Hi everyone,

I'm 35 year old from Germany and just before year-end 2022, I have resigned from my job to travel the world. As per my notice period, I have one more week of work left and a week later I'll start my trip. I'm working in banking with a good salary which while not making me rich basically allows me to live a comfortable life without financial worries.

I've already travelled quite a lot in the past 10 years, with several 1-2 months trips and the longest being 3.5 months on which I traveled from Europe to Asia with the Transmongolian Railway. On these trips, I've met many other travellers who were traveling for half a year, a year or more. I've always envied them.

During the last 3 years, I've been focussing a bit more on my career and moved from project-based consulting work to a more "normal" role, with only shorter trips of 2-3 weeks each. During this time, my wish grew stronger to do another longer trip of a few months at some time in the future. Around summer last year, I had a now-or-never moment when I realised that the 3.5 month trip was already 5 years ago. At the same time, I wasn't too happy with my job and the direction in which it was developing.

So after months of contemplating and getting opinions from friends and family, I eventually handed in my resignation just before the end of 2022.

I have a very rough travel plan in mind for around one year of travelling. My plan looks as follows:

1. March / April: Balkan countries
2. May - July: Southern/Eastern Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, maybe Ethiopia
3. August: Silk Road Pamir Highway
4. September - November: Some other Asian countries - Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, maybe Laos
5. December - March: Some places in Latin America I haven't visited - Northern Peru, Patagonia, some parts of Brazil.

Places and timing might change. I want to keep it rather flexible. I'm currently trying to balance the number of places I want to see with the speed of travel.

Besides experiencing all these new places and cultures, meeting people, and having fun, I'm so much looking forward to experiencing the absolute freedom on the trip and I'm curious how it will impact me.

Feel free to ask me a question if you like. Any advice from people who have done a similar trip is very welcome.