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Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

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Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#31

Post by blizkreeg »

rivo wrote: post #27
raju wrote: post #17

I have lived in 3 continents (Africa [Nigeria], Asia [India], and North America [US]) and vacationed a few times in Europe [mainly England and Switzerland]. This, IMO is good advice. Contrary to popular belief, people around the world are good. They are willing to help you out and are less likely to take advantage of the fact that you are new there. There is also a sense of curiosity - about who you are, where you ar…

I got sick a few times from street-vendor food in 3rd world countries. It turned out that they often reuse oil for too long. I now avoid deep-fried food, dirty or tap water, and things like ice-cream. I've been fine on my travels since.

This is a mild suggestion. Could we stop using the term 3rd world to refer to relatively poor countries? I think in a modern, globalized, and rapidly developing world, '3rd world' is unnecessary and carries a derogatory connotation to it, IMO. I can't speak for others from a so-called third world country, but it offends me.

Plus, the true meaning of third world is something quite different, concocted during the cold war: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#32

Post by GFischer »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #14
amirmc wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by 'third world' countries? In general, the best piece of advice I've received is simply "do as the locals do".

Often true, but not always. For example: Buying meat in India may make you violently ill. Drinking tap water in Mexico is guaranteed to do the trick. While for a colleague of mine (who is used to it): no problem at all. That said, I generally agree with the fact that health hysteria is totally over the top. I just returned from Peru where I ate at places, which would be shut down in a heartbeat here (no ginnypigs run…

Heh, when I went to Peru (Macchu Picchu, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited), they ate Guinea Pigs (called "cuy" locally).

Odd they left them around the kitchen.

Agree with your recommendations. Also, watch out for ice cubes... often people make the mistake of buying bottled water... and then putting ice cubes made of tap water.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#33

Post by WiseWeasel »

euroclydon wrote: post #8
acabal wrote: post #5

I've been long-term traveling and running my startup at the same time for the past few years (in fact just today I set up an incomplete map of my travels for the past few months at my site, turkeysandwichindustries.com), and I can attest that everything in this article is true. What makes me sad sometimes is that traveling the world for a few months to a year doesn't even cross the minds of many of my fellow American…

Sounds good. If the mortgage payment and health insurance were going to be "OK" too, I would already be out there.

You can always rent the house to pay the mortgage, and cancel the insurance, as it probably doesn't cover you overseas.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#34

Post by benologist »

acabal wrote: post #5

I've been long-term traveling and running my startup at the same time for the past few years (in fact just today I set up an incomplete map of my travels for the past few months at my site, turkeysandwichindustries.com), and I can attest that everything in this article is true. What makes me sad sometimes is that traveling the world for a few months to a year doesn't even cross the minds of many of my fellow American…

+1. I've been out of my country for the last 5 years seeing the world. I build my startup in a little house in a little country in latin america.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#35

Post by aleyda »

dagw wrote: post #18
lotusleaf1987 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone can afford it, otherwise a lot more people would. Germans, Kiwis, the English, and Australians probably also generally have more secure employment and higher wages on average.

And more importantly they generally don't have high university tuition bills that need paying. Since most people do this sort of travelling either just before or just after university, I imagine that is a pretty big factor.

Not always. Sometimes is something cultural. English people for example, they take a "Gap year" right after they finish high school and before they go to college. Most of the time they work during their last year of high school in stores, supermarkets, bars, etc. during the weekends to earn money so they can go on their "Gap Year" traveling to Africa, Asia or Latin America... where cost of living is much lower than in the UK and the money they have earned is enough to spend many months!

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#36

Post by run4yourlives »

maxawaytoolong wrote: post #22

I used to travel. Africa, Australia, Japan, Europe, Mexico, etc. His point about Americans not traveling is valid. I wonder if part of the reason is that North America is so far away from everywhere else. It takes 11 hours to fly from Berlin to Thailand, but it takes 25 hours to fly from NYC to Thailand. Most Americans probably have to get to NYC or LA to get anywhere else in the world, which can be another 3-5 hours…

Canadians travel, so you can't excuse the distance.

I think the problem is (I say this as a Canadian) that the US has a very insular streak to it's fabric that is manifested in ways such as this. This same streak that caused the US to join both world wars when they were half over.

My guess is that it stems from the individual nature of the founders, along with the split from England. This isn't as strong in Canada and Australia because those countries remained extensions of the Empire and thus were automatically and continuously connected to the larger world.

The US spent a better part of the 1800's focusing exclusively on North America.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#37

Post by yardie »

khandelwal wrote: post #21

I don't get the point of traveling all at once (months at a time or more). It seems to me that most people that do so, visit dozens of countries back-to-back in a relatively short span of time. I would think that everything ends up being rather similar. I travel ten days at a time, with 6 months to a year in between international trips. Most trips only include one or two countries. Anything else would be a cognitive…

For the most part, the most expensive part of travel is the fare. It ends up being cheaper to start in one country, travel through the others, using cars, trains, or low-cost airlines, and then finish up going home.

And usually when you do these things you've broken free of all your commitments; sold the house, finished the lease, sold the car, etc. This leaves you with more money available down route.

Doing 2 trips a year still costs plenty. You're still paying for your house even if you aren't in it as well as paying for wherever you are. You're still paying for that car to sit in park, your still paying for cable, mobile phones, electricity, etc.

When I traveled I firesaled everything that wasn't going with me, sold the car, sublet the apartment, and cancelled my phone. I stayed with my parents 1 week and worked right up until the day I left. No more bills meant I had more disposable income.

And even when things are at their worst, everything still manages to work out.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#38

Post by GFischer »

wallflower wrote: post #20

If you liked this article and it got you wondering why you aren't traveling more, read Brave New Traveler and WorldHum for inspiration. http://bravenewtraveler.com http://worldhum.com

Thanks, I liked this article:

http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2010/08/16/why-goal-based-li...

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#39

Post by yardie »

shralpmeister wrote: post #2

As a Canadian living in the US, I have to take exception to his remark that Canadian and American cultures are the same. The differences might appear subtle, but I'd say the differences are huge. They just run deeper beneath the superficial similarity. I'm speaking of English Canadians BTW. Vive la difference!

To someone in Tanzania or Laos do you think they know what that subtle difference is? Face it, you get lumped in with Americans because the overall culture is similar.

Re: Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years

#40

Post by theycallmemorty »

charleso wrote: post #15
shralpmeister wrote: post #2

As a Canadian living in the US, I have to take exception to his remark that Canadian and American cultures are the same. The differences might appear subtle, but I'd say the differences are huge. They just run deeper beneath the superficial similarity. I'm speaking of English Canadians BTW. Vive la difference!

As another former Canada / U.S. transplant I agree there is a difference, but it's less extreme. It's almost intra-national, really. The 'culture shock' between Toronto, Ontario -> Montgomery, Alabama won't be much different than if you were moving from Los Angeles instead. In contrast, the culture difference between Toronto, Canada -> Cairo, Egypt or Bangkok, Thailand will be pretty danged huge.

But doesn't language isolation have a significant impact on culture?

It would be more apt to compare the Toronto-Montgomery difference to the difference between Toronto and Glasgow or Toronto and Canberra.

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