What do you do when your trip plans get fed through the shredder? This is the exact problem I faced when my brother called today informing me his wedding is going to be in October of this year. The problem you ask, well I leave for Europe in June and wasn’t intending on coming home for well over 12 months.
My family is very close so there is very little chance of me not making it to my little brothers wedding, especially if I get the nod to be in the bridal party (which I so better get, you hear my little brother). After some discussions with family I have the following options laid out before me:
- Delay my trip till after his wedding. Continue on with the status quo and possibly drive myself crazy at work and wear out my welcome crashing at my sister’s house. Oh and miss summer in Europe. (Less than Ideal)
- Continue as planned leaving in June and skip little brothers wedding. This is sure to lead to family not speaking to me ever again and possible disownment. (Likely to score a free castration as well)
- Take trip as planned but cash in my life insurance policy to cover flights to and from home in October to attend brother’s funeral wedding. (Meh I won’t be around to deal with the costs of me not breathing and will no doubt cash it in eventually)
- Take 5k loan from parents so that I can leave early on the proviso that I return for a month in October for wedding and catching up. Thus allowing me to find work sooner in the UK to help cover costs of flying home in October. (Winner winner chicken dinner)
Now looking at that list number 4 is the obvious winner. I’m almost 100% sold on the idea to be honest. The only reason I had planned to stay until June was a financial one. Having the extra money would mean I could leave at the beginning of May (maybe earlier) instead of the planned late June original departure date. Thus allowing for my planned 2-3 months of travel debauchery, followed by 2-3 months of working as a who knows what in London.
Obviously this creates some stress in my current stress free travel philosophy. Until this point it has been pretty much smooth sailing, I guess I was due for a nose dive. There will be some quick shuffling of the time line of applying for visa’s, booking flights and backpack etc but really one solid week of organising can roll all that over… right?
So I ask you my readers, my friends, my lovers do I take the money and run or shall I hang around and battle the travel demons a little longer?
Hello Friend!
That is quite a predicament. My husband and I are heading on our 12-month RTW trip in April, and my little sister informed me just before Christmas that she was engaged. ‘Oh, no!’ I thought to myself on this joyous occasion.
Since she knew about the trip, she is delaying her wedding to fall of 2011. She is too generous to delay her wedding for me!
I would say a lot of friends and family would advise you delay your trip until after the wedding. As for me, I wouldn’t be able to stand having to wait another 6 mos. for my already well anticipated RTW trip. My advice? Take the trek back home for the wedding in October. Skip the wedding gift (your plane ride back should be enough).
Good luck on your travels!
Christy
Hi Christy thanks for the comment. Good luck on your RTW trip I hope you managed to squeeze Australia into it.
That’s really generous of your sister to delay the wedding. My brother’s fiance has waited a long time for him to propose so she won’t be delaying the wedding that’s for sure.
I was actually really surprised that my mother offered me some extra dollars to leave early. Her thinking that if I am there earlier I can find work and cover the costs of coming home.
Your also right on the waiting it would absolutely shatter me if I had to wait any longer. Looks like its going to be Europe in may 🙂
I agree with Christy and it seems you already see which option is the best for you. I guess this is what they mean when they say flexibility is important when traveling. I look forward to see what follows your decision.
Hey mate, that’s so true. When I started planning this trip I was determined to keep everything free flowing and not over plan myself. If I want to spend an extra week in Amsterdam before heading to Prague I will.
This train of though has worked well for combating this little speed hump that’s for sure.
eesh that is kind of a wrench in the plans!
You sound like your mind is pretty made up, but if it were me I would probably postpone until after the wedding. 5 months is a LONG time to put things off I know, but you’d be in a much better financial situation (not 5k in debt to your parents plus benefitting from those extra months of working, plus you won’t have to worry about buying that expensive plane ticket) so you could probably travel longer without stress. Plus, I spent 6 months working in London and honestly, the cost of living was so high I could barely save anything.I imagine that any job you could get for just 2-3 months wouldn’t pay a super lot (I was a receptionist).
I SO MUCH hate to be a buzzkill. I ended up postponing my own rtw trip for 9 months and it kills me every day. But when you go you want it to be fantastic and fun and not have to worry about massive details like this one.
Just my two cents.
Hey Stephanie, I won’t deny I’m defiantly leaning towards heading off early. All the waiting is killing me and the thought of extending it out to after October well its not a nice one.
If I wasn’t currently sick of my job (had intended to leave over 12 months ago but extended just to save for the trip) and also be crashing at my sisters place I think I would be more included to stay on.
I can move back home but there is very limited work options in a little country town so I wouldn’t be saving anything extra there.
I do have one or two possible options to stay with people in London when I first land there and one of those people work for a recruitment firm. Nothing official with help for work but its in the back of my mind.
Lots more to think about as I have a few up coming bills I was escaping by leaving early. Registration on my vehicle and insurance will add close to an extra 1k in costs if I don’t leave when expected.
