The One-Way Ticket Plan: Find and Fund Your Purpose While Traveling the World

By Alexa West

In 2011, Alexa West sat on her bedroom floor, packed her life into a backpack, and got on a one-way flight with just $200 in her pocket. She turned that $200 into over ten years of full-time travel. She went from budget backpacker to solo female travel expert — and now teaches thousands of women how to travel alone and make money from anywhere.

The One-Way Ticket Plan reveals her decade’s worth of lessons, regrets, embarrassments, love stories, shortcuts, and problem-solving strategies — all packed into a hilarious page-turner and actionable plan for a total life makeover. From real-world advice on how travel can lower your cost of living to guidance on traveling safely, using strange toilets, avoiding tourist traps, dealing with unfamiliar foods, and coping with friendships, romance, and loneliness, Alexa provides the tools and inspiration to turn even the most inexperienced traveler into an expert explorer before ever leaving the couch.

• Language: English
• Publisher: New World Library
• Release date: Sep 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781608688715

Book preview

part one

The Escape Plan

Chapter 1

You’re a Traveler Now

I  knew that I was making a real difference in the world the day a girl messaged me in the middle of the night from Indonesia in a potty panic.

She had been holding it in for three days because the only toilets she could find were squatty potties. You know, the holes in the ground that you squat over and flush with a bucket. She was suffering and needed my advice immediately. I told her she had three options:

Hire a driver and give him the mission of driving around Sumatra looking for a Western toilet. Tell him to call everyone he knows to find one.

Go in the jungle. Be an animal.

Use the damn squatty potty.

I withheld mentioning that if she used the squatty potty, she’d likely have to spray her bum with a hose that we call the bum gun or handwash with a bucket of water — both of which accompany most squatty potties in Asia rather than toilet paper. I knew she’d figure this out on her own as using a squatty potty is actually way more intuitive than your fear would like you to believe.

In the end, she squatted and survived. Not only has she conquered one of the biggest travel challenges for Western folk, but she now knows what to do the next time there are no sit-down toilets around.

Honestly, I am not a fan of toilet humor, but you’ve got to have a little toilet humor to travel the world.

Talking about toilets is not the most glamorous way to start this book, I know, but it’s one of the most real travel lessons I can give you — and that’s my goal. To make you feel prepared for the intimidating or embarrassing things that otherwise might hold you back from ever leaving home. I want you to recognize that what you have to gain is greater than the obstacles you have to overcome.

So yeah, this is what I do.

Hi, I’m Lexi. I’m the author and founder of The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide, the bestselling travel guidebook series for women. It is my actual job to travel around the world making mistakes and learning lessons to pass on to my readers. I’m an expert in how to avoid scams, creeps, and sketchy situations — but I’m also an expert in overcoming your travel fears so that you can access life’s most beautiful experiences.

All day every day, I get messages from women around the world in panicky situations like these:

A woman whose purse and phone were stolen by a monkey.

A woman who wanted to leave Bali because it was raining.

A woman who was too afraid to board her plane for Thailand … while at the gate for her plane to Thailand.

A woman with a rash in a place so intimate she couldn’t take a picture to show me.

When these women have questions, I have answers. When they have problems, I have solutions. When they face challenges, I help them find the gift in their lessons. When they have success stories, I am over here waiting to applaud them because I know how it feels to step outside your comfort zone to do something big.

What makes me such a travel expert? Well, at the age of twenty-two, I sat on my bedroom floor, packed my whole life into a big-ass backpack, and flew to the other side of the world on a one-way ticket with just $200 in my pocket. I had zero solo travel experience and no idea what the hell I was doing, but I knew I wanted to do big things. What big things? I wasn’t clear on that. The only clarity I had was that I wanted more than just surviving and struggling and hustling until I retired. I wanted to chase life immediately. I wanted to get lost, speak new languages, try new food, swim naked in the ocean, walk barefoot in the forest, fall down, get up, kiss strangers, and create my own version of what a happy life looked like. And I did.

For the past thirteen years and counting, I’ve been living abroad, traveling nonstop. Riding motorbikes through the jungles of Thailand, tending bar barefoot on islands in Cambodia, teaching English in South Korea, healing my childhood trauma in Bali, house-sitting in Costa Rica, and eating tacos de cabeza in Mexico — all while discovering who I am and what I want.

