“What would you like to do after high school?”
The bog-standard response to that soul-crushing question often follows along the lines of, “I’d like to travel.” Of course, many parents tend to roll their eyes at such a wishful statement—traveling is costly, making it a naïve goal—yet there are plenty of occupations that actually pay for you to travel.
A clear career choice for those who love traveling is to become a tour guide. Every city that attracts tourists is in need of tour guides. Spending your day exploring a lush metropolis like Athens, London, or Shanghai is a dream job for many people. Of course, you will need to research your city extensively; it would be wise to cultivate an understanding of the areas culture, history, and public discourse. In order to succeed in this job, you should be able to interact well with other people. It might be a good idea to ask yourself, “Am I a ‘people-person’?” If not, then this job will quickly become frustrating. Introverts beware!
International aid workers perform proficient, charitable service abroad. Those who work for aid organizations, like the Peace Crops or USAID, seek to improve living standards in underdeveloped areas, whether that is through education, health, or economic stability. It’s a respectable, rewarding career, one that provides philanthropic international services that help alleviate natural disasters, war, and famine across the board. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly for those with an eye for social change.
Travel nurses have the opportunity to travel (either within their country or internationally). Travel nurses temporarily fill open positions when and where they’re needed. Emergency room nurses, operating room nurses, labor and delivery nurses – these are just a few example of the positions that are in perpetually high demand across the country and internationally. It’s an exciting opportunity that yields the opportunity to build a relationship with esteemed medical professionals everywhere. If you’re passionate about public health, this is a path to consider.
As an ESL teacher, you’re able to travel abroad and teach English to age groups ranging from kindergarteners to high schoolers. It’s common for ESL teachers to receive free accommodations while working abroad, which could easily make it a thrifty venture. Talk about saving cash! Most positions require a bachelor’s degree at the very least, yet you’ll earn more if you also have a master’s. So if this is something that’s of interest to you, you better study hard in high school and college – it will be worth the effort if you’re a traveler through-and-through.
Jobs that involve travel certainly aren’t for everyone. For instance, many people are a little too dependent on routine – people are comfortable with comfort. And traveling is far from comfortable – at least for the truly rewarding kind. It can be stressful, taxing, even arduous—yet it will almost always make an impact – on you and on others – something that can render any drawback unimportant. If you’re anxious about settling too early, the only true remedy is to travel.
