Explore the world: Top 5 traveling jobs

Work and wanderlust usually don't go hand-in-hand. Are you guilty of staring out the window of an office park, wishing you were in a foreign land? Writing a resignation letter, packing a suitcase and hopping a red-eye flight to a far-off destination are daydreams.

Family and finances keep most of us landlocked and far away from those Jack Kerouac-style dreams. If you're a recent graduate or a young, single professional whose life and time isn't dominated by obligations, opportunities do exist to combine work and travel. Goodbye cubicle; hello overseas adventures.

Here are five top traveling jobs that can provide you with experiences of a lifetime:

1. English Teacher.

Teaching English abroad can be an adventurous career. Whether you embark on this type of gig for a year or a lifetime, you'll need an English Second Language certification. A college degree and rudimentary knowledge of the host country's native language doesn't hurt either. Japan is a hot destination for people who want to teach English abroad. According to matadornetwork.com, Italy, Mexico, Thailand and the Czech Republic also offer opportunities for English teachers.

2. Travel Nurse.

Nursing isn't for someone who's looking for a spontaneous, fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants career change. Nursing is a career that takes planning and forethought. Keep in mind, there is a global nursing shortage, which means that plenty of well-paying, benefited jobs do exist for travel nurses.

Whether you want to be a registered nurse, nurse practitioner or licensed practical nurse, assignments for travel nurses are flexible — long and short term. Bonus: housing is typically provided. Also, as a nurse, you're aware of how important vaccinations and medical insurance are, so HCCMIS has you protected.

3. Freelance Writer.

Mimic the romanticized way of life that Ernest Hemingway led, and you'll probably struggle to pay your bills. Yes, bills still need to be paid overseas. Every writer dreams of sitting at a cafe in the Latin Quarter and working on the next great American novel, but it's not going to make a living.

Making your way as a professional travel writer is challenging, but not impossible. You can freelance for a handful of Internet content providers. Write articles, blogs, white papers and other SEO-related material. Write until your fingers fall off and always network! Never lose sight of how one day you may just get paid to travel abroad and do what you love to.

4. Cruise Ship Employee.

Working on a cruise ship is a great way to see the world —one sunny port at a time. Cruise ships are like floating cities, and there are countless jobs to choose from, each with different requirements. From line cooks and bartenders to entertainers and casino dealers, any one of these jobs could trump a 30-minute commute in gridlock traffic.

5. Tour Guide.

If you're a history expert and cultural maven with superior interpersonal skills and a knack for storytelling, a job as a tour guide may just be your calling. Most European cities run museum or guided-history tours year-round, but your chances of landing a job are better in the summer, during an influx of camera-wielding tourists. And you used to be one of them, but not anymore!

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Stephen Washington), Google (images).