I just had 7 months off and I went travelling(mostly US and EU). Another time I did a huge chunk of South East Asia with 3 months. 2 months would also give you ample time to explore a lot of new places!
Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
11–20 of 76 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#12Spend some time with your family and friends. You could "combine" this with the many travel recommendations you are getting, by (1) visiting loved ones who live far from you or (2) traveling somewhere with them.
Enjoy your time off!
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#13finish editing a couple of wikipedia articles
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#14Go see all my friends who are all over the world, and eat long dinners and drink nice wine and exercise everyday and catch up on my reading list and take aimless walks and prepare for my new job, but at a relaxed pace.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#15Open source development.
I often have long periods of time off - that's the nature of contracting. You only need to work all the time if you want toys. So right now I'm learning, training, and giving back.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#16This question depends very much on WHETHER OR NOT THE NEXT JOB IS ALREADY LINED UP.
If I don't have to worry about my unemployment, then for two months I would spend more time with my family and on personal interests that refresh my mind and spirit.
Otherwise, I would spend the two months networking and interviewing toward the next job. A job hunt IS a full-time job. Quite frankly, a more time-consuming and stressful job than being a computer programmer is.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#17I had three months off between jobs a couple of years ago. I did absolutely nothing, just sleep in, stay up late, read a few books, watch movies and play games. After three months I almost felt like a human being again. That feeling was gone 2 days into the new job.
Lol
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#18I'd do nothing. Yes, a lot of that.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#19Divide my time between ML and crypto, trying to understand the fundamentals of each discipline.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#20Beware of "cool" things - it's a waste of time and money, likely dangerous for health. Skydiving and travelling to Cambodia or Mongolia is an unimpressive cliche.
Catch up on health (posture, sight, diet). Catch up with family. Sort out any outstanding paperwork (tax declarations, pension related). Sleep long. Read.