This 31-year-old spent $20,000 to travel after he was laid off

Forget the "quarter-life crisis." These days, millennials are turning to the "quarter-life sabbatical."

Amid the waves of mass layoffs, people are choosing to repurpose their unemployment into soul-searching, and many are extending their time away from the cubicle to travel the world.

Peter Lancaster, 31, was laid off from his technology job in California in May last year. Although he was sad to leave a job he loved, it was finally an opportunity for him to take a real break and enjoy life a little.

By the end of June, he sold most of his belongings, put the rest in storage, handed his cat to a friend and left for his first destination — Mexico City.

For the next eight months, Peter traveled to eight different countries: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Japan, Ecuador and Brazil. He said he spent about $20,000 during that time.

His plane tickets and transportation ended up being his highest expenses.

While Colombia and Guatemala were the most affordable destinations, Argentina and the Galapagos Islands were the most expensive, he added.

Here are six things he learned during his adventure abroad.

The biggest principle Peter stuck to while traveling overseas was staying flexible and knowing that plans can change along the way.

About six months into his travels, Peter met and fell in love with his girlfriend Alejandra, or as he likes to call, his "pp" (short for "Peruvian Princess").

His initial plan was to stay in Peru for four days, but after meeting Alejandra, he extended it to six weeks.

"I met her in Peru — in Cusco. I was doing laundry and she saw that I was struggling, so she helped me out and then we decided to get drinks," he told CNBC Make It.

"You think you would want to make an itinerary, but truthfully, your