Read it in Italian
I know most of you are laughing. Mainly if Italian in their 30ies like me.
Mainly if freelancers.
Even more so, if creative freelancers.
Ok, now that you’ve finished laughing let’s get deep into this issue. Is it possible to do that? Can a freelancer (creative one, such as a blogger, translator, graphic designer atc.) keep on travelling and buy a home?
I know most of compulsive travellers actually don’t want a home at all, they think this would be a kind of prison to pay for and die in, that will get away the possibility to travel around for longer periods.
I respect this idea and FULLY understand people who think so, but my personal experience and idea is different;
I’ve been suffering from a double-psychotic duality since I was a very little girl. I was fascinated by homes. When I entered a home, no matter whom, I looked everywhere. Now I even write for several home interior design newspapers and websites and interior design really fascinates me.
As I recently wrote,
looking into home windows is one of the weird things I do in travel.
And then, since my very younghood, I’ve been so much into travelling. I pretended to travel, created false world maps, pretended to take trains since when I could hardly speak.
A marvellous Italian song says, in a rhythm of my local South Italian community
‘questo è il male che mi porto da venti anni addosso, fermo non so stare in nessun posto’,
kind of
‘for over 30 years I’ve been so ill,
There is no place where I can stay still’
Maybe my duality comes from here. I come from a place where the roots (of local century years old trees) is the very first idea you have of beauty and even if you can’t help leaving… the only way to have and enjoy beauty is having roots.
And so I faced this duality and now I’ll tell you 5 reasons why I was able to buy a home and travelling despite of being
– Italian,
– in my early 30ies,
– working as a creative freelancer.
1 – I finished my studies and took my degree very soon (23 y.o.).
So I was able to start working full time soon, in the period in which you just want to leave, you definitely have nothing to lose and just want to go away and show how smart and good-worker you are. So…
2 – I started travelling solo and mainly low budgets
Yes, the reason why I can afford travelling was my ability and will to travel when I was quite young.
So, I could get jobs and money where my skills were needed…
I could speak more languages (so, I travelled and ameliorated my skills). So I studied and travelled and companies hired me for that.
3 – I saved for travelling and for ‘important things’
No fancy clothes. I really don’t care about expensive clothes and I’m still very ignorant about fashion brands.
I travelled (and I usually still do) in very or quite cheap hotels, but of good quality.
I don’t like spending too much money in restaurants.
I hardly ever go to coiffeur.
I don’t like jewels.
I don’t like costy stuffs just because they take money away from travelling and ‘important things’.
4 – I came back to South Italy
Leaving Milan wasn’t easy for a travels lover. But life in Milan is a bit expensive and I was sure that affording a home would be difficult (read ‘impossible’).
So I came back South, where roots are stronger and beautiful and… where homes are cheaper. And one day the occasion arrived and the ‘important thing’ was the home I’ve always dreamt.
Moreover, my city is close to a couple of airports with cheap flights for destinations I hadn’t visited yet. (and this was one of the things that supported me in my choice).
5 – Started saving back to travel (and other ‘important’ projects)
Now that almost all of my 10 years work savings have gone to my home purchase, I have to start saving again and travelling. It’s nothing easy, considering client’s payment delays, taxes (I remind you I’m Italian, and if you can make it here you’ll make it anywhere), mortage etc..
Some way to do that is:
– being vegetarian,
– living in South Italy (or in beautiful and cheap places),
– buying gifts (and stuffs) in small Street markets ,
– restoring old furnitures to furnish your home (the net is so full of tutorials about it),
– clean home with natural products,
– learn to cook like your mother and grandma used to do.
Some tip more, to use your home for travelling
If you have (or can afford) a home and don’t want it to be a prison just taking your money away, you can turn it into a
– couch surfing place (you can exchange your extra bed to host travellers that will host you in their home town);
– home restaurant (organise dinners for strangers that will pay for that) www.homerestaurants.com
– if you want to travel for longer periods, rent your home and use the rent for your travel experience and mortage.
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