Julie Chickery - Chickery's Travels

5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel

Are you a wanderlust-filled traveler who dreams of exploring the world full-time? If so, you are not alone. The desire to travel long-term is growing, and the prospect of cobbling together a way to fund these adventures has become more achievable than ever before. If you are looking for ways to finance your full-time travel dreams, then you are in the right place! We’ll share several ideas for earning an income while traveling, and give you the information you need to get started.

There are numerous ways to fund full-time travel, ranging from more traditional employment to entrepreneurship. The key is identifying your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Then choose the one that best fits you. In this article and in the following video, I explain how my husband and I fund our full-time travel. I also share the methods several other full-time travelers have used.

Keep your Current Job (Or Find a Remote Job)

I realize this sounds counterintuitive. You want to travel, not continue with the same old nine-to-five. Unfortunately, that is not financially feasible for some of us. However, there is good news! You may be able to keep your current job to fund your full-time travel. Many more companies these days are utilizing telecommuting and other alternative work arrangements. FlexJobs, a site for those seeking telecommuting, flexible schedules, part-time, and freelance jobs, released a list of 125 companies that embrace remote work. The company estimates that telecommuting in the United States has grown 103% over the last decade and projects that 50% of people will work remotely by 2020.

Don’t get discouraged if you are not currently in a teleworking position. I was with my company for 6 years before we moved. My original position was not suited to remote work and I had to be in the office every day. After an internal promotion, I started a position that was more flexible. When we had to move due to my husband’s work, my company allowed me to take my job with me and work remotely. Later, we decided to full-time travel, and my husband was also approved to work remotely. Click here to read more about how we work from the road.

The pros of this arrangement are that we maintain our current salaries and benefits. The cons are we still have to work traditional hours and stay in areas where we can get Internet service. Otherwise, we have to take vacation time off.

Consider a Travel Job

Travel jobs are an especially good fit to fund full-time travel. The medical field is especially popular for these types of jobs. Travel nursing is the most popular, but the concept is used in a variety of healthcare positions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, laboratory, and even doctors and dentists.

Travelers typically work under a short-term contract. In the United States, these contracts typically range from 4 to 13 weeks, although 26-week assignments are also possible, and some travel nurses will accept back-to-back assignments from the same facility. The Gypsy Nurse website is an online community dedicated to traveling medical professionals. The operator of this website is a former traveling nurse and her contributing authors include either former or current travelers as well as some specialty nurses.

Some pros are that assignments are chosen and in addition to the salary, some travel and housing expenses are often reimbursed. Cons include being tied to a regular work schedule (not typically 9-5), reduced benefits from a standard position, and having to constantly deal with an unfamiliar work environment

Try Seasonal Work / Workamping®

Another method to fund full-time travel is seasonal work. There are many seasonal work opportunities that provide a wide range of housing including dorms, bunkhouses, or RV sites with electric/water/sewer hookups. I consider Levi & Natalie Henley to be one of the best sources of information on Workamping as they do it year-round. For more information, check out their book, Seasonal Workamping for a Living.

Work for housing/site – National/state parks and the Corps of Engineers advertise on volunteer.gov for campground hosts, visitor center hosts, and gate attendants in exchange for housing or a free full hook-up site. These types of positions typically only require 24 hours per week. You can find advertisements for them at Volunteer.gov. Be sure to check the drop-down box for the type of housing you require.
Work for combination pay/site – Many commercial RV parks, theme parks, and private concessionaires at national parks like Aramark will provide housing/RV sites as well as pay an hourly wage.
Seasonal – Two of the most popular seasonal opportunities to bank some money are the Sugar Beet Harvest and Amazon CamperForce. Levi and Natalie of Henly’s Happy Trails worked both events last year and provided their experience here:
- Sugar Beet Harvest in Western Minnesota – This opportunity occurs every fall and consists of 12-hour shifts for about 2 weeks. According to Levi, it is a race against Mother Nature to collect and deliver beets in just the right conditions. The receiving stations are a hustle and bustle of activity: trucks rushing in and away from their drops, beets roaring up the conveyor belt into the ever-growing pile, ground crew rushing to check grower tickets and fill beet sample bags, operators whirling around vehicles and workers to complete a task.
- Amazon CamperForce Associates at Amazon Fulfillment Center in Campbellsville, Kentucky – This was the Henley’s second year with Amazon. Natalie said they went back despite the epic shift schedules (at least ten hours a day for four typically consecutive days) and working conditions (standing the entirety of your work shift in often noisy, quick-paced surroundings for compensation. It comes in the form of a full hook-up site, hourly pay starting at $10.75 with opportunities for overtime, and a completion bonus (one dollar for each hour worked in a season). given season).

