WIBU to quit my job & use my house deposit savings to travel the world for a year??

[JaneOnAJourney]

NCed for anonymity :-)

I am 25 and my DH is 28, we both work in averagely paid jobs (me as a teacher, him as a police officer) but have managed to save up a good amount that we were intending to use as a house deposit, this amount is also enough for 2 people to travel the world for 12-15 months.

We've been bitten by a travel bug and we've both got itchy feet, I really want to have an adventure and have amazing stories to tell my grandchildren and just explore the world.

After university we never really traveled beyond the odd skiing trip or city breaks as I had a 2nd job every other weekend and DH worked long shifts (and still does) so we haven't found the time for it.

I know that if we don't do this while we're in our 20s and childfree, the next chance we'll have to do it is in our 50s when our (future) children have left home, there is no guarantee that we'll even be alive or have our health then, and I would sorely regret not taking a chance and following our dreams.

Travel is DH and I's biggest dream and passion.

So, MN- in this position would you do the sensible thing and buy a home or would you take a leap into the unknown?

(MIL's opinion when I tentatively broached the subject with her was ''why waste all your hard work saving on a year long jolly?'' My mother is saying ''what's stopping you! Go!'' )

Ooh, sounds lovely, can I come?

Why not compromise? You don't have to spend all your savings and go for so long. I wouldn't throw away a house but I wouldn't throw away the opportunity to travel either. I think you can do both.

Do it!! Life is for living! Enjoy!

YANBU
You will regret it if you don't go.
My sensible head says maybe go for 6 months so you still have some saving left when you get back.
My not very sensible head says blow the lot!

YANBU. You only live once, do it! Plenty of time for sensibility later, go make some fabulous memories

YANBU - Do it!

It is still my dream.

Once DS trots off to uni/leaves home I.am.out.of.here.

I am very

Do it

DO IT.

Haha x post!!

Thou that is my plan too.

Absolutely do it! I dallied with a 5 week break in my late 20s (that's as long as I could afford) and I so wished I'd had longer. You will be all the richer in life experience for it (if not actually financially better off) and you might find somewhere far flung to settle into a blissful existence...

You are both well qualified to pick up work along the way if you so wish - even just a short stint working in a different country would be a great experience to put in your CV for when you get back here.

Do it. You know you want to...

It must be so exciting.

Where are you wanting to go OP?

We did exactly this! You HAVE to do it! We had the best time and it changed our outlook on life for the better. It also brought us closer together.
We did get visas so we could work in Australia for a few months to top up the funds, this was great for meeting people and didn't really feel like work as it was temporary. Maybe you could do this?

Go to norway, cambodia, and goa and tell me all about them.....

Go for it! As you say, once you have children it will be a lot harder to do. Have your fab adventure.

That sounds brilliant catching

I cant believe how envious I am!

Only 9 more years.........

I did it, 10 yrs ago at age of 30 when the house purchase I spent 9 months trying to make fell through. House prices had risen so much in that time I could no longer really afford it and I thought sod it, I'll have an adventure instead. It was absolutely worth it.

It did however take me 3 months to get a job when I got back and those 3 months were nearly as expensive as the year away. However I'm guessing with your careers it may be easier to pick up again.

Hahaha! ''Do It, Do It, Do It'' I like the sound of that.

What would a reasonable compromise be though? Maybe leaving this August and coming back before 2015 summer term starts?

True we could pick up work along the way, maybe house-sit as well to keep costs down? WWOOF?

My parents met and fell in love in India, so I think that's where we'd like to begin, after that Bhutan, Cambodia, Northern Thailand, Nepal and more of South East Asia and anywhere with amazing trekking opportunities.

Then DH really wants to go to Africa; South Africa, Botswana, Zanzibar are all on our list, also a safari and camping in Maasai Mara, and since we're both cyclists he also has a crazy idea of cycling from Cairo to Cape Town, but I think that's waaayy too impractical and insane.

Do it! My biggest regret in life is never having travelled and seen the world. My DF died at the relatively young age of 55 having never achieved his ambition to see Oz. If I had the money and no kids I'd drag DH off like a shot! Live for the moment as you don't know if you'll ever get the chance again.

Oooh catching Australia Work Visas! Didn't even occur to me! What a brilliant idea, thank you!

Buy now, then swap to a buy-to-let mortgage in 2 years time and travel with the security of a house back home

Well it does sound like a lovely idea. But is it practical. That's another question. Will your jobs be still available when you get back. Could you not look at the possibility of getting some sort of job exchange for a year. I know this is available to teachers but not sure about police officers.

Do it, do it!! I am so jealous. Where do you reckon you would go?? This is my dream too and am hoping to do something similar when I am early forties (I am 30 and DS is 11) but it will prob be for a maximum of 6 months. It will be fab and you will remember it forever.