Do you want to take a trip around the world? Most white-collar workers would probably answer “yes” to that question. But how about quitting your job to travel the world for nearly a year? Most people would likely hesitate. Yet, a young white-collar couple from Shanghai has taken concrete action to prove that when faced with a choice between dreams and reality, some will choose the former.
Yesterday, reporters met the couple—Dongdong and Minmin—at a travel agency. Both work for foreign companies and have reached mid-to-senior management levels. Just last month, they made up their minds to resign by the end of this year and embark on a global journey early next year. They are currently going through the visa application process for various countries with the help of the travel agency. “We want to find new coordinates in life,” Dongdong told the reporter.
From “backpackers” to “regular white-collar workers”
Dongdong, in his early thirties, is what one might call a typical “Shanghai guy”—with a crew cut, a stylish pair of glasses, and a very articulate manner. The muscles on his arms reveal that he’s no stranger to outdoor sports. “I’m a ‘backpacker’—someone who loves traveling with a big pack,” Dongdong introduced himself. In 2002, he joined a Shanghai outdoor club and began his backpacking journey. Every weekend, he and his fellow travelers would pack their gear, bring along various survival tools, and head out to hike and explore, savoring the joy of being close to nature.
It was also in 2002 that he met his current wife, Minmin, at the outdoor club. Minmin was also a backpacker, and through numerous outdoor adventures together, they discovered many shared interests, eventually tying the knot.
After starting their family, Dongdong and Minmin became increasingly busy with work, and their lives gradually took on a more “conventional” trajectory—nine-to-five jobs on weekdays and leisure time on weekends. Their trips into the wild became fewer and farther between, and their annual long-distance travels were usually squeezed into their limited annual leave. “I think this is the life most white-collar workers lead,” Dongdong said.
A friend’s volunteer experience in Africa touches their hearts
Just as the couple was transitioning from “backpackers” to “regular white-collar workers,” an event touched their hearts. At the time, Minmin heard that a friend had quit her job to attend a training school run by an NGO in Lijiang, Yunnan, where she learned to become a volunteer. After a year of training, she went to Africa to assist underprivileged communities.
“When I told my husband about my friend’s experience, we suddenly realized that there is such a way of life. And our current work and lifestyle are actually not what we truly want,” Minmin said. So, she and Dongdong started debating who would be better suited to go to Africa and who would have to stay in Shanghai to “support the family.” In the end, they found that both of them wanted to go to Africa and neither wanted to live a “nine-to-five” life. So why not go together?
Dongdong told the reporter that after over a decade in the workforce, both he and his wife had hit a certain bottleneck. “Although we’ve reached mid-to-senior management levels, we can’t see a clear future ahead, and the foreseeable career path isn’t what we aspire to.” In Dongdong’s view, the annual leave trips that white-collar workers take are like turning a computer off and on again—it may relieve temporary fatigue but doesn’t break the cycle of repetition. Therefore, they wanted to choose another path—global travel—which is like installing a new system for the computer, allowing them to re-examine the world after a complete renewal.
Last month, when Minmin called Dongdong—who was on a business trip—to share the idea of “quitting to travel the world,” he immediately agreed. “Alright, let’s quit this year!”
Joining the “couchsurfing” community to save money
According to the couple’s plan, after spending Spring Festival in Shanghai next year, they will embark on their global journey, which will take about eight months. They intend to visit every continent except Antarctica, exploring all countries and regions that are “well-known” and free of conflict.
Europe is the focus of Dongdong and Minmin’s global trip. They plan to spend half a year there, visiting every country and staying in some historic cities for one to two weeks to observe and experience the lifestyles of local residents. In Africa, they will select a few tourist-friendly countries. As for South America, they plan to visit every country—it’s Dongdong’s most desired destination. Based on the itinerary designed by the travel agency, North America will be the final stop of their global journey because U.S. visas are valid for a relatively long period—up to a year.
How much does such an “in-depth global journey” cost? He Xiaodong, the channel development director of Huanlv International Company, estimated the cost to be around 1 million RMB. “We don’t want to spend that much!” Dongdong quickly waved his hands at this “budget.” In his and his wife’s view, they should travel the world as backpackers—no need for luxury hotels or private cars, and they’ll save wherever possible.
To that end, Dongdong and Minmin have already looked into the famous “$3,000 around-the-world travel guide,” but that journey only lasted 80 days, while theirs is planned for eight months, so they can’t simply copy it. Dongdong said that airfare doesn’t make up a large portion of the global travel expenses. “I checked, and some domestic airlines offer ‘global circumnavigation tickets’ for 28,000 kilometers with stops at five or six airports, costing less than 30,000 RMB in total.” In comparison, accommodation and food expenses in various places are much higher. To that end, Dongdong and Minmin have joined the international “couchsurfing” community, whose members come from all over the world and offer their couches for free to traveling members.
“For us, traveling the world on $3,000 is impossible, but we’ll try our best to save and aim to do it on $30,000!” Dongdong said.
Reflecting on “what kind of life to live” during the journey
Besides the huge expenses, quitting to travel the world also comes with many practical obstacles. However, Dongdong and Minmin are lucky because they meet three key conditions: first, after over a decade of working, they’ve saved enough to withstand the financial impact of a year without work and even have enough to pay their mortgage; second, they don’t have children, so they have no “worries for the future”; third, their parents are open-minded and healthy, telling them, “Since you’ve made up your minds, just go—we’re fine, don’t worry about us.”
Now, this bold couple is full of anticipation for their upcoming global journey. Dongdong said they want to use this trip to observe, with their own eyes, how people in different regions and cultures live, to experience it with their hearts, and to reflect on one question—what kind of life should we really be living?
Compared to Dongdong, Minmin seems to have a clearer vision for her future life. “I want to live a free life, a meaningful life—like my friend who volunteered in Africa—selflessly helping others and finding joy in giving a helping hand.” To that end, Minmin is contacting non-profit organizations, hoping to do some volunteer work during the global journey. She also hopes that non-profits with such needs will get in touch with her through this newspaper.
When talking about their plans after completing the global journey, Minmin said, “We don’t want to go back to nine-to-five jobs. We hope to meet new friends and discover new opportunities during the journey, opening up a life different from the past. We crave freedom, we don’t value income, and we want to live a life we truly love.”
◎ Reporter’s Note
May your footsteps follow your heart
The French poet Rimbaud once wrote a famous line on the wall of the University of Paris—“Life is elsewhere.” This phrase might describe Dongdong and Minmin’s choice quite accurately.
Living elsewhere means stepping out of the circle of “daily life” and re-examining your original life from the perspective of an observer, measuring how far it is from your inner desires and pursuits. Like other young white-collar couples, Dongdong and Minmin have spent their days in the routine of nine-to-five jobs and busy schedules. In their pursuit of their careers, they gradually gave up being “backpackers” and lived ordinary lives. It wasn’t until they heard about a friend’s volunteer experience in Africa that they suddenly realized: can we choose a different, genuinely fulfilling way of life?
The German philosopher Heidegger referred to the ordinary state of human life as “fallenness.” This term is not overtly derogatory but reveals an inherent flaw in this state—mediocrity, busyness with trivial matters, lack of independent thinking, and blind conformity to public opinion. If someone wants to break free from this state, they should heed the call of their heart at certain moments and recognize that the true essence of being human is “being-toward-death.” To live a meaningful life on this path, one must make timely decisions and re-plan their future.
When Dongdong and Minmin heard their friend’s story, they experienced such a “moment of decision.” After their hearts were deeply moved, the couple followed their shared inner calling and made a life choice that transcends “fallenness.”
Living elsewhere doesn't mean everyone has to take a trip around the world, but rather reminds us to try our best to free ourselves from the distractions of daily life, return to our inner selves, view the world with fresh eyes, and reflect on our own lives. As Dongdong said, they want to install a new operating system in their "human computers" and embark on a new journey in life.
We wish Dongdong and Minmin smooth preparations and that they find their new life coordinates during their round-the-world journey. We also hope that you, the reader of this article, can experience the feeling of "living elsewhere" in your own life, letting your steps follow your heart rather than external pressures.
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