Workamper® News is a terrific resource for preparing for and finding workamping positions to fund full-time travel. In addition to job listings, they provide Resume Tools, employer reviews, and industry education resources.

Some pros of these positions are that they are temporary and allow you to spend more time enjoying an area without worrying about housing costs. The cons are that they are usually lower pay and don’t typically provide any benefits. In addition, seasonal jobs like the Sugar Beet Harvest and Amazon include long hours and can be physically taxing.

Start a Business

Becoming an entrepreneur is a great way to fund full-time travel. Some of the most successful full-time traveling entrepreneurs have taken their experience in a particular aspect of RVing and created a business.

After working remotely as full-time RVers for many years, Chris and Cherie of Technomadia founded the RV Mobile Internet Resource Center. provide a central resource center about mobile internet options for US-based travelers – RVers, boaters, truckers, and nomads of all sorts.

Bryanna Royale of Crazy Family Adventure founded Virtual Powerhouse which provides a host of virtual assistant services including graphic and web design, SEO, social media, and Pinterest support. Her background is in Information Technology and Marketing. As Bryanna and her family were preparing for full-time travel, she started looking for location-independent business ideas and came across the Virtual Assistant idea. She completed online training to learn how to become a VA as well as how to run a business. Then she got her first client by offering a free month and then at the end of it he could decide if he wanted to continue as a paying client. Bryanna did so well that her first client is still with her business today. With a reference under her belt, she worked very hard to grow the business so her husband could quit his 9 to 5 remote job and join her team. He specializes in website design and SEO work so it was a perfect fit. Now they both strive to work just 20 hours a week each.

Freelance for Flexible Schedules

Freelancing is a flexible way to work from virtually anywhere on a project-to-project basis. This approach offers you the freedom to take on work when and where you like, giving you optimal control over your time and income. So, should you wish to hop between various luxury apartments in Madrid or wherever else is on your bucket list, you can do just that without needing to answer to anybody. This also means you can control exactly how much you want to take on, letting you be in the driver’s seat when it comes to your income and overall work-life balance. Freelancing can be a great solution for people who want to prioritize their passion for travel without compromising their careers.

Freelance Job Ideas for Travelers

Before diving into how to find freelance work, let’s explore some popular freelance gigs you can pursue on the road, making the location-independent lifestyle a reality:

Copywriting and content creation: If you have a knack for writing, this skill can translate into a profitable freelance business providing copy for websites, press releases, advertisements, and more.
Graphic design: With a talent for design and access to software like Adobe Creative Suite, you can create visual content for clients, including logos, banners, social media graphics, and web design elements.
Virtual assistance: Offer support to businesses by managing calendars, emails, and social media, or providing customer service – all without needing to be present in an office.
Consultancy: Leverage your industry expertise to provide guidance or strategy for clients in your niche.
Photography/videography: Document your travels while offering high-quality photos and videos to clients like hotels, restaurants, or other travel-related businesses.

Those are just a few ideas. The type of service you can provide to others is really unlimited. Also consider tutoring, serving as a project manager, or providing technical support. By leveraging your skills, you can create a successful freelancer business, allowing you to see the world and work on what you love.

Getting Started Freelancing

Upwork is a popular freelance marketplace that connects freelancers with clients from around the world, all looking to hire on a project basis. To begin your journey, follow these steps:

Create an account: Sign up on Upwork, fill in your details, and choose a username.
Build a strong profile: Your profile will serve as your digital résumé, showcasing your work experience, skills, and portfolio. Invest time in crafting an impressive profile that highlights your strengths.
Choose your niche: Be clear about the services you offer and focus on a specific niche. This will help you attract the right clients and avoid spreading yourself too thin.
Apply for jobs: Browse available jobs by searching for your niche. Craft personalized and persuasive proposals tailored to each project, demonstrating your understanding of the client’s needs and how you can add value.
Build your reputation: As you work on projects, be reliable and maintain open lines of communication with clients. Earning positive reviews will lead to a higher likelihood of securing follow-up work or referrals.

