When I started this journey to Asia, a lot of initial reactions were surprise, and maybe a tinge of jealousy. People seem to be incredulous at the fact that someone would just quit their job without having another job lined up, or without having a plan. You will never hear me say that it was easy. It certainly isn’t easy. But is it worth it? I think so. But that is just a matter of my own opinion. I bet if you ask anyone that has ever quit their job to travel if they regret it, and I guarantee you will never hear them say yes. I also get a lot of disbelief that I would want to travel alone, and that many people could never see themselves going anywhere alone. Traveling alone does not mean you are always alone. In fact, you are rarely ever alone because there’s no such thing as strangers.

Another initial reaction from the outside world is that I must have a money tree growing in my backyard. Well, sadly that just isn't true. I don’t have a backyard. But I do know where the money comes from: hard work. I am familiar with that, because I spent nearly 4 years at a factory, oftentimes working 7 days a week. That was my “money tree." And throughout that time, I made traveling a priority in my life. Now it is the only priority in my life. Traveling isn’t just a luxury I do when I have “extra cash." It is a part of my life, and that’s what makes all the difference. I am certainly not rich, on anything other than life, experiences, and happiness. I believe the more places I go, the more cultures I experience, and the more people I meet, make me far richer than the money I would have sitting in the bank. So traveling isn’t just for people that have a ton of money. It is for anyone that chooses to make it a priority in their life.

Many people that I talk to wish they could travel more but say they either don’t have the money, or don’t have anyone to go with. I truly don’t believe people understand how inexpensive traveling can really be, and once they do it, they will realize how amazing it was, and then make it a priority in their lives. Think about what your top 3 priorities in life are, and see if your hard earned money is going to those 3 things. I would say mine are travel, family, and new experiences. I try to use the bulk of my money on those 3 things. Of course there are the things we have to spend our money on like living expenses and bills, but if you list your 3 priorities, and then look at your expenses and spending habits, and after taking out the bills and required expenses, what is leftover? If your “leftover" money isn’t going towards what you believe to be your top 3 priorities, are you living the life that you want? If you look at your list and look at your expenses and realize that things far below your top 3 on that list are getting a large portion of your income, is that the life you want to have, or can you cut that out and put your hard-earned money towards your top 3? It is really simple if you can break it down like that. It is a good guideline that might be able to help you save up for that top priority in your life. Maybe it is a bucket list adventure, or a weekend trip. Life is all about priorities, and I believe setting priorities and actively working on a plan to achieve them should be #1.

Back to the whole traveling alone thing. Ask someone you know that has traveled alone if they didn’t enjoy their time, or if they spent their trip alone, and they will likely call you crazy. Well, maybe they wouldn't, but they will probably tell you it was one of their best experiences. One word: hostels. The beauty of hostels is the fact that it brings backpackers from all over the world who are doing similar trips together. You may meet someone and spend the next few hours with them on the back of a motorbike exploring the Cameron Highlands. Or you might spend 6.5 hours hiking through the Malaysian forest on rainy, muddy trails. You may meet someone getting off the bus at your next destination that invites you along to dinner with his other French friends. You could even meet someone on the bus to Koh Samui that invites you to learn to scuba dive with his son and niece. Maybe even meet a German on your way to the Batu Caves that knows of a great Helipad lounge to watch the sunset. You honestly never know the next time you will meet a new friend that you will share new experiences with and never forget. But if the seat next to me was filled with a friend I already knew, I would have automatically stayed within my comfort zone, and never made my new friends from Ontario. Traveling alone makes it easier to meet people, because when you are alone, you have to make an effort to talk to other people and leave your comfort zone. When you are already traveling with friends, you don’t have that need to communicate and get out of your comfort zone quite as much. You know what Neale Donald Walsch always said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." It is amazing how much smaller the world gets the more you travel. When you meet someone in Krabi and then run into him again on Koh Phangan. Or when your mutual friend puts you in touch with someone else that quit their job and is traveling, and you are a great match and spend the next 3 days together. The world is truly an amazing place filled with incredible people, and I never would have gotten to meet any of these people if I never left.