Want To Get Away From It All? Why I Travel (And You Should/Can, Too)

Although I’ve been fighting it, it’s that time of year. It’s officially winter here in Boston. For some, that means fun in the snow and winter activities, for others it may involve renting a beach house from somewhere like Surf City Rentals and escaping to California where the sun is still shining but, for me — it’s hibernation time. But not in 2018 and that’s why I travel. I’m getting away from it all and traveling the world and I don’t mean throughout 2018 although I probably will. I’m headed off on a world cruise in 2018 to see and explore as many parts of this great world I live in.

World Cruise 2018

On January 3, 2018 I’ll board a flight to England and then on January 5, 2018 I’ll board my cruise. I’m headed out on Black Watch from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines out of Southampton for a once in a lifetime world cruise. Here’s the ports I’ll visit:

• Southampton, England
• Ponta Delgado and Horta, Azores
• St. George, Bermuda
• Havana, Cuba
• Cozumel, Mexico
• Panama Canal
• Manta, Ecuador
• Callao and Paracas, Peru
• Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile
• Pitcairn Island; Papeete, Tahiti
• Bora-Bora, French Polynesia
• Rarotonga, Cook Islands
• Auckland and Bay of Islands, New Zealand
• Sydney, Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, and Darwin, Australia
• Komodo, Indonesia
• Singapore
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Yangon, Myanmar
• Cochin and Mumbai, India
• Aqaba, Jordan
• Sharm el Sheikh and Alexandria, Egypt
• Kusadasi, Turkey
• Athens, Greece
• Rome and Pisa, Italy
• Malaga, Spain

While I should be excited, I’m also painfully anxious about this trip. Did I pack everything? Will I forget anything? What will it be like being away from home for so long? Will I miss having the ability to come and go as I please? Will I miss cooking for myself? Driving a car? What will become of Mr. TSG on his own? While I don’t have answers to these questions, I do know one thing. But for travel, my life would be excruciatingly boring. What other job allows you to take off and explore the world? So as you can see, you’re starting to understand a little more about why I travel.

What I Do Is Real Work

This is real work in a real job where I’m usually glued to my desk for around 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s not a vacation people, but real work. The end result looks like a vacation, but there’s actual work before a trip and most definitely after a trip. Afterwards I’m tasked with editing pics and video, writing posts, posting to social media, contacting vendors and suppliers, and so on and so forth. I envy those people that can look forward to relaxing on a trip with a nice cold beverage. I’m the person taking pictures of that person and planning a post to go alongside that picture. Believe me, I promise you that I am so not complaining. I couldn’t imagine myself working in an office or doing something other than what I’m doing right now. It took a while to get here, but there’s no way I’d do anything else.

Preparing For My World Cruise

The actual preparation part of my cruise started long before today. We’re talking about months and months of preparation that include the most mundane of tasks like obtaining visas to planning activities with my travel partner, Danielle Fear of CruiseMiss.com. When people ask me how do I get to travel for a living, they think I’m on vacation. Why I travel is more than just wanting a great vacation. Why I travel is more than just escaping reality, although admittedly it often feels like I do.

The actual packing of my bags only started about a month before my departure date. I had one bag going ahead of me to the ship courtesy of LuggageForward.com. But I still needed to pack for nearly four months of travel. As of today, I’m still struggling to figure out what I’m bringing. My clothing isn’t the big issue as is toiletries, cosmetics, and things we use daily that we don’t even think about. After I moved into less than 800 square feet from a house to an apartment, I really thought I had downsized. But now sharing a cabin that’s less than 200 square feet will really force me to think about maximizing space. Plus I will have to think twice about what I want vs. what I really need.

Final Thoughts

As I prepare for my world cruise and embark on my next big adventure, I feel completely blessed to have this opportunity. Have you ever considered becoming a travel blogger or travel writer? Check out Miss Filatelista’s response to the question of “So you want to be a travel writer?” While no two people will offer the same advice, have the same experience, or the same answer, I hope that if you’re considering a change in 2018, you’ll feel empowered to try something new.

Have you ever cruised or taken a world cruise? Do you have any comments or suggestion for me as I set off on my world cruise? Leave your comments below. Discover some other great destinations and travel ideas here on the Travel Shop Girl website .