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On June 6th, 2011, I said “Goodbye” to home-cooked meals, my comfy bed, friends & family, and packed my luggage for a four month trip around Europe and Asia.

After two years of leaving Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek book collecting dust, I finally spared some time to read the book while I was in Bali.

After finishing the book, I said to myself “Why not?”.

I was inspired to give it a try. Most of all, I wanted to take advantage of what my online business offered i.e. – the freedom to work from anywhere and at anytime.

In the book, Tim Ferriss talks about creating a “muse”..or in other words, some type of product you can sell.

Thankfully enough, running an online business allows you to create multiple products in any niche, with very little expenses.

Here are some snapshots of my trip:

Pictures of Europe

I was excited about the concepts taught in the book though I must say, I was very hesitant at first because I thought I would need to sacrifice a lot — especially traveling for months, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss; I wanted to see the world (at least part of it) before I grew older and settled down.

Here are the countries and cities I visited during the trip:

• Dubai
• London
• The Netherlands – Amsterdam and Den Haag
• France – Paris, Nice, Monaco
• Belgium
• Italy – Rome, La Spezia, Florence, Cinque Terre
• Croatia – Sailed  for 7 days
• Greece – Santorini, Mykonos
• Turkey  – Istanbul, Cappadocia
• Nepal – Kathmandu, Pokhara
• China
• Hong Kong and Macau
• Malaysia

Nepal, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia

I packed very light because what was more important to me was to enjoy the places, trying new dishes, learning, and meeting people. Plus, I also had to carry my 17″ MacBook Pro laptop!

I’ve learned about many cultures and people along the way. From the countries I visited, you can see how diverse it is. Everyone I met were genuinely nice people. Getting lost was very easy but thankfully, most people were helpful!

Cinque Terre, Italy

The views, sights and food were amazing… From Dubai where the tallest building (Burj Khalifa) stands at 2,700ft (830m) and bearing the 45° Celsius (113° F) heat to China, where I tried the best Peking duck in the world.

In the Greek Islands, you’ll find the best sunsets! In Hong Kong, you’ll find delicious food in every corner of the street. It was probably one of the best places I enjoyed the most.

In front of the hotel I stayed in - Atlantis at The Palms in Dubai

I even volunteered in Nepal at an orphanage to help kids who are less fortunate and lost their parents due to tragic incidents. I learned that they were really happy kids, despite their past. They were probably the most friendliest people I had ever met who don’t judge you by your possessions, where you’re from and how you look. They were the happiest kids who required very simple things in life – food, shelter and love.

At the orphanage with two bright kids teaching me their language

All-in-all, it was an experience of a lifetime, and it was only possible thanks to a decision I made in 2005 to quit the vicious 9-5 cycle I was in and lead my own life. It’s given me the time + freedom to do what I want without any restrictions.

In the 4-Hour Workweek book, Tim Ferris says something along the lines of “have mini retirements instead of waiting until you’re 60-70 to enjoy the lifestyle”. This was one of my “mini retirements” that I got to enjoy.

Checking some emails while enjoying the sun in Mykonos, Greece

Just as a little side note, in a previous post, I shared 16 tools that I use to work from anywhere. These tools were used everyday while I was traveling. I recommend you read this post => 16 Must-Have Tools To Run Your Internet Business From Anywhere.

Let me end this post by leaving you with this.  Having more time and sitting by the pool, sipping pina colada is the ideal lifestyle for a lot of us, but it takes passion, dedication, persistence, learning, and most importantly – a deep desire to keep moving forward. I sure haven’t reached my desired goals, so I’m striving to keep moving forward…but just remember, you should celebrate and give yourself a pat on the back for making even the smallest milestone. That’s how momentum is built.

I hope this post has inspired you, because I definitely needed the inspiration before I even made a decision to pack my bags and see the world.

Tags: 4 hour work week, four hour work week, internet markeitng, tim ferriss, travel

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