This is what I want for you.

I want you to see that the concept of the real world is fake and the whole world is real. You don’t have to limit your life to the country where you were born. You can build a future, make money, and fall in love (with people, passions, and yourself) from anywhere on the planet.

I am proof that your dream life can be your real life and you ain’t gotta be rich to do it. No matter how much money is in your bank account, this whole travel-the-world thing is a lot more accessible than you might think. There are opportunities available to you right now that could whisk you away to a new reality, and you don’t even have to sell your organs or join a pyramid scheme to make it happen.

Whatever box you’re stuck in, travel is a ladder to help you climb out.

You don’t have to wait until you’re retired or have $20,000 in the bank to travel the world. Even if you have credit card debt or student loans, I’ll show you ways to pay it down while you travel. This isn’t a gimmick. I’m not an influencer trying to sell you an unrealistic dream. I’m a real girl who came from nothing, raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and I used travel to create a life that I’d thought was only reserved for trust fund babies.

No matter if you’re in college trying to figure out what’s next, if you’re getting divorced at thirty-five, or if you’re further down the road — the truth remains that you have countless options to flip your life upside down and start over, or just do something different for a while.

Oh, and by the way, I have a not-so-hidden agenda that you’ll soon come to notice. In this book, I talk about solo travel often. By the time you’ve finished reading, I plan to have convinced you to travel alone at least once in your life. But take a deep breath and let me tell you that I also celebrate the idea of traveling with your partner, with your best friend, and with your family. Each experience is completely unique, but solo travel is where the most powerful growth and revelations occur. So don’t be afraid when I nudge you toward solo travel. Just stay open to the idea, no matter how scary it might seem right now.

Yes, travel can be challenging, especially solo travel. I have never been kidnapped, but I have been broke, sick, lonely, and lost. But with each lesson, I was given an opportunity to discover just how resilient I am — and you will, too. Embrace these lessons. They will transform you into who you are meant to be.

Still, I wish I could go back in time and give this book to younger me. If younger me had this book in her hands, she would have begun planning her travel path in high school. She would have made money faster, spent money slower, and definitely put less emphasis and urgency on the fairy tale of getting married and settling down.

I do want to clarify one thing, though: If you married your high school sweetheart and had kids in your twenties, this was part of your purpose and that’s beautiful. But when you’re ready for the next chapter of your life, this book is here waiting for you. Self-discovery doesn’t stop at kids or marriage or retirement.

To illustrate this point, let me share a quick story from my dear friend and exquisite writer, Sharon.

The first time I traveled alone I was forty-eight years old and newly divorced. I’d married before I finished school, had kids early, had several careers, and was happy. I was lucky enough to travel with my husband and children and enjoyed making sure they got what they wanted out of our trips. When my husband left, I was determined I wouldn’t lose travel along with my marriage, so I booked a trip to Paris. Daunted by the prospect of twenty-one meals in a row alone, I packed a suitcase full of books for company.

My first morning in Paris I woke to pouring rain and lay in bed trying to decide how I’d spend my day. As I struggled to settle on a plan, it dawned on me that during the years I’d spent taking care of everyone else, I’d given my longing away. The only desire I could identify was that whatever else happened that day, I didn’t want to have cold, wet feet, and the only shoes I had were the sandals I’d worn on the plane. As the rain fell, I did something I’d never have been able to do on a family trip: I ignored Paris, made a pot of tea, got back in bed, and read until the rain stopped. When it did, I went out and bought myself a pair of warm shoes and socks. Traveling alone helped me learn how to want again.

So what will be revealed for you when you’re on the other side of the world, away from everyone and everything you’ve ever known? What revelation will rise to the surface on a stormy night in the jungle when the power goes out and all you’re left to do is sit and stare at the thatched roof above you? What will you daydream about on the plane, and what will you fantasize about in the shower when you’re untethered from your usual distractions? What version of you is waiting on the other side of the world?

It’s time to go find out.

Please understand that I’m not asking you to change your identity, renounce your citizenship, buy a one-way ticket, and never come back. The goal here isn’t to abandon everything and everyone you love. The goal is to go out into the world and be oh so very intentional in getting to know yourself again while discovering new possibilities for your life.

