I have been having a major internal debate for the past month as to whether I should travel for about a year or so, or join the work force and build my nest egg. I'd appreciate any advice or insight from you guys.

My current situation:

I am in my early 20s, having recently graduated college, with a degree in an engineering field. Fortunately, I have managed to finish with almost no debt. I already have a job lined up that I could take that would pay me pretty well and provide me with good work experience. However, after looking through some r/travel and r/solotravel posts, I feel like travel would be a great way for me to have new, life-changing experiences. I have been so entrenched in work and studies for the past few years that my social life has taken a definite hit.

I am probably above average in the looks department, but my lack of exposure has made it harder for me to get a lot of experience with women (I've gotten a few ONS from going out to the bars alone, but it feels like a waste of money and time when I can't close on a cute girl, which is about 75% of the time).

It seems to me that I have to decide between the trade off of working hard and having my social life on cruise control, or traveling and having my financial situation on cruise control.

I have talked to a few people and put together a list of pros and cons for each scenario. Feel free to add anything I may have overlooked in the comments:

Work: Pros

  • "Safe"

  • Ability to save money for future projects/investments

  • Will probably result in less anxiety

  • Relevant job experience that will result in increased job security

  • Will probably be easier for me to stay in good shape

Work: Cons

  • Overall more boring

  • Less social exposure

  • That lingering "what if?"

Travel: Pros

  • "Exciting"

  • Will force me into way more social situations

  • Will be more challenging

  • Will make me a more interesting person

  • Will be more fun overall

Travel: Cons

  • Instinctively feels irresponsible

  • Gap in work experience, resulting in decreased job security

  • Probably won't be able to build up my bank account

P.S. I do realize that "safe" is synonymous with "beta", as "exciting" is with "alpha," but I don't want to base major life decisions on these canned social constructs.