Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#131

Post by Grustaf » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:41 AM UTC

keiferski wrote: post #12

Absolutely worth it, however I'd offer a few short tips: 1. Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. If you can stay a year or two, do that. Jumping from city to city every week seems exciting at first, but it quickly makes everywhere feel the same. 2. To quote Lao Tzu, when your work is done, forget it. If you work remotely, actively disconnect at the end of the day. It's too easy to be constantly plugged…

I agree with your points, just want to add: The best way to connect with the culture and people is to get a local job, or studying at a local university or at least taking courses.

EDIT:

Basically become an immigrant, even if it's only for a couple of months. Ideally don't plan your return, make your journeys open ended!

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#132

Post by checkyoursudo » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:41 AM UTC

hayst4ck wrote: post #84

aerovistae wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself. Did you speak the local language?

Nope. Until you travel you don't even have the slightest clue what a privilege it is to speak English or be from America. Educated middle/upper class people everywhere except china (where there is almost no english at all) generally speak at the very least broken English, if not fluent english. That being said: One of the most interesting people I met was in china, and I'd say complex ideas were 75% communicated in e…

> Traveling made me regret circumventing the language requirement in college so much.

I can feel this. I did the opposite. Instead of circumventing the requirement, I studied 5 different languages, and then continued 2 on to relative proficiency.

This has been, in my opinion, of tremendous benefit in living on and traveling to multiple continents.

I had an advisor whom I admired who was competent in some 12 or more languages. I was so jealous. I guess I probably still am.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#133

Post by killtimeatwork » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:42 AM UTC

openfuture wrote: post #31

noname123 wrote: post #25

I'd love to hear concretely what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? Because I always hear that it's really exciting and you get to go to exciting places - but what exactly did you gain in terms of perspectives besides your instagram pictures and cocktail stories? I've never get beyond this superficial in hearing people's travel stories online and IRL. Maybe it's just me; but the idea of g…

I've been to around 50 countries across 6 continents, hitchhiked tens of thousands of kilometres and never have I even taken a single picture. These experiences are not for others, they are for yourself and they give you the capacity to understand stories and circumstances that otherwise would be foreign to you.

I take pictures (but relatively few - maybe a couple times in a week-long trip) just to look at them in the future - they're great for bringing out memories of a certain place, situation in life etc.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#134

Post by vmception » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:45 AM UTC

devoutsalsa wrote: post #96

superbcarrot wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My better memories were all from places I stayed for over 2 months, and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself. How did you go about meeting people in the first place?

Dating apps, couch surfing, and getting out of the house & going where the people are. Expat groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, too.

protip: If the travel nurse during a pandemic from Philadelphia really thinks the riskiest thing she’s done is downloading Hinge, you can do it too.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#135

Post by Grustaf » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:46 AM UTC

noname123 wrote: post #25

I'd love to hear concretely what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? Because I always hear that it's really exciting and you get to go to exciting places - but what exactly did you gain in terms of perspectives besides your instagram pictures and cocktail stories? I've never get beyond this superficial in hearing people's travel stories online and IRL. Maybe it's just me; but the idea of g…

> Maybe it's just me; but the idea of going from one place to another for 2 weeks, to take pictures and get led around by locals tourist industry is the very definition of Western Consumerism.

If you're travelling like this, you're doing it wrong. Stay much longer, not with foreigners, learn the language, get a basic job. Live like an immigrant, not a tourist, and definitely not like an American tourist.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#136

Post by noname123 » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:47 AM UTC

randomsearch wrote: post #115

noname123 wrote: post #25

I'd love to hear concretely what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? Because I always hear that it's really exciting and you get to go to exciting places - but what exactly did you gain in terms of perspectives besides your instagram pictures and cocktail stories? I've never get beyond this superficial in hearing people's travel stories online and IRL. Maybe it's just me; but the idea of g…

Firstly: agree that there are some aspects of travelling that will be looked down upon in the future, particularly exploiting the difference in the cost of living. But travelling was massively beneficial for me. I'll focus on the biggest trip, which was a year backpacking. > what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? * I worked and rented in another country. So I had to work out how to do th…

Just want to say thank you for this exhaustive list! I really appreciate it! There's many items I can say I appreciate… but I'll pick the one I enjoyed the most:

>After a while the stresses of travelling become fairly routine and you have a lot of time to relax on journeys and think about what you want to do with your life. That really shaped how I've lived since. Just sitting in a bus on a long road in a very different country you can watch how people live and it gets you thinking. How close are their families? Do I want to live like that? How do informal networks replace more structured western timetables etc.

