Travelling for 2-3 months vs 4-6 months
Hi. I'm coming to the end of a post-university job application. By September, I should have a job offer, and then I can start in either January or May (with an onboarding event 4-6 weeks before either of those start dates).
This brings me to a decision: do I start in January, and have about 10 weeks travel (mid September to end of November, then the onboarding, maybe a short trip in December, and then start the job) or start in May and have 4-6 months travel (September to mid March, then onboarding in mid/late March and start the job in May)? I'd like to go to Peru and Bolivia, stretching into Chile, Argentina and Ecuador if I have time.
In a travel thread, I assume I'll get a lot of answers saying that I should travel for longer. There is no penalty to delaying my job until May, except that I would be delaying the beginning of my career. I'd have to be stingier, but could see more of the continent. This will be my only opportunity to travel for 4-6 months for (probably) a long time.
But would 6 months actually feel too much? I'm curious to hear whether people think that 2-3 months is actually long enough to get the 'travel hit'. It means I could do the expensive version of things (private rooms, excursions, getting the convenient flight instead of shoestring budget-ing it). And I do feel some temptation to get on with life and start my career. 2-3 months seems a reasonable period for Peru and Bolivia, but probably wouldn't give me time in other countries.
Info:
- I'm an experienced traveller but the longest I've done is 1 month solo travel (in Europe).
- I have about ten thousand pounds saved.
- My job will offer travel opportunities and generous leave, so I will be able to afford to go to these places in the future, but not in blocks of more than 2 weeks. (so eg. if I don't do Patagonia now, I will be able to go back in the future with more money / with friends and family instead of alone. but it would only be a max 2 week trip.)
The novelty here is being away from home for a long time and having a multi-month trip of it. I'd like to be refreshed before starting work; have a great time with amazing scenery / nature / hikes / food / wonders of the world / general fun; and see all the great things in Peru and Bolivia to make the most of this opportunity before starting work.
TLDR: I have two start dates for a job, one in Jan and one in May. Should I travel to Peru and Bolivia for 10 weeks, then start the job, or travel for 4-6 months (more widely in South America), and then start in May?