Decisions decisions…
Ouchhhh, tough call friend. I think I’m with Steph though, but because in my situation I already have loads of debt. If you think you can pay off your loans quickly (plus your ‘rents are doling out the cash, yes? No interest rates, woot!)then I’d say stick with #4. It’d be terribly disappointing to have to wait longer, I think. I guess this means no TBEX. 🙁
The only loan I currently have is for my vehicle. I intend to sell it before leaving and given how much I owe compared to how much I can get for it, they pretty much wipe each other out.
The parents loan doesn’t have to be paid back until I return to Australia or if I make it quickly overseas I’ll pay it back sooner. Oh and yes its cash and interest free so big bonus there.
TBEX was unfortunately already off the list its just too far and too expensive for a couple of days. I will have to see you all next year or somewhere around the world.
The waiting extra would kill me I think. I’ve stayed on at my current job an extra 12 months now and its getting more and more obvious I don’t want to be there.
When I moved in with my sister it was never meant to be longer than a year either, staying would break that. I don’t want to become one of those people that cramp her style etc and overstay my welcome as well.
All my life things have been taken on the cautious approach and I’ve missed out because of it. I think it might be time to leap first and deal with the consequences later.
Worst case scenario from it all is that I don’t get to travel as long as I want. That would be a little saddening but really its not like I can’t do it again when I save more money.
Totally agree. I took out a student line of credit to study abroad for six weeks, and although it’s hindering my travel plans now, I totally don’t regret it at all.
Everything revolves around money somehow huh. Doesn’t help I’m traveling to one of the most expensive places first either.
Whew! Finally caught up on your blog! And I come in at you having to make a difficult decision. Personally I’d say go with #4. (But that might just be because I wanna take off and get traveling as soon as I can, myself!) Steph and Candice both make good points, however; but you say that the only loan you have is the car and that the loan from the parents doesn’t have to be paid back til you come home/make the money quickly, soooo….I’m still tempted by the fourth option, lol. Best of luck in your decision!
Hey Kmo, glad your still reading. I spent all weekend catching up on blogs myself.
That’s just it isn’t it, how do you tame the wanderlust for that much longer. I’m trying to be sensible about deciding what to do while also breaking my overly cautious approach to everything.
Perhaps this is just one of those moments when you say to hell with it. I have to decide by the end of the month so time is running out.
OH man. Tough decision. I’ve postponed my RTW travel for 4 months already (I was supposed to already be gone by now!) for financial reasons, so I can definitely understand the appeal of NOT postponing and just going.
Flexibility is obviously a big part of travel. Whatever you decide, I’m sure it’ll be fine and work itself out.
Hey Adam, tough is one way to put it that’s for sure. The costs to fly home don’t really bother me. I have money available to pay for the ticket and its my little brother’s wedding, I can’t not be there.
It will be the interruption to find work/working that’s going to hurt the most. Finding a 3 month job because I need to come home for a month may leave me coming home for the wedding and staying home.
take the money and run, in my opinion. you’ll drive yourself insane waiting around. I’d start looking now for the cheapest RT ticket I could find from a major hub and make I ended up there on time. You might not need to borrow that much — maybe just plan on coming back for the wedding and a week or family time, then back on the road…
Europe in the winter wouldn’t terribly exciting either, methinks.
my two cents…
Its certainly the front runner to take the money and run. Yes the waiting will kill me I’m sure and I really can’t crash at my sisters for that long.
I’m so very close to just taking the money and jumping. You only live once don’t ya…
I agree with many comments, sounds like you have made a choice, and I think it’s the lesser evil. Parents will always forgive when it comes to loaning $$. Having to plan sooner is a good thing, trust me. 🙂
I’ve made a choice with my heart, my head is still debating the issue. In the end it comes down to money really and ya know there is plenty of ways to make it if you really want too I think.
YIKES!!! That’s alot to consider!!! The only thing i would say is check the UK visa conditions, i’m assuming you will be on a working holiday maker visa? If you are intending on working on that visa b4 you go home in Oct, then go back over and want to continue working in the UK it may not still be valid. But don’t quote me on that they’ve changed quite a few of the conditions since i last looked at that visa.
Hey Sasha, I will chase that up but I’m fairly sure it will be ok. From everything I have read it is a 2 year visa and allows you to come and go as you please living and working for the entire 2 years.
I’ll still chase it up as that would be a major dent in my plans, thanks heaps.
Well according this website http://is.gd/6Erxs I’m all good to come and go as I please.
How long can you stay for?
If you are given permission to stay under the youth mobility scheme, you will be able to live and work in the United Kingdom for a maximum time of 24 months.
You can leave and come back to the United Kingdom at any time during the length of your stay under the youth mobility scheme.
That’s Fantastic!!! It makes sense really we are Britain’s Child so their Visa’s should be flexible at least for us Aussies!!! Actually we fair better Visa wise then the Brits coming here the Australian Government are tight arses.
Can’t wait to read about all your adventures!!! 🙂
Its good isn’t it. It does make sense too I mean why lock you to staying in the country for 2 years? Will make it easy for me to travel to other parts of europe if I have a week off or between jobs. Can’t wait just as long as I don’t run out of money I won’t be home for awhile 🙂