Bonus: Become a Blogger

A bit of determination and a knack for storytelling can turn your global adventures into a lucrative blogging or vlogging career. By sharing practical travel tips, engaging stories, or even reviews of products and accommodations, you can earn money through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or ad revenue.

One great way to become a successful blogger is to carve out a niche. Just because you are traveling doesn’t mean you have to blog about travel! Write about what you know and are passionate about. Write about personal finance, babies, homeschooling, restoring old cars, you get the idea!

Plenty of individuals and businesses use blogging to share their experiences, ideas, and expertise with the world. Done right, blogging can provide an excellent opportunity for generating income, allowing you to travel and explore new destinations without worrying about financial constraints. Sounds too good to be true, right? Just remember that if you are using blogging as a means to earn an income rather than a hobby, then you will need to consistently create and publish content. It may take some time to build an audience, but with persistence, this passive income stream can help finance your wanderlust.

If you’d like to learn more, read our article on How to Start a Profitable Blog. We’ll walk you through the steps to quickly set up our own blog, and explain some income-generating strategies for it.

This free 7-day beginner's blogging course will walk you through the steps to get your blog up and running in one short week! It includes daily lessons and worksheets to help you create a successful blog.

More Information

Full-Time RV Finance: Learn tips for budgeting for full-time travel, earning an income on the road, and implementing techniques for saving on campgrounds and more!

Want to learn more about how to work remotely, budget, and save money while traveling full-time? Check out our book, Full-Time RV Finance.

Looking for ways to help you manage your finances on the road?

Click here to get our free Full-Time RV budget worksheets.

Click here to read our article on Budgeting For Full-time Travel.

Click here to read our article on 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling.

Learn 5 easy ways to fund-your full-time travel dreams. I share top ideas and careers for digital nomads and full-time travelers. Work from home, start a business, any many more tips to earn money while traveling. RV living can be affordable if you work from the road.

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Learn 5 easy ways to earn a living while traveling full-time. Learn about the top ideas and careers for digital nomads and full-time travelers. See information on work from home jobs, starting a business, and many more tips to earn money remotely. RV life can be affordable when you work from the road.

9:28 pm by Julie Chickery

An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater

One of the best ways to protect your RV’s water heater, besides a good water filtration system, is to flush it. If you are living in your RV full-time, you should flush your water heater “frequently” according to our water heater manufacturer. Since “frequently” is not a defined time period, I chose every three months to flush ours. We follow their recommended procedure for flushing the water tank and it is fairly simple.

Flushing the RV Water Heater

A couple of key steps before beginning are to turn off the power to the heater and run the hot water in the RV until it runs out and the water is cool. Finally, you need to shut off the water source.

We prepared a video that shows the process of flushing the water heater, which is much easier than explaining it here. Performing this maintenance yourself will save you $60-$80 at a maintenance facility and will extend the life of your water heater.

Remove Water Heater Odors

One item not discussed in the video is how to remove an odor coming from the water heater. If you have this problem, the manufacturer recommends the following steps:

Turn off the water supply and drain the heater tank.
Reinstall the drain plug.
Remove the pressure-temperature relief valve.
Mix 4 parts vinegar and 2 parts water and pour it into the tank with a funnel.
Cycle the water heater with this solution, letting it run under normal operation 4-5 times.
Remove the drain plug and drain the solution.
Flush the water heater to remove any sediment.
Replace the drain plug and pressure-temperature relief valve.
Refill the heater tank with fresh water that contains no sulfur.

Additionally, if you store the RV for the winter, flush the tank and leave it drained. There will be about 2 quarts of water remaining, but it should not damage the tank if freezing occurs.

