behind her treats.
Dame Traveler is a community of women travel inspiration, so it's obvious why I love following them. They also have travel stories on their website and participate in Instagram takeovers!
I discovered Candace because of a Dame Traveler Instagram takeover - her photos are the drawings of the places she visits. I love how she merges art and travel with her drawings!
Murad has an amazing, #FollowMeTo series on Instagram that involved his girlfriend walking towards something during their travels and he is holding her hand. I love this idea, and love staring at his photos! He also has a book of his Follow Me To series.
Kate McCulley is such a fun person to follow! She is also another solo female travel blogger and her blog is chock-full of tips, photos, and chronicles of her awesome experiences. She is also a blast to follow on Snapchat, and is a great inspiration to aspiring solo-female travelers.
Amanda Williams' blog is named, "A Dangerous Businesses," after a quote from The Hobbit! I know my love for travel narratives has much to do with why I love travel, and I thought it was so neat that she named her handle after one of the best travel narratives!
Do you have any favorite travel Instagram accounts or blogs I should be checking out? Share them in the comments!
