Traveling is so much fun that many people do it like it’s a full-time job—the only problem is that doesn’t pay like a full-time job. While realizing travel is an excellent way to fulfill yourself, you have to fund your travels somehow. Would you travel more if you knew you could explore the world and actually get paid to do so?
Share Your Knowledge as an ESL Teacher
Are you a great grammarian? Do you have flawless punctuation skills? Are you stellar at spelling? If you have those qualities, you’re patient, and you want to travel abroad, then becoming an ESL teacher is right up your alley. Many people all over the world want to learn English as a second language. However, English is one of the most confusing, difficult languages to learn if it’s not your first, so often these people are very willing to pay for private lessons or tutors.
Donate Eggs to Hopeful Parents
You might not realize that donating eggs is monetarily lucrative. In addition to being paid to travel to give your eggs, you’re also doing something really amazing for someone who wants to become a parent. For egg donation, Atlanta is a wonderful place to visit—or to travel to. There are many egg donation facilities around the country that will pay you to travel to their location. Check out clinics and facilities in the areas that interest you the most and find out what you have to do to give.
Offer to House-Sit
You can also make money by helping other travelers. People who go away for long periods of time are understandably wary about leaving their homes. By becoming a house-sitter, you’ll have free room and well paid for your services. All you really need is a strong sense of respect, along with plenty of responsibility, because you’re spending time in someone else’s home.
Start Your Own Travel Blog
Truthfully, any type of blog writing will do. However, if you start a travel blog detailing your experiences, sharing reviews, and checking out hotels, hostels, restaurants, and attractions, you might just get a sponsor. You could essentially get paid to do exactly what you love. You have to have a lot of talent as a writer, of course, and you should try to build up a firm fan base even before you get any kind of deal. However, you can also seek sponsors on your own, or add advertisements to your blog.
Become a Traveling Nurse
Healthcare professionals are always needed. Nurses in particular find it very rewarding to travel to places that need their services. That could mean many things for you if you’re a nurse with wander-lust. You may get to go to a new state to work for a hospital or to become a private-duty nurse for a single person in need. You may also have the chance to go abroad to a country that desperately needs knowledgeable medical professionals. It depends on your experience, your specialties, and your willingness to move. There are no boundaries for people with a passion to help others.
Look for Seasonal Employment
Image via Flickr by Orin Zebest
Seasonal employment is another way to travel and make money at the same time. That could mean many things, from following the harvest of certain fruits and vegetables, to getting work as a carpenter or carpet installer, two jobs that generally do well in warmer weather. Construction is another largely seasonal job, although you can also simply go wherever there’s a new construction project, regardless of the weather. If you get in with the right firm, that can even include going abroad or overseas to work on large-scale projects.
Offer Your Services as an Au Pair
If you love children, set your sights far beyond becoming a nanny. Becoming an au pair for a family who enjoys traveling is an excellent way to enjoy new experiences while making money. Again, your room and board is generally taken care of for you. You’re simply tasked with watching children, and often you’ll have to teach them lessons and double as a tutor. This is a rewarding job if you enjoy watching children learn. You can take them to museums, art exhibits, plays, ballets, and other cultural events in places such as Paris, Tokyo, London, and Moscow when you travel with a family or work for a family that lives abroad.
Although traveling is an expensive hobby, that doesn’t mean you have to go broke doing it. Have you ever considered working and traveling at the same time?
