In 2007, I went on a cruise through the Greek Islands. It was the most beautiful, amazing, life changing experience. But I was one of the 15 people on the cruise my age. Everyone else? 70 to 80 years old. No lie.

As we stood in line to board the ship, I took a quick look at the line slowly forming behind me. I mouthed to my best friend, “Everyone is OLD”. As she turned around to look behind us, her face dropped. She’d gotten a fresh bikini wax for the trip and it was apparently going to go to waste. For shame.

The age disparity was prevalent throughout the cruise. My group was the only one that made use of the “disco” on the top floor. We were the only ones taking advantage of the open bars. And we were the only ones who even got off the boat to go on excursions.

It was quite sad, seeing all of these old people who finally had a chance to go travel, but weren’t even really experiencing all of what the islands had to offer.

The model society is set up for us to go to high school, graduate college, work for 30 to 40 years, retire, THEN finally start living your life. But what the hell were you doing all of those years in between? I knew I didn’t want to be one of those people typing away in a cubicle lit by florescent lighting for the rest of my life, so I made the executive decision to get off my ass and start really living my life.

And you can do the same thing…if you want it enough.

There’s so many excuses people have for not traveling. It’s too expensive. What will my family say? What about my job? What about my friends? Part of this are the stereotypes traveling has aquired over the years. If you travel, you have to stay in luxurious 5 star hotels. You have to eat at only the best restaurants. It’s a “vacation”. You’re being lazy. I’m here to tell you that traveling is none of those things. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, and it definitely doesn’t make you lazy. If anything, climbing temple ruins and volcanoes are the complete opposite of lazy.

A quick search on google for “Round the World Travel Budget” will bring up a plethora of people who are all traveling the world for a meger $500 a month. I live in LA, and that $500 is about 1/3 of my rent. You have to weigh what’s important. Staying in an expensive city scraping by? Or backpacking through S.E Asia? I’ll take Asia.

But if you don’t do it now…when will you? Now is the time in your life to let those stereotypes go. Now is the time to live your life on your terms. Now is the time to experience things only 30% of Americans with passports can do. Hell, you don’t even have to leave the US! Explore your own country.

You don’t have to travel the world for 3 years. Start off small. Spend a summer in a city different than your own (abroad or otherwise). Book a spring break cruise with your friends, a weekend in Vegas. Just don’t wait for the 30 years to pass you by before you start traveling.

Do it while your young. I’m telling you, trying to navigate Santorini, Greece in your hoveround is not a good look.

Sheryll is a California girl who recently quit her job and bought a one-way ticket to London to actively pursue her love of travel.  People like her have inspired me to get my booty back in school so I can embark on my own adventure:  teaching abroad.  To learn more about Sheryll’s ambitions visit Wanderlust.  You can also follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter.