How much can you learn after traveling to 18 countries over a span of five years?

It's hard to believe that it has been about 5 1/2 years since I traveled internationally for the first time, and my life has never been the same since.

I've gone through the years from saying YES to studying abroad in college in 2011, to where I am today having worked and traveled in 12+ countries, with some big lessons and takeaways from each year.

This list is separated into four sections: 

• Location-based opportunities: you're typically based in one location, though often you can do this in a foreign city/country (live like a local!) and can travel on your off-hours
• Work while you travel opportunities: travel is usually a main component of these jobs, so you would literally be traveling for your job. Keep in mind that you'd be working; it's not a vacation!
• Location-independent ("digital nomad") opportunities: various ways to earn an income online so you can work wherever, whenever!
• Online business resources: some links to resources that can help you start and grow a location-indepdent business

A few years ago, I didn't know what a work + travel lifestyle was. I didn't know that there were really cool opportunities all over the world that allowed to you work in exchange for travel, work while you travel, or even move abroad.

I had never considered it.

Why? I thought you had to work-work-work-save and then travel and then go back and do the cycle all over again. Rinse and repeat.

Never did I ever think I would land multiple international travel jobs in Europe and Asia that would allow me to see the world in an entirely new way, make new friends, meet people from all over the world, and have the time of my life.

Here's a timeline of exactly how I went from dreaming of traveling to traveling for my job over the past couple of years: