The route to financial freedom is just ahead…
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The Trip of my Life
The map above is our “final” itinerary for our one year RV trip. I write “final” as fate will decide the exact road we will take. In the meantime, this is half of the trip that is planned. Here are a few interesting numbers about this itinerary:
This is 162 days of travel;
14,926km or 9,275 miles estimated;
4 provinces;
15 states;
7 countries;
and this is only half of our trip!
During this amazing journey, I’m looking to do several things that could be part of a bucket list:
Spending a full year with the people I love most;
Sleeping on a beach;
Hiking in the Rockies;
Volcano Snowboarding;
Chilling on a hidden beach;
Spending a day in a desert;
Visiting Alcatraz;
Walking on Maya ruins;
Learning Spanish;
Waterfall rapelling;
Wearing a panama hat bought in Mexico;
Horseriding on the beach;
Surfing for the first time;
etc.
This is literally the trip of my life. When I was younger, I went on a 40 day backpacking trip across 7 European countries. This experience changed my life forever. This time, I’ll spend 365 days travelling across 8 countries (we are doing Belize on our way back!). I can only imagine how this will affect my life.
This trip makes me feel alive again. It makes me realize how blessed we are to be healthy and walk on this Earth. It makes me realize how life is fragile and should be cherished. I’m leaving for this trip on June 11th 2016…This is when another chapter of my life will be written.
This chapter will not only be about travelling and discovering new landscapes, cultures and people. This will will also be another chapter toward financial freedom. As I will rack up the kilometres, I believe this road will also lead me toward financial freedom.
A Route Toward Financial Freedom?
As you can see this is not exactly the path to financial freedom as you would expect it to be. A road to financial independence is usually made up of great sacrifice. Those sacrifices are usually a translated into longer hours worked and less money spent. The path is usually set-up for a very long time, read nearly a decade. This is not the path I intend to follow.
I Decided to Take Another Road Where There Was None
My road to financial freedom will pass through my one year RV trip across North & Central America. A trip where shorter hours worked and constant expenses will occur. In other words; this is totally the opposite of the classical FIRE (Financial Independance & Early Retirement). Funny enough, these shorter hours worked are the key to my financial freedom.
I expect to work between 30 to 35 hours per week during my trip. This is less than what I do right now (more like 50 hours per week). However, they will all be concentrated on my websites. This is how I intend to not only support my lifestyle during this period, but reach financial independence in a single year.
Working for yourself is the fastest way to reach financial independence. I recently read an interesting quote that goes like this: “If you don’t build your dream someone will hire you to help build theirs.” By working for someone else, it makes it very hard to realize your own dream. Each hour worked for someone will pay you once, each hour worked for yourself will pay forever.
Once I come back (if I come back! hahaha!), I would like to work for myself exclusively. I’m off to a great start right now and wish to propel my business to a whole new level while I will be traveling.
This is my dream and I’m living it right now. What’s yours?
Very excited for you and this wonderful trip. (A little bit envious as well)
May I make a friendly recommendation for your consideration. I’d suggest carrying on further South to Pochutla/Puerto Angel prior to heading up to Oaxaca. My wife and myself spent 5 weeks back packing the West coast of Mexico. That area around Puerto Angel was one of our favorites. There was a small town called Mazunte that we just loved.
Have a great trip. Looking forward to reading about your travels once en route.
Cheers
John
Hello John!
Thank you for the suggestion! I know that the itinerary will change along the way (the main goal was to make sure I get to Costa Rica for December 1st 😉 ).
I’ll definitely look into Pochutla/Puerto Angel!
cheers,
Mike
Looks amazing! Drop me off a line when you’re in Vancouver. 🙂
I’ll definitely will! we will be in BC sometimes in July I think 🙂
What a great trip you have planned. Doing something similar is one of my lifegoals as well. For now, we lack the courage, money and will power to do so. My main excuse: the kids make it too hard… it is only partly true, I know.
It is great that you will blog about this. It could inspire us to one day do the same
Costa Rica and Nicaragua are great countries to visit. If not yet your list, add a visit to the cerro negro. Great walk, but take a guide with you.
Hello Amber Tree!
What I discover over the past 2 years of working on this trip is that most fears, most obstacles are really only in our minds. We found a solution to each problem we encountered so far. I’m pretty sure we are not done facing problems during our trip, but I’m also convinced we will find a solution for each problem.
