What is it like to quit your job, get a backpack and travel the world?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Answer by Patrick Mathieson, VC at Toba Capital
[In April 2014], I quit my job at Dell, crammed some stuff into a backpack, and went to Southeast Asia (and a few other places) for about six weeks. Not exactly "traveling the world" as we only went to a few countries, but it was more of a backpacker/adventure travel experience than I had ever had previously. (Last month I did another 2.5 week trip with a backpack to Australia & New Zealand, so this has gotten a lot less scary since then.)
The trip was a lot more modest than others described on this thread, so I won't act like it was some kind of transformative experience or anything. That said, I did learn a few things.
- I don't need that much "stuff" to exist. My travel clothes consisted of two pairs of shorts, three pairs each of underwear and socks, about six t-shirts, and a sweater. That's it. Whereas back in the U.S. I had amassed closet and a dresser full of clothes, most of which I never wore. Why did I accumulate so much stuff when a backpack's worth of clothes could sustain me perpetually? Sure, I didn't need a winter coat or a sports jacket on my trip, so those deserve some shelf space. But why did I own 6 different suits and 35 different dress shirts?
- Adventure Travel: What are some of the best travel locations that most people have never heard of?
- Life Advice: I'm 20 years old and I want to see the world. I don't have much money but I'm willing to work and scrape by if necessary. How would I go about doing so?
- Solitude: What is it like to travel alone?