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So you’ve been thinking about traveling to faraway lands—backpacking around the world for a good long time. You may be thinking of how you’ll be able to (like many of us laptop hobos and nu nomads) travel and work at the same time, and not to just the familiar places like Europe or with the USA—but Asia, Africa, South America, or maybe the Middle East. You’ve been wondering how you could pull it off, with no experience in long-term travel, limited funds, way too many obligations.
 Well my adventure-seeking friend, you are not alone. All experienced independent travelers (such as “backpackers”) have had to answer the “how?” question, although usually through trial and error. You, however, shall benefit from those who have already done it. The question, “how?” will no longer haunt you like a missed opportunity. Why? Because, though you may not believe it, you already have what it takes to turn daydreams into reality. You are filled with curiosity, spirit and good sense. And, you had the wisdom to invest your time into this essential travel resource.
This manual is neither very large (about 137 typewritten pages in size—that is, the comprehensive download version of QDG ), nor is it a heavy read. I have cut to the heart of the matter and have resisted including all of the mind-numbing do’s and don’ts of long-term travel preparations—and not because I’m lazy either. Anything more, I feel, would simply confuse, overwhelm and dissuade you from doing what you must do, what is only natural and vital to the human spirit: to venture off and see the world before it becomes one big, soulless and homogenized shopping mall like Orange County, California.
If you want to maximize on the information available to you, we encourage you to become an active community member at either of our web sites, www.laptophobo.com or www.nunomad.com, where you can interact with other independent travelers in forums, read blogs on working and traveling, get information on specific travel products, attend teleconferences on travel, etc.
Although much of long-term travel preparation is about following your own good common sense, and no-doubt there will be several topics in this manual where you will say to yourself “I knew that”, I’ll hope that you’ll just consider it confirmation of what you knew innately. But even for the experienced traveler there are important topics to consider. From what to pack in your backpack, to how to make money while you travel.
Now, to make Quit Dreaming and Go! feel less like a study session (which I abhor), I have structured this manual like a chat among friends. You decide when and where you want this conversation to occur. I suggest taking your laptop (or print-out of these pages) to a quiet little coffeehouse or pub, that over-stuffed club chair in your room, your office desk, or the last seat in the back of your Introduction to Ethics class. However, unless you’re a student at Chico State U, only the first three suggestions allow for a nice cup of coffee, a glass of wine or beer, or whatnot.
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There are a couple of reasons why I have put this resource together. I (as well as most of my friends and associates) love to travel and want to encourage other forward-thinking individuals to see the world. But more importantly, I feel others can benefit from my first-hand knowledge (as well as the collective advice and experience I have solicited from other travelers in preparation of this manual) of how very difficult it can be to leave everything behind to take a trip around the world or just abroad. Even a month-long trip is not easy, and for me, preparing for my first big travel adventure (six months) was a monstrous ordeal. With the benefit of hindsight and experience, it is my hope that you too will make your dream trip a reality, without unnecessary aggravation, and hopefully within your timeline. Also, a fact-finding session like this (especially if you, the reader, involve others) can be a great way of bringing friends and aspiring travelers together, to share experiences and ideas, and to simply socialize. Not unlike group study, only loads more fun.
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Quit Dreaming and Go! is primarily for the long-term, independent, budget or the most commonly used term, "backpacker" world-traveler, whose trip is generally off the beaten path, as opposed to the "tourist" who tends to sight-see in tour groups and stay in pre-arranged hotels. For those who plan to continue working via the Internet while traveling (we’ll just call you laptop hobos or nu nomads for now) we have summarized some key business components to consider in making your decision about whether your work is mobile and in setting up your mobile office. In addition, we will be reviewing a broad spectrum of travel preparedness, I’m confident you will find that what I have to say is suitable for anyone traveling abroad, (no matter what we wandering Puritans call you.)
Since there are more questions and advice than any one individual could possibly want to hear, and since some topics may not be of interest to you—my beverage sipping friend—I’ll just go over what I think are some of the most important areas of discussion. I believe anything more will only serve to confuse and distract you. In fact, the essence of enjoying world-travel is simplicity.
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The way we see it, there are two groups of people who are venturing out to live a work-travel life. And while they may share the same sense of adventure and desire to see the world in an extended way, their profiles look somewhat different. Where a laptop hobo might be in their mid-twenties to thirties, traveling solo with a backpack and using technology to maintain an income from an established profession at home (and is probably a bit more tech savvy than traditional nomadic travelers), the nu nomad tends to be a little older (anywhere from mid-thirties to retirement age). The nu nomad may be traveling with someone (spouse, partner, children or grandchildren), prefers a backpack with wheels or sturdy luggage, is more likely to stay in one place for an extended period of time (choosing home stays, apartments, bungalows and hotels over hostels and extreme budget guest houses), and though will use technology to maintain an income, he/she may be a little less tech savvy than those laptop hobos (whippersnappers) above.
Quit Dreaming and Go! is specifically written for laptop hobos, hopefully speaking exactly to the issues you will encounter as you attempt your adventure. We are, however, developing another version of this travel resource for the nu nomad audience. For now, though, we’ll turn our attention to you—the laptop hobo.
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