Maybe you’ll wander the world until you die, or maybe you’ll travel for a month and decide that life in your city is perfectly fulfilling. Maybe you’ll come home with a list of places that will have you traveling for the rest of time, or maybe you’ll come home happy with one small but important ritual — say, afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream — that will remind you of the woman you discovered far from home. Maybe you’ll go to places even I haven’t been, or maybe you’ll only travel to places where the hotels have sit-down toilets. It doesn’t matter how your one-way ticket ends or how your trip goes; it just matters that it begins.

Travel Lesson #1 ......................................

Every woman should travel solo at least once in her life

if only to learn how strong she is on her own.

..........................................................................

You don’t need a boyfriend, a travel partner, or anyone’s approval to travel the world. And you don’t need a massive bank account or an entire summer off work. If you’ve doubted yourself for one moment, remember this: Millions of girls travel across the globe all by themselves every damn day, and you can, too. You are just as capable, just as smart, and just as brave as the rest of us. You don’t need permission to go — this is your life.

You’re not too old, you’re not too young. It isn’t too early, it isn’t too late. If you’re reading this book, you’re right on time.

This is your sign.

Chapter 2

Pick Your Travel Path

Imagine this: Weeks from right now, you could be living in Costa Rica rent-free. Or wandering night markets in South Korea after a day of teaching. Or building your graphic design agency from your laptop in Portugal. Or taking your career as a hairdresser to Bali.

These are just a few examples of the unlimited opportunities available to you right now. Opportunities that have the power to transform your life overnight if you just say yes to one of them.

Sound too good to be true? There’s no catch, I promise. I’m not going to suggest you become an Instagram model or sell pictures of your feet online. This is all legit. There are real jobs, lucrative careers, and fun financial avenues all around the world that most people don’t know exist, waiting for you right now.

I call these opportunities Travel Paths. Travel Paths are all the ways you can make money, start a career, sustain your travels, discover your purpose, or just get a roof over your head while clearing your mind for a few months under the sun. Some paths have a defined ending, while others are Alice in Wonderland rabbit holes with twists and turns you could never predict.

Think of this chapter like speed dating: I’m going to quickly introduce you to these Travel Paths, and when you meet one that makes you feel tingly inside, you can choose to get to know it better, later.

There are no limits to these paths. They are customizable. You can use them now or revisit them ten years from now as most of these paths are not age specific. For example, when I was in the Peace Corps at age twenty-two, I was one of the youngest volunteers in my group, while the oldest volunteer was a grandmother from Texas in her late sixties. So no excuses. Nothing you’re about to read is too big or out of reach. You can do and have anything you want, no matter how well your knees still do or do not work.

At the end of this chapter, you’ll find a visual flow chart to see exactly how I’ve been traveling the world for so many years. Then, I’ll help you create a vision for how you want to travel the world, too.

Thought Break

Take out a piece of paper and make a list of the following (I’m serious — do it):

Skills: List your skills. Include all the things that might be considered unique in other countries, including the languages you speak and the cookies you make.

Loves: List what you enjoy doing. What makes you happiest? Being in water? Working with kids?

Hates: List what you hate doing. Being in water? Working with kids?

Timeframe: List how long you want to or are able to travel. A month? A year? Forever and ever?

Keep these things in mind as you read each Travel Path, but don’t think too hard. For now, just start reading and daydream. Dream as big as you can. Figure out what feels good.

Travel Lesson #2 ......................................

If it makes you nervous, it’s probably worth it.

..........................................................................

Nervous is good. Nervous is big. Nervous means that you’re about to do something out of your comfort zone that excites you a little. Don’t be afraid of nervous.

By the way, Travel Lesson #2 is a lyric from the unofficial official theme song to this book, Daydream by Lily Meola. Listen to it as soon and as often as possible.

Travel Paths, summarized in the graphic below, are categorized by motivation. Several of them may match your motivations right now, and several may match your motivations in the years to come. You’ll never run out of paths to follow, depending on the needs you have and when you have them. As you read, take note of which paths fulfill your immediate needs.

Are you ready? Let’s go.

