You have decided to leave your 9-5 behind and head off into the sunset in a land you’ve only seen in the magazines. Or perhaps, you have been freelancing or running your small business for a while – and you want to enjoy that freedom more fully. No matter the reason, leaving everything behind and heading off to work and travel is exciting.

There are few steps that you’ll need to check off before you are ready.

Belongings

You won’t be taking much with you – because the more you have, the more expensive it is to move it all. Instead, it is time to get rid of everything you don’t need.

If you end up being away for years, the electronics in your home may be outdated, so these can typically go straight away.

Donate, sell, and recycle as much as you can. This can take months to complete. As you do it, you will be able to add everything you make to your traveling cash.

Anything of sentimental value can likely be stored at a friend or family member’s house, or you can pay for monthly storage.

Housing

When you get the travel and working bug, you might not want to leave a fully furnished home behind. For some, this feels like a solid safety net; for others, there is a lot of cash tied up in the house that could contribute to a more enjoyable nomad experience.

If you are renting, make sure that you get your deposit back, and if you own your house, check out your sell my house for cash options.

Contracts

Since you’re making this decision, you likely have several work contracts that mean you can work wherever you are in the world already. Let them know if you are changing time zones or heading to somewhere that you will be unavailable for a few days.

Reach out to travel magazines, blogs, and outlets to let them know where you will be traveling and do they have anything that required photos, articles, or others. This can be a great way to increase your income and perhaps have some of your travel compensated.

Travel-Work Kit

Keeping yourself online and at work is imperative.

• Consider updating your laptop to a newer, lighter model – and then get in insured. Your laptop is how you will be working, but it adds unnecessary weight to your backpack if it is heavy.
• DSLR so you can film and create content as you go and entice publications and followers to engage with your travels.
• Wifi signal booster – for the destinations where wifi isn’t great, but you have a deadline.
• Multiple charger blocks – you never know when travel might go wrong, so keep spare cables and charger blocks.
• Hardrive – so that you can back up your work in the cloud and on a hard drive
• A minimal amount of clothing
• A very sturdy backpack that can be locked

And finally, an open mind allows you to experience new cultures and the world just like you planned!