Please note this blog and video were made using an Atwood water heater. Suburban water heaters are also used in RVs. The instructions for flushing these may be a little different. They also contain an anode tube that requires changing at certain intervals. So be sure to check the brand of the water heater in your RV, consult the manual, and double-check the periodic maintenance guidelines.

See our other DIY maintenance articles.

For more information on maintaining your RV water systems see:

6:46 pm by Julie Chickery

Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.

You may think that Washington D.C. is an expensive vacation, but if you plan ahead it can actually be a budget-friendly destination. While lodging can be a bit pricey, you can easily make up the difference by saving on entertainment with a multitude of free and low-cost options.

Table of Contents

National Mall and Monuments
Take Advantage of Free Museums
Explore the City’s Green Side
Cheap Date Night
Take a Hike
Splurge at Mount Vernon
Where We Stay
- Fort Belvoir
- Bull Run Regional Park

National Mall and Monuments

Wander the National Mall from end to end–it’s about two miles from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Another great option is taking a stroll around the Tidal Basin. This 1.7-mile tree-lined trail meanders beside three stellar memorials honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and Thomas Jefferson Memorials).

Washington D.C. Tidal Basin — Tidal Basin During the Cherry Blossom Festival

Another great way to see the sights is to ride a bike. The city has really upped the ante when it comes to being a bike-friendly city. Visitors can rent bikes from Capital Bikeshare at 175 pick-up and drop-off stations. You can also get passes (single day or three days) then use their bright red bikes to get around D.C. Check one out, ride to a destination, and check it back in.

Take Advantage of Free Museums

All of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, galleries (most of which are clustered near the National Mall) and the National Zoo are free. That means you can see the American History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Portrait Gallery, and more without dropping a dime. In addition, all the museums offer free docent-led tours, and many have activities for children.

Explore the City’s Green Side

You will not have time to experience all the beautiful nature spots in the D.C. metro area in just one visit. If you know me, you understand just how hard it is to narrow this section down to just a few favorites. I’ll stick to the free ones here.

U.S. Botanic Garden

The garden is a living museum of plants all housed inside a glass conservatory. The exhibits range from plants native to Hawaii and tropical territories to deserts and even orchids. It is right next to the Capital and should not be missed!

National Arboretum

The arboretum boasts one of North America’s largest collections of bonsai trees. These small-scale trees are on display at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, just across from the National Herb Garden. The arboretum is also home to former U.S. Capitol Columns and miles of trails, making it a great place for a scenic hike.

National Museum of American History’s Victory Garden

The highlight of this museum is the heirloom plants native to America. These herbs and vegetables have layered growing seasons. Little known fact: The garden is inspired by American history – people planted them during the two world wars when food was in short supply.

Rock Creek Park

The park is a huge green space more than twice the size of Central Park that stretches north into Maryland, and is also a great place to explore. The 1,700-acre park is adjacent to the National Zoo and encompasses Fort Stevens, Pierce Mill, and the Francis Scott Key Memorial in Georgetown.

Meridian Hill Park –

This is a neoclassical-style 12-acre landscaped urban park established in 1912. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, the multi-tiered park has a cascading waterfall in its lower area, with notable statues of Joan of Arc, Dante, and a memorial to President James Buchanan. The upper park is wooded, and for 50-plus years of summer Sundays, groups have gathered here to be part of a drum circle.

Cheap Date Night

The National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden hosts magical—and free—open-air jazz fests every Friday from May to September. Locals know to arrive as early as 3 p.m. to stake out a patch of green on the six-acre lawn, which is dotted with dogwood trees and works by Miró and Calder. Listeners can pack picnics or grab dinner from one of many nearby food trucks or order a glass of homemade sangria from the garden’s Pavilion Café.

Take a Hike

If you want to mix things up and get out of the city (without going too far), there are numerous free hiking spots around the Beltway. A few of my favorites are:

Billy Goat Trail, Potomac MD

Collage of pictures from the Billy Goat Trail

My personal favorite is actually a series of trails: Billy Goat A, B, and C. Billy Goat A is quite a challenge with a 50’ traverse and some rock hopping at the top of cliffs. The B trail gives you a taste of rock scrambling without the fear factor of A’s heights, and C is a nice calm hike with views of the river. Combined with the C&O Canal Towpath, connecting the trails and the parking area, the total distance for completing all three sections is a little over 7 miles.

