Wibu to quit my job and go travelling?

[FedupofbeingtoldIcantusemyname]

I'm having a bit of a wobble.

Ex and I broke up very recently but are still living together for practical reasons.

I am heartbroken and sick of being sad. I've always wanted to travel and I have a few grand in savings sitting in the bank. I want to just quit my job and take off on the first flight out to backpack around Europe or something. I am a (mature) student with no dependent DC's or anything and my job is a part time minimum wage job.

My worry is, what do I do when/if I get back? If I spend all my savings travelling I'll have no money to move out when I get back. Plus then I'll have to get another job and finding another job that is a) compatible with my uni hours and b) not a seasonal job (as most jobs in this area are) will be very difficult.

Should I be sensible and use some of my savings to move out, while keeping my current job?

Or WIBU to just fuck it all, quit my job, leave and travel with my money?

You know that travelling will put you back together and then some! You'll become confident, outgoing and won't sweat the small stuff. Also all those beautiful single backpacker men!!!

See if STA has anything to whet your appetite.

Catering! I'm willing to bet you'd find amazing opportunities in Europe (I'm imagining German pastry chefs, Italian cantinas, French chocolatiers...)

Oh, how exciting! Good luck!

Just a quick update - I'm doing it!

I've given my notice in at work, I leave mid-late August so I have a few weeks to plan and give them time to find a replacement and that way most of the busy summer period is over by the time I go.

I'll have 6 weeks ish to tour a bit and have some fun, which will hopefully get me out of bed and give me something to look forward to. Not feeling very hopefully that it'll all be ok today but maybe this will help!

How exciting!!!! You never know what opportunities will crop up while you're out there, maybe you'll be gone for years

I always wanted to do a ski season (can't ski but would love to be a chalet host) and always wanted to interrail. Might be another 20 years now when the kids have left (DC1 is 1)

Good luck - you should keep us posted! :)

That's great, congratulations!

Everything will almost certainly be fine, you'll have a rewarding experience, be too busy with travel to dwell on problems, and come back filled with new ideas and energy.

If you're concerned about going alone, please don't be. I've done lots of solo travel and although it has stressful moments, it's very good for meeting new people and really focussing on new places. I find that pursuing or taking up a hobby can be good for tiding over the more awkward or solitary moments, and can be really enriching: photography, sketching, keeping a travel journal. It helps me take note of all the fascinating details around me, and also provides a great record to look at in the future.

I did this after a breakup - sold all my stuff and spent a year in Australia. When I came back, I found a live in pub job on Gumtree - it paid 200 quid a week with food and accommodation thrown in, it was great. Could you do that? It doesn't have to be a pub, you can also find live in work for other types of job like care giving.

When you're old the one thing you'll never regret is travelling. I recommend Asia - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Maybe you could save up a little bit more so when you get back you have at least 1,000 pounds in the bank to find yourself somewhere to live.

Fuck it all, just go and have fun! You're young, have no kids yet, no mortgage etc, go and enjoy your life! Leave enough in the bank to see you alright for a few weeks when you return. There's that saying about only regretting the things you didn't do.....

It might sound awful but at the moment, I'm actually really not worried about the whole job issue. I have experience in retail and catering so I know I'll be able to find a job somewhere. I'll think about that when I get back

In all honesty, I am really worried about travelling alone. I've been travelling before but I was with someone else at the time and generally I'm not good at being alone. Surprisingly, I get lonely! I also hate not having someone to talk to and share the experience with but that's one of the things I'm hoping I will get out of this trip - that I'll 'learn' how to be happy by myself and not have to rely on someone else. I'm sure I'll meet new people on the way but I do worry that I'll spend 6 weeks alone and lonely.

I'm planning on going to Prague, down through Austria to Italy, spend a while travelling around there before heading over to Croatia on the ferry (if I have time/money). Then back up Italy, through Switzerland and hopefully end up in Germany for Oktoberfest

Does anyone have any tips/advice for travelling in these places? I've never been anywhere in Europe other than Spain and I felt comfortably there as studyed Spanish at school, this will be the first time doing somewhere I haven't a clue about the languages.

Please use your name love, I am so so so excited for you, that all sounds amazing. I think you are doing exactly the right thing, and as daunting as it might feel to do all this alone, I think you have it in you to do it. YOU made the decision to quit your job, YOU booked your tickets, YOU are going. Sometimes you might feel lonely, but that's ok too, you might learn how to support yourself through feeling like that, you might start to feel more confident just to start talking to someone else. Go for it girl, this feels like the right time to risk and put yourself out there!

Your plans sound amazing.