Cerro Negro is already on our list, thx for the suggestion 🙂
Cheers,
Mike
2 suggestions. The first is Manuel Antonio in Costra Rica. I stopped there for a couple of days and left 3 weeks later, although this was many years ago. The 2nd is more current and regards travellers health insurance. I am starting the fight to get our insurance company to pay for a 7 day (and counting) hospital stay for a severe internal infection. The patient went to a local clinic to be checked and was given antibiotics that didn’t stop the infection. A couple of days later he was checked into a hospital and the insurance company was notified. Their (initial) response was that we should have been notified before the first visit so that we could manage your care. Because you didn’t, this incident is a continuation of a pre existing condition and therefore you aren’t covered. Make sure you have a detailed conversation with your insurance company and understand your responsibilities under your policy, should you ever need to use it.
Cheers and enjoy your trip
Hello Mark!
The villa we rented in Costa Rica is about 40 minutes away from this park, I think I’ll go there several times :-).
Thank you so much about your tip in regards to travel insurance. I’m actually going to settle my insurance next week (I’ll make calls during spring break). I will make sure to understand how the insurance work!
Cheers,
Mike
Looks great Mike, but I liked your previous route better 🙂 The southeast US was on it. Haha. Seriously though, it looks outstanding….and makes our 2 month trip look like a weekend jaunt. I look forward to following along the way…..it’s the next best thing to living it.
God’s speed
-Bryan
Hey Bryan!
Don’t worry, when I come back, I’ll pass by the East Coast 😉
After all, this is only half of our trip!
Cheers,
Mike
Was wondering what the numbers on the map are for a lot of 2’s
I’m guessing that is the number of weeks? At that point
Very good question, I don’t even know myself!
It’s not related to the number of days or week. We usually stay between 1 and 4 days at each destination (depending on the road and what is interesting to be done).
Cheers,
Mike.
Div. Guy,
Sounds like a great trip. In my early years, took many trips to your part of Canada and the provinces east to the great lakes.
Be very careful of the drinking water south of the border. Please continue to warn the family. I got very sick in Costa Rica at an all inclusive expensive resort. Getting sick in a foreign country can truly wreck great tour plans.
May God bless you and keep everyone safe and happy.
JZ
Div. Guy,
Sounds like a great trip. In my early years, took many trips to your part of Canada and the provinces east to the great lakes.
Be very careful of the drinking water south of the border. Please continue to warn the family. I got very sick in Costa Rica at an all inclusive expensive resort. Getting sick in a foreign country can truly wreck great tour plans.
May God bless you and keep everyone safe and happy.
JZ
Thank you Jerry,
Yeah, we already have a complete part of our RV reserved to buy bottled water! I surely don’t want to get sick in those countries..
Cheers,
Mike
Hey Mike,
It is great to see someone so excited about the unknown. I’ve been full time in a 24 ft rv for over 5 yrs. Sold a house in Los Angeles and bought the rv to go find a place to live. Should take 6 mo’s max. But I can’t stop. You wouldn’t believe the places I read your emails! Sounds like you have the all the details figured out but if not send me an email and I can give you the tips that I have found. Esp on low cost campsites.
Safe travels…you are never too young!
Patrick
Hello Patrick,
thank you for your help! I’ll definitely reach out once we hit the road! I can’t wait!!!
Cheers,
Mike
Mike, you realize you can’t enter Mexico without special insurance for your RV, right?
Hello Eric,
Very good point. Yes, we knew about this. We already have a few insurance company phone number 🙂
Cheers,
Mike
Loved this: “Most obstacles are really only in our minds.” I cannot agree more.
What an educational and amazing experience this will be for your young ones. I went from country to country with expat family as a child and don’t regret one day – though I’m sure I whined a bit now and then. Today, I look back with pride, joy and gratefulness at the adventures I’ve had the privilege to have over an entire childhood. All the best to you and your family now. Have a fantastic trip!!
Hello Tikiri,
Thx for stopping by! I’m pretty sure my kids will also whine a few times, but they already do it at home (kids have to be kids, right? hahaha!).
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike,
This is going to be an awesome trip! I’m sure it will be life changing.
Drop me a line when you’re in Ottawa.
cheers,
Kanwal