Welcome to my podcast and my name is Rory and I am the author of this podcast. Please like and follow me on Instagram Rory’s Wonderlust Travels for more travel ideas and if you have any experiences, you think I should do while traveling as well. I also want to mention these are my own experiences and I want to be as open and honest as possible.
So often I get questions on how I manage to travel full time and how I afford it. This is a two-part question. I can travel full-time because I do not keep any type of residency in the US. I do not have rent or an apartment. So that really frees up your money. With that being said I do have a family address I keep for mail and anything else important. I know many of you have thought about dropping everything and just leaving the US. This is exactly what I did. My own personal reasons may be validated some and others not. I am completely ok with that. To each there is my own response.
I have had it all. The nice house, nice cars, boat and so many other things, but these things did not make me happy. I felt stagnant many times. They are just items. You cannot take any of these things to the grave with you. Let’s talk about relationships. I feel like I have just been a failure in one way or another but mostly because I had a hard time staying in one place. My entire life I have known but to move around and so when I retired trying to be in one place for long periods of time is not me. That’s why I loved the military. I was always doing something crazy, and it became a craving for me. More like an addiction of sorts. To this day I have the craving to go to a new place and venture to new horizons every two or three months. I am not sure this will ever change as I feel the need to live this lifestyle in my soul. Yes, many have questioned my intentions if I am running from something or myself, but honestly it just makes me happy.
So, I asked myself what made me happy? This question will be different for everyone and answer as well, but for me experiences. The excitement of new smells sounds and adventures. I think I just get bored, and I have a hard time sitting still. Of course, when I started this journey, I had no idea what I was doing. I made mistakes in pretty much everything at first.
I am about to tell you about my first long trip outside of the US alone. I was in a very dark place. I had gotten wounded in Iraq, and I was dealing with issues and surgeries around it. I was in a terrible relationship, and I honestly was looking for an escape. I had been to Mexico many times before, so I found a one-way ticket, packed my bag and left. My first mistake was going to Mexico. I had just had back surgery and a hysterectomy. I was still on strong painkillers. At this point in my life, I was all about numbing emotional and physical pain. Mexico is a haven for those who use medication for medical and non-medical issues.
I flew into Cancun and took a bus south to Playa Del Carmen. The bus from the Cancun airport to Playa Del Carmen is around two hours. This depends on the number of people that need to be dropped off. Patience is the key when you are taking any form of public transportation. It is a place where a lot of tourists go and long-term travelers. I get to my hotel, and they don’t have a room for me. So, I am on Airbnb frantically looking for a place and I scored one. Thank goodness because I did not want to be homeless in Mexico. Nowadays this wouldn’t bother me because someone is always willing to help. I did not know this back then. I got this hacienda that I found on airbnb and it was cute. The house divides down the middle with two separate staircases. I had the use of a small kitchen, my own room and bathroom. The owners were interior designers and with so much energy. But I need to back up a bit. I had to take a cab from the hotel to Airbnb and I left my phone in the cab. This was my first mistake. It was a very stupid thing to do. I did not have enough money to buy a new one until I got paid again. My second mistake was when I decided to leave the house and adventure out, I forgot to write down the address and without a phone this became a nightmare.
This is an example of how dependent we have become on technology. I walked for hours. I think I found every strip club in playa del carmen and this was in the middle of the night. I didn’t get mugged or harassed at all. I felt safe. I stopped and had tacos and beer.
Then I remembered I passed an AutoZone when I left. I stopped and asked where AutoZone was, and I was back to my spot. My advice is to always remember the little details and do not panic. Because things do work out. But Mexico was not a healthy choice for me. I could walk into any pharmacy and get whatever I wanted. So many medications would be listed in the window, and you walked in and asked to purchase and went on your way. I was mixing Ambien with pain medicine, and this was not good. One night I was so high I cut my hair. I honestly don't remember doing it. I still laugh about it and I think to myself I always looked better in shorter hair.
Most people go to Playa Del Carmen for the beach and the walking avenue. I did think the beach was alright, but it did not wow me. Maybe it was the drugs talking. I knew I needed to leave Mexico. I went back home and lasted only ten days. There was no salvaging the relationship. The man I escaped from was the same man I came back to. So, I left for good and I have not been back since. I literally walked with a backpack and small suitcase.
One night I was looking for a cheap one-way ticket to anywhere. I found one in Bangkok for $300. This was a great deal, and it was cheap. At that moment I had no idea how going to Bangkok would change my life for the better. The covid pandemic was becoming a thing.
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