(In contrast to how everyday we just go through life pre-programmed on a commute or an errand out in public, lost in some tape loop of rumination and internal anxieties… or doom-scrolling on our phones… completely filtering out the environment, our fellow human beings around us, and ourselves really; to take time to just think, even just notice your surrounding, acknowledge other people and be grateful… that is already a richer life!)

It's great that you've made friends and stayed in touch after the trip and became life-long friends - it's a testament to you and your friend… I wish I could've the same experience, it's easy to party but very hard to make a friend, I'm very jealous!

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#137

Post by redisman » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:47 AM UTC

nexus2045 wrote: post #49

redisman wrote: post #7

I did the digital nomad thing shorter term - for a few months. Kinda fun but I still found work even more invasive on my time than at home. Everyone’s having fun and relaxing at the beach while I’m sitting at the reception area trying to connect to the crappy wifi to upload my work or join a call. Or I’m sitting at a hotel room all day/night working because the time difference is weird or just working in a coffee sho…

This is a cautionary tale... I'm considering doing the same myself, and hopefully can get the most out of it. What would some of you have done differently? Considering mostly East Asia, and will be having a remote full time developer job.

Definitely I should have rented a place with internet after a while of looking for what place feels right and stayed for some months. At least to me being “on the road” and working was really tough. But maybe if you just go to Hanoi for 6 months or something it might be interesting. I also wasn’t on a great contract and was kind of a noob myself so the work wasn’t that fun.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#138

Post by oblio » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:49 AM UTC

hayst4ck wrote: post #104

devoutsalsa wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dating apps, couch surfing, and getting out of the house & going where the people are. Expat groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, too.

Yep, dating apps didn't work great for me at all because I have the misfortune of being both unattractive and picky, but couch surfing hangouts work fantastically, especially for meeting local people. Walking around at least puts you in places where people can talk to you, occasionally they do. Wearing unique or attention grabbing things gives people an excuse to talk to you. I always choose trains and buses to trave…

> both unattractive and picky

I know this is HN, but I do have to say: good luck! :-D

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#139

Post by hayst4ck » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:49 AM UTC

bawolff wrote: post #110

devoutsalsa wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dating apps, couch surfing, and getting out of the house & going where the people are. Expat groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, too.

As someone with mild social anxiety, the thought of doing something like that is utterly alien, even in my own country let alone somewhere else. I don't mean in a "i wouldn't do that" sort of way, but in an "i cannot even imagine/does not compute" sort of way. Anyhow, good on you for living life :)

I also have/had mild social anxiety. When things open up go stay for a couple days in a hostel somewhere (use hostelworld), make sure to find one with a reasonably large common room and be in it, read a book or do some work. It will probably be therapeutic. Not much is forced and socialness tends to just happen. If someone sits near you or says hi ask "Where are you from? How long are you here? What have you done here?" and roll with it. If you do some research on whats in the area or cool food you want to try, you have an immediate opportunity to invite someone to do an activity. It will feel like sitting on an airplane with the door open to go sky diving to you, exhilirating if you manage to make yourself do it.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#140

Post by mckirk » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 9:50 AM UTC

anm89 wrote: post #72

dejv wrote: post #29

I traveled for five years or so. I was having great time, but I've probably overdid it for year or two. What worked well for me was quiting mixing backpacker circus with less known destination. It was fun to sleep at hostels, party with fellow travelers and have fun, but it gets old after while. I split my trips into 3 to 6 months chunks after which I just come back to one of my bases, recharge for a bit and then wen…

Yeah, I think going out to find yourself or being transformed is mostly a fools errand. I also don't regret my travels but didn't find any of that.

Wherever you go, there you are.

At first I just found that line funny, but the more I've traveled, the truer I've found it to be. A change in scenery can be immensely helpful in many ways, but you'll still relate to the world in fundamentally the same way once you're somewhere else.