Motivation: Investing in Yourself

Travel Path #1: Traveling to Travel

Perhaps you’re totally content with the dynamics of your life at home but want to travel longer than a week or travel beyond the walls of an all-inclusive resort. You do not have to be looking for a new job or to permanently move cities for this Travel Paths chapter to be beneficial to you. I’m about to reveal some unconventional ways to travel, which will lead you toward places and purposes you never knew you were looking for. Keep reading.

Travel Path #2: Skill Seeking

Take your passion and turn it into a career by getting accredited or certified in something that allows you to travel the world and find a job anywhere.

No matter where I am in the world, I run into travelers studying to become one of the following:

ESL (English as a second language) teacher

Yoga teacher

Makeup artist

Massage therapist

Divemaster

Free-diver

Chef

Hospitality professional

Why are these professions so popular? Because they allow you to live and make money anywhere in the world and (aside from ESL teaching) are not solely reserved for English speakers. Even more appealing, perhaps, is that these accreditation programs double as an adventure.

For example, want to be a yoga teacher? Go to India, enroll in a 200-hour yoga teacher training program, stay for a month, learn, explore, make new friends, and leave with the tools to begin a career.

The only caution I’d give you is to be aware of how competitive landing a job in that field might be. Don’t think that just because you studied to become a divemaster in Thailand you’ll immediately land a divemaster job in Thailand. These gigs can be competitive. Before you spend $2,000 on an accreditation, make a plan. Study up on how you can turn this training into a real job. Speak to the training schools to see if they offer support in finding jobs after you complete the program.

Want to be an English teacher abroad? Many ESL or TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) programs train you in Japan or Malaysia or somewhere equally exhilarating, and once you complete the training, they match you with a teaching job in the region. Pretty cool, right?

Moral of the story: Before you invest your time, money, hopes, and dreams into a skill-set program, play around with a possible three-year plan. Have a trajectory or at least find some examples of people who have done what you want to do. Or make your own path. As my best friend Emilia always says, When they go left, we go right. Host your own yoga retreats, start your own massage business, or become a private chef on a goddamn yacht. Creativity will take you places.

Travel Path #3: Studying Abroad

I used to think studying abroad was for rich kids, but with scholarships and grants, you can fund your studies and fund your travels in an economical way. My least favorite American ex- boyfriend got his master’s degree in Oslo, Norway — for free. Whatever you can afford, here’s the way I see it: If you’re going to pay money to go to school, why not pay a school that doubles as a cultural experience abroad? Or better yet, hunt down programs that will completely fund your studies, and don’t pay anything at all.

 How to Find Study Abroad Programs

If you’re already studying, ask your department or school if they have exchange programs. Many academic departments — from business to art history to foreign languages — have exchange partners abroad.

Directly enroll in a university program abroad. Many universities worldwide accept international students and even offer grants or scholarships.

Use a program-finder website.GoOverseas.com and other sites like it list degree programs and exchanges, plus guide you on how to apply.

Intern abroad. Spend your summer working for a marketing consulting firm in Australia or an investment group in Switzerland. Travel, fulfill school credit requirements, and get ahead of the pack with a killer résumé. Check out GoOverseas.com/internships-abroad for practically every internship opportunity under the sun.

For scholarships, also check out GoOverseas.com. They’ll often have a list of the most up-to-date scholarship programs abroad. Really, just start with that website in general. They make this whole study-abroad process super simple.

Fun program recommendation: Semester at Sea. This is a program where you live on a cruise ship with students from universities worldwide and visit multiple countries while completing your semester of studies. Not a college student? Semester at Sea also offers programs for gap year students (the year in between high school and college), recent college grads, and lifelong learners of any age. PS. I’m usually not a fan of big cruise ships, but Semester at Sea is heavily committed to sustainability on land and sea and setting a positive example for the future of ocean travel. Find out more about programs and sustainability at SemesterAtSea.org.

Travel Path #4: Studying a Language for Fun

Not in school but still want to learn a language? I recommend looking for a language immersion program that allows you to travel abroad, study a language, and immerse yourself in the culture, usually with a host family.

 Benefits of Language Immersion Programs

These programs typically offer you a monthly bundle where you pay a flat fee for food, housing, language classes, and some excursions.

A program coordination team holds your hand through the process from A to Z.

More often than not, you live with a host family or a host organization, so you’ve got people looking out for you.

You are immersed in the local culture and community, more so than if you just