I am child-free by choice and travel full-time while working. I have no regrets.

• Sara van Geloven is simply a 35-year-old who decided not to person kids.
• She and her partner chose to recreation and person a elastic manner complete being parents.
• They group up a reliable net work connected their van and now recreation afloat clip while working.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Sara van Geloven, freelance editor and task manager. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I retrieve getting nan recreation bug erstwhile I went connected 2 six-month trips successful my 20s. In 2014, I sewage a job successful nan Netherlands arsenic a full-time recreation editor and was consistently going connected short-term property trips each complete nan world.

My partner, whom I person been pinch since I was 23, has besides ever loved travel. He is simply a freelance photographer, which has fixed him a batch of state to travel.

A fewer years ago, we started earnestly considering having children. Slowly, we came to nan conclusion that neither of america wanted children. Instead, what we really wanted was state to travel.

Although location are decidedly families who recreation pinch their kids, we thought it would beryllium easier and cheaper to recreation without children.

In 2022, aft being employed for 8 years, I made nan determination to spell freelance truthful that my partner and I could activity full-time while traveling. Here is really we made it work.

Test it retired first

The imaginable of walking and moving full-time tin beryllium daunting if you've ne'er done it before. You don't person to springiness up your occupation for illustration I did correct disconnected nan bat.

Some companies let labor to activity from abroad for periods of time. This mightiness beryllium a gentle measurement to trial whether this type of manner is appealing.

Don't consciousness for illustration you person to spell acold — moreover conscionable walking to different authorities aliases bordering state mightiness beryllium nan cleanable region erstwhile starting out.

I knew I could activity while traveling, arsenic I had done arsenic a recreation editor. But if you aren't sure, it mightiness beryllium smart to make judge you do for illustration nan lifestyle, because full-time recreation is not for everyone.

Get a group up for work

Since we knew we'd beryllium moving from our camper van, we group up a Starlink connected our tile truthful we would have entree to high-speed internet nary matter wherever we were. Even if we were connected a formation successful nan mediate of nowhere, we could still work.

We designed ergonomic workspaces for each of america successful nan camper van. While immoderate young group who recreation full-time while moving whitethorn conscionable beryllium capable to lounge successful nan soil pinch their laptop while working, successful my 30s, that doesn't work. My backmost will ache if I don't person a comfortable space.

I person a laptop stand, abstracted keyboard and mouse, and a comfortable activity chair. We've made it compact.

Go into it pinch nan correct expectations

Sometimes, erstwhile group commencement a activity and recreation lifestyle, they position it arsenic a vacation, but it's not. No matter wherever you are successful nan world traveling, you will still beryllium working. There is nary measurement you tin spot each tract aliases tourer spot. If you try, you'll pain out.

Even aft 2 years, I'm still struggling to make judge I find nan correct work-life balance.

I've recovered a regular that useful for me. From Sunday to Friday, I activity astir six hours a day, and Saturday is my ineffable time off.

When I'm not working, I'm either exploring aliases sorting recreation admin out.

Document your trip

When you're moving while traveling, it is easy to hide to return photos. You're perpetually connected nan move aliases sitting successful beforehand of a computer.

But it's important to archive wherever you've been because otherwise, you mightiness forget. I tracked each our trips connected nan travel app Polarsteps, and I emotion seeing each our adventures displayed connected a beautiful world map.

Experience nan cultures you visit

One of my favourite aspects of walking is becoming acquainted pinch nan civilization I'm surviving in. We will eat astatine section restaurants aliases spell to networking events pinch like-minded people.

Even though I person to deliberation astir clip zones erstwhile I travel, I effort to fresh my schedule astir nan schedule of nan state I'm successful truthful I tin mingle pinch residents.

It's easy to get caught up successful nan integer nomad life and not make those section connections, but it's 1 of nan astir beautiful benefits of travel.