Tip: You can access this trail for free by parking in the lot across from the Old Anger’s Inn at 10801 MacArthur Blvd, Potomac, MD, but get there early if you’re going on the weekend. Otherwise, there is a fee at the Great Falls Tavern and Visitors Center entrance.

Great Falls Park, Great Falls VA

The entrance fee is $10 per car if you don’t have a national parks pass, but it is well worth the view of Great Falls where the Potomac River falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. There are 15 miles of hiking trails, but my favorite is the River Trail which follows the Potomac River for about 1.5 miles, along the tops of the cliffs. In some areas, this trail runs right next to the edge of the cliff, offering spectacular views of the Potomac and Mather Gorge. If you look across the river, you can see the Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side.

I recommend stopping at the Visitor Center before starting your hike to get a trail map and watch the short video on the history of the Falls. After leaving the Visitor Center, be sure to take the opportunity to stop off at the overlooks on your left as you begin the trail. They provide great views of the Falls and river and provide great photo opportunities. As you enter the forest, follow the green boxes on the trees to follow the trail as it can be ambiguous at times. There are lots of pretty views along the River Trail, so take your time and enjoy them.

Tip: Don’t try to go here after 10:30 on weekends during the summer. The line can be up to 45 minutes.

Hemlock Overlook Regional Park

view of water along the Bull Run Occoquan Trail

Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, situated along the banks of Bull Run, has 8 trails dedicated to hiking and horseback riding. The 3.8-mile perimeter circuit follows the banks of Bull Run along the Bull Run/Occoquan Trail passing the ruins of Virginia’s first hydroelectric dam. Hemlocks can still be found on the red and yellow trails for which the park is named. This hike is a small piece of the Bull Run Occoquan Trail from the Manassas Bull Run Park to Fountainhead Regional Park. For more of a challenge, park at Bull Run Regional Park and make the 7-mile trek here, then Uber back.

Tip: The main parking area is directly across from the Paradise Springs Winery, and a great way to relax after your hike is to walk over and enjoy a glass of wine on their large patio. They allow you to take a picnic lunch to enjoy as well.

Splurge at Mount Vernon

If you’ve saved enough money and want to splurge, my pick is Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. Although it is not free, you could spend a whole day there watching films, touring the museum and home, and walking around the 4-acre working farm and numerous gardens. The tombs of George and Martha Washington are also there, along with a memorial marking the burial ground in honor of the slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon is a living museum with many folks in period costumes. For example, behind the house is a working blacksmith shop where you can see exactly how horseshoes and tools were made during the Washington family’s ownership of the Mount Vernon plantation.

With the $3 military discount on general admission, my total cost on a recent visit was $33. See the breakout below.

$15 Admission

$7 Audio Tour (iPhone app)

$11 Narrated Boat Cruise (approx. 45 minutes)

My only complaint about Mount Vernon was that they don’t allow you to bring in a packed lunch. However, you can exit and re-enter, so I recommend packing lunch in a cooler and eating it outside. Their food court had standard fast food for ridiculous prices.

Where We Stay

Fort Belvoir

Our favorite military campground is Fort Belvoir, in Northern, VA only 7 miles from the Metro (Blue Line) which provides easy and traffic-free access to D.C. It has 52 large, full hook-up RV sites, each with a picnic table and fire ring. There is also a row of back-in sites overlooking the Potomac River. There is plenty to do within walking distance of the campground including a small park, dog runs, two fishing piers, and access to Accotink Wildlife Refuge hiking trails. Outdoor Recreation offers additional services including firewood, bait, ice, ice cream, equipment rental, hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, and boating. The base also has a brand-new exchange and commissary complex.

Bull Run Regional Park

Since our kids are in Northern VA, if we can’t get reservations for our entire stay at Belvoir, we like Bull Run, Regional Park. It’s located off Interstate 66 and is only 27 miles from Washington, D.C., and 15 miles from the Metro (Vienna Station). There are also hiking trails and a waterpark in walking distance from the campground.

Don’t forget about Cherry Hill Campground in College Park, Maryland if you’re looking for a stellar camping experience!