I'll be honest, I do sometimes get lonely travelling solo. BUT the lonely moments usually only come once every few days, of an evening when I'm tired, and in between I've had days of adventure, interest and satisfaction. The advantages to being alone can be significant - you can do exactly what you want, when you want: no waiting around, no arguing over destinations or schedules. You really look at what's around you instead of being distracted by companions. You're much more likely to notice details of places and people, and it's much more likely you will meet locals.

My tips would include taking books to read (Kindle), learning as much as you can about the places you visit, starting a project as I mentioned earlier (a journal, a blog, a photo-record). This will keep you busy in the quiet moments, and will mean you can 'share' the experience with family/friends if you want.

Be aware of safety issues, but don't let it keep you back from having adventures. Chatting to hotel and restaurant staff, tourist office, museum guides makes a good start in terms of social contact and getting to know a place (and they're likely to speak English). It does really help if you can master a few basics in the local language, too, as this can lead to more out-of-the-way encounters (e.g. old ladies with stories to tell). Often people will be curious about you being alone, and frequently be impressed and keen to chat.

I've become comfortable with dining out alone with a book, but I do try to factor in some evenings 'in' - supermarket or take-away food in the hotel room with TV or a book - for a break from feeling on display. I also make sure I have internet connections and cheap phone calls - they've recently got cheaper in the EU - so I can still feel connected to family and friends.

Good luck. I'm sure you will be fine. A lot of it is about having a positive attitude, seeing the travel as an adventure, and being open to new people and places - which you evidently are. And even if everything did go terribly wrong (unlikely) you could easily fly back home in a few hours, after all.

Oh well done! I'm jealous - this sounds fab.

I do know what you mean about the loneliness. I know people say that you can find people to pal up with in hostels, but this hasn't been my experience very much - it always feels like people are in ready-made groups that I can't break into .

There are lots of ways nowadays to meet up with local people who're happy to chat in English. Have a look here at these links.

So jealous. Your trip sounds amazing.

I really want to start feeling excited about it but at the moment I just feel a bit hollow and sad

I guess I'm just having a bad day.

Travelling on your own is the best way to do it as you're more open to meeting new people. It also helps you to 'find yourself' as you will be free to be yourself and not the person you are with the person you're travelling with iyswim.

It's ok to have a bad day, I think it would be unrealistic to think you're going to be bouncing around with excitement for the next month before you go. The catalyst for you leaving is also a sad one so you need to take that into account too. Go easy on yourself, you are being really brave and trying something new on your own and it will be ok. You will make it ok for you.

No brainer.

Do it.

You're experienced in catering - there's always catering jobs available when you get back.

You'll never get this opportunity again with no dependants/children tying you down.
Plus, you'll change on your travels. You'll come back renewed and optimistic.

You can do it! I'm sure you will have the best time. I would say definitely go to Croatia - it had loads of backpackers and everyone seemed so friendly with each other (we were travelling as a couple and not backpacking but both agreed we would have enjoyed it if we had been). Plus it is also stunningly beautiful and very easy to get around as the ferries are fantastic (and fairly cheap!)

Ok, I've had enough now. I just want to be over this sadness. I can't just sit in bed crying all the time. I need to woman up. How do I do it??!! I want to be excited about my trip!!

If you do go, have a marvelous time, but just promise us one thing-that you won't write a smug book about your travels when you return.

cough cough (Elizabeth Gilbert) cough

You know what, just make sure you get out of bed and go - make a pact with yourself - give it a week - and if you hate it you can go home. But just do that first week.

I loved travelling on my own.

I'm sure I'll enjoy it massively while I'm there, I'm definitely going to do it its just filling the time between now and when I go. It's just stretching out in front of me and nothing to do to fill except cry and be miserable that he doesn't love me anymore

I know it will pass. Eventually. I just want it to pass sooner!

Ok Yank, I promise. Can I write a book if it's not smug?

I've done it took a year out and made some amazing memories (went a bit futher then you) but I've done most of Europe too over months here and there over a few years.

Few solo traveling tips

If your back packing (and I did and total recommend it) get two packs a large one and a day pack. Line your packs out and be very careful about money and passports

Take every opportunity

Start researching NOW get good guides and read read read everything you can.

As a minimum take 2 duplicates of your passport, save one on line and give one to a friend. Same with tickets.

Print out the consulate addresses for every country you plan to visit or think you might. Inc phone numbers

Get a European phone package.

Get good holiday insurance.

Even if you don't plan to camp take a sleeping bag liner that way if you find yourself in a dodgy hostel you'll have a clean bed.

What sort of things do you love / like I've been to all the countries your planning on going to and can make recommendations if you'd like?

Consider buying a camelbak you'll be doing a lot of walking in heat and it keeps your hands free.

Take a bloody for first aid kit Inc emergency medication nothing worse than being ill and not knowing where to get x,y,z

Consider getting a European train pass.

Be sensible about personal safety

Yes, by all means, do write a non-smug book! That would be a refreshing contrast to GE's work.